Cooling structure of vehicle battery

Abstract

In the current battery cooling structure (100), when one battery cell generates abnormal heat, the adjacent battery cells may emit smoke in a chain reaction. The cooling structure (12) of the vehicle battery (10) of the present invention mainly comprises: a vehicle battery (10); a temperature regulating shell (13) which is arranged on the lower surface of the vehicle battery (10); and a cooling water circulation pipeline (14) which is connected to the temperature regulating shell (13). The temperature regulating shell (13) comprises: a cooling water storage section (35) in which cooling water circulates; and a cooling water storage chamber (36) in which cooling water is retained. According to this structure, when the battery cell (32) generates abnormal heat, the generated heat is quickly discharged to the outside of the vehicle through the temperature regulating shell (13), thereby preventing the adjacent battery cells from emitting smoke in a chain reaction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling structure for a vehicle battery, and more particularly to a cooling structure for a vehicle battery which increases heat capacity and improves heat exchange efficiency by arranging a cooling water storage chamber below a cooling water circulation pipeline, thereby preventing battery cells from smoking in a chain reaction. Background Art

[0002] As a current battery cooling structure 100, it is known Figure 5 The cooling structure shown. Figure 5 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a conventional battery cooling structure 100 .

[0003] like Figure 5 As shown, the battery cooling structure 100 mainly includes: a cold air duct 103, which guides the cooling air from the air-conditioning device 101 to the battery unit 102, and the battery unit 102 accumulates electricity for driving the vehicle; a cooling water circulation pipe 104, which circulates the cooling water CW used to cool the battery unit 102 in the cooling water circulation pipe 104; a heat exchanger 106, which performs heat exchange between the cooling water CW in the cooling water tank 105 and the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle system of the air-conditioning device 101; and a cooling water pump 107, which is arranged in the cooling water circulation pipe 104 and circulates the cooling water CW.

[0004] The battery cooling structure 100 has a strong cooling mode for the battery pack 102A automatically or in response to the operation of the operation switch when the battery pack 102A of the battery unit 102 is charged. In the strong cooling mode, the battery pack 102A can be cooled by the cooling air flowing in the cold air duct 103, and the cooling water pump 107 is operated, and the cooling water CW flowing in the cooling water circulation pipe 104 (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-156010

[0006] As described above, in the battery cooling structure 100, in order to improve the heat exchange efficiency, the battery cell 102 can be cooled by appropriately utilizing the two cooling systems, the first cooling system and the second cooling system. The first cooling system cools by allowing the cooling air to flow toward the cold air duct 103, and the second cooling system cools by allowing the cooling water CW to flow toward the cooling water circulation pipe 104.

[0007] Furthermore, when the battery pack 102A is being charged, the battery pack 102A can be properly cooled by using the two cooling systems at the same time in a normal operating state. However, there is a problem that when the battery pack 102A is abnormally heated or smokes, the two cooling systems cannot provide cooling response, and the adjacent battery packs 102A may smoke in a chain reaction.

[0008] The cooling efficiency of the second cooling system using the cooling water CW is better than that of the first cooling system using the cooling air, but in the battery cooling structure 100, the second cooling system is used together with the first cooling system, and the pipe diameter of the cooling water circulation pipe 104 is also small. In addition, the relative area between the battery pack 102A and the cooling water circulation pipe 104 is also small. Therefore, there is a problem that when the battery pack 102A is abnormally heated, the heat capacity is small and the heat exchange efficiency is poor, so it is difficult to prevent the adjacent battery packs 102A from smoking in a chain reaction. Summary of the invention

[0009] The present invention is proposed in view of the above situation, and relates to a cooling structure for a vehicle battery, that is, a cooling water storage chamber is arranged below a cooling water circulation pipeline to increase the heat capacity and improve the heat exchange efficiency, thereby preventing the battery cells from smoking in a chain reaction.

[0010] The cooling structure of the vehicle battery of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a battery module, which is composed of multiple battery cells arranged in one direction; a cooling water circulation pipeline, which is arranged relative to the lower surface of the battery module and is arranged to be in contact with a heat conductive sheet fixed to the lower surface of the battery module; and a non-circulating cooling water storage chamber, which is arranged below the battery module and is in contact with the lower surface of the cooling water circulation pipeline.

