Battery thermal management device and system with enhanced heat exchange function

Abstract

The present application provides a battery thermal management device and system with an enhanced heat exchange function. The device includes a battery pack mechanism and a heat exchange mechanism. The battery pack mechanism includes a battery pack and a liquid cooling plate disposed in the battery pack. The heat exchange mechanism includes a circulation pipeline and a refrigeration module. The refrigeration module is used to cool the heat exchange fluid in the circulation pipeline. The circulation pipeline is connected to the liquid inlet and liquid outlet of the liquid cooling plate. A mixing tank is provided on the circulation pipeline in front of the liquid inlet. The mixing tank is connected in parallel to a pulse flow generator. The embodiment of the present application promotes the generation of vortices at the tube walls of the circulation pipeline and the liquid cooling channel of the liquid cooling plate by providing a mixing tank and a pulse flow generator, thereby increasing the turbulence of the fluid, destroying the viscous bottom layer, and increasing the heat exchange area, thereby achieving the purpose of enhancing heat transfer and effectively improving the heat exchange efficiency of the battery pack.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of battery thermal management, and in particular to a battery thermal management device and system with enhanced heat exchange function. Background Art

[0002] With the development and popularization of new energy vehicles, the number of electric vehicles (EVs) continues to rise. This has led to a rise in power battery thermal runaway safety incidents. In recent years, numerous electric vehicle fires and explosions have been directly attributed to thermal runaway. Power battery safety is particularly important for electric vehicles, and the development of efficient temperature control systems is crucial for ensuring thermal safety.

[0003] Existing battery pack heat exchange mainly uses liquid cooling. Under cooling or heating conditions, the fluid flows in the liquid cooling plate flow channel. Due to the influence of its own viscosity and friction, the heat exchange fluid forms a viscous bottom layer (boundary layer) with a large velocity gradient near the wall of the liquid cooling plate, which hinders the heat exchange efficiency between the battery and the heat exchange fluid. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a battery thermal management device and system with enhanced heat exchange function to solve the technical problem in the related art that the heat exchange fluid is affected by its own viscosity and friction, forming a viscous bottom layer with a large gradient on the wall of the liquid cooling plate flow channel, thereby hindering the heat exchange efficiency between the battery and the heat exchange fluid.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a battery thermal management device with enhanced heat exchange function, comprising:

[0006] A battery pack mechanism, comprising a battery pack and a liquid cooling plate disposed within the battery pack;

[0007] The heat exchange mechanism includes a circulation pipeline and a refrigeration module. The refrigeration module is used to cool the heat exchange fluid in the circulation pipeline. The circulation pipeline is connected to the liquid inlet and liquid outlet of the liquid cooling plate. A mixing tank is provided on the circulation pipeline in front of the liquid inlet. The mixing tank is connected in parallel to a pulse flow generator.

[0008] In some embodiments, a heater is provided in the circulation line.

[0009] In some embodiments, a buffer tank is provided on the circulation pipeline at the rear section of the liquid outlet of the liquid cooling plate.

[0010] In some embodiments, the water pump in the circulation pipeline is provided at the front end of the heater.

[0011] In some embodiments, the mixing tank includes a first tank body, the heat exchange fluid in the circulation pipeline enters the mixing tank through the liquid inlet, branches out through the first tank body and the pulse flow generator, and then flows out through the pulse flow generator, is mixed in the first tank body, and then flows out to the liquid inlet of the liquid cooling plate.

[0012] In some embodiments, the buffer tank includes a second tank body and a buffer plate disposed in the second tank body, and the buffer plate is provided with a plurality of slow flow channels.

[0013] In some embodiments, the refrigeration module includes a condenser, an expansion valve, a battery cooler, and a compressor arranged in an electrical circuit, and a fan is provided near the condenser.

[0014] In a second aspect, the present application provides a system for use in the battery thermal management device with enhanced heat exchange function as described above, comprising:

[0015] Control module;

[0016] A battery temperature acquisition module, connected to the control module for acquiring the real-time temperature value of the battery;

[0017] A heating module, used for heating the heat exchange fluid in the circulation pipeline;

[0018] Refrigeration module, used for heat exchange fluid in refrigeration cycle pipeline;

[0019] The control module is used to control the refrigeration module, the water pump in the circulation pipeline, and the pulse flow generator to turn on, and control the heater to turn off heating when the acquired real-time battery temperature value is higher than a high temperature threshold;

[0020] The control module is further configured to control the refrigeration module to turn off and control the water pump, heater and pulse flow generator in the circulation pipeline to turn on when the acquired real-time battery temperature value is lower than a low temperature threshold.

