Patent Description:
With the increasing environmental pollution, the new energy industry has attracted more and more attention. In the new energy industry, the battery technology is an important factor related to their development.

The energy density of the battery is an important parameter in performances of the battery; however, other performance parameters of the battery need to be considered when improving the energy density of the battery. Thus, how to improve performances of the battery is one urgent technical problem to be solved in the battery technology.

<CIT> provides a battery module, including a box having an inner cavity; at least two battery unit array structures, each of the at least two battery unit array structures including a plurality of battery units arranged along a length direction; and at least two support components, each of the at least two support components being fixed to a side of one of the at least two battery unit array structures in a height direction. The at least two battery unit array structures are arranged along a width direction and correspond to the at least two support components in one-to-one correspondence. The battery unit array structures and the components are disposed in the inner cavity.

<NPL>") discloses that effective dissipation of heat generated during the operation of a Li ion cell is critical to ensure safety and performance. In this paper, thermal performance of a cylindrical Li-ion cell with an axial channel for coolant flow is analyzed. One fundamental thermal-electrical trade-off that active cooling of an annular Li-ion cell must address is the trade-off between reduction in cell temperature and reduction in cell capacity. By increasing the inner radius of the annular cylinder, it is possible to reduce the cell temperature due to increased coolant flow. However, this also results in reduction in capacity of the cell since the increased coolant flow region reduces the cell volume and hence the cell capacity.

The present application provides a battery, a power consumption device, and a method and device for producing a battery, which may improve the energy density of the battery while ensuring the thermal management in the battery, thereby improving performances of the battery.

In a first aspect, a battery is provided, including: a plurality of battery cells arranged along a first direction; and a thermal management component extending along the first direction and being connected to a first wall of each battery cell of the plurality of battery cells, the first wall being a wall with a largest surface area of the battery cell; the thermal management component including a flow channel for accommodating a fluid to adjust a temperature of the battery cell; a second direction being perpendicular to the first wall; where, a size of the flow channel in the second direction is W, and a capacity Q of the battery cell and the size W of the flow channel satisfy: <NUM>. 0Ah/mm≤Q/W≤400Ah/mm; where the battery includes a plurality of the battery cells arranged in a plurality of columns along the first direction and a plurality of the thermal management components, where the plurality of columns of the battery cells and the plurality of the thermal management components are alternately disposed in the second direction.

In the embodiment of the present application, the thermal management component is disposed in the battery to be connected to the first wall with a largest surface area of each battery cell of the plurality of battery cells that are arranged in a column along the first direction; and the size W of the flow channel of the thermal management component in the second direction and the capacity Q of the battery cell satisfy <NUM>. 0Ah/mm≤Q/W≤400Ah/mm. In this way, there is no need to dispose a beam and other structures in the middle of a battery box, which may largely improve the space utilization rate inside the battery, thereby improving the energy density of the battery; and at the same time, the use of the above thermal management component may also ensure the thermal management in the battery. Thus, a technical solution of an embodiment of the present application may improve the energy density of the battery while ensuring the thermal management in the battery, thereby improving performances of the battery. In addition, the plurality of columns of battery cells and the plurality of thermal management components are connected to each other to form a whole, and are accommodated in the box, which may not only effectively perform the thermal management on each column of battery cells, but also ensure the overall structural strength of the battery, thereby improving performances of the battery.

In a possible implementation manner, a size D of the battery cell along the second direction and a size H of the thermal management component along a third direction satisfy: <NUM>≤D/H≤<NUM>, and the third size is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. In this way, sizes of the thermal management components may be flexibly set for battery cells of different sizes, which not only meets the requirement of the energy density but also well prevents thermal diffusion between battery cells.

In a possible implementation manner, a size H of the thermal management component along the third direction is <NUM>~<NUM>. In this way, space, strength and thermal management may be taken into account to ensure performances of the battery.

In a possible implementation manner, the size W of the flow channel is <NUM>~<NUM>. In this way, space, strength and thermal management may be taken into account to ensure performances of the battery.

In a possible implementation manner, the thermal management component includes a first thermally conductive plate and a second thermally conductive plate disposed oppositely along the second direction; where, a flow channel is disposed between the first thermally conductive plate and the second thermally conductive plate, and the flow channel is configured to accommodate a fluid to adjust the temperature of the battery cell.

