High voltage distribution box and electric vehicles

Abstract

The embodiments of the present application provide a high-voltage distribution box and an electric vehicle. The high-voltage distribution box includes: a housing, a high-voltage contactor, a bus, a thermal pad, and a liquid cooling plate. A contact is provided on one side of the high-voltage contactor and is provided in the housing; one side of the bus is connected to one side of the contact in the high-voltage contactor; one side of the thermal pad is attached to the other side of the bus away from the high-voltage contactor; and the liquid cooling plate is attached to the other side of the thermal pad away from the bus. By attaching the thermal pad to the bus, the bus transfers the heat of the contact in the high-voltage contactor to the thermal pad, and then the contact is cooled by the liquid cooling plate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of electric vehicles, and in particular to a high-voltage distribution box and an electric vehicle. Background Art

[0002] At present, new energy vehicles have become a development trend. Compared with traditional fuel vehicles, new energy vehicles have the advantages of being more environmentally friendly, having a good driving experience, and having low vehicle use costs. However, the charging time of new energy vehicles is several times longer than the refueling time of fuel vehicles. Therefore, mainstream vehicle manufacturers are currently working hard to develop high-voltage systems with high charging rates. The main methods to increase the charging rate are to increase the voltage platform of the vehicle and increase the charging current. Among them, the high-voltage distribution box is the connection hub of the high-voltage system, and the high charging rate solution is a major challenge to the development of the high-voltage distribution box.

[0003] In the related art, the high-voltage circuit connection components of the high-voltage distribution box generally include high-voltage contactors, busbars (such as high-voltage copper busbars), connectors, etc. In order to cope with high charging rate solutions, the method to improve the current carrying capacity of the high-voltage distribution box is generally to increase the specifications of the high-voltage contactor and increase the cross-sectional area of ​​the busbar. However, such a solution will undoubtedly increase the overall floor space of the high-voltage distribution box and increase costs. If the original specifications of the high-voltage contactor are used, the current carrying capacity cannot be improved. Summary of the invention

[0004] To solve or partially solve the problems in the related art, the embodiments of the present application provide a high-voltage distribution box and an electric vehicle. The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to at least partially cool down the contacts of the high-voltage contactor in time, which helps to improve the current carrying capacity of the system.

[0005] The first aspect of the present application provides a high-voltage distribution box, including a housing, a high-voltage contactor, a bus bar, a thermal pad and a liquid cooling plate, wherein:

[0006] A contact is provided on one side of the high-voltage contactor and is arranged in the housing;

[0007] One side of the busbar is connected to one side of a contact in the high-voltage contactor;

[0008] One side of the thermal pad is attached to the other side of the bus bar away from the high voltage contact;

[0009] The liquid cooling plate is attached to the other side of the thermal pad away from the bus bar.

[0010] A second aspect of the present application provides an electric vehicle, which includes the above-mentioned high-voltage distribution box.

[0011] The technical solution provided by this application can achieve at least part of the following advantages:

[0012] By fitting the thermal pad to the busbar, the busbar transfers the heat of the contacts in the high-voltage contactor to the thermal pad, and then cools the contacts through the liquid cooling plate. In addition, the cooling allows the high-voltage distribution box to maintain its original specifications without occupying more space and saving costs, while being able to cope with the high heat generated at high charging rates, thereby improving the system's current carrying capacity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present application will become more apparent by describing in more detail exemplary embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals generally represent the same components in the exemplary embodiments of the present application.

[0014] Figure 1 is an exploded schematic diagram of a high-voltage distribution box shown in an embodiment of the present application;

[0015] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The assembly diagram of the high voltage distribution box shown;

[0016] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a high voltage distribution box is shown;

[0017] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of the high-voltage distribution box from another angle is shown.

