Liquid cooling system and battery module

Abstract

The application discloses a liquid cooling system and a battery module, and belongs to the technical field of batteries. The liquid cooling system comprises a plurality of liquid cooling units and a plurality of connecting pipes, the liquid cooling unit is provided with a cavity, the connecting pipe is detachably connected with the liquid cooling unit, the connecting pipe is in communication with the cavity, two adjacent liquid cooling units are connected in series through the connecting pipe, and the liquid cooling unit is provided with a cooling surface which is matched with at least part of the side surface shape of the battery cell. The liquid cooling system and the battery module have the advantages that the liquid cooling system can be adjusted according to the battery cell in the battery module, the applicability is improved, the traditional integrated liquid cooling plate is avoided, the corresponding mold opening is carried out for different battery modules, and the cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to a liquid cooling system and a battery module. Background Technology

[0002] A battery module consists of battery cells and a liquid cooling system. The liquid cooling system cools the battery cells to prevent them from overheating and affecting their lifespan, especially during fast charging or high-power discharging when the cells generate a large amount of heat. In existing technology, the liquid cooling system uses a liquid cooling plate containing coolant, which cools the cells through heat exchange. However, the liquid cooling plate is a one-piece structure. Different battery modules contain different numbers of cells or have different cell arrangements, requiring different liquid cooling plates. This necessitates custom molding for the corresponding liquid cooling plates when manufacturing different battery modules, increasing costs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a liquid cooling system and a battery module. The liquid cooling system can be adjusted according to the cells in the battery module, thereby improving applicability and reducing costs.

[0004] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] On one hand, a liquid cooling system is provided, including a plurality of liquid cooling units and a plurality of connecting pipes. The liquid cooling units are provided with cavities. The connecting pipes are detachably connected to the liquid cooling units and communicate with the cavities. Two adjacent liquid cooling units are connected in series through the connecting pipes. The liquid cooling units are provided with cooling surfaces that are adapted to at least a portion of the side shape of the battery cell.

[0006] In some possible implementations, the top of the liquid-cooled unit has an interface communicating with the cavity, and the connecting pipe communicates with the cavity through the interface.

[0007] In some possible implementations, each of the liquid-cooled units has at least three of the interfaces at its top, two of which are connected to two of the connecting pipes respectively, and the interfaces not connected to the connecting pipes are sealed by a seal.

[0008] In some possible implementations, the battery cell is a cylindrical battery cell.

[0009] In some possible implementations, a plurality of cooling surfaces are provided on the side of the liquid-cooled unit along the circumference of the liquid-cooled unit.

[0010] In some possible implementations, at least two of the liquid-cooled cells are arranged to form a receiving tank for accommodating the battery cell.

[0011] In some possible implementations, a sealing element is also included, wherein the top of the liquid-cooled unit has four ports communicating with the cavity, two of which are respectively connected to the two connecting pipes, and the other two ports are sealed by the sealing element.

[0012] In some possible implementations, a plurality of the liquid-cooled units are arranged along a first direction to form a unit row, and the liquid-cooled unit located in the middle of the unit row has two interfaces opposite each other along the first direction that are respectively connected to two connecting pipes.

[0013] In some possible implementations, a plurality of the liquid-cooled units are arranged along a first direction to form a unit row, and the liquid-cooled unit located at the end of the unit row and connected to the adjacent unit row has two adjacent interfaces connected to two connecting pipes respectively.

[0014] In some possible implementations, the liquid cooling unit is made of metal.

[0015] In some possible implementations, a support base is also included, the support base being made of an insulating material, and the bottom of the liquid-cooled unit is inserted into the support base.

[0016] In some possible implementations, an adhesive layer is filled between the bottom of the liquid-cooled unit and the support base.

[0017] In some possible implementations, the bracket base has an adhesive inlet.

[0018] In some possible implementations, the top of the liquid-cooled unit is provided with a handle.

[0019] In some possible implementations, the connecting tube is a flexible tube.

[0020] On the other hand, a battery module is provided, including a plurality of battery cells and the liquid cooling system described above, wherein the battery cells are in contact with the cooling surface.

