Patent Description:
As an energy storage device, a battery is a core component of a hybrid vehicle and an electric vehicle. When the battery is overcharged or over-discharged or shortcircuited, thermal runaway occurs, and a combustible gas emitted may explode and cause a fire. Therefore, fireproofing processing requires to be performed on the battery.

<CIT> provides a safe exhaust device for a battery pack which is characterized in that one end of an exhaust pipeline is connected to the position of an explosion-proof valve at a pressure relief and ventilation position of the battery pack through a fastening assembly, a first external thread is arranged at the connecting position of the exhaust pipeline and the explosion-proof valve, and flame-retardant gas is filled in the exhaust pipeline; the fastening assembly comprises a fastening bolt and a first sealing gasket, the fastening bolt penetrates through the exhaust pipeline and tightly presses the first sealing gasket at the interface gap between the exhaust pipeline and the battery pack through a first external thread; the flame-retardant gas assembly is connected to the side part of the exhaust pipeline and is used for inputting or outputting flame-retardant gas into or out of the exhaust pipeline; waterproof breather valve is connected in exhaust duct's end, and waterproof breather valve is used for the exhaust outlet as exhaust duct. According to the technical scheme, the problem that secondary fire and explosion risks are caused due to the fact that the battery is out of control due to thermal runaway and sprays flame through the explosion-proof valve is solved, the safety of the battery pack is improved, the escape time of personnel is prolonged, the probability of secondary damage is effectively reduced, the cost is low, and the effect is obvious.

The present application aims to provide a fire-fighting apparatus, a box assembly, a battery, a power consumption apparatus, and a method for preparing a battery, so as to reduce the risk of open flames when thermal runaway occurs in the battery.

In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a fire-fighting apparatus configured for a battery, including: a pipe, a gas release mechanism, and a blocking structure. The pipe has an air inlet end and an air outlet end, and the air inlet end is configured to be connected to a box of the battery, so that a combustible gas generated when thermal runaway occurs in the battery is capable of entering the pipe from the box via the air inlet end and is discharged from the pipe via the air outlet end; and the gas release mechanism is configured to be connected to the pipe, and the gas release mechanism is configured to release a fire-fighting gas into the pipe when thermal runaway occurs in the battery; where a blocking structure is provided in the pipe, and the blocking structure is configured to block the combustible gas and the fire-fighting gas and change a flow direction, so that the combustible gas and the fire-fighting gas are capable of being mixed before being discharged from the pipe;
the blocking structure includes a spiral blade, and a centerline of the spiral blade coincides with or is parallel to a central axis of the pipe.

In the forgoing technical solution, when thermal runaway occurs in a battery, a combustible gas inside a box enters a pipe via an air inlet end of the pipe, so that an air pressure inside the box of the battery is reduced, and an explosion caused by excessive air pressure inside the box is avoided. In addition, a fire-fighting gas is produced, quickly fills the pipe, and drives the combustible gas to be discharged from an air outlet end of the pipe after being mixed with the combustible gas. Therefore, it is possible to provide a barrier effect between the outside air and the combustible gas discharged from the box.

In the foregoing technical solution, the spiral blade can provide a flow path of the mixed gas a spiral shape, which is beneficial for a full mixing of the fire-fighting gas and the combustible gas.

Furthermore, a blocking structure mixes the fire-fighting gas and the combustible gas in the pipe, to reduce the concentration of the combustible gas in the pipe, so that the mixed gas discharged from the air outlet end of the pipe is not easy to catch fire or explode when it comes into contact with air. In addition, the fire-fighting gas is also beneficial for lowering a temperature of the combustible gas, thereby further preventing the occurrence of open flames.

Therefore, the fire-fighting apparatus provided by the foregoing solution of the present application could reduce the risk of open flames when thermal runaway occurs in the battery, while suppressing the spread of thermal runaway in the battery, which extends the safety evacuation time, and achieves the purpose of fire prevention and safety protection.

In some embodiments of the present application, the blocking structure is configured to provide a flow path of at least part of a gas in the pipe a meandering shape.

In the foregoing technical solution, advantages of a gas traveling in the pipe in a meandering manner are as follows: on one hand, a mixing path of the fire-fighting gas and the combustible gas can be extended, and a mixing time of the fire-fighting gas and the combustible gas can be increased, thereby improving the mixing effect of the two; on another hand, traveling in a meandering manner intensifies the collision and mixing of the fire-fighting gas and the combustible gas, thereby improving the mixing effect of the two and reducing the situation of the occurrence of fire due to the excessive-high local concentration of the combustible gas discharged from the pipe.

In some embodiments of the present application, a projection of the blocking structure in an extension direction of the pipe covers a projection of a cavity of the pipe in the extension direction of the pipe.

In the foregoing technical solution, a projection of the blocking structure in an extension direction of the pipe covers a projection of a cavity (that is, an internal passage) of the pipe in the extension direction of the pipe, so that the combustible gas discharged from the box and the fire-fighting gas both in the pipe flow through the blocking structure and travel in a meandering manner rather than in a straight line.

In some embodiments of the present application, the blocking structure includes a plurality of baffle plates, the plurality of baffle plates are arranged at intervals in an extension direction of the pipe, and the baffle plate is provided with an opening for a gas to pass through, or an opening for a gas to pass through is formed by enclosing the baffle plate and an inner wall of the pipe , where projections of two adjacent openings in the extension direction of the pipe are disposed to be misaligned.

In the foregoing technical solution, when the gas flows through a plurality of baffle plates, a flow path of the gas is a meandering path. In addition, the baffle plate can not only mix gases, but also prevent a high-temperature particle entering the pipe from the box through flowing out of the pipe, thereby avoiding risks that may be caused by the outflow of the high-temperature particle, such as a fire.

In some embodiments of the present application, the plurality of baffle plates at least include a pair of arc-shaped plates, and concave surfaces of the pair of arc-shaped plates are disposed opposite to each other.

In the foregoing technical solution, since concave surfaces of a pair of arc-shaped plates are disposed opposite to each other, when a gas enters between the pair of arc-shaped plates, a concave surface of one arc-shaped plate of the pair of arc-shaped plates can guide the gas toward the other arc-shaped plate, which could intensify the collision of gases between the pair of arc-shaped plates and increase the mixing time of the gases, and thus it is beneficial for a full mixing of the fire-fighting gas and the combustible gas.

In some embodiments of the present application, the blocking structure includes a plurality of spiral blades, the plurality of spiral blades are arranged in an extension direction of the pipe, and rotary directions of two adjacent spiral blades are opposite.

In the foregoing technical solution, spiral blades with two different rotary directions may change a rotating direction of the gas, which could further enhance the effect of mixing the gases.

In some embodiments of the present application, the gas release mechanism is installed on the pipe.