[0021] Some embodiments further include a heat exchange fluid temperature acquisition module, which is in communication with the control module and is used to obtain a real-time temperature value of the heat exchange fluid;

[0022] The control module is further configured to calculate and obtain heat exchange efficiency based on the real-time temperature of the battery and the real-time temperature of the heat exchange fluid fed back by the battery temperature acquisition module and the heat exchange fluid temperature acquisition module.

[0023] In some embodiments, a pulse flow control module is further included, which is in communication with the control module and is used to control and adjust the pulse intensity and frequency of the pulse flow generator according to the heat exchange efficiency fed back by the control module.

[0024] The beneficial effects of the technical solution provided by this application include:

[0025] The embodiment of the present application provides a battery thermal management device and system with enhanced heat exchange function. Since a mixing tank and a pulse flow generator are provided, part of the heat exchange fluid pumped out of the circulation pipeline by the water pump is processed by the pulse flow generator to generate a pulse flow, and is mixed with another part of the heat exchange fluid in the mixing tank in the mixing tank, so that the fluid entering the liquid cooling plate produces periodic pulsation, promotes the generation of vortices at the tube walls of the circulation pipeline and the liquid cooling channel of the liquid cooling plate, increases the turbulence of the fluid, destroys the boundary layer and increases the heat exchange area, achieves the purpose of enhancing heat transfer, and effectively improves the heat exchange efficiency of the battery pack. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a battery thermal management device with enhanced heat exchange function provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 2 A functional module block diagram of a battery thermal management system with enhanced heat exchange function provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 3 Another functional module block diagram of a battery thermal management system with enhanced heat exchange function provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 4 This is another functional module block diagram of the battery thermal management system with enhanced heat exchange function provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0031] In the figure: 11, battery pack; 12, liquid cooling plate; 121, liquid inlet of liquid cooling plate; 122, liquid outlet of liquid cooling plate; 20, refrigeration module; 21, condenser; 22, fan; 23, compressor; 24, battery cooler; 25, expansion valve; 31, circulation pipeline; 32, water pump; 33, heater; 34, mixing tank; 35, pulse flow generator; 36, buffer tank; 110, control module; 200, battery temperature acquisition module; 120, pulse flow control module; 300, heat exchange fluid temperature acquisition module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0033] Battery pack thermal runaway management is particularly important for electric vehicles. Existing battery packs mainly use liquid cooling for heat dissipation. However, the heat exchange fluid flows in the liquid cooling plate flow channel. Due to its own viscosity and friction, a viscous bottom layer with a large gradient is formed on the wall of the liquid cooling plate flow channel. The viscous bottom layer has poor fluidity or even does not flow, which hinders the heat exchange efficiency between the battery pack and the heat exchange fluid.

[0034] The embodiments of the present application provide a battery thermal management device and system with enhanced heat exchange function to solve the technical problem in the related art that the heat exchange fluid is affected by its own viscosity and friction to form a viscous bottom layer with a large gradient on the wall of the flow channel of the liquid cooling plate 12, thereby hindering the heat exchange efficiency between the battery and the heat exchange fluid.

[0035] Please refer to Figure 1 The present application provides a battery thermal management device with enhanced heat exchange function, which is used in new energy vehicles, including a battery pack mechanism and a heat exchange mechanism. The battery pack mechanism includes a battery pack 11 and a liquid cooling plate 12 arranged in the battery pack 11; the heat exchange mechanism includes a circulation pipeline 31 and a refrigeration module 20. The refrigeration module 20 is used to cool the heat exchange fluid in the circulation pipeline 31. The circulation pipeline 31 is connected to the liquid inlet and liquid outlet of the liquid cooling plate 12. A mixing tank 34 is provided on the circulation pipeline 31 located in the front section of the liquid inlet. The mixing tank 34 is connected in parallel with a pulse flow generator 35.

[0036] The battery thermal management device with enhanced heat exchange function provided in the present application has a mixing tank 34 and a pulse flow generator 35 added to the circulation pipeline 31. After the liquid-cooling fluid pumped out of the circulation pipeline 31 through the water pump 32 enters the liquid inlet of the mixing tank 34, a portion enters the pulse flow generator 35, and is processed to generate a pulse flow. The pulse flow is then returned to the mixing tank 34 and mixed with another portion of the stable liquid-cooling fluid in the mixing tank 34 to generate a periodic pulsating fluid, which enters the flow channel of the liquid cooling plate 12, promotes the generation of vortices at the walls of the circulation pipeline 31 and the liquid cooling flow channel of the liquid cooling plate 12, increases the turbulence of the fluid, destroys the viscous bottom layer in the circulation pipeline 31 and the liquid cooling flow channel, increases the heat exchange area, achieves the purpose of enhancing heat transfer, and effectively improves the heat exchange efficiency of the battery pack 11.

