A battery cooling box combining liquid cooling and forced air cooling

Abstract

The present invention discloses a battery cooling box combining liquid cooling with forced air cooling, comprising a box body, a cover body, a fan and a cooling plate; a plurality of battery cells are arranged in the box body, and gaps are provided between adjacent battery cells; a heat pipe is arranged at the bottom end of the cover body, and a coolant flow channel is arranged inside the cover body, one end of the heat pipe is inserted into the gap and contacts the battery cell, and the other end extends into the coolant flow channel; the airflow generated by the fan acts on the cooling plate, the inlet of the coolant flow channel of the cooling plate is connected to the outlet of the liquid pump, the outlet of the coolant flow channel is connected to the inlet of the cooling plate, and the outlet of the cooling plate is connected to the inlet of the liquid pump; a temperature sensor extends into the box body, and the temperature sensor sends the received temperature signal to a controller, and the controller controls the working state and speed of the fan and the liquid pump. The present invention achieves energy saving on the basis of combining air cooling with liquid cooling, and has a simple and compact structure, good temperature uniformity, improves the heat dissipation performance of the battery of the electric vehicle, and ensures that the battery can work safely.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of battery cooling, and in particular relates to a battery cooling box combining liquid cooling with forced air cooling. Background Art

[0002] As an energy supply device, lithium battery modules are often composed of multiple single cells connected in series and parallel. In the process of outputting energy, heat will inevitably be generated, causing the temperature of the lithium battery pack to continue to rise. The temperature of conventional lithium cobalt oxide batteries should be controlled within 50 degrees Celsius to avoid thermal runaway and fire and explosion. If it is kept at high temperature for a long time, the capacity will decrease rapidly and the service life will be greatly reduced. Most of the current lithium battery modules are closed structures, the internal temperature of the lithium battery module is uneven, and the heat dissipation efficiency is low. In order to speed up the heat dissipation, it is necessary to increase the volume and surface area of ​​the lithium battery module, resulting in a large volume.

[0003] At present, lithium-ion battery cooling systems usually use air cooling or liquid cooling to cool the battery. Among them, the liquid cooling method uses the large specific heat capacity of liquid and strong heat absorption, and its heat exchange efficiency is much higher than air cooling. The disadvantages are: the water connections between the boxes are complicated, the flow channels are usually long, and the risk of leakage is very high under long-term operation. The length and complexity of the flow channels also cause problems such as difficulty in disassembly and maintenance. When the flow channel is set unreasonably, the temperature uniformity of various parts of the battery is poor, and the energy consumption is also much higher than that of the air cooling system.

[0004] Air cooling is the most economical, simple and reliable of all heat dissipation methods. It uses air to pass through the battery to achieve cooling. It has a simple structure and is easy to maintain. The disadvantages are: low specific heat of air, poor heat dissipation effect, high requirements for air duct setting, heat accumulation, and difficulty in using in high-load scenarios.

[0005] Based on the premise of air cooling and liquid cooling, some people have developed a cooling system that combines air cooling with liquid cooling. However, this system uses two systems running at the same time, consumes a lot of energy, has a very complex structure, and has a cooling liquid flow channel and a wind flow channel designed at the same time. One system cools one side separately, and the structure is not compact, making it difficult to achieve the ideal cooling effect at the same time. Summary of the invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a battery cooling box that combines liquid cooling with forced air cooling in order to solve the above-mentioned problems. The cooling box achieves energy saving on the basis of combining air cooling with liquid cooling, and has a simple and compact structure, good temperature uniformity, and improves the heat dissipation performance of electric vehicle batteries to ensure that the batteries can work safely.

[0007] The purpose of the present invention can be achieved by adopting the following technical solutions:

[0008] A battery cooling box combining liquid cooling with forced air cooling comprises a box body, a cover body detachably covered on the box body, and a fan and a cooling plate arranged on the bottom surface of the box body; a plurality of battery cells are arranged in the box body, and gaps are provided between adjacent battery cells; a heat pipe is arranged at the bottom end of the cover body, and a cooling liquid flow channel is arranged inside the cover body, one end of the heat pipe is inserted into the gap and contacts with the battery cell to absorb heat generated by the battery cell, and the other end of the heat pipe extends into the cooling liquid flow channel; the airflow generated by the fan acts on the cooling plate, the inlet of the cooling liquid flow channel of the cooling plate is connected to the outlet of the liquid pump, the outlet of the cooling liquid flow channel is connected to the inlet of the cooling plate, and the outlet of the cooling plate is connected to the inlet of the liquid pump; a temperature sensor is arranged at the bottom end of the box body, the detection end of the temperature sensor extends into the box body, the temperature sensor sends the received temperature signal to a controller, and the controller controls the working state and speed of the fan and the liquid pump.