In the foregoing technical solution, it is beneficial for shortening the time for the fire-fighting gas to enter the pipe, and an intermediate connector between the gas release mechanism and the pipe is omitted, which could simplify the structure and save the cost.

In some embodiments of the present application, an installation position of the gas release mechanism is closer to the air inlet end than the blocking structure.

In the foregoing technical solution, it is beneficial for mixing the fire-fighting gas and the combustible gas, thereby ensuring the mixing effect of the blocking structure on the fire-fighting gas and combustible gas.

In some embodiments of the present application, the gas release mechanism is provided outside the pipe, a through hole is provided on a wall of the pipe, and the gas release mechanism is connected to the through hole, to release the fire-fighting gas into the pipe from the through hole.

In some embodiments of the present application, the through hole is multiple in quantity, and the multiple through holes are arranged at intervals in an extension direction of the pipe.

In the foregoing technical solution, multiple through holes may ensure the rapid release of a sufficient amount of fire-fighting gas, thereby ensuring the reliability of fire prevention.

In some embodiments of the present application, the gas release mechanism includes: a fire-fighting medium, a housing, and a closure member. The fire-fighting medium is the fire-fighting gas or a fire-fighting solid or a fire-fighting liquid capable of generating the fire-fighting gas; the housing is configured to accommodate the fire-fighting medium, and the housing is connected to the through hole and is provided with an air outlet hole; and the closure member is configured to close the air outlet hole, and the closure member is configured to be capable of releasing closure of the air outlet hole when thermal runaway occurs in the battery, so that the fire-fighting gas enters the pipe through the air outlet hole.

In some embodiments of the present application, the fire-fighting medium is the fire-fighting solid or the fire-fighting liquid, and the gas release mechanism further includes a trigger, the trigger is configured to trigger the fire-fighting solid or the fire-fighting liquid when thermal runaway occurs in the battery to generate the fire-fighting gas, and the closure member is configured to be capable of opening the air outlet hole when an air pressure in the housing reaches a first threshold to release the fire-fighting gas.

In some embodiments of the present application, the fire-fighting medium is the fire-fighting liquid capable of generating the fire-fighting gas, or the fire-fighting gas, and the fire-fighting liquid or the fire-fighting gas is encapsulated in the housing, and when the air outlet hole is closed by the closure member, a pressure in the housing is greater than a pressure in the pipe, and the closure member is a valve.

In some embodiments of the present application, a length of the pipe is <NUM>-<NUM>.

In the foregoing technical solution, advantages of setting the length of the pipe within such a range are as follows: firstly, it facilitates an installation of the gas release mechanism, which is beneficial for the installation of a plurality of gas release mechanisms; secondly, a temperature-lowering distance is increased, so that the mixed gas of the fire-fighting gas and the combustible gas has a sufficient temperature-lowering distance, and thus the possibility of catching a fire at the air outlet end of the pipe is reduced; and thirdly, an oxygen-exchanging distance is increased, so that a high-temperature region near the box becomes an oxygen-deficient region, thereby reducing the risk of open flames in the high-temperature region.

In some embodiments of the present application, the fire-fighting apparatus further includes a gas collection device, and the gas collection device is hermetically connected to the air outlet end to collect a gas discharged from the air outlet end.

In the foregoing technical solution, a gas collection device is provided, which could prevent the mixed gas from being directly discharged to the external environment and polluting the environment.

In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a box assembly, including: a box, a pressure relief mechanism, and the fire-fighting apparatus provided according to the embodiment of the first aspect; the box is configured to accommodate a battery cell; the fire-fighting apparatus is provided outside the box, and the air inlet end of the fire-fighting apparatus is connected to the box; and the pressure relief mechanism is configured to be actuated when an air pressure or temperature in the box reaches a second threshold, so that a combustible gas in the box is capable of entering the pipe from the air inlet end.

In some embodiments of the present application, the pressure relief mechanism is provided on the box, and the air inlet end is provided to cover the pressure relief mechanism.

In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a battery, including a battery cell, and the box assembly provided according to the embodiment of the second aspect; and the battery cell is provided in the box.

In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a power consumption apparatus, including the battery provided by the third aspect.

In a fifth aspect, a method for producing a battery is provided, including providing a battery cell; providing a box; providing a fire-fighting apparatus, the fire-fighting apparatus including: a pipe and a gas release mechanism, the pipe having an air inlet end and an air outlet end, and the air inlet end being configured to be connected to the box, so that a combustible gas generated when thermal runaway occurs in the battery is capable of entering the pipe from the box via the air inlet end and is discharged from the pipe via the air outlet end; and the gas release mechanism being connected to the pipe, and the gas release mechanism being configured to release a fire-fighting gas into the pipe when thermal runaway occurs in the battery; where a blocking structure is provided in the pipe, and the blocking structure is configured to block the combustible gas and the fire-fighting gas and change a flow direction, so that the combustible gas and the fire-fighting gas are capable of being mixed before being discharged from the pipe; disposing the battery cell in the box; and disposing the fire-fighting apparatus outside the box, and connecting the air inlet end to the box.

To describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application more clearly, the following briefly introduces accompanying drawings required for describing the embodiments. It should be understood that the following accompanying drawings only show some of the embodiments of the present application, and thus should not be regarded as limitation on the scope; and a person of ordinary skill in the art may still derive other drawings from these accompanying drawings without creative efforts.

To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the following clearly and completely describes the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Apparently, the described embodiments are merely some but not all of the embodiments of the present application. Generally, components of the embodiments of the present application described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings herein may be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the protection scope of the present application, but only represents the selected embodiment of the present application. All other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present application without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

It shall be noted that the embodiments of the present application and the characteristics in the embodiments may be combined with each other in the case of no conflict. It should be noted that similar reference signs and letters indicate similar items in the following accompanying drawings. Therefore, once a certain item is defined in one drawing, it is not necessary to further define and explain it in the following accompanying drawings.

In the description of the embodiments of the present application, it should be noted that the indication of orientation or positional relationship is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship usually applied when the product of the present application is used, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly understood by a person of skilled in the art, which is merely for convenience of describing the present application and for simplifying the description, rather than for indicating or implying that an apparatus or element described must have a specific orientation, or must be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, which thus may not be understood as limitation to the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are only used to distinguish descriptions, and shall not be understood as an indication or implication of relative importance.

In the description of the present invention, it should also be noted that unless otherwise explicitly specified and defined, the terms "disposing", "mounting", "connecting" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, they may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integrated connection, may be a mechanical connection, or may be an electrical connection, may be a direct connection and may also be an indirect connection via an intermediate medium, or may be communication between the inner portion of two elements. A person of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate the specific meanings of the foregoing terms in the present application according to specific conditions.