[0037] In a more specific embodiment, the battery thermal management device with enhanced heat exchange function provided in the present application also includes a water pump 32, which is located in the circulation pipeline 31 in the front section of the liquid cooling plate 12, and the mixing tank 34 is arranged between the water pump 32 and the liquid inlet 121 of the liquid cooling plate.

[0038] In one embodiment, the liquid inlet of the mixing tank 34 is connected to the liquid outlet of the water pump 32. The liquid inlet of the mixing tank 34 branches into two paths, one path enters the tank body of the mixing tank 34, and the other path enters the pulse flow generator 35 for processing to generate a pulse flow. The liquid outlet of the pulse flow generator 35 is connected to the mixing tank 34. The generated pulse flow flows back into the mixing tank 34 and mixes with the untreated stable state heat exchange fluid, so that the fluid entering the liquid cooling plate 12 generates periodic pulsations, promotes the generation of vortices at the walls of the liquid cooling channel of the circulation pipeline 31 and the liquid cooling plate 12, increases the turbulence of the fluid, destroys the boundary layer and increases the heat exchange area, thereby achieving the purpose of enhancing heat exchange and effectively improving the heat exchange efficiency of the battery pack 11.

[0039] In one embodiment, a heater 33 is provided in the circulation pipeline 31 . The heater 33 is provided between the water pump 32 and the mixing tank 34 . The heat exchange fluid pumped by the water pump 32 is heated by the heater 33 and enters the liquid inlet of the mixing tank 34 .

[0040] In other embodiments of the present application, the heater 33 only needs to be provided in the circulation pipe 31 in front of the liquid cooling plate 12 to heat the heat exchange fluid. Specifically, the heater 33 can also be provided between the liquid outlet of the mixing tank 34 and the liquid inlet of the heat exchange plate.

[0041] In one embodiment, the mixing tank 34 includes a first tank body, and the heat exchange fluid in the circulation pipeline 31 enters from the liquid inlet of the mixing tank 34, branches through the first tank body and the pulse flow generator 35, and then flows out through the pulse flow generator 35, is mixed in the first tank body, and then flows out to the liquid inlet of the liquid cooling plate 12.

[0042] In one embodiment, in order to ensure the stability of the fluid in the entire circulation pipeline 31 and eliminate the pulsation of the heat exchange fluid returning from the liquid cooling plate 12, a buffer tank 36 is added to the circulation pipeline 31 after the liquid cooling plate outlet 122.

[0043] In one embodiment, the buffer tank 36 includes a second tank body and a buffer plate disposed within the second tank body, wherein the buffer plate is provided with a plurality of slow-flow channels. The slow-flow channels can be configured as curved channels, bent channels, etc., and can mainly function to slow down the flow.

[0044] In a more specific embodiment, the refrigeration module 20 includes a condenser 21 , an expansion valve 25 , a battery cooler 24 , and a compressor 23 , which are arranged in an electrical circuit. A fan 22 is provided near the condenser 21 .

[0045] Based on the same invention concept, please refer to Figure 2 The present application provides a system for use in the battery thermal management device with enhanced heat exchange function as described above, comprising:

[0046] Control module 110;

[0047] The battery temperature acquisition module 200 is in communication with the control module 110 and is used to obtain the real-time temperature value of the battery;

[0048] A heating module, used for heating the heat exchange fluid in the circulation pipeline;

[0049] Refrigeration module 20, used for refrigerating the heat exchange fluid in the circulation pipeline;

[0050] The control module is used to control the refrigeration module, the water pump in the circulation pipeline, and the pulse flow generator to turn on, and control the heater to turn off heating when the acquired real-time battery temperature value is higher than a high temperature threshold;

[0051] The control module 110 is further configured to control the refrigeration module 20 to be turned off and the water pump 32 , heater 33 and pulse flow generator 35 in the circulation pipeline 31 to be turned on when the acquired real-time battery temperature value is lower than a low temperature threshold.

[0052] In one embodiment, the heating module is implemented as a heater 33 .

[0053] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 3 The battery thermal management system with enhanced heat exchange function provided in this application further includes a heat exchange fluid temperature acquisition module 300, which is in communication with the control module 110 and is used to obtain the real-time temperature value of the heat exchange fluid;

[0054] The control module 110 is further configured to calculate and obtain heat exchange efficiency based on the real-time battery temperature and the real-time heat exchange fluid temperature fed back by the battery temperature acquisition module 200 and the heat exchange fluid temperature acquisition module 300 .

[0055] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 4 The battery thermal management system with enhanced heat exchange function provided in this application also includes a pulse flow control module 120, which is communicated with the control module 110. The pulse flow control module 120 is used to control and adjust the pulse intensity and frequency of the pulse flow generator 35 according to the heat exchange efficiency feedback from the control module 110.