[0009] As a preferred solution, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is lower than a first set value, the fan and the liquid pump do not work; when the temperature is higher than the first set value and lower than a second set value, the controller controls the fan to start working, and the liquid pump does not work; when the temperature is higher than the second set value and lower than a third set value, the controller controls the fan and the liquid pump to start working, and the fan and the liquid pump work at the first set speed value; when the temperature is higher than the third set value, the controller controls the fan and the liquid pump to work at the second set speed value.

[0010] As a preferred solution, the cooling plate includes a plurality of flow channel tubes and fins, both ends of the flow channel tubes are provided with the fins, and two flow channel tubes are sealed and connected together through the fins.

[0011] As a preferred solution, a protrusion for limiting the position of the battery cell is provided inside the box.

[0012] As a preferred solution, the cover body includes a lower cover and an upper cover, the lower cover is detachably covered on the upper end of the box body, the coolant flow channel is arranged on the upper surface of the lower cover, and the upper cover is sealingly covered on the lower cover.

[0013] As a preferred solution, a heat dissipation hole penetrating the lower cover and the box body is opened on the upper cover, and the heat dissipation hole is not connected to the coolant flow channel.

[0014] As a preferred solution, a boss is provided on the inner bottom surface of the box body, and the boss is provided between two adjacent battery cells; a through hole is opened on the boss, and the detection end of the temperature sensor extends into the box body through the through hole, and the temperature sensor is sealed and connected to the box body.

[0015] As a preferred solution, the heat pipe is in contact with the battery cell through a thermally conductive silicone sheet.

[0016] As a preferred solution, the cooling plate is fixedly mounted on the bottom of the box body through a mounting block.

[0017] As a preferred solution, the controller is a single chip microcomputer or a PLC.

[0018] The implementation of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0019] The present invention uses heat dissipation holes to design the battery module into a structure that runs through from top to bottom. There is a water cooling system connected to a heat pipe at the top and an air cooling system at the bottom. Different working powers can be set according to the battery temperature to dissipate heat for the battery module. Under full working power, after the coolant absorbs heat at the top and heats up, it relies on fins and airflow to exchange heat and cool down at the cooling plate. In addition, the present invention can inhale air on the side of the cooling plate, and does not need to reserve additional air intake positions at the bottom, saving space. The present invention uses a bifurcated coolant flow channel, reasonably sets the flow channel pipe position and the heat dissipation hole position of the cooling plate, and has a good heat dissipation effect in combination with liquid cooling and forced air cooling. According to the temperature of the battery cell in the box under different power working conditions, the temperature sensor and the controller are switched between energy-saving mode, normal mode, and performance mode to achieve energy-saving effects. The present invention uses a coolant flow channel combined with a heat pipe for heat transfer, simplifies the liquid flow channel, avoids the risk of leakage, and has high safety. It saves box space, has a simple structure, is easy to replace any module, is easy to install, and is convenient to maintain. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0021] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery cooling box combining liquid cooling with forced air cooling according to the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the cover of the battery cooling box combining liquid cooling with forced air cooling of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure after removing the upper cover.

[0024] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure after removing the upper cover.

[0025] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Longitudinal section view of .

[0026] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of the fan of the battery cooling box combining liquid cooling with forced air cooling of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 7 It is a schematic structural diagram of a cooling plate of a battery cooling box combining liquid cooling with forced air cooling according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] Example

[0030] Reference Figures 1 to 6 The present embodiment relates to a battery cooling box combining liquid cooling with forced air cooling, comprising a box body 1, a cover body 2 detachably covering the box body 1, and a fan 3 and a cooling plate 4 arranged on the bottom surface of the box body 1; a plurality of battery cells 5 are arranged in the box body 1, and there is a gap between adjacent battery cells 5; a heat pipe 21 is arranged at the bottom end of the cover body 2, and a coolant flow channel 22 is arranged inside the cover body 2, one end of the heat pipe 21 is inserted into the gap and contacts with the battery cell 5 to absorb the heat generated by the battery cell 5, and the other end of the heat pipe 21 extends into the coolant flow channel 22; the airflow generated by the fan 3 acts on the cooling plate 4, the inlet of the coolant flow channel 22 of the cooling plate 4 is connected to the outlet of the liquid pump, the outlet of the coolant flow channel 22 is connected to the inlet of the cooling plate 4, and the outlet of the cooling plate 4 is connected to the inlet of the liquid pump; a temperature sensor 6 is arranged at the bottom end of the box body 1, the detection end of the temperature sensor 6 extends into the box body 1, the temperature sensor 6 sends the received temperature signal to the controller, and the controller controls the working state and speed of the fan 3 and the liquid pump. The controller is a single chip microcomputer or a PLC.