[0018] Reference numerals: housing 100 ; high voltage contactor 200 ; contact 210 ; connection groove 211 ; bus bar 300 ; mounting hole 310 ; thermal pad 400 ; liquid cooling plate 500 ; water inlet 510 ; water outlet 520 ; connector 600 ; head surface 610 ; interface 700 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The embodiments of the present application will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the embodiments of the present application are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present application can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to make the present application more thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of the present application to those skilled in the art.

[0020] As discussed in the background technology section, an embodiment of the present application provides a high-voltage distribution box that can timely cool the contacts of the high-voltage contactor, thereby helping to improve the current carrying capacity of the system.

[0021] The technical solution of the embodiments of the present application is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] See also Figure 1 to Figure 2The high-voltage distribution box provided in one embodiment of the present application includes a housing 100, a high-voltage contactor 200, a busbar 300, a thermal pad 400 and a liquid cooling plate 500. The high-voltage contactor 200 is disposed in the housing 100, and a contact 210 is disposed on one side of the high-voltage contactor 200; one side of the busbar 300 is connected to the contact 210 in the high-voltage contactor 200; one side of the thermal pad 400 is attached to the other side of the busbar 300 away from the high-voltage contactor 200; and the liquid cooling plate 500 is attached to the other side of the thermal pad 400 away from the busbar 300.

[0023] The busbar 300, the thermal pad 400 and the liquid cooling plate 500 are respectively located in the housing 100. The busbar 300 may be a high-voltage copper busbar, and the busbar 300 contacts the contact 210 of the high-voltage contactor 200 to form a loop. When the specification of the high-voltage contactor 200 is controlled, the current carrying capacity can be improved by reducing the temperature of the contact 210 of the high-voltage contactor 200 during the charging process.

[0024] In this embodiment, the contacts 210, bus 300, thermal pad 400 and liquid cooling plate 500 of the high-voltage contactor 200 are stacked in sequence to ensure the normal operation of the high-voltage circuit. At the same time, the heat of the contacts 210 of the high-voltage contactor 200 is transferred to the thermal pad 400 through the bus 300, and then the thermal pad 400 is dissipated through the liquid cooling plate 500, thereby achieving cooling of the contacts 210.

[0025] The thermal pad 400 also has a buffering effect, preventing the bus 300 from directly contacting the hard liquid cooling plate 500, thereby avoiding leakage caused by scratches on the liquid cooling plate 500 due to mechanical vibration or impact caused by hard connection, thereby eliminating safety hazards.

[0026] It can be seen from this example that the solution of the present application, by fitting the thermal pad 400 with the bus 300, allows the bus 300 to transfer the heat of the contact 210 in the high-voltage contactor 200 to the thermal pad 400, and then cools the contact 210 through the liquid cooling plate 500; such a design allows the high-voltage distribution box to maintain its original specifications without occupying a larger space and saving costs, and at the same time can cope with the high heat generated at high charging rates and cool down in time, thereby improving the system's current carrying capacity.

[0027] Further, see Figure 2 and Figure 3In one embodiment, the high-voltage distribution box also includes a connector 600, the bus 300 is provided with a mounting hole 310, the contact 210 is provided with a connecting groove 211, and the connector 600 is sequentially passed through the mounting hole 310 and the connecting groove 211 of the contact 210 to connect the bus 300 to the high-voltage contactor 200; wherein, the end surface of the connector 600 facing the bus 300 is flush with the surface of the bus 300 or recessed in the surface of the bus 300. With this design, the high-voltage contactor 200 is fixedly connected to the bus 300 through the connector 600. At the same time, the end face of the connector 600 does not protrude from the surface of the bus 300, that is, the end face remains flush with the surface of the bus 300 or is recessed in the surface of the bus 300. This ensures that the bus 300 is not blocked and can contact the thermal pad 400 with the largest possible area, so that the heat of the contact 210 can be transferred to the thermal pad 400 through the bus 300 with the highest efficiency.