In a possible implementation manner, the thermal management component further includes a stiffener, disposed between the first thermally conductive plate and the second thermally conductive plate; and the stiffener, the first thermally conductive plate and the second thermally conductive plate form the flow channel. In this way, the structural strength of the thermal management component may be enhanced.

In a possible implementation manner, an angle between the stiffener and the first thermally conductive plate or the second thermally conductive plate is an acute angle. In this way, in the second direction, the thermal management component may have a larger compression space, thereby providing more expansion space for the battery cell.

In a possible implementation manner, the battery cell includes two first walls disposed opposite to each other in the second direction and two second walls disposed oppositely in the first direction, where in the first direction, the second walls of two adjacent battery cells face each other. In this way, the first wall with the large area is used to connect to the thermal management component, which facilitates the thermal exchange of the battery cells and ensures performances of the battery.

In a possible implementation manner, the thermal management component and the first wall are bonded. In this way, the strength of the connection between the thermal management component and the first wall is increased.

In a second aspect, a power consumption device is provided, including the battery in the above first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the battery being configured to provide electric energy.

In a third aspect, a method for producing battery is provided, including: providing a plurality of battery cells arranged along a first direction; and providing a thermal management component extending along the first direction and being connected to a first wall of each battery cell of the plurality of battery cells, the first wall being a wall with a largest surface area of the battery cell; the thermal management component including a flow channel for accommodating a fluid to adjust a temperature of the battery cell; a second direction being perpendicular to the first wall; where, a size of the flow channel in the second direction is W, and a capacity Q of the battery cell and the size W of the flow channel satisfy: <NUM>. 0Ah/mm≤Q/W≤ 400Ah/mm; where the battery includes a plurality of the battery cells arranged in a plurality of columns along the first direction and a plurality of the thermal management components, where the plurality of columns of the battery cells and the plurality of the thermal management components are alternately disposed in the second direction.

In a fourth aspect, a device for producing a battery is provided, including a module for executing the method provided in the above third aspect.

In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the thermal management component is disposed in the battery to be connected to the first wall with a largest surface area of each battery cell of the plurality of battery cells that are arranged in a column along the first direction; and the size W of the flow channel of the thermal management component in the second direction and the capacity Q of the battery cell satisfy <NUM>. 0Ah/mm≤Q/W≤400Ah/mm; where the battery includes a plurality of the battery cells arranged in a plurality of columns along the first direction and a plurality of the thermal management components, where the plurality of columns of the battery cells and the plurality of the thermal management components are alternately disposed in the second direction. In this way, there is no need to dispose a beam and other structures in the middle of a battery box, which may largely improve the space utilization rate inside the battery, thereby improving the energy density of the battery; and at the same time, the use of the above thermal management component may also ensure the thermal management in the battery. Thus, a technical solution of an embodiment of the present application may improve the energy density of the battery while ensuring the thermal management in the battery, thereby improving performances of the battery. In addition, the plurality of columns of battery cells and the plurality of thermal management components are connected to each other to form a whole, and are accommodated in the box, which may not only effectively perform the thermal management on each column of battery cells, but also ensure the overall structural strength of the battery, thereby improving performances of the battery.

In order to illustrate the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application more clearly, brief description will be made below to the drawings required in the embodiments of the present application, and apparently, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present application only, and other drawings could be obtained based on these drawings by those ordinary skilled in this art without creative efforts.

In the drawings, the drawings are not drawn to actual scale.

Embodiments of the present application will be further described below in detail with reference to the drawings and embodiments. The detailed description of the following embodiments and the accompanying drawings are used to exemplarily illustrate principles of the present application, but cannot be used to limit the scope of the present application, that is, the present application is not limited to the described embodiments.

In the depiction of the present application, it is noted that unless otherwise defined, all technological and scientific terms used have the same meanings as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present application belongs. The terms used are merely for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, but are not intended to limit the present application. The terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in the specification and the claims of the present application as well as the brief description of the drawings described above are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. "A plurality of" means more than two; and orientations or positional relationships indicated by terms such as "up", "down", "left", "right", "inside", and "outside" are merely for convenience of describing the present application and for simplifying the description, rather than for indicating or implying that an apparatus or element indicated must have a specific orientation, and must be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, which thus may not be understood as a limitation the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are only intended for the purpose of description, and shall not be understood as an indication or implication of relative importance. "Vertical" is not strictly vertical, but within an allowable range of error. "Parallel" is not strictly parallel, but within an allowable range of error.

