Embodiments of this application relate to the field of batteries, and more specifically, to a battery, an electric apparatus, and a method and an apparatus for manufacturing battery.
Energy conservation and emission reduction are crucial to sustainable development of the automobile industry. In this context, electric vehicles, with their advantages in energy conservation and environmental protection, have become an important part of sustainable development of the automobile industry. For electric vehicles, battery technology is an important factor in connection with their development.
Batteries are mounted in electric apparatuses, for example, electric vehicles. Movement of the electric vehicle causes some impact on the battery, and if the battery has weak stiffness and strength, such impact will have an adverse effect on performance of the battery and may cause safety problems. Therefore, how the stiffness and strength of batteries are enhanced is an urgent technical problem that needs to be solved in battery technology.
This application provides a battery, an electric apparatus, a method for manufacturing battery, and an apparatus for manufacturing battery, so as to enhance stiffness and strength of the battery.
According to a first aspect, a battery is provided, including: a box; and a plurality of columns of battery cells accommodated in the box, where the battery cell is a polyhedral structure and includes a first wall and a second wall connected to each other, the first wall being a wall with a largest area of the battery cell and perpendicular to a first direction, the second wall being oblique to the first direction, and the first direction being parallel to the direction of gravity. Each column of battery cells in the plurality of columns of battery cells are stacked along the first direction, and in each column of battery cells, adjacent ones of the battery cells are attached to each other via the first wall. The plurality of columns of battery cells are arranged along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and two adjacent columns of battery cells are attached to each other via the second wall.
According to technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, in the box of the battery, in the plurality of columns of battery cells arranged along the second direction, the second walls of two adjacent columns of battery cells attached to each other are oblique to the first direction, that is, the second walls are oblique to the direction of gravity. Therefore, interaction forces parallel to the direction of gravity are formed between adjacent second walls such that at least one oblique second wall of each battery cell is held down by an oblique second wall of a battery cell adjacent thereto. The interaction forces formed between the adjacent battery cells make two adjacent battery cells bind and constrain each other, thus enhancing overall stiffness and strength of the battery and reducing safety risks caused by vibration and impact on the battery in use. In addition, each column of battery cells are stacked along the first direction, and in each column of battery cells, adjacent battery cells are attached to each other via adjacent first walls. The first wall is a wall with a largest area of the battery cell and perpendicular to the first direction, or disposed in the horizontal direction, so that the first wall with the largest area can be used for implementing stable disposition of each column of battery cells on the horizontal plane.
In some possible implementations, the battery cell includes two first walls parallel to each other and two second walls parallel to each other, and the battery cell has a parallelogram cross section on a plane perpendicular to the first walls and the second walls.
According to the technical solution in these implementations, the battery cell may include two second walls oblique to the first direction and parallel to each other. On one hand, the battery cell can be attached to adjacent left and right two battery cells via the two oblique second walls, thus further implementing interconnection of a plurality of battery cells. On the other hand, the battery cell has a relatively regular and symmetrical structure, facilitating manufacture and mounting of the battery cell.
In some possible implementations, in each column of battery cells, a plurality of second walls, on a same side, of a plurality of battery cells are on a same plane.
According to the technical solution in these implementations, in each column of battery cells, a plurality of second walls, on a same side, of a plurality of battery cells can be on a same plane, that is, two oblique walls parallel to each other can be formed on two sides of each column of battery cells, which can more easily implement mounting and connection between the plurality of columns of battery cells, thus simplifying a manner of mounting the plurality of battery cells in the box and improving the production efficiency of the battery.
In some possible implementations, the battery cell includes two first walls parallel to each other and two second walls unparallel to each other, and the battery cell has a trapezoid cross section on the plane perpendicular to the first walls and the second walls.
In some possible implementations, in each column of battery cells, a plurality of second walls, on one side, of a plurality of battery cells are on a same plane.
According to the technical solution in these implementations, in each column of battery cells of the battery, a plurality of second walls, on one side, of a plurality of battery cells can be on a same plane. Therefore, when two adjacent columns of battery cells are spliced with each other, two oblique walls parallel to each other can be formed on two sides of the entire two columns of battery cells, which can also more easily implement connection between the plurality of columns of battery cells, thus improving the production efficiency of the battery.
In some possible implementations, the first wall and the second wall extend along a length direction of the battery cell, and the length direction of the battery cell is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.
According to the technical solution in these implementations, the first wall and the second wall extend along the length direction of the battery cell, which can make the first wall and the second wall have a longer length and thus have a larger area. For the first wall, it is perpendicular to the first direction, or perpendicular to the direction of gravity, and if the first wall has a larger area, when the battery cell is disposed on the horizontal plane via the first wall, the battery cell can have higher stability. For the second wall, if it has a larger area, the interaction forces between the second walls of adjacent battery cells can be increased, and more structural adhesives can be provided on the second wall, improving the stability of the battery cell.
In some possible implementations, each column of battery cells are stacked along a thickness direction of the battery cells, and the thickness direction of the battery cells is parallel to the first direction.
In some possible implementations, the battery cell further includes a third wall located at an end of the battery cell in the length direction and connected to the first wall and the second wall; and the battery cell further includes an electrode terminal disposed on the third wall.
According to the technical solution in these implementations, the electrode terminal of the battery cell is disposed on the third wall located at the end of the battery cell in the length direction, without affecting attachment of the first wall and the second wall of the battery cell to other components, where the first wall and the second wall extend along the length direction of the battery cell and have a larger area. This ensures higher stability of the battery cell. In addition, the third wall may have a smaller area, so that length of a busbar for electrical connection between adjacent battery cells can be shortened, thereby facilitating disposition and mounting of the busbar in the box of the battery.
In some possible implementations, the battery cell further includes a pressure relief mechanism disposed on the third wall or the first wall.
According to the technical solution in these implementations, the pressure relief mechanism is disposed on the third wall or the first wall other than the second wall in the battery cell, without affecting attachment of the second wall to other components either, thereby ensuring higher stability of the battery cell.