[0021] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0022] This invention provides a liquid cooling system and battery module. By adapting the cooling surface to the shape of the battery cell, the tightness of the fit between the cooling surface and the battery cell is increased, thus improving the cooling effect. The liquid-cooled cells are spliced ​​together via connecting pipes, making them suitable for different battery modules and improving the applicability of the liquid cooling system. The bottom end of the liquid-cooled cell is used for fixed connection with structures such as trays in the battery module, thereby improving installation stability. Avoiding the use of traditional one-piece liquid cooling plates, this liquid cooling system reduces costs by customizing molds for different battery modules. In use, liquid-cooled cells and connecting pipes can be mass-produced and assembled according to requirements, shortening the supply cycle. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the liquid cooling system provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a top view of the liquid cooling system provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Enlarged view of point I;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of a liquid-cooled unit provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of the liquid cooling unit, support base, seal and connecting pipe provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] In the picture:

[0029] 1. Liquid-cooled unit; 11. Interface; 12. Cooling surface; 13. Handle; 14. Cavity; 1A. Receiving groove; 2. Connecting pipe; 3. Seal; 4. Support base; 41. Glue inlet. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To make the technical problems solved by the present invention, the technical solutions adopted, and the technical effects achieved clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0032] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0033] This embodiment provides a battery module, including a liquid cooling system and battery cells, wherein the liquid cooling system is used to cool the battery cells. This embodiment also provides a liquid cooling system, such as... Figures 1-5 As shown, the liquid cooling system includes several liquid cooling units 1 and several connecting pipes 2. Each liquid cooling unit 1 has a cavity 14. The connecting pipes 2 are detachably connected to the liquid cooling unit 1 and communicate with the cavity 14. Two adjacent liquid cooling units 1 are connected in series through the connecting pipes 2. Each liquid cooling unit 1 has a cooling surface 12 that is adapted to at least part of the side shape of the battery cell for cooling the side of the battery cell.

[0034] By adapting the cooling surface 12 to the shape of the battery cell, the tightness of the fit between the cooling surface 12 and the battery cell is increased, improving the cooling effect. The liquid-cooled cells 1 are spliced ​​together via connecting pipes 2. The liquid-cooled cells 1 are flexibly designed and can be adapted to different battery modules, thus improving the applicability of the liquid cooling system. The bottom end of the liquid-cooled cells 1 is used for fixed connection with structures such as trays in the battery module, thereby improving installation stability. For example, when the battery module includes different numbers of battery cells, the number of liquid-cooled cells 1 and connecting pipes 2 can be adjusted according to the number of battery cells; when the battery cell arrangement in the battery module changes, the arrangement of liquid-cooled cells 1 and connecting pipes 2 can be adjusted according to the battery cell arrangement, thus adapting to different battery modules. Avoiding the use of traditional one-piece liquid cooling plates, this liquid cooling system reduces costs by customizing molds for different battery modules. In use, liquid-cooled cells 1 and connecting pipes 2 can be mass-produced and assembled according to requirements, shortening the supply cycle. When battery modules are used in products such as new energy vehicles, the above-mentioned spliced ​​liquid cooling system can be compatible with changes in the number of battery cells caused by the replacement and upgrading of new energy vehicles.

[0035] In one implementation, such as Figure 5 As shown, the battery cell is a cylindrical cell, and the cooling surface 12 is an arc-shaped surface.

[0036] In one embodiment, the top of the liquid-cooled cell 1 has an interface 11 that communicates with the cavity 14, and the connecting pipe 2 communicates with the cavity 14 through the interface 11. The bottom of the liquid-cooled cell 1 is used to connect with the support structure such as the tray of the battery module, and the side of the liquid-cooled cell 1 is used to cool the cell. The connection between the connecting pipe 2 and the top of the liquid-cooled cell 1 can prevent structural interference and reduce the space occupied.

[0037] In one implementation, such as Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, along the circumference of the liquid-cooled cell 1, several cooling surfaces 12 are provided on the side of the liquid-cooled cell 1, which can cool multiple cells at the same time and improve cooling efficiency.