In addition, the battery mentioned in the embodiment of the present application refers to a single physical module that includes one or more battery cells to provide a higher voltage and capacity. For example, the battery mentioned in the present application may include a battery pack or a battery module. The battery generally includes a box for encapsulating one or more battery cells. The box may prevent a liquid or other foreign matters from affecting the charge or discharge of the battery cell.

A plurality of battery cells are connected in series and/or in parallel via a bus component to be applied to various applications. In some high-power applications such as electric vehicles, there are generally three hierarchies: a battery cell, a battery module, and a battery pack. The battery module is to be electrically connected with a certain number of battery cells. The battery pack is composed of one or more battery modules in a hermetical box, and the battery pack is connected to a chassis of the electric vehicle through the box.

A 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 or a magnesium-ion battery, etc., which is not limited by the embodiments of the present application. The battery cell may be cylindrical, flat, cuboid or in another shape, which is also not limited by the embodiments of the present application. The battery cell is generally divided into three types according to the way of packaging: a cylindrical battery cell, a prismatic battery cell and a pouch battery cell, which is not limited by the embodiments of the present application.

The battery cell includes an electrode assembly and an electrolytic solution, the electrode assembly is composed of a positive electrode sheet, a negative electrode sheet and an isolation film. The operation of the battery cell mainly relies on the movement of metal ions between the positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet. The positive electrode sheet includes a positive electrode current collector and a positive active material layer. The positive active material layer is coated on a surface of the positive electrode current collector, a current collector not coated with the positive active material layer which is used as a positive electrode tab protrudes from a current collector coated with the positive active material layer. Taking a lithium-ion battery as an example, the material of the positive electrode current collector may be aluminum, and the positive active material may be lithium cobalt oxides, lithium iron phosphate, ternary lithium or lithium manganate, or the like. The negative electrode sheet includes a negative electrode current collector and a negative active material layer. The negative active material layer is coated on a surface of the negative electrode current collector, and a current collector not coated with the negative active material layer which is used as a negative electrode tab protrudes from a current collector coated with the negative active material layer. The material of the negative electrode current collector may be copper, and the negative electrode active material may be carbon or silicon, etc. In order to ensure that no fusing occurs when a large current passes, there are a plurality of positive electrode tabs stacked with each other, and there are a plurality of negative electrode tabs stacked with each other. A material of the isolation film may be PP (polypropylene), PE (polyethylene), or the like. In addition, the electrode assembly may have a winding structure or a laminated structure, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

The development of the battery technology must consider many design factors at a time, such as energy density, cycle life, discharge capacity, charge-discharge rate and other performance parameters. In addition, the safety of the battery should also be considered.

During the use of the battery, due to short circuit, overcharge, collision and other reasons, a large amount of gas may be generated and the temperature may rise rapidly inside the battery cell in a short time, which may eventually cause explosion and fire of the battery cell, resulting in safety risks. In order to solve this problem, the battery cell is usually provided with a pressure relief mechanism. When the pressure relief mechanism is actuated, high-temperature and high-pressure substances inside the battery cell as emissions are discharged outwards from an actuated position, that is, into the battery box. In this way, the pressure and temperature in the battery cell may be relieved under a controllable pressure or temperature condition, thereby potentially avoiding further serious accidents. However, when there are too many high-temperature and high-pressure substances discharged from the battery cell into the box, there is also a possibility of explosion or fire after the internal pressure or temperature of the box of the battery reaches a certain value. Therefore, a pressure relief mechanism is also provided of the box of the battery, to control the internal pressure or temperature of the box.

The pressure relief mechanism refers to an element or component that is actuated to relieve an internal pressure or temperature when the internal pressure or temperature of the battery cell or box where it is located reaches a predetermined threshold. The threshold design varies according to different design requirements, and the threshold of the pressure relief mechanism on the battery cell may depend on the material of one or more of the positive electrode sheet, the negative electrode sheet, the electrolytic solution and the isolation film in the battery cell. The threshold of the pressure relief mechanism of the box of the battery may depend on the number of battery cells inside the box, the material of one or more of the positive electrode sheet, the negative electrode sheet, the electrolytic solution and the isolation film in each battery cell, and the material of the box itself.

The pressure relief mechanism may take the form of an explosion-proof valve, an air valve, a pressure relief valve or a safety valve, etc., and may specifically adopt a pressure-sensitive or temperature-sensitive element or structure. That is, when the internal pressure or temperature of the battery cell or box where the pressure relief mechanism is located reaches a predetermined threshold, the pressure relief mechanism performs an action or a weakened structure provided in the pressure relief mechanism is destructed, so as to form an opening or passage for relieving the internal pressure or temperature.

The "actuation" mentioned in the present application means that the pressure relief mechanism acts or is activated to a certain status, such that the internal pressure and temperature of the battery cell or box can be relieved. The action generated by the pressure relief mechanism may include but not limited to: at least a portion of the pressure relief mechanism being fractured, broken, torn or opened, and so on.

The emissions mentioned in the present application include but are not limited to: the electrolytic solution, high-temperature particles (such as the dissolved or split positive and negative electrode sheets, or fragments of the isolation film), high-temperature and high-pressure gases generated by reaction (such as combustible gases such as H<NUM> and CO), flames, etc..

During the use of the battery, a large amount of gas is generated and the temperature rises rapidly inside the battery cell in a short time, which causes the pressure relief mechanism on the battery cell to be actuated, to discharge a large amount of gas into the box of the battery, causes a large amount of gas in the box to gather and the temperature to rise, and may eventually cause explosion and fire of the battery. This phenomenon is called thermal runaway of the battery.

When thermal runaway occurs in the battery, the pressure relief mechanism of the box of the battery is actuated to relieve the pressure or temperature in the battery. However, in the prior art, the pressure relief mechanism of the box is directly exposed in the air, which causes the high-temperature gas generated when thermal runaway occurs in the battery to contact with oxygen in the air after being discharged by the pressure relief mechanism, which is easy to produce open flames, resulting in explosion and fire.

In view of this, the present application provides a fire-fighting apparatus <NUM> which can be configured to a battery <NUM>. With the fire-fighting apparatus <NUM>, the risk of open flames when thermal runaway occurs in the battery <NUM> can be reduced, and the spread of the thermal runaway of the battery <NUM> can be suppressed, thereby achieving the purpose of fire prevention and safety protection.

An embodiment of the present application provides a power consumption apparatus using a battery <NUM> as a power source, and the power consumption apparatus may be, but is not limited to, a vehicle, a ship or an aircraft, or the like.

It can be understood that the battery described in the embodiment of the present application is applicable to various apparatuses using apparatus batteries, such as mobile phones, notebook computers, battery carts, electric vehicles, ships, spacecrafts, electric toys and electric tools, etc., for example, the spacecrafts include rockets, space shuttles and spaceships, etc.; the electric toys include fixed or mobile electric toys, such as game consoles, electric vehicle toys, electric ship toys and electric airplane toys, etc.; the electric tools include metal cutting power tools, grinding power tools, assembly power tools and railway power tools, such as electric drills, electric grinders, electric wrenches, electric screwdrivers, electric hammers, concrete vibrators, and electric planers.