In some possible implementations, the battery includes N columns of battery cells, and each column of battery cells in the N columns of battery cells includes M battery cells, where M and N are positive integers greater than 1, and N is greater than or equal to M.
According to the technical solution in these implementations, in the battery, fewer battery cells are stacked along the first direction, and more battery cells are arranged along the second direction y. On one hand, in the gravity direction parallel to the first direction, the overall size of the battery is smaller, and in the horizontal direction parallel to the second direction y, the overall size of the battery is larger, facilitating stable mounting of the battery in an electric apparatus. On the other hand, each column of battery cells are stacked along the first direction via the first walls having a larger area, and two adjacent columns of batteries are connected to each other in the second direction y via the second walls having a smaller area, so that most of the heat generated by the battery cells is transferred among each column of battery cells through the first walls having a larger area, while less amount of the heat is transferred to other columns of battery cells through the second walls. Therefore, in the case that fewer battery cells are present in each column of battery cells, if a battery cell in the battery experiences thermal runaway, the battery cell only affects other battery cells in the column in which the battery cell is located, and has less influence on battery cells in other columns, thereby improving overall safety performance of the battery.
In some possible implementations, the plurality of columns of battery cells are sequentially attached to each other via the second walls to form an entirety.
According to the technical solution in these implementations, the plurality of columns of battery cells are sequentially attached to each other to form an entirety and be mounted in the box, and no other spacer is provided between the plurality of battery cells, so that energy density and overall quality of the battery can be improved, optimizing overall performance of the battery.
In some possible implementations, a first spacer is provided between the plurality of columns of battery cells; and the first spacer has walls oblique to the first direction so as to be attached to the second walls of two columns of battery cells adjacent to the first spacer, where the first spacer is at least one of the following structures: a cross beam, a thermal management component, and a structural adhesive.
According to the technical solution in these implementations, the first spacer is provided between the plurality of columns of battery cells. On one hand, the overall stiffness and strength of the battery can be enhanced, improving overall impact resistance of the battery. On the other hand, the first spacer can also support the second walls of the battery cells, avoiding continuous accumulation of stress of the plurality of columns of battery cells in an arrangement direction thereof in case of swelling of the battery cells, enhancing strength and stiffness of the plurality of columns of battery cells in the arrangement direction thereof, and improving overall stability and safety of the battery. On the third hand, the first spacer can further block heat transfer. When a battery cell located on one side of the first spacer experiences thermal runaway, a large amount of heat generated by this battery cell is blocked by the first spacer to some extent, thereby preventing the heat from being transferred to a battery cell located on the other side of the first spacer, guaranteeing normal operation of the battery cell located on the other side of the first spacer, and improving the overall safety of the battery.
In some possible implementations, the first spacer has a parallelogram or trapezoid cross section on the plane perpendicular to the first walls and the second walls.
According to the technical solution in these implementations, in the case that the first spacer has a trapezoid cross section on the plane perpendicular to the first walls and the second walls, when a plurality of battery cells swell, stress generated in an arrangement direction (that is, the second direction) of a group of battery cells located on one side of the first spacer can partially offset or be partially offset by stress generated in an arrangement direction (the second direction) of a group of battery cells located on the other side of the first spacer, thereby further enhancing the overall stiffness and strength of the battery, improving the stability of the battery, and guaranteeing the safety performance of the battery.
In some possible implementations, the first spacer is provided in a quantity of less than or equal to 5.
According to the technical solution in these implementations, controlling the quantity of the first spacer in the battery to be within 5 can balance the overall strength and energy density of the battery.
In some possible implementations, the plurality of columns of battery cells are arranged perpendicular to the second direction to form a row of battery cells; and the battery further includes an end plate disposed on at least one end of the row of battery cells in the second direction, where the end plate has a wall oblique to the first direction, and the oblique wall is configured to be attached to the second wall of the battery cell.
According to the technical solution in these implementations, the end plate can fasten and constrain the row of battery cells in the second direction. In addition, the end plate can also support the second walls located on two sides of at least one row of battery cells and having a larger area, and bear stress on the second walls caused by swelling of the battery cells, so as to improve stability of the battery cells in the box and the overall strength and stiffness of the battery.
In some possible implementations, thickness of the end plate at an end facing the direction of gravity is greater than thickness of the end plate at an end facing away from the direction of gravity.
According to the technical solution in these implementations, the end plate has a larger thickness at the end facing the direction of gravity, which can ensure that the battery has higher stiffness, strength, and stability at an end facing the direction of gravity. When the battery is mounted at a chassis of a vehicle, the battery can better resist external impact such as flying stones on the bottom of the vehicle, thus improving mounting stability of the battery in the vehicle and guaranteeing operation performance of the battery.
In some possible implementations, the plurality of columns of battery cells are arranged perpendicular to the second direction to form a row of battery cells, and the battery includes a plurality of rows of battery cells; and a second spacer is provided between two adjacent rows of battery cells in the plurality of rows of battery cells, and the second spacer is at least one of the following structures: a cross beam, a thermal management component, and a structural adhesive.
According to the technical solution in these implementations, the second spacer is provided between two adjacent rows of battery cells, which can enhance the overall stiffness and strength of the battery, thereby improving overall impact resistance of the battery. In addition, if the second spacer is a thermal management component, for example, a cooling component such as a cooling plate, this thermal management component has a thermal management function for the battery cells in addition to having enough stiffness and strength, and can regulate the temperatures of the battery cells, further guaranteeing working performance and safety performance of the battery.
In some possible implementations, the battery further includes thermal management components corresponding to walls other than the second walls of the plurality of columns of battery cells for thermal management of the plurality of columns of battery cells.
In some possible implementations, the thermal management component is disposed between two adjacent battery cells in each column of battery cells.
According to the technical solution in these implementations, the thermal management component is disposed between two adjacent battery cells in each column of battery cells to correspond to the first walls of the two adjacent battery cells, facilitating better temperature management.