[0038] In one implementation, such as Figure 3 As shown, at least two liquid-cooled units 1 surround a receiving tank 1A, which is used to receive the battery cell. Multiple liquid-cooled units 1 simultaneously cool the battery cell in the receiving tank 1A, improving the cooling effect. In one embodiment, as... Figure 3 As shown, the cross-section of the liquid-cooled unit 1 is approximately quadrilateral, with cooling surfaces 12 formed on each of its four sides. Four liquid-cooled units 1 are arranged in a matrix. One cooling surface 12 of each liquid-cooled unit 1 is used to form a receiving tank 1A, which is used to receive the battery cell. The four liquid-cooled units 1 simultaneously cool the battery cell within the receiving tank 1A, ensuring uniform and sufficient cooling around the battery cell. In other embodiments, two, three, five, six, or more liquid-cooled units 1 may be used to form the receiving tank 1A; this is not limited. In other embodiments, the liquid-cooled unit 1 may also have one, two, three, or more cooling surfaces 12; this is not limited.

[0039] In one implementation, such as Figure 3 As shown, each liquid-cooled unit 1 has at least three interfaces 11 at its top. Two interfaces 11 are connected to two connecting pipes 2 respectively, and the interfaces 11 not connected to the connecting pipes 2 are sealed by sealing elements 3. Specifically, depending on the space and the arrangement of the liquid-cooled units 1, two interfaces 11 can be selected to connect to the two connecting pipes 2 respectively. In one embodiment, the top of the liquid-cooled unit 1 has four interfaces 11. Two interfaces 11 are connected to two connecting pipes 2 respectively, and the other two interfaces 11 are sealed by sealing elements 3. Two interfaces 11 can be selected to connect to the connecting pipes 2 as needed to achieve series connection with other liquid-cooled units 1. Specifically, the selection can be based on the installation angle of the liquid-cooled unit 1 or the position of two adjacent liquid-cooled units 1. For example, the interfaces 11 of two liquid-cooled units 1 closest to each other can be selected, thereby minimizing the length of the connecting pipes 2, saving connecting pipes 2, and reducing the space occupied by the connecting pipes 2. Specifically, the four interfaces 11 are located at the four corners of the quadrilateral.

[0040] In one implementation, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the liquid cooling system includes M×N liquid cooling units 1. The M liquid cooling units 1 are arranged along a first direction to form a unit row, and the N unit rows are arranged along a second direction. The first direction is vertical, and the second direction is horizontal. Figure 3 As shown, the liquid-cooled unit 1 located in the middle of the unit row, such as the liquid-cooled unit 1 in the middle row, has two interfaces 11 opposite each other along the first direction connected to two connecting pipes 2, ensuring that the connecting pipes 2 are the shortest when two adjacent liquid-cooled units 1 are connected; the liquid-cooled unit 1 located at the end of the unit row and connected to the adjacent unit row, such as the liquid-cooled unit 1 at the bottom of the second column and the liquid-cooled unit 1 at the bottom of the third column, has two adjacent interfaces 11 connected to two connecting pipes 2, which can ensure that the connecting pipes 2 are the shortest.

[0041] Specifically, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the liquid-cooled unit 1 located in the lower left corner is used to connect to external water supply equipment such as water pumps and water tanks through the connecting pipe 2. Specifically, the connecting pipe 2 can be installed on any of the other three interfaces 11, depending on the spatial layout, etc., and is not limited.

[0042] In another embodiment, the liquid cooling system may be arranged in other shapes, without limitation. In another embodiment, two interfaces 11, three interfaces 11, or more than four interfaces 11 may be provided, without limitation.

[0043] In one embodiment, the connecting pipe 2 is a flexible hose, such as a rubber hose. Because the hose is flexible, it can be stretched and compressed, allowing deformation during the installation of the liquid cooling system. The length or shortness of the connecting pipe 2 will not affect the installation tolerances between the liquid cooling units 1, thus facilitating installation. Furthermore, when dimensional tolerances exist in the liquid cooling units 1, causing deviations in the distance between them, the connecting pipe 2 can absorb these deviations, reducing installation difficulty.

[0044] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the top of the liquid-cooled unit 1 is provided with a round tube, which is connected to the cavity 14 and forms an interface 11. The connecting tube 2 is connected to the round tube so that the connecting tube 2 and the sealing element 3 can be disassembled and assembled with the round tube respectively.

[0045] Furthermore, the seal 3 can be placed outside the round tube or blocked inside the round tube.