[0028] In a specific embodiment, the connector 600 is a flat head screw, and the head surface 610 of the flat head screw is spaced apart from one side of the thermal pad 400. The inner wall of the connection groove 211 of the contact 210 is provided with threads, and the flat head screw passes through the mounting hole 310 of the bus 300 in sequence and is screwed to the connection groove 211. It can be understood that since the contact 210 cannot directly fit the thermal pad 400, in order to achieve heat dissipation of the contact 210 as much as possible, the mounting hole 310 of the bus 300 is pre-machined so that the head of the flat head screw 600 is sunk into the bus 300, so that there is a gap between the head surface 610 of the flat head screw and the thermal pad 400, thereby preventing the head surface 610 of the flat head screw from protruding from the surface of the bus 300, and then there will be no gap between the thermal pad 400 and the bus 300 caused by the protrusion of the head of the flat head screw 600, so that the bus 300 can be fully close to the thermal pad 400, and then each contact 210 in contact with the bus 300 can transfer heat to the thermal pad 400 through the bus 300. In one embodiment, the number of connectors 600 is multiple, that is, the number of flat head screws can be multiple, for example, can be set according to the number of contacts 210, and accordingly, the number of mounting holes 310 of the bus 300 is set accordingly. In one embodiment, the bus 300 and the housing 100 are an integrally formed structure. The housing 100 can be made of an insulating plastic material, and the bus 300 and the housing 100 are integrally formed by injection molding. Such a design can save the process of installing the bus 300 in production and assembly, thereby improving production efficiency. In addition, in some extreme cases, the high-voltage contactor 200 has the risk of failure due to explosion. By integrally forming the bus 300 with the housing 100, the bus 300 can support the contacts 210 of the high-voltage contactor 200 during the explosion, so as to prevent the contacts 210 from popping out and scratching the insulation layer of the liquid cooling plate 500, thereby improving the safety performance of the high-voltage distribution box.

[0029] Furthermore, if Figure 2 As shown, in order to enrich the application scenarios of the high-voltage distribution box, in one embodiment, the peripheral side wall of the high-voltage contactor 200 is a planar structure and is inverted. Compared with the traditional high-voltage contactor, the high-voltage contactor 200 of the present application has a planar structure because the peripheral side wall is a planar structure, and the traditional structure of the peripheral convex mounting feet is cancelled, thereby reducing the space occupied by the high-voltage contactor. In addition, the busbar 300 is integrally formed with the shell 100, and the high-voltage contactor 200 can be fixed to the busbar 300 by the connector 600 without the mounting feet, that is, it can be fixed in the shell 100. Further, in one embodiment, the number of high-voltage contactors 200 is multiple, and the peripheral side walls of adjacent high-voltage contactors 200 are arranged in parallel and are respectively inverted and connected to the busbar. After removing the mounting feet of the traditional high-voltage contactor 200 protruding from the shell, the adjacent high-voltage contactors 200 can be seamlessly arranged side by side and compactly arranged in the shell 100. At the same time, the high-voltage contactor 200 is inverted on the busbar 300 and fixed by the connector 600 , so that the space occupied by each high-voltage contactor 200 can be reduced while the high-voltage contactor 200 is fixed, thereby improving the integrity and integration.

[0030] In order to meet the needs of different application scenarios, such as Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, in one embodiment, the high-voltage distribution box also includes a plurality of interfaces 700, and the interfaces 700 are respectively connected to the high-voltage contactors 200. Among them, the number of interfaces 700 can be the same as or different from the number of high-voltage contactors 200. The number of interfaces can be adjusted as needed to meet the needs of different application scenarios and have compatibility. For example, when the circuit connected to the interface 700 requires a high-voltage contactor 200, the number of interfaces 700 can be made the same as the number of high-voltage contactors 200, and each interface 700 is electrically connected to the corresponding high-voltage contactor 200, so that the on and off of the circuit where the interface 700 is located is controlled by the corresponding high-voltage contactor 200, so as to realize the application needs of different scenarios.