The phrase "embodiments" referred to in the present application means that the descriptions of specific features, structures, and characteristics in combination with the embodiments are included in at least an embodiment of the present application. Such phrases appearing in all locations of the specification are neither necessarily a same embodiment nor an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive from another embodiment. Those skilled in the art understand, in explicit and implicit manners, that an embodiment described in the present application may be combined with another embodiment.

The terms representing directions in the following description are all directions shown in the drawings, and limit the specific structure of the present application. In the description of the present application, it should be further noted that unless otherwise explicitly specified and defined, the terms "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 direct connection and may also be an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or may be communication between the interiors of two elements. Those of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate the specific meanings of the foregoing terms in the present application according to specific circumstances.

In the present application, the term "and/or" is only an association relation describing associated objects, which means that there may be three relations. For example, A and/or B may represent three situations: A exists alone, both A and B exist, and B exists alone. In addition, the character "/" in the present application generally indicates that the associated objects before and after the character are in an "or" relation.

In the present application, battery cells may include lithium-ion secondary batteries, lithium-ion primary batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, sodium/lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries or magnesium-ion batteries, etc., which are not limited by the embodiments of the present application. The battery cells may be cylindrical, flat, and cuboid or in another shape, which is not limited by the embodiments of the present application. The battery cells are generally divided into three types according to the way of packaging: cylindrical battery cells, prismatic battery cells and pouch battery cells, which are not limited by the embodiments of the present application.

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, etc. The battery generally includes a box body for enclosing one or more battery cells. The box may prevent liquid or other foreign matters from affecting the charging or discharging of the battery cells.

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

In order to meet different power demands, the battery may include a plurality of battery cells, where the plurality of battery cells may be in series connection, parallel connection or series-parallel connection. The series-parallel connection refers to a combination of series connection and parallel connection. Optionally, a plurality of battery cells may be first connected in series, in parallel or in series and parallel to form a battery module, and then a plurality of battery modules are connected in series, in parallel or in series and parallel to form a battery. That is, a plurality of battery cells may directly form a battery, or may first form a battery module, and then battery modules form a battery. The battery is further provided in a power consumption device to provide electrical energy for the power consumption device.

With the development of the battery technology, it is necessary to consider design factors in multiple aspects simultaneously, such as energy density, cycle life, discharge capacity, C-rate, safety, etc. Among them, when an internal space of the battery is fixed, improving the utilization rate of the internal space of the battery is an effective means to improve the energy density of the battery. However, while improving the utilization rate of the internal space of the battery, other parameters of the battery, such as the thermal management of the battery, must also be considered.

During the use of the battery cell, a large amount of heat will be generated. When the heat cannot be dissipated in time, the heat will accumulate and superimpose, resulting in thermal runaway and safety accidents, such as smoke, fire, and explosion. At the same time, long-term severe temperature unevenness will greatly reduce the service life of the battery. In addition, when the temperature is very low, the discharge efficiency of the battery is very low, and it is even difficult to start at a low temperature, which affects the normal use of the battery. Therefore, how to ensure the thermal management requirement of the battery is crucial.

In view of this, the embodiment of the present application providing a technical solution: a thermal management component is disposed in the battery to be connected to a first wall with a largest surface area of each battery cell of the plurality of battery cells that are arranged in a column along a first direction, where the thermal management component includes a flow channel; and in the second direction, a size W of the flow channel of the thermal management component and a capacity Q of the battery cell satisfy <NUM>. 0Ah/mm≤Q/W≤400Ah/mm. In this way, there is no need to dispose a beam and other structures in the middle of a battery box, which may largely improve the space utilization rate inside the battery, thereby improving the energy density of the battery. At the same time, the use of the above thermal management component may also ensure the thermal diffusion between battery cells. Thus, a technical solution of an embodiment of the present application may improve the energy density of the battery while ensuring the thermal management in the battery, thereby improving performances of the battery.

The technical solutions described in the embodiments of the present application are all applicable to various apparatuses using batteries, such as mobile phones, portable devices, notebook computers, electromobiles, electronic toys, electric tools, electric vehicles, ships and spacecrafts. For example, the spacecrafts include airplanes, rockets, space shuttles, spaceships, etc..