[0046] In one embodiment, the liquid-cooled unit 1 is a metal column such as an aluminum column, which has good thermal conductivity, thereby improving the cooling effect. In another embodiment, such as... Figure 3 and Figure 5As shown, the liquid cooling system also includes a support base 4, which is made of insulating material. The bottom of the liquid cooling unit 1 is inserted into the support base 4. When the liquid cooling unit 1 is installed with external metal structures such as trays, the support base 4 prevents the liquid cooling unit 1 from contacting other structures, thus avoiding the possibility of short circuits. In one embodiment, the support base 4 and the liquid cooling unit 1 are an integral structure. The support base 4 can be a plastic support, and the plastic support and the liquid cooling unit 1 are injection molded. In one embodiment, the support base 4 has a glue inlet 41. When glue is needed, the glue inlet 41 allows the glue to flow fully, facilitating the filling of the glue layer and ensuring a reliable bond between the bottom of the liquid cooling unit 1 and the support base 4.

[0047] In one implementation, such as Figure 5 As shown, a handle 13 is provided on the top of the liquid-cooled cell 1, which facilitates the handling of the liquid-cooled cell 1. This is especially suitable for automated production, where the liquid-cooled cell 1 can be picked up and put down by a robotic arm or similar device. In this embodiment, the handle 13 has a semi-circular structure. The handle 13 is located on the top of the liquid-cooled cell 1 to avoid affecting the arrangement of the cells around the liquid-cooled cell 1, thereby reducing the installation space occupied by the liquid-cooled cell 1 and improving the energy density of the battery module.

[0048] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make other variations or modifications based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively describe all embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A liquid cooling system, characterized in that, It includes several liquid-cooled units (1) and several connecting pipes (2). Each liquid-cooled unit (1) has a cavity (14). The connecting pipes (2) are detachably connected to the liquid-cooled units (1) and communicate with the cavity (14). Two adjacent liquid-cooled units (1) are connected in series through the connecting pipes (2). Each liquid-cooled unit (1) has a cooling surface (12) adapted to at least part of the side shape of the battery cell. The number of liquid-cooled units (1) and connecting pipes (2) can be adjusted according to the number of battery cells. The top of the liquid-cooled unit (1) is provided with an interface (11) that communicates with the cavity (14), and the connecting pipe (2) is connected to the cavity (14) through the interface (11). Each of the liquid-cooled units (1) has at least three interfaces (11) at its top, two of which are connected to two connecting pipes (2) respectively, and the interfaces (11) not connected to the connecting pipes (2) are sealed by a sealing element (3); At least two of the liquid-cooled units (1) are arranged to form a receiving tank (1A), the receiving tank (1A) is used to receive the battery cell, and multiple liquid-cooled units (1) simultaneously cool the battery cell in the receiving tank (1A).

2. The liquid cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery cell is a cylindrical battery cell.

3. The liquid cooling system according to claim 2, characterized in that, Along the circumference of the liquid-cooled unit (1), a plurality of cooling surfaces (12) are provided on the side of the liquid-cooled unit (1).

4. The liquid cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a sealing element (3). The top of the liquid cooling unit (1) is provided with four interfaces (11) that communicate with the cavity (14). Two of the interfaces (11) are connected to the two connecting pipes (2) respectively, and the other two interfaces (11) are sealed by the sealing element (3).

5. The liquid cooling system according to claim 4, characterized in that, A plurality of liquid cooling units (1) are arranged in a first direction to form a unit row. The liquid cooling unit (1) located in the middle of the unit row has two interfaces (11) that are opposite each other in the first direction connected to two connecting pipes (2).

6. The liquid cooling system according to claim 4, characterized in that, A plurality of liquid-cooled units (1) are arranged in a first direction to form a unit row. The liquid-cooled unit (1) located at the end of the unit row and connected to the adjacent unit row has two adjacent interfaces (11) connected to two connecting pipes (2).

7. The liquid cooling system according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The liquid-cooled unit (1) is made of metal.

8. The liquid cooling system according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes a support base (4), which is made of insulating material, and the bottom of the liquid cooling unit (1) is inserted into the support base (4).

9. The liquid cooling system according to claim 8, characterized in that, An adhesive layer is filled between the bottom of the liquid-cooled unit (1) and the support base (4).

10. The liquid cooling system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The bracket base (4) has an adhesive inlet (41).

11. The liquid cooling system according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The liquid-cooled unit (1) is provided with a handle (13) on its top.

12. The liquid cooling system according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The connecting pipe (2) is a flexible hose.

13. A battery module, characterized in that, It includes a plurality of battery cells and a liquid cooling system according to any one of claims 1-12, wherein the battery cells are in contact with the cooling surface (12).

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