According to a second aspect, an electric apparatus is provided, including the battery according to any one of the first aspect or the possible implementations of the first aspect, where the battery is configured to supply electric energy.
According to a third aspect, a method for manufacturing battery is provided, including: providing a box; providing a plurality of columns of battery cells, where the battery cell is a polyhedral structure and includes a first wall and a second wall connected to each other, the first wall being a wall with a largest area of the battery cell and perpendicular to a first direction, the second wall being oblique to the first direction, and the first direction being parallel to the direction of gravity; where each column of battery cells in the plurality of columns of battery cells are stacked along the first direction, and in each column of battery cells, adjacent ones of the battery cells are attached to each other via the first wall; and the plurality of columns of battery cells are arranged along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and two adjacent columns of battery cells are attached to each other via the second wall; and accommodating the plurality of columns of battery cells in the box.
According to a fourth aspect, an apparatus for manufacturing battery is provided, including: a provision module, configured to: provide a box; and provide a plurality of columns of battery cells, where the battery cell is a polyhedral structure and includes a first wall and a second wall connected to each other, the first wall being a wall with a largest area of the battery cell and perpendicular to a first direction, the second wall being oblique to the first direction, and the first direction being parallel to the direction of gravity; where each column of battery cells in the plurality of columns of battery cells are stacked along the first direction, and in each column of battery cells, adjacent ones of the battery cells are attached to each other via the first wall; and the plurality of columns of battery cells are arranged along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and two adjacent columns of battery cells are attached to each other via the second wall; and a mounting module, configured to accommodate the plurality of columns of battery cells in the box.
According to technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, in the box of the battery, in the plurality of columns of battery cells arranged along the second direction, the second walls of two adjacent columns of battery cells attached to each other are oblique to the first direction, that is, the second walls are oblique to the direction of gravity. Therefore, interaction forces parallel to the direction of gravity are formed between adjacent second walls such that at least one oblique second wall of each battery cell is held down by an oblique second wall of a battery cell adjacent thereto. The interaction forces formed between the adjacent battery cells make two adjacent battery cells bind and constrain each other, thus enhancing overall stiffness and strength of the battery and reducing safety risks caused by vibration and impact on the battery in use. In addition, each column of battery cells are stacked along the first direction, and in each column of battery cells, adjacent battery cells are attached to each other via adjacent first walls. The first wall is a wall with a largest area of the battery cell and perpendicular to the first direction, or disposed in the horizontal direction, so that the first wall with the largest area can be used for implementing stable disposition of each column of battery cells on the horizontal plane.
To describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application more clearly, the following briefly describes the accompanying drawings required for describing the embodiments of this application. Apparently, the accompanying drawings in the following description show merely some embodiments of this application, and persons of ordinary skill in the art may still derive other drawings from the accompanying drawings without creative efforts.
The accompanying drawings are not drawn to scale.
The following further describes implementations of this application in detail with reference to accompanying drawings and embodiments. The detailed description of embodiments and the accompanying drawings are intended to illustrate the principle of this application, rather than to limit the scope of this application, meaning that this application is not limited to the embodiments described herein.
In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise stated, “a plurality of” means at least two; and the orientations or positional relationships indicated by the terms “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “right”, “inside”, “outside”, and the like are merely for ease and brevity of description of this application rather than indicating or implying that the apparatuses or components mentioned must have specific orientations or must be constructed or manipulated according to specific orientations. These terms shall therefore not be construed as limitations on this application. In addition, the terms “first”, “second”, and “third”, and the like are merely for the purpose of description and shall not be understood as any indication or implication of relative importance. “Perpendicular” is not perpendicular in the strict sense but within an allowable range of error. “Parallel” is not parallel in the strict sense but within an allowable range of error.
The orientation terms appearing in the following description all refer to the orientations as shown in the drawings, and do not limit the specific structure of the application. In the description of this application, it should also be noted that unless otherwise specified and defined explicitly, the terms “mount”, “connect”, and “join” should be understood in their general senses. For example, they may refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection, and may refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection via an intermediate medium. Persons of ordinary skill in the art can understand specific meanings of these terms in this application as appropriate to specific situations.
The term “and/or” in this application is only an associative relationship for describing associated objects, indicating that three relationships may be present. For example, A and/or B may indicate the following three cases: presence of only A, presence of both A and B, and presence of only B. In addition, the character “/” in this specification generally indicates an “or” relationship between contextually associated objects.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application shall have the same meanings as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application relates. The terms used in the specification of this application are intended to merely describe the specific embodiments rather than to limit this application. The terms “include”, “comprise”, and any variations thereof in the specification and claims of this application as well as the foregoing description of drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. In the specification, claims, or accompanying drawings of this application, the terms “first”, “second”, and the like are intended to distinguish between different objects rather than to indicate a particular order or relative importance.
Reference to “embodiment” in this application means that specific features, structures, or characteristics described with reference to the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The word “embodiment” appearing in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or an independent or alternative embodiment that is exclusive of other embodiments. It is explicitly or implicitly understood by persons skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.
The battery in this application is a single physical module that includes one or more battery cells for providing electric energy. For example, the battery mentioned in this application may include a battery module, a battery pack, or the like. A battery typically includes a box configured to enclose one or more battery cells. The box can prevent liquids or other foreign matter from affecting charging or discharging of the battery cell.
Optionally, the battery cell may include a lithium ion secondary battery, a lithium ion primary battery, a lithium-sulfur battery, a sodium/lithium-ion battery, a sodium ion battery, a magnesium ion battery, or the like. This is not limited in the embodiments of this application. In some implementations, the battery cell may also be referred to as a cell.