[0056] In one embodiment, the heat exchange fluid temperature acquisition module is implemented as a water temperature sensor, which is provided at the liquid inlet of the liquid cooling plate.

[0057] In one embodiment, the refrigeration module 20 is implemented as an air conditioning refrigeration system.

[0058] When the real-time temperature of the battery exceeds the set high temperature threshold, the control module controls the air-conditioning refrigeration system to turn on, the water pump to turn on, the pulse flow generator to turn on, and the heater to turn off. The control module calculates the heat exchange efficiency based on the temperature difference between the real-time temperature of the heat exchange fluid and the real-time temperature of the battery fed back by the water temperature sensor set at the liquid outlet of the liquid cooling plate and the battery temperature acquisition module. The pulse flow control module adjusts the working parameters of the pulse flow generator according to the calculated heat exchange efficiency to achieve the optimal heat exchange efficiency.

[0059] When the battery temperature is lower than the set low temperature threshold, the control module controls the air conditioning refrigeration system to shut down, the water pump to start, the heater to start, and the pulse flow generator to start. The control module calculates the heat exchange efficiency based on the temperature difference between the real-time temperature of the heat exchange fluid and the real-time temperature of the battery fed back by the water temperature sensor set at the liquid outlet of the liquid cooling plate and the battery temperature acquisition module. The pulse flow control module adjusts the pulse intensity and frequency of the pulse flow generator according to the calculated heat exchange efficiency to achieve the optimal heat exchange efficiency.

[0060] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "upper" and "lower" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on this application. Unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be internal communication between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0061] It should be noted that, in this application, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the sentence "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device comprising the element.

[0062] The foregoing is merely a list of specific embodiments of the present application, intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand or implement the present application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is intended to conform to the broadest scope consistent with the principles and novel features of the present application.

Claims

1. A battery thermal management device with enhanced heat exchange function, characterized in that: include: A battery pack mechanism, comprising a battery pack and a liquid cooling plate disposed within the battery pack; The heat exchange mechanism includes a circulation pipeline and a refrigeration module. The refrigeration module is used to cool the heat exchange fluid in the circulation pipeline. The circulation pipeline is connected to the liquid inlet and liquid outlet of the liquid cooling plate. A water pump and a mixing tank are provided on the circulation pipeline in front of the liquid inlet. The mixing tank is connected in parallel to a pulse flow generator. A buffer tank is provided on the circulation pipeline at the rear section of the liquid outlet of the liquid cooling plate; The mixing tank includes a first tank body, the heat exchange fluid in the circulation pipeline enters from the liquid inlet of the mixing tank, branches and flows through the first tank body and the pulse flow generator, flows out through the pulse flow generator, is mixed in the first tank body, and then flows out to the liquid inlet of the liquid cooling plate; The buffer tank includes a second tank body and a buffer plate arranged in the second tank body, and a plurality of slow flow channels are arranged on the buffer plate.

2. The battery thermal management device with enhanced heat exchange function according to claim 1, characterized in that: A heater is provided in the circulation pipeline.

3. The battery thermal management device with enhanced heat exchange function according to claim 2, characterized in that: The water pump in the circulation pipeline is arranged at the front end of the heater.

4. The battery thermal management device with enhanced heat exchange function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The refrigeration module includes a condenser, an expansion valve, a battery cooler and a compressor arranged in an electric circuit, and a fan is arranged near the condenser.

5. A system used in the battery thermal management device with enhanced heat exchange function as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: include: Control module; A battery temperature acquisition module, connected to the control module for obtaining a real-time battery temperature value; A heating module, used for heating the heat exchange fluid in the circulation pipeline; Refrigeration module, used for heat exchange fluid in refrigeration cycle pipeline; The control module is used to control the refrigeration module, the water pump in the circulation pipeline, and the pulse flow generator to turn on, and control the heater to turn off heating when the acquired real-time battery temperature value is higher than a high temperature threshold; The control module is further configured to control the refrigeration module to turn off and control the water pump, heater and pulse flow generator in the circulation pipeline to turn on when the acquired real-time battery temperature value is lower than a low temperature threshold.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein: It also includes a heat exchange fluid temperature acquisition module, which is in communication with the control module and is used to obtain the real-time temperature value of the heat exchange fluid; The control module is further configured to calculate and obtain heat exchange efficiency based on the real-time temperature of the battery and the real-time temperature of the heat exchange fluid fed back by the battery temperature acquisition module and the heat exchange fluid temperature acquisition module.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein: It also includes a pulse flow control module, which is in communication with the control module and is used to control and adjust the pulse intensity and frequency of the pulse flow generator according to the heat exchange efficiency fed back by the control module.

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