The battery <NUM> described in an embodiment of the present application is not only applicable to the power consumption apparatus described above, but also applicable to all apparatuses that use batteries.

As shown in <FIG> is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present application. The vehicle <NUM> may be a fuel-powered vehicle, a gas-powered vehicle or a new energy vehicle. The new energy vehicle may be a battery electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle or an extended-range vehicle, or the like. A motor <NUM>, a controller <NUM> and a battery <NUM> may be provided inside the vehicle <NUM>, and the controller <NUM> is configured to control the battery <NUM> to supply power to the motor <NUM>, for example, the battery <NUM> is provided at the bottom or head of the vehicle <NUM>. The battery <NUM> may be configured to supply power to the vehicle <NUM>. For example, the battery <NUM> may be configured as an operation power source of the vehicle <NUM> and is configured to an electrical system of the vehicle <NUM>, for example, for a working power demand of the vehicle <NUM> during startup, navigation and running.

In another embodiment of the present application, the battery <NUM> may be configured not only as an operation power source of the vehicle <NUM>, but also as a driving power source of the vehicle <NUM>, replacing or partially replacing fuel or natural gas to provide driving power for the vehicle <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the vehicle <NUM> is powered by a battery <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. The battery <NUM> may include a box assembly <NUM> and a battery cell <NUM>, the battery assembly <NUM> includes a box <NUM>, and the battery cell <NUM> provided in the box <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, that box assembly <NUM> provided by an embodiment of the present application may include the foregoing box <NUM>, a fire-fighting apparatus <NUM> and a pressure relief mechanism <NUM>. The fire-fighting apparatus <NUM> is provided outside the box <NUM>, and the fire-fighting apparatus <NUM> includes a pipe <NUM>, and an air inlet end <NUM> of the pipe <NUM> is connected to the box <NUM>, for example, the air inlet end <NUM> is connected to the box <NUM> through the pressure relief mechanism <NUM>.

In an embodiment of the present application, the pressure relief mechanism <NUM> is configured to be actuated when an air pressure or temperature in the box <NUM> reaches a preset value (for example, when an air pressure or temperature reaches a second threshold), so that a combustible gas in the box <NUM> can enter the fire-fighting apparatus <NUM> through the air inlet end <NUM>. In this way, when thermal runaway occurs in the battery <NUM>, the combustible gas generated by the thermal runaway of the battery cell <NUM> in the box <NUM> can be discharged into the fire-fighting apparatus <NUM> via the pressure relief mechanism <NUM>, so that the fire-fighting apparatus <NUM> performs fire-fighting process on the foregoing combustible gas, thereby reducing the possibility of fire, and simultaneously reducing the air pressure inside the box <NUM> in time to prevent explosion.

In an embodiment of the present application, the pressure relief mechanism <NUM> may be provided on the box <NUM>, or provided on the fire-fighting apparatus <NUM>, for example, provided on the pipe <NUM> of the fire-fighting apparatus <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, in an embodiment of the present application, the pressure relief mechanism <NUM> is provided on the box <NUM>, and the air inlet end <NUM> of the pipe <NUM> is provided to cover the pressure relief mechanism <NUM>, so that all combustible gases from the pressure relief mechanism <NUM> can enter the pipe <NUM>. In other embodiments of the present application, the pressure relief mechanism <NUM> may be provided at the air inlet end <NUM>.

In an embodiment of the present application, as shown in <FIG>, the box <NUM> may include a lower box <NUM> and an upper cover body <NUM>, and the upper cover body <NUM> hermetically covers the lower box <NUM>. The fire-fighting apparatus <NUM> may be connected to the lower box <NUM>. In other embodiments of the present application, the fire-fighting apparatus <NUM> may be connected to the upper cover body <NUM> of the box <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, a fire-fighting apparatus <NUM> provided by an embodiment of the present application may include a pipe <NUM>, a gas release mechanism <NUM>, and a blocking structure <NUM>. The pipe <NUM> has an air inlet end <NUM> and an air outlet end <NUM>. The air inlet end <NUM> is configured to be connected to a box <NUM> of the battery <NUM>, so that a combustible gas generated when thermal runaway occurs in the battery <NUM> is capable of entering the pipe <NUM> from the box <NUM> via the air inlet end <NUM> and is discharged from the pipe <NUM> via the air outlet end <NUM>. The gas release mechanism <NUM> is configured to be connected to the pipe <NUM>, and the gas release mechanism <NUM> is configured to release a fire-fighting gas into the pipe <NUM> when thermal runaway occurs in the battery <NUM>. A blocking structure <NUM> is provided in the pipe <NUM>, and is configured to block the fire-fighting gas and combustible gas and change a flow direction, so that the fire-fighting gas and combustible gas are capable of being mixed before being discharged from the pipe <NUM>.

With the foregoing technical solution, when thermal runaway occurs in the battery <NUM>, the combustible gas inside the box <NUM> enters the pipe <NUM> via the air inlet end <NUM> of the pipe <NUM>, so that an air pressure inside the box <NUM> of the battery <NUM> is reduced, and the possibility of explosion caused by excessive air pressure inside the box <NUM> is reduced. In addition, a fire-fighting gas is generated, quickly fills the pipe <NUM>, mixed with the combustible gas and then drives the combustible gas to be discharged from the air outlet end <NUM> of the pipe <NUM>. Therefore, it is possible to provide a barrier between the external air and the combustible gas discharged from the box <NUM>.

Furthermore, a blocking structure <NUM> allows the combustible gas and the fire-fighting gas to be mixed up in the pipe <NUM>, to reduce the concentration of the combustible gas in the pipe <NUM>, so that the mixed gas discharged from the air outlet end <NUM> of the pipe <NUM> is not easy to catch fire and explode when it comes into contact with air. In addition, the fire-fighting gas is also beneficial for lowering a temperature of the combustible gas, thereby further preventing the occurrence of open flames.

To sum up, the fire-fighting apparatus <NUM> provided in the foregoing embodiment of the present application could reduce the risk of open flames when thermal runaway occurs in the battery, while suppressing the spread of thermal runaway in the battery <NUM>, to achieve the purpose of fire prevention and safety protection.

The air inlet end <NUM> of the pipe <NUM> may be directly connected to the box <NUM> of the battery <NUM>, or indirectly connected thereto through an intermediate member, which is not limited in the present application.

In the embodiment of the present application, the fire-fighting gas may be any suitable gas as long as it can have a fire prevention effect after being mixed with the combustible gas.