The battery cell includes an electrode assembly and an electrolyte. The electrode assembly includes a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, and a separator. Working of the battery cell mainly relies on migration of metal ions between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate. The positive electrode plate includes a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode active substance layer. The positive electrode active substance layer is applied on a surface of the positive electrode current collector. The part of current collector uncoated with the positive electrode active substance layer protrudes out of the part of current collector coated with the positive electrode active substance layer and serves as a positive tab. A lithium-ion battery is used as an example, for which the positive electrode current collector may be made of aluminum and the positive electrode active substance may be lithium cobaltate, lithium iron phosphate, ternary lithium, lithium manganate, or the like. The negative electrode plate includes a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode active substance layer. The negative electrode active substance layer is applied on a surface of the negative electrode current collector. The part of current collector uncoated with the negative electrode active substance layer protrudes out of the part of current collector coated with the negative electrode active substance layer and serves as a negative tab. The negative electrode current collector may be made of copper, and the negative electrode active substance may be carbon, silicon, or the like. To allow a large current to pass through without any fusing, multiple positive tabs are provided and stacked together, and multiple negative tabs are provided and stacked together. The separator may be made of polypropylene (Polypropylene, PP), polyethylene (Polyethylene, PE), or the like. In addition, the electrode assembly may be a winding structure or a laminated structure, but the embodiments of this application are not limited thereto.
For the development of battery technology, many design factors need to be considered, for example, performance parameters such as energy density, cycle life, discharge capacity, and charge and discharge rate, as well as stability of the battery mounted in an electric apparatus, so as to improve safety of the battery in the electric apparatus.
In some battery packaging technologies, for conventional prismatic battery cells, for example, blade battery cells, larger surfaces of the battery cell are fixedly connected to each other by using a structural adhesive, which makes the entire battery have enough strength and stiffness to resist external impact. However, in this case, an applying area of the structural adhesive between the battery cells is limited, and there is no interaction force between the battery cells. This affects mounting stability of the battery cells in the box and leads to limited overall strength and stiffness of the packaged battery, thus bringing some potential safety hazards.
In view of this, this application provides a technical solution to design the battery cell as a battery cell being a polyhedral structure different from the conventional prismatic battery cell. The battery cell being the polyhedral structure includes a first wall and a second wall connected to each other, where the first wall is a wall with a largest area of the battery cell and perpendicular to the direction of gravity, and the second wall is oblique to the direction of gravity. A battery may include a plurality of columns of battery cells, where each column of battery cells in the plurality of columns of battery cells are stacked along the direction of gravity, and in each column of battery cells, adjacent battery cells are attached to each other via the first wall; and the plurality of columns of battery cells are arranged along the horizontal direction perpendicular to the direction of gravity, and two adjacent columns of battery cells are attached to each other via the second wall, so as to form interaction forces parallel to the direction of gravity between adjacent second walls. Therefore, at least one second wall of each battery cell in each column of battery cells is pressed by an oblique second wall of a battery cell adjacent thereto, which can make each battery cell bound by the battery cell adjacent thereto. Interaction forces are formed between the battery cells, so that the battery cells constrain each other, which can enhance the overall stiffness and strength of the battery and reduce safety risks caused by vibration and impact on the battery in use.
The technical solutions described in the embodiments of this application are applicable to various apparatuses that use batteries, for example, mobile phones, portable devices, notebook computers, electric bicycles, electric toys, electric tools, electric vehicles, ships, and spacecrafts. For example, spacecrafts include airplanes, rockets, space shuttles, spaceships, and the like.
It should be understood that the technical solutions described in the embodiments of this application are applicable to not only the apparatuses described above but also all apparatuses using batteries. However, for brevity of description, in the following embodiments, an electric vehicle is used as an example for description.
For example,
To meet different power usage requirements, the battery may include a plurality of battery cells, and the plurality of battery cells may be connected in series, parallel, or series-parallel, where being connected in series-parallel means a combination of series and parallel connections. The battery may also be called a battery pack. Optionally, a plurality of battery cells may be connected in series, parallel, or series-parallel to form a battery module first, and then a plurality of battery modules are connected in series, parallel, or series-parallel to form a battery. In a word, the plurality of battery cells may be directly combined into a battery, or may first be combined into battery modules which are then combined into a battery.
For example, as shown in
Optionally, in an implementation, a plurality of battery cells (cell) 20 may be first integrated into at least one battery module (module), and then the battery module is mounted in the box 100 of the battery 10 to form a battery pack (pack) in form. In this implementation, an auxiliary structural member such as a cross beam may be provided between the battery modules, which can improve mounting stability of the battery modules in the box 100.
Optionally, in a second implementation, a plurality of battery cells 20 may alternatively be directly connected to each other and mounted in the box 100 to form a battery pack in form, without an intermediate state of a battery module. An auxiliary structural member such as a cross beam may not be required in the box 100, thus reducing the mass of the battery 10 and increasing energy density of the battery 10. This implementation may also be called a battery cell to battery pack (cell to pack, CTP) mounting technology in the related technologies.
Optionally, in a third implementation, the box 100 may be integrated in an electric apparatus in which the battery 10 is located. In other words, the box 100 may be integrally formed with structural members in the electric apparatus. After being connected to each other, the plurality of battery cells 20 may be directly mounted in the box 100 of the electric apparatus. In an example, the box 100 may be integrated in a local region of a chassis of the foregoing vehicle 1, and after being connected to each other, the plurality of battery cells 20 may be directly mounted at the chassis of the vehicle 1. This implementation may also be called a battery cell to chassis (cell to chassis, CTC) mounting technology in the related technologies.
Optionally, the battery 10 may also include other structures. Details are not described herein. For example, the battery 10 may further include a busbar configured to implement electrical connection between the plurality of battery cells 20, such as a parallel connection, a series connection, or a series-parallel connection. Specifically, the busbar may implement the electrical connection between the battery cells 20 by connecting electrode terminals of the battery cells 20. Further, the busbar may be fastened on the electrode terminals of battery cells 20 by welding. Electric energy of the plurality of battery cells 20 may be further led out by a conductive mechanism that passes through the box 100. Optionally, the conductive mechanism may also belong to the busbar.