[0031] The upper part of this structure is provided with a water cooling system connected to the heat pipe 21, and the bottom part is provided with an air cooling system. Different working powers can be set according to the battery temperature to dissipate heat for the battery module. Under full working power, after the coolant absorbs heat and heats up at the upper part, it relies on the fins and airflow to exchange heat and cool down at the cooling plate 4. In addition, the present invention can inhale air on the side of the cooling plate 4, and there is no need to reserve an additional air inhalation position at the bottom, which saves space. The present invention reasonably sets the flow channel pipe position and the heat dissipation hole position of the cooling plate 4, and has a good heat dissipation effect in the case of combining liquid cooling and forced air cooling. According to the temperature of the battery cell 5 in the box body 1 under different power working conditions, the working state and speed of the fan 3 and the liquid pump are controlled by the temperature sensor 6 and the controller to achieve energy saving effect. The present invention uses the coolant flow channel 22 in combination with the heat pipe 21 to transfer heat, simplifies the liquid flow channel, avoids the risk of leakage, and has higher safety. It saves space in the box body 1, has a simple structure, is easy to replace any module, is easy to install, and is convenient for maintenance.

[0032] When the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 6 is less than the first set value, the fan 3 and the liquid pump do not work; when the temperature is higher than the first set value and lower than the second set value, the energy-saving mode is started, the controller controls the fan 3 to start working, and the liquid pump does not work at the same time; when the temperature is higher than the second set value and lower than the third set value, the normal mode is started, the controller controls the fan 3 and the liquid pump to start working, and the fan 3 and the liquid pump work at the first set speed value; when the temperature is higher than the third set value, the performance mode is started, the controller controls the fan 3 and the liquid pump to work at the second set speed value, or according to the value of the temperature deviating from the third set value, the controller outputs the corresponding power to adjust the corresponding speed of the liquid pump and the fan 3. When working, the controller detects the temperature inside the box in real time through the temperature sensor 6, and controls the working state and speed of the liquid pump and the fan 3 at any time according to the detected temperature value, and then controls the flow rate of the coolant and the flow rate of the air respectively, so as to control the overall cooling force and make the temperature inside the box 1 at a suitable working temperature.

[0033] like Figure 7 As shown in the figure, the cooling plate 4 includes a plurality of flow tubes 41 and fins 42. The fins 42 are provided at both ends of the flow tube 41, and the two flow tubes 41 are sealed and connected together through the fins 42. The fins 42 can increase the heat dissipation area of ​​the flow tube 41, so that the high-temperature coolant flowing through the fins 42 can transfer the heat to the outside through the fins 42 more quickly.

[0034] In order to facilitate the positioning and installation of the battery cell 5 , a protrusion 51 for limiting the position of the battery cell 5 is provided inside the box body 1 .

[0035] The cover body 2 includes a lower cover 23 and an upper cover 24. The lower cover 23 is detachably covered on the upper end of the box body 1. The coolant flow channel 22 is arranged on the upper surface of the lower cover 23, and the upper cover 24 is sealed on the lower cover 23. The upper cover 24 and the lower cover 23 are welded to make the contact surface close to each other, and the cooling liquid does not leak from the contact surface. The heat pipe 21 is sealed and connected to the lower cover 23 to ensure that the liquid does not leak. The part extending into the coolant flow channel 22 should be as large as possible. The flow width of the cooling channel at the heat pipe 21 should be equal to the width at the place where there is no heat pipe 21, so as to reduce the pressure drop caused by the change of flow rate.

[0036] The upper cover 24 is provided with a heat dissipation hole 25 penetrating the lower cover 23 and the box body 1, and the heat dissipation hole 25 is not connected to the coolant flow channel 22. The heat dissipation hole 25 is used to increase the convection heat exchange area between the air and the surface of the battery cell 5, and the air flow rate passing through the heat dissipation hole 25 can be controlled by controlling the power of the fan 3 to enhance the convection heat exchange effect. When the temperature in the box body 1 is at normal temperature, the fan 3 and the water pump do not work, and the heat is dissipated by natural convection of air through the heat dissipation hole 25.

[0037] A boss 11 is provided on the inner bottom surface of the box body 1 , and the boss 11 is provided between two adjacent battery cells 5 ; a through hole is opened on the boss 1 , and the detection end of the temperature sensor 6 extends into the box body 1 through the through hole, and the temperature sensor 6 is sealed and connected to the box body 1 .

[0038] In order to speed up the transfer of heat from the surface of the battery cell 5 to the heat pipe 21 , the heat pipe 21 is in contact with the battery cell 5 via a heat-conducting silicone sheet.