In some embodiments of the present application, the fire-fighting gas may include a non-combustible gas such as an inert gas, carbon dioxide gas, heptafluoropropane gas, sulfur hexafluoride, or the like.

In order to ensure the full mixing of the fire-fighting gas and the combustible gas, the blocking structure <NUM> may be configured to provide a flow path of at least part of a gas in the pipe <NUM> a meandering shape, that is, through the blocking structure <NUM>, at least part of the mixed gas of the fire-fighting gas and the combustible gas would travel in the pipe <NUM> along a curved path toward the air outlet end <NUM> of the pipe <NUM>. The advantages of the traveling of the gas in the pipe <NUM> in a meandering manner are: on one hand, a mixing path of the fire-fighting gas and the combustible gas can be extended, and a mixing time of the fire-fighting gas and the combustible gas can be increased, thereby improving the mixing effect of the two; on another hand, traveling in a meandering manner intensifies the colliding and mixing of the fire-fighting gas and the combustible gas, thereby improving the mixing effect of the two and reducing the possibility of the occurrence of fire due to the excessive-high local concentration of the combustible gas discharged from the pipe <NUM>.

Here, the flow path of the gas in "the meandering shape" may mean that the flow path of the gas in the pipe <NUM> is any suitable curved shape such as an S-shape, a spiral shape, a sine/cosine wave, or the like.

In order to ensure that the gas in the pipe <NUM> travels in a meandering manner, in some embodiments of the present application, a projection of the blocking structure <NUM> in an extension direction of the pipe covers a projection of a cavity (that is, an inner passage) of the pipe <NUM> in the extension direction of the pipe <NUM>. For example, in the embodiment shown in <FIG>, a projection of two baffle plates <NUM> of the blocking structure <NUM> that are disposed at intervals in an extension direction of the pipe <NUM> covers a projection of a cavity of the pipe <NUM> in the extension direction of the pipe <NUM>, so that both the combustible gas discharged from the box <NUM> and the fire-fighting gas would flow in the pipe <NUM> through the blocking structure <NUM> and travel in a meandering manner rather than in a straight line.

In the embodiment of the present application, the blocking structure <NUM> may have any appropriate structure as long as it can provide a flow path of the gas a meandering shape when the gas flows through the blocking structure <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, in an embodiment of the present application, a blocking structure <NUM> may include a plurality of baffle plates <NUM>, and the plurality of baffle plates <NUM> are arranged at intervals in an extension direction of a pipe <NUM>. The baffle plate <NUM> is provided with an opening <NUM> for a gas to pass through, or the baffle plate <NUM> and an inner wall of the pipe <NUM> are enclosed to form an opening <NUM> for a gas to pass through. The projections of two adjacent openings <NUM> in the extension direction of the pipe <NUM> are disposed to be misaligned, so that when the gas flows through the plurality of baffle plates <NUM>, a flow path of the gas is a meandering path. The baffle plate <NUM> can not only mix the gases, but also prevent a high-temperature particle entering the pipe <NUM> from the box <NUM> from flowing out of the pipe <NUM>, thereby avoiding risks that may be caused by the outflow of the high-temperature particle, such as a fire.

As described above, in order to allow the gas to pass through the blocking structure <NUM>, the baffle plate <NUM> may be provided with an opening <NUM>, or the baffle plate <NUM> and an inner wall of the pipe <NUM> may be enclosed to form an opening <NUM>, or the baffle plate <NUM> may be provided with an opening <NUM>, and at the same time, the baffle plate <NUM> and the inner wall of the pipe <NUM> may also define an opening <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, in some embodiments of the present application, each baffle plate <NUM> and the inner wall of the pipe <NUM> are enclosed to form an opening <NUM>, and corresponding openings <NUM> formed by enclosing two adjacent baffle plates <NUM> and the inner wall of the pipe <NUM> are disposed to be misaligned. As shown in <FIG>, a shape of the opening <NUM> is a quarter circle. As shown in <FIG>, a shape of the opening <NUM> is a semicircle.

As shown in <FIG>, in an embodiment of the present application, each baffle plate <NUM> is formed with an opening <NUM>, and the openings <NUM> formed by two adjacent baffle plates <NUM> and the inner wall of the pipe <NUM> are disposed to be misaligned. The shape of the opening <NUM> may be a circle.

It should be noted that a specific shape of the opening <NUM> is not limited in the present application, but may be determined according to the shape of a projection (that is, a cross section) of the pipe <NUM> in the extension direction of the pipe <NUM> and a shape of the baffle plate <NUM>. In addition to the shapes shown in <FIG>, it may also be a square, a polygon, or the like.

As shown in <FIG>, in an embodiment of the present application, the baffle plate <NUM> is a circular baffle plate with a quarter circular notch. A diameter of the circular baffle plate may be equal to an inner diameter of the pipe <NUM>, so that when an outer edge of the circular baffle plate is connected to an inner wall of the pipe <NUM>, the circular baffle plate and the inner wall of the pipe <NUM> may be enclosed to form an opening <NUM> with a quarter circle shape.

A plurality of the above-mentioned circular baffle plates with notches may be divided into two groups, and the two groups of circular baffle plates are arranged at intervals in the extension direction of the pipe <NUM>. Each group of circular baffle plates includes four circular baffle plates, the four circular baffle plates are arranged at intervals in the extension direction of the pipe <NUM>, and projections of quarter circular notches of two adjacent circular baffle plates in the extension direction of the pipe <NUM> are disposed to be misaligned. In this way, when the mixed gas of the fire-fighting gas and the combustible gas flows through four circular baffle plates with notches, a flow path of the mixed gas is in a spiral shape, which is beneficial for the full mixing of the fire-fighting gas and the combustible gas.

As shown in <FIG>, the plurality of baffle plates <NUM> may be integrally connected through a first connecting rod <NUM> to facilitate the connection between the plurality of baffle plates <NUM> and the pipe <NUM>. For example, when the plurality of baffle plates <NUM> are installed, may only one of the baffle plates <NUM> being connected to the inner wall of the pipe <NUM> is already sufficient, and it is not necessary to connect each baffle plate <NUM> to the inner wall of the pipe <NUM>.

It can be understood that the number of circular baffle plates with notches is not limited in the present application, and the number thereof may be eight as shown in <FIG>, or only one group of circular baffle plates may be provided, that is, four circular baffle plates are provided. Alternatively, only two circular baffle plates may be provided, so that a path of the gas flowing through the two circular baffle plates is S-shaped, which is also beneficial for the mixing of the fire-fighting gas and the combustible gas.