Depending on different power needs, the battery cells 20 may be provided in any quantity. The plurality of battery cells 20 may be connected in series, parallel, or series-parallel to implement large capacity or high power.
As shown in
The battery cell 20 may further include two electrode terminals 214. Optionally, as shown in
The first cover plate 212a and the second cover plate 212b are generally in a shape of a flat plate, and the two electrode terminals 214 may be fastened on flat surfaces of the first cover plate 212a and the second cover plate 212b respectively. The two electrode terminals 214 are a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal respectively. Each electrode terminal 214 is correspondingly provided with a connecting member or a current collecting member that is located between the first cover plate 212a and the electrode assembly 22 and between the second cover plate 212b and the electrode assembly 22 for electrically connecting the electrode assembly 22 and the electrode terminal 214.
Optionally, as shown in
In addition, in the battery cell 20, each electrode assembly 22 has a first tab 221 and a second tab. The first tab 221 and the second tab have opposite polarities. For example, when the first tab 221 is a positive tab, the second tab is a negative tab. The first tabs 221 of the one or more electrode assemblies 22 are connected to one electrode terminal through one connecting member, and the second tabs of the one or more electrode assemblies 22 are connected to the other electrode terminal through the other connecting member. For example, as shown in
In an example, a pressure relief mechanism 213 may further be provided on a wall of the battery cell 20. The pressure relief mechanism 213 is configured to be actuated to relieve internal pressure or temperature when the internal pressure or temperature of the battery cell 20 reaches a threshold.
Optionally, in another embodiment of this application, the pressure relief mechanism 213 and the electrode terminal 214 are disposed on a same wall of the battery cell 20. In an example, as shown in
The pressure relief mechanism 213 and the electrode terminal 214 being disposed on the same wall of the battery cell 20 can facilitate the processing and mounting of the pressure relief mechanism 213 and the electrode terminal 214, and is conducive to improving the production efficiency of the battery 10.
Certainly, in other embodiments of this application, the pressure relief mechanism 213 and the electrode terminal 214 may alternatively be disposed on different walls of the battery cell 20. For example, the two electrode terminals 214 in the battery 10 are respectively disposed on the first cover plate 212a and the second cover plate 212b of the battery cell 20, while the pressure relief mechanism 213 is disposed on a wall other than the first cover plate 212a and the second cover plate 212b in the battery 10.
The pressure relief mechanism 213 may be a part of the wall on which it is located, or may be a separate structure from the wall on which it is located, and may be fastened on the wall on which it is located by, for example, welding. For example, in the embodiment shown in
In addition, the pressure relief mechanism 213 may be various possible pressure relief mechanisms. This is not limited in this embodiment of this application. For example, the pressure relief mechanism 213 may be a temperature-sensitive pressure relief mechanism configured to melt when the internal temperature of the battery cell 20 provided with the pressure relief mechanism 213 reaches the threshold; and/or the pressure relief mechanism 213 may be a pressure-sensitive pressure relief mechanism configured to break when the internal gas pressure of the battery cell 20 provided with the pressure relief mechanism 213 reaches the threshold.
Optionally, as shown in
As shown in
Optionally, in this embodiment of this application, the box 100 may be the box 100 in the embodiment shown in
Optionally, in this embodiment of this application, for an internal structure of the battery cell 20, reference may be made to the related descriptions in the embodiment shown in
Optionally, for the battery cell 20, the first wall 201 and the second wall 202 may be the housing 211, the first cover plate 212a, or the second cover plate 212b of the battery cell 20 in the embodiment shown in
Optionally, the first wall 201 and the second wall 202 may be connected to each other to form a wedge-shaped structure. Specifically, an included angle between the first wall 201 and the second wall 202 may be an acute angle so as to form a wedge-shaped structure with an acute vertex angle.
Or optionally, an included angle between the first wall 201 and the second wall 202 may alternatively be an obtuse angle, in which case it can also be understood as that a wedge-shaped structure with an obtuse vertex angle is formed between the first wall 201 and the second wall 202.
In addition, as shown in
According to technical solutions in this embodiment of this application, in the box 100 of the battery 10, in the plurality of columns of battery cells 20 arranged along the second direction y, the second walls 202 of two adjacent columns of battery cells 20 attached to each other are oblique to the first direction z, that is, the second walls 202 are oblique to the direction of gravity. Therefore, interaction forces parallel to the direction of gravity are formed between adjacent second walls 202 such that at least one oblique second wall 202 of each battery cell 20 is held down by an oblique second wall 202 of a battery cell 20 adjacent thereto. The interaction forces formed between the adjacent battery cells 20 make two adjacent battery cells 20 bind and constrain each other, thus enhancing overall stiffness and strength of the battery 10 and reducing safety risks caused by vibration and impact on the battery 10 in use. Further, a structural adhesive may be applied on the second wall 202, so that adjacent battery cells 20 can be connected to each other via the structural adhesive, which can further improve stability and overall stiffness and strength of the battery 10. In addition, as compared with a wall in the vertical direction, an area of the oblique second wall 202 is larger than that of the vertical wall. Therefore, the structural adhesive applied on the second wall 202 also has a larger area, which can further improve the stability and overall stiffness and strength of the battery 10.
In addition, in this embodiment of this application, each column of battery cells 20 are stacked along the first direction z, and in each column of battery cells 20, adjacent battery cells 20 are attached to each other via adjacent first walls 201. The first wall 201 is a wall with a largest area of the battery cell 20 and perpendicular to the first direction, or disposed in the horizontal direction, so that the first wall 201 with the largest area can be used for implementing stable disposition of each column of battery cells 20 on the horizontal plane. In addition, a structural adhesive may further be applied on the first wall 201 with the largest area to implement relatively firm connection between adjacent battery cells 20 in each column of battery cells 20, thus improving stability of each column of battery cells 20.