[0031] Furthermore, if Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, in one embodiment, a plurality of high-voltage contactors 200 are arranged side by side, and a plurality of interfaces 700 are arranged side by side on the same side of the high-voltage contactors 200. Such a design allows the components in the housing 100 to be neatly and compactly arranged, further improving the integration of the distribution box; at the same time, the number of high-voltage contactors 200 and interfaces 700 can be flexibly adjusted, thereby achieving flexible application and reasonable cost control; in addition, the compact layout can reduce the difficulty of water channel design in the liquid cooling plate 500, and at the same time can maximize the use of the cooling area of ​​the liquid cooling plate 500.

[0032] In order to improve the thermal conductivity efficiency, in one embodiment, the thermal conductivity of the thermal pad 400 is greater than or equal to 2W / (m·K). Among them, the thickness of the thermal pad 400 can be 1.5mm~2.5mm. For example, the thickness of the thermal pad 400 can be 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm, etc. Further, the thermal pad 400 can be adhered to the liquid cooling plate 500 by adhesive, so that the thermal pad 400 and the surface of the liquid cooling plate 500 fit seamlessly, thereby increasing the heat conduction area. Furthermore, the number of thermal pads 400 can be more than one, and multiple thermal pads 400 are distributed and adhered to the liquid cooling plate 500. Such a design facilitates the flexible replacement of the thermal pad 400 in a local area, and can also reasonably avoid uneven areas, so that the thermal pad is closer to the liquid cooling plate 500. In one embodiment, an insulating layer is provided on the surface of the liquid cooling plate 500. Among them, insulating paint can be sprayed on the surface of the liquid cooling plate 500, thereby forming an insulating layer on the surface of the liquid cooling plate 500. Among them, the thickness of the insulating layer can be greater than or equal to 0.2mm. After testing, the thickness of the insulating layer of 0.2mm can withstand a voltage of more than 4000VDC. Furthermore, while the thermal pad 400 serves as a heat-conducting medium, the thermal pad 400 is located between the liquid cooling plate 500 and the bus 300, thereby avoiding the bus 300 made of metal material from mechanically vibrating and impacting the liquid cooling plate 500, and avoiding scratching the insulating layer on the surface of the liquid cooling plate 500. It can be understood that although the liquid cooling plate 500 is arranged in a close distance to the high-voltage contactor 200, the safety factor can be improved by designing the thermal pad 400 and the insulating layer.

[0033] In order to further improve the integration of the distribution box, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in one embodiment, the liquid cooling plate 500 further includes a water inlet 510 and a water outlet 520, and the water inlet 510 and the water outlet 520 are located on the same side and are enclosed in the shell 100. That is to say, through the enveloping structural design, the size design of the water inlet 510 and the water outlet 520 is located in the shell 100, so as to prevent the pipes corresponding to the water inlet 510 and the water outlet 520 from protruding from the contour of the shell 100, so that the outer peripheral contour of the shell 100 tends to be flat, the overall layout is compact, and the overall integration of the distribution box is improved; at the same time, by arranging the water inlet 510 and the water outlet 520 on the same side of the liquid cooling plate 500, the pipe layout is compact, and the integration of the distribution box is further improved.

[0034] It should be understood that the cooling water circuit of the high-voltage distribution box is generally connected in parallel with the cooling water circuit of the power battery. Since the priority and flow demand of power battery cooling are higher, the flow design of the high-voltage distribution box is particularly particular. In one embodiment, the liquid cooling flow rate of the liquid cooling plate 500 is greater than or equal to 1L / min. Such a design can ensure timely cooling of the high-voltage distribution box without affecting the cooling demand of the power battery. Furthermore, the temperature of the coolant in the liquid cooling plate 500 is less than 65°C, and the ambient temperature is less than 50°C. The present application maintains clear temperature parameters through the liquid cooling plate 500 so that the temperature of the contact 210 in the high-voltage contactor 200 is within an acceptable range, thereby controlling the temperature rise of the contact 210 in the high-rate charging scheme and meeting the current carrying demand of high-rate charging.