[0011] In addition, the cooling structure of the vehicle battery of the present invention is characterized in that the cooling water circulation pipeline has a cooling water storage portion, which temporarily stores the cooling water flowing in the cooling water circulation pipeline, and the cooling water storage portion is arranged on the lower surface of the battery module in a state of contact with the heat conductive sheet, and the lower surface of the cooling water storage portion is in contact with the cooling water storage chamber, and the cooling water storage chamber is arranged on the upper surface of the floor portion of the vehicle.

[0012] In addition, the cooling structure of the vehicle battery of the present invention is characterized in that the cooling water storage part and the cooling water storage chamber are formed as an integrated temperature regulating shell, and the integrated temperature regulating shell has: a first metal plate, which is in contact with the heat conductive sheet; a second metal plate, which is in contact with the bottom plate; and a third metal plate, which divides the internal space formed by the first metal plate and the second metal plate into an upper space serving as the cooling water storage part and a lower space serving as the cooling water storage chamber, and the first metal plate, the second metal plate and the third metal plate are made of aluminum.

[0013] In addition, the cooling structure of the vehicle battery of the present invention is characterized in that cooling fins protruding toward the outside of the vehicle are formed on the bottom plate portion below the integrated temperature control case.

[0014] In addition, the cooling structure for a vehicle battery of the present invention is characterized in that an annular insulating base is disposed between the integrated temperature control case and the bottom plate along an outer peripheral edge of the integrated temperature control case.

[0015] Effects of the Invention

[0016] In the cooling structure of the vehicle battery of the present invention, there are: a battery module, which is composed of a plurality of battery cells arranged in one direction; a cooling water circulation pipeline, which is arranged opposite to the lower surface of the battery module; and a non-circulating cooling water storage chamber, which is arranged below the battery module in a state of contact with the lower surface of the cooling water circulation pipeline. According to this structure, the heat capacity below the battery module is increased, and the heat exchange efficiency is improved, thereby preventing the adjacent battery cells from abnormally heating up and emitting smoke in a chain reaction when the battery cells are abnormally heated.

[0017] In addition, in the cooling structure of the vehicle battery of the present invention, a cooling water storage part is provided in the cooling water circulation pipeline, and the cooling water storage part temporarily stores the cooling water flowing in the cooling water circulation pipeline, and the cooling water storage part is arranged on the lower surface of the battery module in a state of contact with the heat conductive sheet, and the cooling water storage chamber is arranged on the upper surface of the floor of the vehicle. According to this structure, when the battery cell is abnormally heated, the heat generated by the battery cell is quickly discharged to the outside of the vehicle, thereby preventing the adjacent battery cells from chain-like smoke due to the above heat.

[0018] In addition, in the cooling structure of the vehicle battery of the present invention, the cooling water storage part and the cooling water storage chamber are formed into an integrated temperature control shell, and aluminum with excellent thermal conductivity is used as the three metal plates constituting the integrated temperature control shell. According to this structure, when the battery cell generates abnormal heat, the heat capacity of the integrated temperature control shell can be increased, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0019] In addition, in the cooling structure of the vehicle battery of the present invention, cooling fins protruding toward the outside of the vehicle are formed on the bottom plate of the vehicle below the integrated temperature control housing. According to this structure, the heat exchange efficiency of the bottom plate can be improved, and when the battery unit generates abnormal heat, the heat can be quickly discharged to the outside of the vehicle.

[0020] In addition, in the cooling structure of the vehicle battery of the present invention, an annular insulating base is arranged between the integrated temperature control housing and the bottom plate along the outer peripheral edge of the integrated temperature control housing. According to this structure, the integrated temperature control housing is subjected to the reaction force from the insulating base and becomes a shape that is warped toward the vehicle battery side, which can increase the contact area between the integrated temperature control housing and the vehicle battery and improve the cooling efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram for explaining a vehicle having a cooling structure for a vehicle battery as one embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 (A) is an exploded perspective view illustrating a cooling structure of a vehicle battery as one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 (B) is a cross-sectional oblique view.