Optionally, in some implementations, the battery cell 20 may include two first walls 201 parallel to each other and two second walls 202 parallel to each other, and the battery cell 20 has a parallelogram cross section on a plane perpendicular to the first walls 201 and the second walls 202. In these implementations, the battery cell 20 has a relatively regular and symmetrical structure, facilitating manufacture and mounting of the battery cell 20.
Optionally, in some other implementations, the battery cell 20 may include two first walls 201 parallel to each other and two second walls 202 unparallel to each other, the battery cell 20 has a trapezoid cross section on a plane perpendicular to the first walls 201 and the second walls 202, and the two second walls 202 unparallel to each other form waists of the trapezoid cross section.
In the foregoing two manners, the battery cell 20 may include two second walls 202 oblique to the first direction z, so that the battery cell 20 can be attached to adjacent left and right two battery cells 20 via the two oblique second walls 202, thus further implementing interconnection of a plurality of battery cells 20.
Optionally, as shown in
Optionally, in the embodiment shown in
Certainly, the third wall 203 may alternatively be unperpendicular to the first wall 201 and the second wall 202. In this case, the shape of the third wall 203 may also be presented as parallelogram or trapezoid. Specific arrangement of the third wall 203 is not limited in this embodiment of this application.
Optionally, in the embodiment shown in
It should be understood that in the three-dimensional space, the size of the polyhedral structure in its length direction is larger than sizes of the polyhedral structure in other directions, in other words, the direction with the largest size in the battery cell 20 of the polyhedral structure is its length direction.
According to these implementations, the first wall 201 and the second wall 202 extend along the length direction L of the battery cell 20, which can make the first wall 201 and the second wall 202 have a longer length and thus have a larger area. For the first wall 201, it is perpendicular to the first direction z, or perpendicular to the direction of gravity, and if the first wall 201 has a larger area, when the battery cell 20 is disposed on the horizontal plane via the first wall 201, the battery cell 20 can have higher stability. For the second wall 202, if it has a larger area, the interaction forces between the second walls 202 of adjacent battery cells 20 can be increased, and more structural adhesives can be provided on the second wall 202, improving the stability of the battery cell 10.
Optionally, in the embodiments shown in
The battery cells 20 shown in
(a) of
Optionally, as shown in
As an example rather than a limitation, the first size S1 may be in a range satisfying 100 mm≤S1≤1400 mm. Further, the first size S1 may be in a range satisfying 300 mm≤S1≤1200 mm.
As an example rather than a limitation, the second size S2 may be in a range satisfying 5 mm≤S2≤80 mm. Further, the second size S2 may be in a range satisfying 5 mm≤S2≤30 mm.
Optionally, as shown in
As an example rather than a limitation, the included angle θ between the second wall 202 and the first direction z may be in a range satisfying 0°<θ≤60°. Further, the included angle θ between the second wall 202 and the first direction z may be in a range satisfying 0°<θ≤10°.
According to the technical solution in this embodiment of this application, controlling the included angle θ between the second wall 202 and the first direction z can balance space occupied by the battery cell 20 and the stability of the battery cell 20. With a smaller included angle θ, lateral space occupied by the battery cell 20 can be relatively reduced while ensuring mounting stability of the battery cell 20, thus increasing energy density of the battery 10.
Still referring to
Optionally, the battery cell 20 may further include an electrode terminal 214 disposed on the third wall 303. Specifically, the battery cell 20 may include two electrode terminals 214: a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal. In an example, as shown in
According to the technical solution in this embodiment of this application, the electrode terminal 214 of the battery cell 20 is disposed on the third wall 203 of the battery cell 20 in the length direction L, without affecting attachment of the first wall 201 and the second wall 202 of the battery cell 20 to other components, where the first wall 201 and the second wall 202 extend along the length direction of the battery cell 20 and have a larger area. This ensures higher stability of the battery cell 20. In addition, based on actual design requirements, the electrode terminals 214 may be disposed on a same end surface or different end surfaces of the battery cell 20, so that the battery cell 20 can be flexibly used in various electrical environments.
As shown in
For example, in an implementation shown in (a) of
Alternatively, in an implementation shown in (b) of
It should be noted that in the embodiment shown in
It should also be noted that in the embodiments shown in
The battery cell 20 in the embodiments of this application is described above with reference to
In an example, a shape of a battery cell 20 in
As shown in (b) of
In an example, as shown in (a) of
As shown in (b) of
In an example, as shown in (b) of
As shown in
In this embodiment of this application, two second walls 202 of each battery cell 20 of the battery 10 are unparallel to each other, while two adjacent second walls 202 of two adjacent battery cells 20 in the second direction y are parallel to each other, so that the two adjacent columns of battery cells 20 in the second direction y can be sequentially attached to each other via the second walls 202, which can also implement mutual connection between the plurality of columns of battery cells 20.
Optionally, as shown in (b) of
According to this implementation, in each column of battery cells 20 of the battery 10, the plurality of second walls 202, on one side, of the plurality of battery cells 20 can be on a same plane. Therefore, when two adjacent columns of battery cells 20 are spliced with each other, two oblique walls parallel to each other can be formed on two sides of the entire two columns of battery cells 20, which can also more easily implement connection between the plurality of columns of battery cells 20, thus improving the production efficiency of the battery 10.
Optionally,
As shown in (a) of
As shown in (b) of
According to the implementations of this embodiment shown in (a) and (b) of
Optionally, in some implementations, the battery 10 includes N columns of battery cells 20, and each column of battery cells 20 in the N columns of battery cells may include M battery cells 20, where M and N are positive integers greater than 1, and N is greater than or equal to M.