It should be understood that the technical solutions described in the embodiments of the present application are not only applicable to the devices described above, but also applicable to all devices using batteries. However, for brief description, the following embodiments are all described by an example of an electric vehicle.

For example, as shown in <FIG>, it is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present application. The vehicle <NUM> may be a fuel vehicle, a gas vehicle or a new-energy vehicle. The new-energy vehicle may be a full 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 disposed 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> may be provided at the bottom or the head or the tail of the vehicle <NUM>. The battery <NUM> may be configured to supply power to the vehicle <NUM>. For example, the battery <NUM> may be used as an operation power supply of the vehicle <NUM> and is used for a circuit 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 used 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 order to satisfy different power demands, the battery <NUM> may include a plurality of battery cells. For example, as shown in <FIG>, it is a schematic structural diagram of a battery <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present application. The battery <NUM> may include a plurality of battery cells <NUM>. The battery <NUM> may further include a box <NUM> with a hollow structure inside, and the plurality of battery cells <NUM> are accommodated in the box <NUM>. For example, the plurality of battery cells <NUM> are connected in series or in parallel or in a hybrid and are then placed in the box body <NUM>.

Alternatively, the battery <NUM> may also include other structures, which will not be described in detail herein. For example, the battery <NUM> may also include a bus component. The bus component is configured to implement the electrical connection between the plurality of battery cells <NUM>, such as parallel connection, series connection or series-parallel connection. Specifically, the bus component may implement the electrical connection between the battery cells <NUM> by connecting electrode terminals of the battery cells <NUM>. Further, the bus component may be fixed to the electrode terminals of the battery cells <NUM> by means of welding. Electric energy of the plurality of battery cells <NUM> may be further led out through an electrically conductive mechanism passing through the box body. Optionally, the electrically conductive mechanism may also belong to the bus component.

According to different power requirements, the number of the battery cells <NUM> may be set as any value. The plurality of battery cells <NUM> may be connected in series, in parallel or in series and parallel to implement larger capacity or power. Since there may be many battery cells <NUM> included in each battery <NUM>, the battery cells <NUM> may be disposed in groups for convenience of installation, and each group of battery cells <NUM> constitutes a battery module. The number of the battery cells <NUM> included in the battery module is not limited and may be set as required. The battery may include a plurality of battery modules, and these battery modules may be connected in series, in parallel or in series and parallel.

<FIG> is a schematic structural diagram of a battery cell <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present application. The battery cell <NUM> includes one or more electrode assemblies <NUM>, a housing <NUM> and a cover plate <NUM>. The housing <NUM> and the cover plate <NUM> form a shell or a battery <NUM>. A wall of the housing <NUM> and the cover plate <NUM> are both referred to as a wall of the battery cell <NUM>, where for the cuboid battery cell <NUM>, the wall of the housing <NUM> includes a bottom wall and four side walls. The housing <NUM> is shaped according to the combined shape of the one or more electrode assemblies <NUM>. For example, the housing <NUM> may be a hollow cuboid or cube or cylinder, and one surface of the housing <NUM> has a hole such that the one or more electrode assemblies <NUM> may be placed in the housing <NUM>. For example, when the housing <NUM> is a hollow cuboid or cube, one plane of the housing <NUM> is an opening surface, i.e., the plane does not have a wall, so that the inside and outside of the housing <NUM> are in communication with each other. When the housing <NUM> is a hollow cylinder, an end face of the housing <NUM> is an opening surface, i.e., the end face does not have a wall, so that the inside and outside of the housing <NUM> are in communication with each other. The cover plate <NUM> covers the hole and is connected to the housing <NUM> to form a closed chamber in which the electrode assembly <NUM> is placed. The housing <NUM> is filled with an electrolyte, such as an electrolytic solution.