[0023] Figure 3 (A) is a perspective view illustrating a cooling structure of a vehicle battery as one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 (B) is a cross-sectional view.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view for explaining a modified example of the cooling structure of the vehicle battery as one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 5 It is a side cross-sectional view showing a conventional battery cooling structure.

[0026] Description of symbols

[0027] 10 vehicle battery, 11 vehicle, 12 cooling structure, 13 integrated temperature regulating housing, 14 cooling water circulation pipeline, 21, 22, 23 metal plates, 31 bottom plate, 32 battery cell, 33 battery module, 34 thermal conductive sheet, 35 cooling water storage portion, 36 cooling water storage chamber, 37 insulating base, 38 storage box, 39 insulating layer, 41 cooling fins. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Hereinafter, a cooling structure for a vehicle battery according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. In addition, when describing this embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the same components in principle, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram for explaining a vehicle 11 having a cooling structure 12 for a vehicle battery 10 according to the present embodiment. Figure 2 (A) is an exploded perspective view illustrating a cooling structure 12 of a vehicle battery 10 according to the present embodiment. Figure 2 (B) is a cross-sectional perspective view for explaining the cooling structure 12 of the vehicle battery 10 according to the present embodiment. Figure 3 (A) is a perspective view for explaining a cooling structure 12 of a vehicle battery 10 according to the present embodiment. Figure 3 (B) is a cross-sectional view illustrating the cooling structure 12 of the vehicle battery 10 according to the present embodiment. Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view for explaining a modified example of the cooling structure 12 of the vehicle battery 10 according to the present embodiment.

[0030] A vehicle 11 such as a car or a train is equipped with a vehicle battery 10 for supplying electric power to a motor and various electrical components. In the case of a car, as the vehicle 11, in recent years, EV (Electrical Vehicle), HEV (Hybrid Electrical Vehicle), PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electrical Vehicle), etc. have become popular, and the above-mentioned vehicles 11 are also equipped with a vehicle battery 10 having a high power storage function.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle battery 10 is, for example, arranged in a storage space below the rear floor at the rear of the vehicle 11, and the vehicle battery 10 is arranged such that its length direction is consistent with the vehicle width direction (left-right direction of the paper) of the vehicle 11. Moreover, a water-cooled integrated temperature control housing 13 (hereinafter referred to as "temperature control housing 13") for cooling the vehicle battery 10 is arranged on the lower surface of the vehicle battery 10. In addition, the vehicle battery 10 is not limited to being arranged below the rear floor, and may also be arranged below the front floor on the front side of the vehicle 11 where the driver's seat and the passenger seat are arranged.

[0032] As will be described in detail later, the temperature control housing 13 is composed of three metal plates 21, 22, and 23 (see Figure 2The interior space of the temperature regulating housing 13 is divided into two interior spaces in the vertical direction. The upper interior space of the temperature regulating housing 13 is used as a cooling water storage portion 35 (see FIG. 1 ) for temporary filling of cooling water circulating in the vehicle 11 during its flow. Figure 3 (B)). On the other hand, the lower inner space of the temperature control housing 13 is a non-circulating closed space, and is used as a cooling water storage chamber 36 for continuously retaining the cooling water filled at one time (see Figure 3 (B)).

[0033] The cooling water circulation line 14 for circulating cooling water in the vehicle 11 is connected to the cooling water storage part 35 of the temperature control housing 13, and the cooling water circulation line is formed by two components. The cooling water circulation line 14 is connected to the radiator 15 of the vehicle 11, for example, and the cooling water heated by heat exchange with the vehicle battery 10 in the cooling water storage part 35 is cooled by heat exchange with the outside air passing through the radiator 15 and is sent to the cooling water storage part 35 again. That is, the cooling water repeatedly exchanges heat and circulates between the temperature control housing 13, the cooling water circulation line 14 and the radiator 15 via the cooling water pump 16, thereby realizing the cooling structure 12 of the water-cooled vehicle battery 10.