In an example, in the embodiment shown in
According to the technical solution in these implementations, in the battery 10, fewer battery cells 20 are stacked along the first direction z, and more battery cells 20 are arranged along the second direction y. On one hand, in the gravity direction parallel to the first direction z, the overall size of the battery 10 is smaller, and in the horizontal direction parallel to the second direction y, the overall size of the battery 10 is larger, facilitating stable mounting of the battery 10 in an electric apparatus. On the other hand, each column of battery cells 20 are stacked along the first direction z via the first walls 201 having a larger area, and two adjacent columns of batteries 20 are connected to each other in the second direction y via the second walls 202 having a smaller area, so that most of the heat generated by the battery cells 20 is transferred among each column of battery cells 20 through the first walls 201 having a larger area, while less amount of the heat is transferred to other columns of battery cells 20 through the second walls 202. Therefore, in the case that fewer battery cells 20 are present in each column of battery cells 20, if a battery cell 20 in the battery 10 experiences thermal runaway, the battery cell 20 only affects other battery cells 20 in the column in which the battery cell 20 is located, and has less effect on battery cells 20 in other columns, thereby improving overall safety performance of the battery 10.
For disposition of the plurality of columns of battery cells 20 in the box 100 in
In the first direction z, the overall size of each column of battery cells 20 is a sum of the sizes of the plurality of battery cells 20 in each column. As an example rather than a limitation, as shown in (b) of
In this way, in the first direction z, the size of the box 100 may be slightly larger than that of each column of battery cells 20, which facilitates mounting of the plurality of columns of battery cells 20 arranged along the second direction y in the box 100 and takes into account the overall volume and energy density of the battery 10. Similarly, in another direction, for example, in the second direction y and the third direction z, the size of the box 100 may also be slightly larger than the overall size of the plurality of columns of battery cells 20.
Optionally, in some implementations, a length direction of the box 100 may be parallel to the second direction y, so that as many columns of battery cells 20 as possible are arranged along the length direction of the box 100. Or in other implementations, the length direction of the box 100 may alternatively be perpendicular to the second direction y and parallel to the third direction x.
It can be understood that in this embodiment of this application, the specific size and shape of the box 100 can be correspondingly designed according to the overall size of the plurality of columns of battery cells 20 therein. This is not specifically limited in this embodiment of this application.
In the embodiments shown in
In addition to the embodiments shown in
On the basis of the embodiment of this application shown in
As shown in (a) and (b) of
In an example, as shown in (b) of
In addition, as shown in (a) of
As in an example, if the first spacer 31 is a cross beam, the first spacer 31 may have enough stiffness and strength and is provided between the plurality of columns of battery cells 20. On one hand, the overall stiffness and strength of the battery 10 can be enhanced, improving the overall impact resistance of the battery 10. On the other hand, the first spacer 31 can also support the second walls 202 of the battery cells 20, avoiding continuous accumulation of stress of the plurality of columns of battery cells 20 in an arrangement direction thereof in case of swelling of the battery cells 20, enhancing strength and stiffness of the plurality of columns of battery cells 20 in the arrangement direction thereof, and improving overall stability and safety of the battery 10. On the third hand, the first spacer 31 can further block heat transfer. When a battery cell 20 located on one side of the first spacer 31 experiences thermal runaway, a large amount of heat generated by this battery cell is blocked by the first spacer 31 to some extent, thereby preventing the heat from being transferred to a battery cell 20 located on the other side of the first spacer 31, guaranteeing normal operation of the battery cell 20 located on the other side of the first spacer 31, and improving the overall safety of the battery 10.
In addition to being a cross beam, the first spacer 31 may alternatively be a thermal management component, for example, a cooling component such as a cooling plate. This thermal management component has a thermal management function for the battery cells 20 in addition to having enough stiffness and strength, and can regulate the temperatures of the battery cells 20, further guaranteeing working performance and safety performance of the battery 10.
In other alternative implementations, the first spacer 31 may alternatively be a structural adhesive with specified thickness or another type of component, so long as the first spacer 31 can space apart two adjacent columns of battery cells 20 and have enough stiffness and strength to support the second walls 202 of the battery cells 20. The specific structure of the first spacer 31 is not limited in this embodiment of this application.
As shown in (a) and (b) of
In this embodiment of this application, second walls 202 of two columns of battery cells 20 located on two sides of the first spacer 31 are located on a same plane and unparallel to each other. Optionally, an included angle between a second wall 202 of one column of battery cells 20 located on one side of the first spacer 31 and the first direction z may be θ1, and an included angle between a second wall 202 of the other column of battery cells 20 located on the other side of the first spacer 31 and the first direction z may be −θ2. For ranges of θ1 and θ2, reference may be made to the related descriptions of the range of θ above.
Optionally, as shown in (a) and (b) of
In this case, when a plurality of battery cells 20 swell, stress generated in an arrangement direction (the second direction y) of the first group of battery cells 20 can partially offset or be partially offset by stress generated in an arrangement direction (the second direction y) of the second group of battery cells 20, thereby further enhancing the overall stiffness and strength of the battery 10, improving the stability of the battery 10, and guaranteeing the safety performance of the battery 10.
In the embodiments shown in
As an example rather than a limitation, the first spacer 31 may be provided in a quantity of less than or equal to 5. Further, the first spacer 31 may be provided in a quantity of 1 to 3 to balance the overall strength and energy density of the battery 10.
In addition, to guarantee mounting stability of a plurality of battery cells 20 in the box 100, optionally, as shown in
Specifically, as shown in (a)s of
As shown in (b)s of
Optionally, thickness of the end plate 40 at an end facing the direction of gravity is greater than thickness of the end plate 40 at an end facing away from the direction of gravity. In an example, as shown in (b) of
The end plate 40 may also be, for example, a conventional rectangular plate structure or other structures shown in
In the embodiments shown in
As shown in (a) of
Optionally, (b) of
In addition, it should be noted that a schematic view of the first spacer 31 described above is not shown in
It should also be noted that, in addition to that the electrode terminals 214 of the battery cell 20 may be respectively disposed on two end surfaces of the battery cell 20 in the length direction L (the third direction x) of the battery cell 20 as shown in
In a case that the battery 10 includes a plurality of rows of battery cells 20, a second spacer 32 may be provided between two adjacent rows of battery cells 20, where the second spacer 32 is at least one of the following structures: a cross beam, a thermal management component, and a structural adhesive.