The battery cell <NUM> may further include two electrode terminals <NUM>, and the two electrode terminals <NUM> may be provided on the cover plate <NUM>. The cover plate <NUM> is generally in the shape of a flat plate, and the two electrode terminals <NUM> are fixed on a flat plate surface of the cover plate <NUM>. The two electrode terminals <NUM> are a positive electrode terminal 214a and a negative electrode terminal 214b, respectively. Each electrode terminal <NUM> is correspondingly provided with a connection member <NUM> also called a current collecting member <NUM>, which is located between the cover plate <NUM> and the electrode assembly <NUM> and configured to electrically connect the electrode assembly <NUM> to the electrode terminal <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, each electrode assembly <NUM> has a first electrode tab 221a and a second electrode tab 222a. The first electrode tab 221a and the second electrode tab 222a have opposite polarities. For example, when the first electrode tab 221a is a positive electrode tab, the second electrode tab 222a is a negative electrode tab. The first electrode tab 221a of the one or more electrode assemblies <NUM> is connected to one electrode terminal through one connecting member <NUM>, and the second electrode tab 222a of the one or more electrode assemblies <NUM> is connected to the other electrode terminal through the other connecting member <NUM>. For example, the positive electrode terminal 214a is connected to the positive electrode tab via one connecting member <NUM>, and the negative electrode terminal 214b is connected to the negative electrode tab via the other connecting member <NUM>.

In the battery cell <NUM>, according to actual usage requirements, there may be a single or a plurality of electrode assemblies <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, there are four independent electrode assemblies <NUM> in the battery cell <NUM>.

A pressure relief mechanism <NUM> may also be disposed on the battery cell <NUM>. The pressure relief mechanism <NUM> is configured to be actuated when an internal pressure or temperature of the battery cell <NUM> reaches a threshold, to relieve the internal pressure or temperature.

The pressure relief mechanism <NUM> may be in various possible pressure relief structures, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application. For example, the pressure relief mechanism <NUM> may be a temperature-sensitive pressure relief mechanism configured to be capable of being melted when the internal temperature of the battery cell <NUM> provided with the pressure relief mechanism <NUM> reaches a threshold; and/or the pressure relief mechanism <NUM> may be a pressure-sensitive pressure relief mechanism configured to be capable of being fractured when an internal gas pressure of the battery cell <NUM> provided with the pressure relief mechanism <NUM> reaches a threshold.

<FIG> is a schematic structural diagram of a battery in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in <FIG>, the battery <NUM> includes a plurality of battery cells <NUM> and thermal management components <NUM> arranged along a first direction. The thermal management component <NUM> extends along the first direction and is connected to the first wall 20a of each battery cell <NUM> of the plurality of battery cells <NUM>, and the first wall 20a is a wall with a largest surface area of the battery cell <NUM>. The thermal management component <NUM> includes a flow channel <NUM> for accommodating a fluid to adjust a temperature of the battery cell <NUM>, and a second direction is perpendicular to the first wall 20a. A size of the flow channel <NUM> in the second direction is W, and the capacity Q of the battery cell and the size W of the flow channel satisfy: <NUM>. 0Ah/mm≤Q/W≤400Ah/mm.

The flow channel <NUM> may be formed by a pair of thermally conductive plates in the thermal management component <NUM>, and the size W of the flow channel along the second direction may be a distance between inner walls of the thermally conductive plates along the second direction. The larger the size W of the flow channel <NUM> is, the larger the capacity of the flow channel <NUM> is, the larger a volume of the fluid that may flow in the flow channel <NUM> is, and faster the heat transfers between the battery cells <NUM> and the thermal management component <NUM>. For example, when the thermal management component <NUM> is a water cooling plate, the larger the size W of the flow channel <NUM> is, the faster the heat of the battery cells <NUM> is dissipated, and thus the cooling of the battery cells <NUM> is faster, which may prevent the heat of the battery cell <NUM> from diffusing to the adjacent battery cells <NUM>. Optionally, the fluid may flow in a circulating manner to achieve a better temperature adjustment effect. Optionally, the fluid may be water, a mixture of water and ethylene glycol, refrigerant or air.

<FIG> is a schematic structural diagram of a battery according to an embodiment of the application. As shown in <FIG>, the thermal management component <NUM> and the plurality of battery cells <NUM> all extend along the first direction, that is, the x direction, and the thermal management component <NUM> is connected to the first wall 20a of each battery cell <NUM>, that is, the first wall 20a faces the thermal management component <NUM>. In this way, the heat of the battery cell <NUM> may be transferred to the thermal management component <NUM> and taken away through the fluid in the flow channel <NUM>, so as to control the temperature of the battery cell <NUM>, for example, to achieve cooling of the battery cell <NUM>.