[0034] like Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1A , the temperature control housing 13 is formed of three metal plates 21, 22, and 23 obtained by deep drawing. Figure 3 (A)) cooling efficiency, lightweight vehicle 11, etc., for example, aluminum with excellent thermal conductivity is used. In addition, as metal plates 21, 22, 23, in order to ensure the relative area with respect to vehicle battery 10 as much as possible, plates with a nearly rectangular shape corresponding to the bottom surface shape of vehicle battery 10 are used.

[0035] like Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 2B , annular fixing areas 21A, 22A, 23A for connection are formed along the outer peripheral edges of the metal plates 21, 22, 23, respectively. The fixing areas 21A, 22A, 23A are aligned and fixed by bolt fastening, etc., thereby forming the temperature control housing 13.

[0036] A flat region S1 is formed on the upper surface of the temperature control case 13 , and the flat region S1 is in contact with the heat conductive sheet 34 (see FIG. 1 ) attached to the bottom surface of the vehicle battery 10 . Figure 3 (B)) contact area, and by increasing the contact area, the heat exchange efficiency can be improved. On the other hand, a flat area S2 is also formed on the lower surface side of the temperature control housing 13, and the flat area S2 is in contact with the bottom plate portion 31 of the vehicle 11 (see Figure 3(B)) The contact area can be increased to improve the heat exchange efficiency.

[0037] like Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 5A , the cooling structure 12 of the vehicle battery 10 mainly includes: the vehicle battery 10 ; a temperature control case 13 disposed on the lower surface of the vehicle battery 10 ; and a cooling water circulation line 14 connected to the temperature control case 13 .

[0038] The vehicle battery 10 mainly includes a storage box 38 (see Figure 3 (B)); and a battery module 33, which is composed of a plurality of battery cells 32 stored in a storage box 38 and connected in series. The battery cells 32 are, for example, secondary batteries such as nickel-metal hydride batteries and lithium-ion batteries. Each battery cell 32 is, for example, a flat rectangular parallelepiped, and is separated from the front and rear of the vehicle 11 by an insulating layer 39 (see Figure 3 (B)) are arranged at equal intervals.

[0039] The insulating layer 39 is a component for electrically insulating adjacent battery cells 32. The insulating layer 39 is formed of a material with poor thermal conductivity, such as a porous foamed resin, so that when one battery cell 32 generates abnormal heat, the heat is difficult to be transferred to the adjacent battery cell 32.

[0040] Figure 3 (B) shows Figure 3 (A) is a cross section of the cooling structure 12 of the vehicle battery 10 in the AA direction. As described above, the vehicle battery 10 is arranged in the storage space below the rear floor at the rear of the vehicle 11. The floor plate 31 of the vehicle 11 is a floor panel made of a thin metal plate, and the temperature control housing 13 is fixed to the upper surface of the floor plate 31 by bolt fastening, so that the flat area S2 of the temperature control housing 13 is in contact with the floor plate 31. In addition, the vehicle battery 10 is arranged on the upper surface of the temperature control housing 13, and the vehicle battery 10 has a heat conductive sheet 34 attached to its lower surface, and the flat area S1 of the temperature control housing 13 is in contact with the heat conductive sheet 34.

[0041] The temperature control housing 13 is formed of three metal plates 21, 22, and 23 obtained by deep drawing. The metal plates 21 and 23 form the outer shape of the temperature control housing 13, and the metal plate 22 divides the internal space into two internal spaces in the vertical direction. In addition, the upper internal space of the temperature control housing 13 is used as a cooling water storage portion 35 for storing cooling water for cooling the vehicle battery 10. On the other hand, the lower internal space of the temperature control housing 13 is used as a cooling water storage chamber 36 for continuously retaining cooling water for discharging the generated heat to the outside of the vehicle 11 when each battery cell 32 generates abnormal heat.