As shown in <FIG>, in some embodiments of the present application, a plurality of baffle plates <NUM> at least include a pair of arc-shaped plates, and concave surfaces <NUM> of the pair of arc-shaped plates are disposed opposite to each other. Since the concave surfaces <NUM> of the pair of arc-shaped plates are disposed opposite to each other, when a gas enters between the pair of arc-shaped plates, a concave surface <NUM> of one arc-shaped plate of the pair of arc-shaped plates can guide the gas toward the other arc-shaped plate, which could intensify the collision of gases between the pair of arc-shaped plates and increase the mixing time of the gases, and thus it is beneficial for a full mixing of the fire-fighting gas and the combustible gas.

It should be noted that the embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific shape of the arc-shaped plate. Optionally, the arc-shaped plate may be configured as a C-shaped plate as shown in <FIG>, or as a spherical plate as shown in <FIG>. The C-shaped plate and the spherical plate have a simple structure. In other embodiments of the present application, the arc-shaped plate may be an S-shaped plate, or the like.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, in the present application, a blocking structure <NUM> includes a spiral blade <NUM>. A centerline of the spiral blade <NUM> may coincide with or be parallel to a central axis of the pipe <NUM>, so that the spiral blade <NUM> can provide a flow path of the mixed gas a spiral shape, which is beneficial for the full mixing of the fire-fighting gas and the combustible gas.

In order to further improve the mixing effect of the blocking structure <NUM> on the fire-fighting gas and the combustible gas, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, there may be a plurality of spiral blades <NUM> (for example, two spiral blades <NUM>), and the plurality of spiral blades <NUM> are arranged in an extension direction of the pipe <NUM>, and rotary directions of two adjacent spiral blades <NUM> are opposite. The spiral blades <NUM> with two different rotary directions may change a rotating direction of the gas, which could further enhance the effect of mixing the gases.

As shown in <FIG>, a plurality of spiral blades <NUM> may be integrally connected through a second connecting rod <NUM> to facilitate a connection between the plurality of spiral blades <NUM> and the pipe <NUM>. For example, when the plurality of spiral blades <NUM> are installed, may only one of the spiral blades <NUM> being connected to the inner wall of the pipe <NUM> is already sufficient, and it is not necessary to connect each spiral blade <NUM> to the inner wall of the pipe <NUM>.

<FIG> shows an embodiment in which the number of spiral blades <NUM> is two. In other embodiments of the present application, the number of the spiral blades <NUM> may be such as three, four, five, or the like, which may be specifically determined by a size of the pipe <NUM> in an extension direction or by other factors, and the present application does not limit thereto.

In addition, as shown in <FIG>, in an embodiment of the present application, a baffle plate <NUM> and a spiral blade <NUM> may be provided in the pipe <NUM> at the same time.

In addition, as shown in <FIG>, in an embodiment of the present application, a wall of the pipe <NUM> is recessed inward to form a convex part <NUM> in a cavity of the pipe <NUM>, and the convex part <NUM> can play a role in blocking the air flow and changing the direction of the air flow, which is beneficial for the mixing of the fire-fighting gas and the combustible gas. That is, in this embodiment, the blocking structure <NUM> includes the convex part <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, there may be a plurality of convex parts <NUM>, and the plurality of convex parts <NUM> are arranged at intervals in an extension direction of the pipe <NUM> to further improve a blocking effect on gas, so as to enhance the effect of mixing the combustible gas and the fire-fighting gas.

In addition, as shown in <FIG>, the plurality of convex parts <NUM> may include at least one pair of arc-shaped convex parts, and arc-shaped concave surfaces <NUM> of the arc-shaped convex parts are disposed opposite to each other. When a gas enters between the pair of arc-shaped convex parts, an arc-shaped concave surface of one arc-shaped convex part of the pair of arc-shaped convex parts can guide the gas towards the other arc-shaped convex part, which could intensify the collision of gases between the pair of arc-shaped convex parts and increase the mixing time of the gases, and thus it is beneficial for a full mixing of the fire-fighting gas and the combustible gas.

In addition, it should be noted that, in addition to the foregoing ways of arranging the baffle plate <NUM> and the spiral blades <NUM> in the pipe <NUM>, or forming the blocking structure <NUM> by recessing the wall of the pipe <NUM> to construct the convex part <NUM>, in other embodiments of the present application, a plurality of small protrusions may be provided on the inner wall of the pipe <NUM> to construct the blocking structure <NUM>. In other embodiments, a cavity (that is, an internal passage) of the pipe <NUM> may also be designed, for example, the cavity is designed to include a plurality of cavity segments in the extension direction of the pipe <NUM>, and at least one pressurized cavity segment is included in the plurality of cavity segments. In this way, when the fire-fighting gas and the combustible gas flow through the pressurized cavity segment, the flow rate is accelerated, which is beneficial for the uniform mixing of the two. Here, the pressurized cavity segment may be configured as a structure whose internal cavity is tapered along a direction from the air inlet end <NUM> to the air outlet end <NUM> of the pipe <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, in some embodiments of the present application, an installation position of the gas release mechanism <NUM> is closer to the air inlet end <NUM> compared with the blocking structure <NUM>, so as to facilitate the full mixing of the fire-fighting gas and the combustible gas through the blocking structure <NUM>, thereby ensuring the mixing effect of the blocking structure <NUM> on the fire-fighting gas and the combustible gas.

It can be understood that in other embodiments of the present application, when the number of the blocking structures <NUM> is multiple, or each blocking structure <NUM> includes the plurality of baffle plates <NUM>, the installation position of the gas release mechanism <NUM> on the pipe <NUM> may be located between the plurality of blocking structures <NUM>, or between the plurality of baffle plates <NUM>.

In an embodiment of the present application, the gas release mechanism <NUM> may be directly connected to the pipe <NUM>, for example, plugged into the pipe <NUM>. The gas release mechanism <NUM> may also be indirectly connected to the pipe <NUM>, for example, the gas release mechanism <NUM> is connected with a gas guiding pipe, and the gas guiding pipe extends from an air outlet end of the pipe <NUM> to a position close to an air inlet end <NUM> of the pipe <NUM>, and the gas guiding pipe is configured to guide a gas released by the gas release mechanism <NUM> into the pipe <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, in some embodiments of the present application, the gas release mechanism <NUM> is directly installed on the pipe <NUM>. The gas release mechanism <NUM> is directly installed on the pipe <NUM>, which could shorten the time for the fire-fighting gas to enter the pipe <NUM>, and omit an intermediate connector between the gas release mechanism <NUM> and the pipe <NUM>, for example, omit gas guiding pipe, and the structure could be simplified and the cost could be saved.

The gas release mechanism <NUM> may be disposed either outside or inside the pipe <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, in an embodiment of the present application, a gas release mechanism <NUM> may be disposed outside a pipe <NUM>. A through hole <NUM> is provided on a wall of the pipe <NUM>, and the gas release mechanism <NUM> is connected to the through hole <NUM> to release a fire-fighting gas into the pipe <NUM> through the through hole <NUM>. The gas release mechanism <NUM> is disposed outside the pipe <NUM>, so that a size of the gas release mechanism <NUM> may not be limited by a size of a cavity of the pipe <NUM>, which is beneficial for the installation of the gas release mechanism <NUM> that has a larger gas production.