[0039] In order to facilitate the installation of the cooling plate 4 , the cooling plate 4 is fixedly mounted on the bottom of the box body 1 through a mounting block 40 .

[0040] This structure uses heat dissipation holes 25 to design the battery module into a structure that runs through from top to bottom. There is a water cooling system connected to the heat pipe 21 at the top and an air cooling system at the bottom. Different working powers can be set according to the battery temperature to dissipate heat for the battery module. Under full working power, after the coolant absorbs heat and heats up at the top, it exchanges heat with the airflow at the cooling plate 4 by relying on the ribs 42. In addition, the present invention can inhale air on the side of the cooling plate 4, and there is no need to reserve an additional air intake position at the bottom, saving space. The present invention uses a bifurcated coolant flow channel 22, reasonably sets the position of the flow channel pipe 41 of the cooling plate 4 and the position of the heat dissipation hole 25, and has a good heat dissipation effect in combination with liquid cooling and forced air cooling. According to the temperature of the battery cell 5 in the box 1 under different power working conditions, the temperature sensor 6 and the controller are switched between energy-saving mode, normal mode, and performance mode to achieve energy-saving effects. The present invention uses the coolant flow channel 22 in combination with the heat pipe 21 to transfer heat, simplify the liquid flow channel, avoid the risk of leakage, and has high safety. The box 1 saves space, has a simple structure and is easy to replace any module, and is easy to install and maintain.

[0041] The above disclosure is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, which certainly cannot be used to limit the scope of the present invention. Therefore, equivalent changes made according to the claims of the present invention are still within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery cooling box combining liquid cooling and forced air cooling, characterized in that: The invention comprises a box body, a cover body which can be detachably covered on the box body, and a fan and a cooling plate arranged on the bottom surface of the box body; a plurality of battery cells are arranged in the box body, and gaps are provided between adjacent battery cells; a heat pipe is arranged at the bottom end of the cover body, and a cooling liquid flow channel is arranged inside the cover body, one end of the heat pipe is inserted into the gap and contacts with the battery cell to absorb the heat generated by the battery cell, and the other end of the heat pipe extends into the cooling liquid flow channel; the airflow generated by the fan acts on the cooling plate, the inlet of the cooling liquid flow channel of the cooling plate is connected to the outlet of the liquid pump, the outlet of the cooling liquid flow channel is connected to the inlet of the cooling plate, and the outlet of the cooling plate is connected to the inlet of the liquid pump; a temperature sensor is arranged at the bottom end of the box body, the detection end of the temperature sensor extends into the box body, the temperature sensor sends the received temperature signal to the controller, and the controller controls the working state and speed of the fan and the liquid pump; When the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is lower than the first set value, the fan and the liquid pump do not work; when the temperature is higher than the first set value and lower than the second set value, the controller controls the fan to start working, and the liquid pump does not work; when the temperature is higher than the second set value and lower than the third set value, the controller controls the fan and the liquid pump to start working, and the fan and the liquid pump work at the first set speed value; when the temperature is higher than the third set value, the controller controls the fan and the liquid pump to work at the second set speed value.

2. A battery cooling box combining liquid cooling and forced air cooling according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cooling plate comprises a plurality of flow channel tubes and fins. The fins are arranged at both ends of the flow channel tubes, and two adjacent flow channel tubes are sealed and connected together through the fins.

3. The battery cooling box combining liquid cooling and forced air cooling according to claim 1, characterized in that: A protrusion for limiting the position of the battery cell is arranged inside the box.

4. The battery cooling box combining liquid cooling and forced air cooling according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cover body comprises a lower cover and an upper cover, the lower cover is detachably covered on the upper end of the box body, the coolant flow channel is arranged on the upper surface of the lower cover, and the upper cover is sealingly covered on the lower cover.

5. The battery cooling box combining liquid cooling and forced air cooling according to claim 4, characterized in that: The upper cover is provided with a heat dissipation hole penetrating through the lower cover and the box body, and the heat dissipation hole is not connected with the coolant flow channel.

6. A battery cooling box combining liquid cooling and forced air cooling according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: A boss is provided on the inner bottom surface of the box body, and the boss is provided between two adjacent battery cells; a through hole is opened on the boss, and the detection end of the temperature sensor extends into the box body through the through hole, and the temperature sensor is sealed and connected to the box body.

7. A battery cooling box combining liquid cooling and forced air cooling according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The heat pipe is in contact with the battery cell through a heat-conducting silicone sheet.

8. A battery cooling box combining liquid cooling and forced air cooling according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The cooling plate is fixedly mounted on the bottom of the box body through a mounting block.

9. The battery cooling box combining liquid cooling and forced air cooling according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller is a single chip microcomputer or a PLC.

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