[0042] The cooling water storage unit 35 is connected to the cooling water circulation pipe 14 that circulates the cooling water in the vehicle 11, and functions as a part of the cooling water circulation pipe 14. The cooling water storage unit 35 has a larger pipe cross section than the cooling water circulation pipe 14, and the cooling water flowing in the cooling water circulation pipe 14 is temporarily stored in the cooling water storage unit 35 during its flow. Figure 3 As shown in (A), the flat area S1 of the cooling water storage part 35 is slightly smaller than the lower surface of the vehicle battery 10, but has a substantially equal area, and the cooling water circulation pipeline 14 is connected to the cooling water storage part 35 at both ends of the flat area S1 in the longitudinal direction (left and right direction of the paper).

[0043] According to this structure, the cooling water in the cooling water storage portion 35 flows more slowly than in the cooling water circulation line 14, and exchanges heat with the battery module 33 via the heat conductive sheet 34, thereby cooling the vehicle battery 10. Furthermore, by arranging the cooling water storage portion 35 between the cooling water circulation lines 14, a large relative area with respect to the lower surface of the vehicle battery 10 is ensured by utilizing the flat area S1 of the cooling water storage portion 35, thereby realizing the cooling structure 12 of the vehicle battery 10 with increased heat capacity and excellent cooling performance.

[0044] The cooling water storage chamber 36 is a non-circulating closed space, and is formed into a structure for the cooling water filled once to be continuously retained. As the cooling water, for example, an antifreeze liquid that does not freeze all year round is used. As shown in the figure, the cooling water in the cooling water storage part 35 and the cooling water in the cooling water storage chamber 36 are separated by the metal plate 22, but as mentioned above, the metal plate 22 is made of a material with excellent thermal conductivity, thereby increasing the heat capacity of the entire temperature control housing 13 and improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0045] The purpose of the cooling water in the cooling water storage chamber 36 is mainly to perform heat exchange when each battery cell 32 in the battery module 33 generates abnormal heat, and discharge the heat generated to the outside of the vehicle. In addition, the battery cell 32 is in contact with the insulating layer 39 at its front and rear sides, and is in contact with the temperature control housing 13 with excellent heat exchange efficiency at its lower side.

[0046] According to this structure, in the abnormally heated battery cell 32, heat is mainly exchanged with the temperature control housing 13 having a large heat capacity, and the generated heat is difficult to be transferred to the adjacent battery cell 32. In addition, as described above, the insulating layer 39 is arranged between the adjacent battery cells 32, and the generated heat is also difficult to be transferred to the adjacent battery cells 32. In addition, in the normal battery cells 32 adjacent to the abnormally heated battery cell 32, smoke is prevented from being generated in a chain reaction due to the above-mentioned heat.

[0047] In addition, if Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1B , an insulating base 37 is disposed along the outer peripheral edge of the temperature control housing 13 between the temperature control housing 13 and the bottom plate 31 of the vehicle 11. The insulating base 37 is formed in a ring shape, for example, along the outer peripheral edge of the temperature control housing 13. The fixed areas 21A, 22A, and 23A of the temperature control housing 13 and the surrounding areas are supported from below by the insulating base 37.

[0048] According to this structure, the temperature control case 13 receives the reaction force from the insulating base 37 and becomes a shape that is warped toward the vehicle battery 10 side, and the flat area S1 of the temperature control case 13 is pressed against the heat conductive sheet 34 on the lower surface of the vehicle battery 10, which can increase the contact area between the flat area S1 and the heat conductive sheet 34 and improve the cooling efficiency. In addition, the temperature control case 13 becomes a shape that is warped toward the vehicle battery 10 side, thereby preventing a gap from being generated between the heat conductive sheet 34 and the temperature control case 13 due to aging over time, thereby preventing the cooling efficiency from being deteriorated.

[0049] like Figure 4 As shown, cooling fins 41 protruding toward the outside of the vehicle may be formed on the bottom plate portion 31 of the vehicle 11 in the area where the temperature control housing 13 is arranged. The flat area S2 of the temperature control housing 13 contacts the bottom plate portion 31 of the vehicle 11, and the cooling water in the cooling water storage chamber 36 exchanges heat with the air outside the vehicle via the bottom plate portion 31, thereby easily discharging the generated heat to the outside of the vehicle 11 when the battery unit 32 generates abnormal heat.