As shown in <FIG>, in an embodiment of the present application, the number of through holes <NUM> is multiple, and the multiple through holes <NUM> are arranged at intervals in an extension direction of the pipe <NUM>. The multiple through holes <NUM> may ensure a rapid release of a sufficient amount of fire-fighting gas, thus ensuring the reliability of fire prevention.

Regarding the relationship between the through hole <NUM> and the gas release mechanism <NUM>, each through hole <NUM> may correspond to one gas release mechanism <NUM>, or multiple through holes <NUM> may correspond to one gas release mechanism <NUM>. In other words, only one gas release mechanism <NUM> may be provided, and the gas release mechanism <NUM> is connected to the pipe <NUM> through the multiple through holes <NUM>. A plurality of gas release mechanisms <NUM> may be provided, and each gas release mechanism <NUM> may correspond to one, two or any suitable number of through holes <NUM>.

The foregoing through hole <NUM> may be configured as a threaded through hole <NUM> to form a threaded connection with the gas release mechanism <NUM>, so as to ensure the reliability of the installation of the gas release mechanism <NUM> on the pipe <NUM> and the sealing connection between the gas release mechanism <NUM> and the pipe <NUM>.

Optionally, a sealant (a sealing silicone rubber) may be provided at a connection position between the gas release mechanism <NUM> and the pipe <NUM> to further ensure the sealing performance of the connection between the gas release mechanism <NUM> and the inner wall of the through hole <NUM>.

The embodiment of the present application does not limit a length L of the pipe. Optionally, as shown in <FIG>, in an embodiment of the present application, the length L of the pipe is <NUM>-<NUM>. The advantages of setting the length L of the pipe within such a range are as follows: firstly, it facilitates the installation of the gas release mechanism <NUM>, which is beneficial for the installation of a plurality of gas release mechanisms <NUM>; secondly, a temperature-lowering distance is increased, so that the mixed gas of the fire-fighting gas and the combustible gas has a sufficient temperature-lowering distance, and thus the possibility of catching a fire at the air outlet end of the pipe <NUM> is reduced; and thirdly, an oxygen-exchanging distance is increased, so that a high-temperature region near the box <NUM> becomes an oxygen-deficient region, thereby reducing the risk of open flames in the high-temperature region.

In order to facilitate the connection of the pipe <NUM> and the box <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>, in an embodiment of the present application, the air inlet end <NUM> of the pipe <NUM> is provided with a flange <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, a fire-fighting apparatus <NUM> also includes a gas collection device <NUM>, and the gas collection device <NUM> is hermetically connected to the air outlet end <NUM> of the pipe <NUM>, and is configured to collect a gas discharged from the air outlet end, so as to prevent the mixed gas from being directly discharged to the external environment and polluting the environment.

In an embodiment of the present application, the gas release mechanism <NUM> may have any suitable structure and shape. As shown in <FIG>, the gas release mechanism <NUM> may include a fire-fighting medium <NUM> (a fire-fighting agent), a housing <NUM>, and a closure member <NUM>. The fire-fighting medium <NUM> may be a fire-fighting gas or a fire-fighting solid or a fire-fighting liquid capable of generating the fire-fighting gas. The housing <NUM> is configured to accommodate the fire-fighting medium <NUM>, and the housing <NUM> is connected to the through hole <NUM>, and is provided with an air outlet hole <NUM>. The closure member <NUM> is configured to close the air outlet hole <NUM>, and the closure member <NUM> is configured to release a closure of the air outlet hole <NUM> when thermal runaway occurs in the battery <NUM>, so that the fire-fighting gas enters the pipe <NUM> through the air outlet hole <NUM>.

In this embodiment, when the battery <NUM> works normally, the closure member <NUM> closes the air outlet hole <NUM>. When thermal runaway occurs in the battery <NUM>, the closure member <NUM> releases the closure of the air outlet hole <NUM>, that is, opens the air outlet hole <NUM>, so that the fire-fighting gas in the housing <NUM> can enter the pipe <NUM> through the air outlet hole <NUM> to realize mixing with the combustible gas.

Here, in addition to the inert gas, carbon dioxide gas, heptafluoropropane gas, sulfur hexafluoride, or the like, the fire-fighting gas may be any other appropriate gas that is helpful to prevent fires, which is not listed here.

The closure member <NUM> may be configured to open when a pressure (such as the air pressure in the housing <NUM>) reaches a certain value, for example, the closure member <NUM> is a thin film or pressure valve, or may be configured to open when a temperature reaches a certain value, for example, the closure member <NUM> is provided as a meltable membrane, to be capable of melting when the temperature reaches a certain value, so as to open the air outlet hole <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the fire-fighting medium <NUM> is a fire-fighting solid or a fire-fighting liquid, the gas release mechanism <NUM> further includes a trigger <NUM>, and the trigger <NUM> is configured to trigger the fire-fighting solid or fire-fighting liquid to generate a fire-fighting gas when thermal runaway occurs in the battery. The closure member <NUM> is configured to be able to open the air outlet hole <NUM> when the air pressure in the housing <NUM> reaches a first threshold, so as to release the fire-fighting gas.

In this embodiment, when thermal runaway occurs in the battery <NUM>, the trigger <NUM> triggers the fire-fighting medium <NUM> to generate a large amount of fire-fighting gas, and the fire-fighting gas gathers in the housing <NUM> so that the air pressure in the housing <NUM> increases. When the air pressure reaches the first threshold, the air outlet hole <NUM> opens through the closure member <NUM>, and the fire-fighting gas in the housing <NUM> enters the pipe <NUM> through the through hole <NUM>.

The trigger <NUM> may be an electrically controlled thermal initiator, which generates heat when thermal runaway occurs in the battery, so as to trigger the fire-fighting solid or the fire-fighting liquid to generate the fire-fighting gas.

In addition, the foregoing "first threshold" may be any appropriate value, and the specific parameter may be determined according to the actual situation.

In an embodiment of the present application, a controller may be used to transmit a trigger signal to the trigger <NUM>. The controller configured to transmit the trigger signal to the trigger <NUM> may be a controller of the battery <NUM> or a controller self-contained by the fire-fighting apparatus <NUM>. The controller may detect the thermal runaway of the battery <NUM> through, for example, a temperature sensor or a smoke sensor, or the like. When the thermal runaway occurs in the battery <NUM>, the temperature sensor or the smoke sensor may transmit the detected result to the controller, and then the controller controls the trigger <NUM> to work according to the detection structure of the temperature sensor or the smoke sensor.