As shown in
It can be understood that the size of the second spacer 32 in the first direction y may alternatively be the same as the size of each column of battery cells 20 in the first direction y. In this case, in the two adjacent rows of battery cells 20, the third wall 203 on one side of each column of battery cells 20 can abut against the second spacer 32, and the third wall 203 on the other side thereof can be provided with the electrode terminal 214 of the battery cell 20, so that the second spacer 32 can sufficiently support the two rows of battery cells 20 without affecting disposition of other related components such as the electrode terminal 214 and busbar in the two rows of battery cells 20.
As in an example, if the second spacer 32 is a cross beam, the second spacer 32 may have enough stiffness and strength. Disposing the second spacer 32 between two adjacent rows of battery cells 20 can enhance the overall stiffness and strength of the battery 10 and improve the overall impact resistance of the battery 10. In addition, if the second spacer 32 is a thermal management component, for example, a cooling component such as a cooling plate, this thermal management component has a thermal management function for the battery cells 20 in addition to having enough stiffness and strength, and can regulate the temperatures of the battery cells 20, further guaranteeing working performance and safety performance of the battery 10. In other alternative implementations, the second spacer 32 may alternatively be a structural adhesive with specified thickness or another type of component, so long as the second spacer 32 can space apart two adjacent rows of battery cells 20. The specific structure of the second spacer 32 is not limited in this embodiment of this application.
Optionally, the battery 10 may further include thermal management components 50 corresponding to walls other than the second walls 202 of the plurality of columns of battery cells 20 for thermal management of the plurality of columns of battery cells 20.
Specifically, the thermal management component 50 may be configured to accommodate fluid to regulate temperatures of the battery cells 20. The fluid herein may be liquid or gas. Regulating temperatures refers to heating or cooling the battery cells 20. In a case of cooling or lowering the temperatures of the battery cells 20, the thermal management component 50 is configured to accommodate cooling fluid to lower the temperatures of the battery cells 20. In this case, the thermal management component 50 may also be called a cooling component, a cooling system, a cooling plate, or the like, and the fluid accommodated therein may also be called a cooling medium or cooling fluid, and more specifically, may be called cooling liquid or cooling gas. In addition, the thermal management component 50 may further be configured to heat and rise the temperatures of the battery cells 20. This is not limited in this embodiment of this application. Optionally, the fluid may be circulated to achieve a better temperature regulation effect. Optionally, the fluid may be water, a mixture of water and ethylene glycol, air, or the like.
Optionally, in this embodiment of this application, the thermal management components 50 may correspond to the first walls 201 or third walls 203 of the plurality of columns of battery cells 20 for thermal management of each battery cell 20 in the plurality of columns of battery cells 20. The first wall 201 has a larger area, and the thermal management components 50 may be disposed corresponding to the first walls 201 of the plurality of columns of battery cells 20, so as to enhance the temperature management of the thermal management components 50 on the battery cells 20.
As shown in
It can be understood that when the plurality of columns of battery cells 20 are arranged along the second direction y, the plurality of columns of battery cells 20 may also be regarded as a plurality of layers of battery cells 20 stacked along the first direction z. As an example rather than a limitation, the thermal management component 50 may be a cooling plate, which may be disposed between two adjacent layers of battery cells 20 in the plurality of layers of battery cells 20 and cool the two adjacent layers of battery cells 20 via the first walls 201 having a larger area to improve the safety performance of the battery 10.
An embodiment of this application further provides an electric apparatus, where the electric apparatus may include the battery 10 in the foregoing embodiments, and the battery 10 is configured to supply electric energy to the electric apparatus.
Optionally, the electric device may be a vehicle 1, a ship, or a spacecraft.
The foregoing describes the battery 10 and the electric apparatus in the embodiments of this application; and the following describes a method and device for manufacturing battery in the embodiments of this application. For those not described in detail, refer to the foregoing embodiments.
S301. Provide a box 100.
S302. Provide a plurality of columns of battery cells 20. The battery cell 20 is a polyhedral structure and includes a first wall 201 and a second wall 202 connected to each other, the first wall 201 being a wall with a largest area of the battery cell 20 and perpendicular to a first direction z, the second wall 202 being oblique to the first direction z, and the first direction z being parallel to the direction of gravity. Each column of battery cells 20 in the plurality of columns of battery cells 20 are stacked along the first direction z, and in each column of battery cells 20, adjacent ones of the battery cells 20 are attached to each other via the first wall 201. The plurality of columns of battery cells 20 are arranged along a second direction y perpendicular to the first direction z, and two adjacent columns of battery cells 20 are attached to each other via the second wall 202.
S303. Accommodate the plurality of columns of battery cells 20 in the box 100.
The provision module 401 is configured to provide a box 100 and provide a plurality of columns of battery cells 20. The battery cell 20 is a polyhedral structure and includes a first wall 201 and a second wall 202 connected to each other, the first wall 201 being a wall with a largest area of the battery cell 20 and perpendicular to a first direction z, the second wall 202 being oblique to the first direction z, and the first direction z being parallel to the direction of gravity. Each column of battery cells 20 in the plurality of columns of battery cells 20 are stacked along the first direction z, and in each column of battery cells 20, adjacent ones of the battery cells 20 are attached to each other via the first wall 201. The plurality of columns of battery cells 20 are arranged along a second direction y perpendicular to the first direction z, and two adjacent columns of battery cells 20 are attached to each other via the second wall 202.
The mounting module 402 is configured to accommodate the plurality of columns of battery cells 20 in the box 100.
Although this application has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, various modifications to this application and replacements with equivalents of the components herein can be made without departing from the scope of this application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the embodiments can be combined in any manners. This application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed in this specification, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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202111188271.0 | Oct 2021 | CN | national |
This application is a continuation of International application PCT/CN2021/127530 filed Oct. 29, 2021 which claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202111188271.0, filed Oct. 12, 2021. The subject matter of the applications is incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/CN2021/127530 | Oct 2021 | WO |
Child | 18588509 | US |