[0035] In summary, in the high-voltage distribution box of the present application, by adopting a flip-chip arrangement without mounting feet for the high-voltage contactor, multiple high-voltage contactors can be compactly arranged, thereby improving the integration of the distribution box; by cooling the contacts of the high-voltage contactor, the selection specifications of the high-voltage contactor can be reduced, and there is no need to select a higher-specification high-voltage contactor, thereby reducing floor space and reducing costs.

[0036] The high voltage safety of the distribution box is improved in many aspects by integrating the busbar and the shell into an integrated structure, providing a thermal pad, and designing an insulating layer on the liquid cooling plate.

[0037] In addition, the water path design of the liquid cooling plate is simplified by centrally arranging the water inlet and outlet.

[0038] In the high-voltage distribution box of the present application, the thermal conductivity of the thermal pad, the coolant flow rate and the temperature are defined by clear parameters, so that the scheme of the high-voltage distribution box can be reasonably designed and flexibly adjusted. The high-voltage distribution box of the present application has high integration, safety and economy.

[0039] Corresponding to the aforementioned high-voltage distribution box embodiment, the present application also provides an electric vehicle.

[0040] The electric vehicle of the present application includes the high-voltage distribution box described in any of the above embodiments. The electric vehicle of the present application can meet the requirements of high-rate charging solutions and improve the user's charging experience by adopting an integrated, safe and economical high-voltage distribution box.

[0041] The embodiments of the present application have been described above, and the above description is exemplary, not exhaustive, and is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and changes will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The selection of terms used herein is intended to best explain the principles of the embodiments, practical applications, or improvements to the technology in the market, or to enable other persons of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A high voltage distribution box, characterized in that: The high voltage distribution box comprises: case; A high-voltage contactor, wherein a contact is provided on one side of the high-voltage contactor and is disposed in the housing; A bus bar, one side of which is connected to a contact in the high-voltage contactor; a thermally conductive pad, one side of the thermally conductive pad being attached to the other side of the bus bar away from the high-voltage contactor; and A liquid cooling plate, the liquid cooling plate being attached to the other side of the thermal pad away from the bus bar; Wherein, the contacts, busbars, thermal pads and liquid cooling plates in the high-voltage contactor are stacked in sequence; The busbar and the housing are an integrally formed structure; The peripheral side wall of the high-voltage contactor is a planar structure, and the peripheral side walls of adjacent high-voltage contactors are attached to each other and arranged in a row and inverted; The high-voltage distribution box also includes a plurality of interfaces, which are arranged side by side on the same side of the high-voltage contactor and are respectively connected to the high-voltage contactor.

2. The high voltage distribution box according to claim 1, characterized in that: The high-voltage distribution box further comprises a connecting piece, the busbar is provided with a mounting hole, the contact is provided with a connecting groove, and the connecting piece is sequentially passed through the mounting hole and the connecting groove of the contact to connect the busbar to the high-voltage contactor; Wherein, the end surface of the connecting member facing the busbar is flush with the surface of the busbar or recessed in the surface of the busbar.

3. The high voltage distribution box according to claim 2, characterized in that: The connecting piece is a flat head screw, and the head surface of the flat head screw is spaced apart from one side of the thermal pad.

4. The high voltage distribution box according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid cooling plate further includes a water inlet and a water outlet, wherein the water inlet and the water outlet are located on the same side and are enclosed in the shell.

5. The high voltage distribution box according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: An insulating layer is provided on the surface of the liquid cooling plate.

6. The high voltage distribution box according to claim 5, characterized in that: The thickness of the insulating layer is greater than or equal to 0.2 mm; and / or the thickness of the thermal pad is 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm.

7. An electric vehicle, characterized in that: Including the high-voltage distribution box as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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