Optionally, along the first direction, a length of the thermal management component <NUM> is equal to the sum of lengths of all the battery cells <NUM> in the same column, so that the battery cells <NUM> may be sufficiently cooled while reducing the occupation space of the thermal management component <NUM>. In other embodiments, the length of the thermal management component <NUM> may be less than or equal to the sum of the lengths of all the battery cells <NUM>, which may be specifically set according to actual needs. This is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

The size W of the flow channel <NUM> of the thermal management component <NUM> and the capacity Q of the battery cell <NUM> satisfy <NUM>. 0Ah/mm≤Q/W≤400Ah/mm. By rapidly cooling down the battery cell <NUM> whose temperature is too high, the heat of the battery cell <NUM> may be prevented from diffusing and transferred to the adjacent battery cells <NUM>, which causes the temperature of the adjacent battery cells <NUM> to be too high.

When Q/W>400Ah/mm, the size W of the flow channel <NUM> is smaller at this time, the volume of the fluid that may flow in the flow channel <NUM> is smaller, and cannot cool the battery cells <NUM> in time. In this way, when a temperature of a certain battery cell <NUM> is too high, since the battery cell <NUM> is not cooled in time, the heat of the battery cell <NUM> is diffused to the adjacent battery cells <NUM>, causing that the temperature of the adjacent battery cells <NUM> is too high, an abnormality occurs, and performances of the entire battery <NUM> is affected.

When Q/W<<NUM>. 0Ah/mm, the size W of the flow channel <NUM> is larger at this time, and the volume of the fluid that may flow in the flow channel <NUM> is larger, which may sufficiently cool the battery cell <NUM>. However, the flow channel <NUM> with a larger size results in a larger occupation space of the thermal management component <NUM>, which cannot ensure the energy density of the battery <NUM>; and at the same time, the thermal management component <NUM> with a large volume also results in an increase in cost.

In the embodiment of the present application, the thermal management component <NUM> is connected to the first wall 20a with a largest surface area of each battery cell <NUM> of the plurality of battery cells <NUM> that are arranged in the same column along the first direction; and at the same time the size W of the flow channel <NUM> and the capacity Q of the battery cell <NUM> satisfy: <NUM>. 0Ah/mm≤Q/W≤400Ah/mm. There is no need to dispose a beam and other structures in the middle of a battery box, which may largely improve the space utilization rate inside the battery, thereby improving the energy density of the battery. At the same time, the use of the above thermal management component may also ensure the thermal management in the battery. Thus, a technical solution of an embodiment of the present application may improve the energy density of the battery while ensuring the thermal management in the battery, thereby improving performances of the battery.

<FIG> is a schematic structural diagram of a battery cell connected to a thermal management component according to an embodiment of the present application. <FIG> is a cross-sectional view taken along a direction A-A in <FIG>. <FIG> is an enlarged schematic diagram of a region B in <FIG>. Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, with reference to <FIG>, a size D of the battery cell <NUM> along the second direction and the size H of the thermal management component <NUM> along the third direction satisfy: <NUM>≤D/H≤ <NUM>, and the third direction is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.

The size D of the battery cell <NUM> along the second direction may be a thickness D of the battery cell <NUM>. The thickness D of the battery cell <NUM> is related to the capacity Q of the battery cell <NUM>. The larger the thickness D is, the larger the capacity Q is.

The size H of the thermal management component <NUM> along the third direction may be a height H of the thermal management component <NUM> along the z direction; and the larger H is, the larger the volume of the thermal management component <NUM> is, the larger the occupation space is, and at the same time the stronger the thermal management ability is. For example, when the thermal management component <NUM> is a water cooling plate, the larger H is, the stronger the cooling ability for the battery cell <NUM> is, and the more effectively the heat of the battery cell <NUM> may be prevented from diffusing to the adjacent battery cells <NUM>.

When D/H<<NUM>, the size H of the thermal management component <NUM> along the third direction is larger, which may sufficiently meet the requirement of preventing the heat of the battery cells <NUM> from diffusing, but it is difficult to meet the requirement of the energy density of the battery <NUM>. At the same time, the thermal management component <NUM> with a larger volume also results in an increase in production costs.

When D/H><NUM>, it is difficult for the thermal management component <NUM> to meet the thermal management requirement for the battery cells <NUM>, that is, the heat of the battery cell <NUM> cannot be dissipated in time, thus causing the heat to diffuse to the adjacent battery cells <NUM>, resulting in an abnormal temperature of other battery cells <NUM>, thereby affecting performances of the battery <NUM>.

Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the size H of the thermal management component <NUM> along the third direction is <NUM>~<NUM>. In this way, the thermal management component <NUM> may satisfy the requirements of both strength and performances of thermal management.

Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the size W of the flow channel <NUM> is <NUM>~<NUM>. In this way, the requirements of both strength and thermal management may be satisfied.

Optionally, in an implementation of the present application, the thermal management component <NUM> includes a first thermally conductive plate <NUM> and a second thermally conductive plate <NUM> disposed oppositely along second direction; where, a flow channel <NUM> is disposed between the first thermally conductive plate <NUM> and the second thermally conductive plate <NUM>, and the flow channel <NUM> is configured to accommodate a fluid to adjust the temperature of the battery cell <NUM>.

The first thermally conductive plate <NUM> and the second thermally conductive plate <NUM> extend along the first direction and are disposed oppositely along the second direction. In this way, along the second direction, a cavity between the first thermally conductive plate <NUM> and the second thermally conductive plate <NUM> forms the flow channel <NUM>.

Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the thermal management component <NUM> further includes a stiffener <NUM>, disposed between the first thermally conductive plate <NUM> and the second thermally conductive plate <NUM>; and the stiffener <NUM>, the first thermally conductive plate <NUM> and the second thermally conductive plate <NUM> form the flow channel <NUM>. In this way, the structural strength <NUM> of the thermal management component may be enhanced.

Optionally, the number of stiffeners <NUM> is one, so that one or two flow channels <NUM> may be formed between the first thermally conductive plate <NUM> and the second thermally conductive plate <NUM>. When the stiffener <NUM> is only connected to the first thermally conductive plate <NUM> or the second thermally conductive plate <NUM>, the stiffener <NUM> is a cantilever with one end connected to the thermally conductive plate. At this time, only one flow channel <NUM> is formed. When the stiffener <NUM> is connected to the first thermally conductive plate <NUM> and the second thermally conductive plate <NUM>, two flow channels <NUM> are formed. The number of the stiffeners <NUM> may be specifically set according to requirements, which is not limited in this embodiment of the present application.

Optionally, when the number of the flow channels <NUM> is multiple, different flow channels <NUM> may be independent of each other, and may also be connected through an adapter.

Optionally, the stiffener <NUM> extends along the first direction, and an angle between the stiffener and the first thermally conductive plate <NUM> or the second thermally conductive plate <NUM> is a right angle. In this case, the thermal management component <NUM> may bear a larger pressure.

Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the angle between the stiffener <NUM> and the first thermally conductive plate <NUM> or the second thermally conductive plate <NUM> is an acute angle. In this way, the thermal management component <NUM> may have a larger compression space in the second direction, and may provide more expansion space for the battery cell <NUM>.

Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the battery cell <NUM> includes two first walls 20a disposed opposite to each other in the second direction and two second walls 20b disposed opposite to each other in the first direction, where in the first direction, the second walls 20b of two adjacent battery cells <NUM> face each other. For example, the battery cell <NUM> includes a first wall 20a, a second wall 20b and third walls; the first wall 20a, the second wall 20b and the third walls are adjacent to each other, where a surface area of the first wall 20a is larger than that of the second wall 20b, one of the third walls is disposed away from the bottom of the box as the top surface of the battery cell, and the other is disposed toward the bottom of the box as the bottom surface of the battery cell.

<FIG> is a schematic structural diagram of a battery according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in <FIG>, the battery <NUM> includes a plurality of the battery cells <NUM> arranged in a plurality of columns along the first direction and a plurality of the thermal management components <NUM>, where the plurality of columns of the battery cells <NUM> and the plurality of the thermal management components <NUM> are alternately disposed in the second direction.

The battery <NUM> includes a box <NUM>, a plurality of columns of battery cells <NUM> and a plurality of thermal management components <NUM>, a pipe <NUM> and a current collector <NUM>. The current collector <NUM> and the pipe <NUM> are disposed at both ends of the thermal management component <NUM> along the first direction, and the fluid is transported to the current collector <NUM> through the pipe <NUM>, and then collected by the current collector <NUM> and transported to the thermal management component <NUM>, so as to cool the battery cell <NUM>.