[0050] Although not shown in the figure, a plurality of cooling fins 41 are arranged at regular intervals in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle 11, thereby increasing the contact area with the air outside the vehicle and improving the cooling efficiency of the bottom plate portion 31. Moreover, each cooling fin 41 is a plate-shaped body and extends from the front to the rear of the vehicle 11, thereby preventing the aerodynamic characteristics of the lower surface of the vehicle 11 from being deteriorated.

[0051] In addition, in the present embodiment, the following case is described, that is, the integral temperature control housing 13 is arranged on the lower surface of the vehicle battery 10, and when a part of the vehicle battery 10 is abnormally heated, the heat capacity is increased by the cooling water storage chamber 36 of the temperature control housing 13, and the heat exchange efficiency is improved, thereby preventing the battery unit 32 from smoking in a chain reaction, but the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, the same effect as the above effect can be obtained in the following cooling structure, that is, the cooling water circulation pipeline 14 and the cooling water storage chamber are formed separately, the above cooling water storage chamber is arranged on the upper surface of the bottom plate portion 31 of the vehicle 11, the cooling water circulation pipeline 14 is arranged in a manner of contacting the upper surface of the cooling water storage chamber, and the vehicle battery 10 is arranged on the upper surface of the cooling water circulation pipeline 14.

[0052] In addition, the following case is described, that is, the cooling water circulation pipe 14 is connected to the cooling water storage part 35 of the temperature adjustment housing 13, and is connected to the radiator 15 of the vehicle 11, and the cooling water flowing in the cooling water circulation pipe 14 is cooled by heat exchange with the radiator 15, but it is not limited to this case. For example, the cooling water circulation pipe 14 can be connected to the cooling water storage part 35 of the temperature adjustment housing 13, and connected to the heat core of the vehicle air conditioning device of the vehicle 11. In this case, the cooling water flowing in the cooling water circulation pipe 14 can also be cooled by heat exchange with the outside air in the heat core. In addition, it can be the following case, that is, the cooling water flowing in the cooling water circulation pipe 14 is cooled via the following refrigeration cycle system arranged in the vehicle 11, that is, the cooler, the compressor, the condenser, and the expansion unit are connected via the refrigerant piping. In the above case, the same effect as the above effect can be obtained. In addition, various changes can be made within the scope of not departing from the gist of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cooling structure for a vehicle battery, characterized in that: have: A battery module is a battery module composed of multiple battery cells arranged in one direction; a cooling water circulation pipeline arranged opposite to the lower surface of the battery module and arranged in contact with a heat conductive sheet fixed to the lower surface of the battery module; as well as A non-circulating cooling water storage chamber is arranged below the battery module in a state of contact with the lower surface of the cooling water circulation pipeline. The cooling water circulation pipeline has a cooling water storage portion, which temporarily stores the cooling water flowing in the cooling water circulation pipeline. The cooling water storage portion is disposed on the lower surface of the battery module in a state of being in contact with the thermally conductive sheet, and the lower surface of the cooling water storage portion is in contact with the cooling water storage chamber. The cooling water storage chamber is disposed on an upper surface of a floor portion of the vehicle.

2. The cooling structure for a vehicle battery according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cooling water storage portion and the cooling water storage chamber are formed as an integrated temperature adjustment housing. The integrated temperature control housing comprises: a first metal plate in contact with the heat conductive sheet; and a second metal plate in contact with the bottom plate. and a third metal plate that divides the internal space formed by the first metal plate and the second metal plate into an upper space serving as the cooling water storage portion and a lower space serving as the cooling water storage chamber, The first metal plate, the second metal plate, and the third metal plate are made of aluminum.

3. The cooling structure of the vehicle battery according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bottom plate portion below the integrated temperature control housing has cooling fins formed thereon that protrude toward the outside of the vehicle.

4. The cooling structure for a vehicle battery according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: An annular insulating base is disposed between the integrated temperature control case and the bottom plate along an outer peripheral edge of the integrated temperature control case.

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