As shown in <FIG>, the gas release mechanism <NUM> also includes a lead <NUM>, one end of the lead <NUM> is electrically connected to the trigger <NUM>, and another end thereof may pass through the housing <NUM> and be electrically connected to an external controller. The controller sends, to the trigger <NUM> through the lead <NUM>, a trigger signal used for triggering the fire-fighting medium <NUM> to generate the gas. In other embodiments, the controller may communicate wirelessly with the trigger <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, in another embodiment of the present application, a fire-fighting medium <NUM> is a fire-fighting liquid capable of generating a fire-fighting gas or a fire-fighting gas, and the fire-fighting liquid or the fire-fighting gas is encapsulated in a housing <NUM>. When a closure member <NUM> closes the air outlet hole <NUM>, a pressure in the housing <NUM> is greater than a pressure in the pipe <NUM>, that is, the fire-fighting liquid or the fire-fighting gas is pressurized and encapsulated in the housing <NUM>, and the closure member <NUM> is a valve, such as an electrically controlled valve.

In this embodiment, when the battery <NUM> is a normal condition, a certain pressure is maintained in the housing <NUM>, and the closure member <NUM> closes the air outlet hole <NUM>. If the fire-fighting medium <NUM> is a fire-fighting liquid, when thermal runaway occurs in the battery <NUM>, the air outlet hole <NUM> opens through the closure member <NUM>, so that the inner part of the housing <NUM> communicates with the inner part of the pipe <NUM>, and the pressure in the housing <NUM> decreases, so that the fire-fighting liquid is vaporized and enters the pipe <NUM> through the air outlet hole <NUM>.

In this embodiment, when the fire-fighting medium <NUM> is the fire-fighting gas, since the fire-fighting gas is pressurized and encapsulated in the housing <NUM>, the fire-fighting gas may be sprayed into the pipe <NUM> when the air outlet hole <NUM> opens through the closure member <NUM>, thereby ensuring the reliability of releasing the gas into the pipe <NUM> by the gas release mechanism <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the housing <NUM> is also provided with a sealing valve <NUM> configured to input the fire-fighting liquid or the fire-fighting gas.

In the embodiment of the present application, the fire-fighting medium may be selected from one or more kinds of the fire-fighting solid, the fire-fighting liquid and the fire-fighting gas, which is not limited in the present application.

The fire-fighting solid, such as a solid aerosol, is adjustable both in size and shape, and also has a large gas production per unit volume, which can maximize the space utilization. The fire-fighting solid is triggered to generate gas when the thermal runway occurs, forming an aerosol form.

Optionally, the fire-fighting medium <NUM> may be selected from a substance that can generate a free radical scavenger or contain a free radical scavenges, and the free radical scavenger, also known as a free radical capture agent, is a substance that can react with an active free radical to form a stable free radical or a stable molecule. For example, <NUM>,<NUM>-diphenyl-<NUM>-trinitrophenylhydrazine (DPPH), p-benzoquinone, tetramethylbenzoquinone, <NUM>-methyl-<NUM>-nitrosomethane, and phenyl-N-tert-butyl nitrone, etc. can react with the free radical to form a stable free radical.

In this embodiment, the fire-fighting medium <NUM> is solid potassium nitrate, which is decomposed by heat to form a free radical scavenger. The free radical scavenger is easier to combine with oxygen (including oxygen in the gas discharged from the pressure relief mechanism <NUM>, oxygen in the pipe <NUM>, and oxygen in the external environment) or a substance discharged from the pressure relief mechanism <NUM> that is easy to combine with oxygen to generate a high-temperature combustible substance, and the substance combined by the free radical scavenger is a combustible free radical. The free radical scavenger can consume a combustible free radical generated after the thermal runaway of the battery <NUM>, which reduces the possibility of combining and combusting of the combustible free radical and oxygen, and reduces the possibility of generating open flames by tackling the root causes. The free radical scavenger is combined with the combustible free radical, and an inert gas such as nitrogen can be produced, the inert gas is difficult to chemically react with oxygen or other substances, and occupies the internal space of the pipe <NUM>, so as to reduce the oxygen content in the pipe <NUM>, dilute the gas in the pipe <NUM> and reduce the concentration of combustible substances and oxygen in the pipe <NUM>. The inert gas occupying the inner space of the pipe <NUM> also acts as a barrier between the external air and the gas discharged from the pressure relief mechanism <NUM>, thereby reducing or avoiding the contact between the external air and the gas discharged from the pressure relief mechanism <NUM>. In addition, the decomposition process of the reagent absorbs heat, which could lower the temperature in the pipe <NUM> and further prevent the generation of open flames. Different reagents produce different free radical scavengers, and the combustible free radicals that can be combined are also different, so that different inert gases can be produced.

The fire-fighting liquid may be liquid sulfur hexafluoride or hexafluoropropane, and the gasification thereof can achieve the effect of lowering the temperature. Since sulfur hexafluoride or hexafluoropropane has strong electrical insulation characteristics, it can dilute the combustible gas while protecting the high voltage circuit of the battery <NUM>.

In an embodiment of the present application, the housing <NUM> of the gas release mechanism <NUM> may be a steel housing (such as a stainless steel housing) to ensure the strength of the housing <NUM>.

According to another aspect of the present application, a method for producing a battery is provided, as shown in <FIG>, the method includes the following steps.

It should be noted that the sequence of the foregoing steps can be adjusted as required. For example, the air inlet end <NUM> of the pipe <NUM> of the fire-fighting apparatus <NUM> may be connected to the box <NUM> to form a box assembly <NUM>, and then the battery cell <NUM> is placed in the box <NUM> of the box assembly <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A fire-fighting apparatus (<NUM>) configured for a battery (<NUM>), comprising:
a pipe (<NUM>), having an air inlet end (<NUM>) and an air outlet end (<NUM>), the air inlet end (<NUM>) being configured to be connected to a box (<NUM>) of the battery (<NUM>), so that a combustible gas generated when thermal runaway occurs in the battery (<NUM>) is capable of entering the pipe (<NUM>) from the box (<NUM>) via the air inlet end (<NUM>) and is discharged from the pipe (<NUM>) via the air outlet end (<NUM>); and
a gas release mechanism (<NUM>), configured to be connected to the pipe (<NUM>), the gas release mechanism (<NUM>) being configured to release a fire-fighting gas into the pipe (<NUM>) when thermal runaway occurs in the battery;
wherein a blocking structure (<NUM>) is provided in the pipe (<NUM>), and the blocking structure (<NUM>) is configured to block the combustible gas and the fire-fighting gas and change a flow direction, so that the combustible gas and the fire-fighting gas are capable of being mixed before being discharged from the pipe (<NUM>);
the blocking structure (<NUM>) comprises a spiral blade (<NUM>), and a centerline of the spiral blade (<NUM>) coincides with or is parallel to a central axis of the pipe (<NUM>).