The plurality of columns of battery cells <NUM> and the plurality of thermal management components <NUM> are alternately disposed in the second direction, where along the second direction, they may be arranged in the manner of battery cell-thermal management component-battery cell, or may be arranged in the manner of thermal management component-battery-cell-thermal management component. In the former arrangement manner, the number of columns of battery cells <NUM> is N, and the number of thermal management components <NUM> is N-<NUM>. The energy density of the battery <NUM> arranged in this manner is higher. In the latter arrangement manner, the number of columns of battery cells <NUM> is N, and the number of thermal management components <NUM> is N+<NUM>. Thermal management performances of the battery <NUM> arranged in this manner are better, and it is faster to cool the battery cell <NUM>. Both of the above two arrangement manners may cool the battery cell <NUM> in time on the premise of ensuring the energy density of the battery <NUM>, and effectively prevent the heat of the battery cells <NUM> from diffusing to the adjacent battery cells <NUM>.

Optionally, in the battery <NUM>, it may also be arranged in the manner of thermal management component-battery cell-battery cell-thermal management component, as long as cooling or heating of the first wall 20a of the battery cell <NUM> may be achieved, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

Optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the thermal management component <NUM> and the first wall 20a are bonded. In this way, the fixing strength between the thermal management component <NUM> and the first wall 20a is increased.

Optionally, the thermal management component <NUM> may also be clamped between the battery cells <NUM> in adjacent columns or between side walls of the box <NUM> and the battery cell <NUM> by abutting against the first wall 20a.

It should be understood that the relevant parts in each embodiment of the present application may be referred to each other, and for the sake of brevity, details are not described herein again.

An embodiment of the present application further provides a power consumption device, which may include the battery <NUM> in the above embodiments. Optionally, the power consumption device may be a vehicle <NUM>, a ship or a spacecraft, etc., but this is not limited by the embodiment of the present application.

The battery <NUM> and the power consumption device of the embodiment of the present application are described above, and a method and a device for producing a battery of the embodiments of the present application will be described below. For the parts that are not described in detail, reference is made to the foregoing embodiments.

<FIG> shows a schematic flowchart of a method <NUM> for producing a battery according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in <FIG>, the method <NUM> may include:.

<FIG> is a schematic block diagram of a device <NUM> for producing a battery according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in <FIG>, the device <NUM> for producing the battery may include: a first provision module <NUM> and a second provision module <NUM>.

The first provision module <NUM> is configured to provide a plurality of battery cells <NUM> arranged along a first direction.

The second provision module <NUM> is configured to provide a thermal management component <NUM> extending along the first direction and connected to a first wall 20a of each battery cell <NUM> of the plurality of battery cells <NUM>, the first wall 20a being the wall with a largest surface area of the battery cell <NUM>; the thermal management component includes a flow channel <NUM> for accommodating a fluid to adjust a temperature of the battery cell <NUM>; a second direction is perpendicular to the first wall; where, a size of the flow channel <NUM> in the second direction is W, and a capacity Q of the battery cell <NUM> and the size W of the flow channel <NUM> satisfy: <NUM>. 0Ah/mm≤Q/W≤400Ah/mm.

The embodiments of present application are explained in the following. The embodiments described below are exemplary and intended to be used to only explain the present application, and may not be understood as limiting the present application.

Using a combination manner of two columns of battery cells <NUM> and two thermal management components <NUM>, a thermal diffusion test of the battery <NUM> is performed according to <CIT>, and test results are shown in Table <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A battery (<NUM>), comprising:
a plurality of battery cells (<NUM>) arranged along a first direction; and
a thermal management component (<NUM>) extending along the first direction and being connected to a first wall (20a) of each battery cell (<NUM>) of the plurality of battery cells (<NUM>), the first wall (20a) being a wall with a largest surface area of the battery cell (<NUM>); the thermal management component (<NUM>) comprising a flow channel (<NUM>) for accommodating a fluid to adjust a temperature of the battery cell (<NUM>); a second direction being perpendicular to the first wall (20a);
wherein, a size of the flow channel (<NUM>) in the second direction is W, and a capacity Q of the battery cell (<NUM>) and the size W of the flow channel (<NUM>) satisfy: <NUM>.0Ah/mm≤Q/W≤400Ah/mm;
wherein the battery comprises a plurality of the battery cells (<NUM>) arranged in a plurality of columns along the first direction and a plurality of the thermal management components (<NUM>), wherein the plurality of columns of the battery cells (<NUM>) and the plurality of the thermal management components (<NUM>) are alternately disposed in the second direction.