A compact liquid cooling unit and energy storage container

Abstract

The application provides a compact liquid cooling unit and an energy storage container. The liquid cooling unit is installed on one side of the end face of the energy storage container. The liquid cooling unit comprises a cabinet with a containing space and a heat dissipation assembly arranged in the containing space. The cabinet has a first face close to the end face and a second face close to the side face of the container and adjacent to the first face. The direction opposite to the first face forms the main maintenance direction of the liquid cooling unit. The direction opposite to the second face forms the auxiliary maintenance direction of the liquid cooling unit. The heat dissipation assembly is configured to be maintained in the main maintenance direction and the auxiliary maintenance direction. The front face and one side face of the liquid cooling unit can realize maintenance of most devices in the cabinet, and the liquid cooling unit is free from disassembly and pulling out of the container for maintenance, thereby bringing convenience and greatly reducing the time cost and labor cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of heat dissipation technology, and in particular to a compact liquid cooling unit and energy storage container. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of power storage technology, containerized battery energy storage systems increasingly favor liquid cooling for heat dissipation. This is because liquid cooling is more efficient, provides more uniform overall temperature control, results in lower temperature rise, and supports higher charge and discharge rates. However, in the process of developing this application, the inventors discovered at least the following problems with existing technologies: Existing containerized battery energy storage systems arrange as many batteries as possible inside the container to increase the charge and discharge capacity of the battery modules. Since the size of the container is relatively fixed, increasing the number of batteries undoubtedly reduces the space occupied by the liquid cooling unit, sometimes even resulting in the side of the liquid cooling unit being close to the container and the back close to the power module. When the liquid cooling unit malfunctions, it is necessary to remove the connecting pipes and pull it outside the container for repair, which is extremely inconvenient and significantly increases time and labor costs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, this application proposes a compact liquid-cooled unit and energy storage container. By rationally arranging the heat dissipation components, the heat dissipation components can be maintained in both the main maintenance direction and the auxiliary maintenance direction of the liquid-cooled unit, so that most of the internal components of the unit can be maintained without having to be pulled out of the container.

[0004] On one hand, this application provides a compact liquid-cooled unit installed on one side of the inner end face of an energy storage container. The liquid-cooled unit includes a cabinet with a housing space and a heat dissipation component disposed in the housing space. The cabinet has a first side near the end face and a second side near the side of the container and adjacent to the first side. The direction facing the first side forms the main maintenance direction of the liquid-cooled unit, and the direction facing the second side forms the auxiliary maintenance direction of the liquid-cooled unit. The heat dissipation component is configured to be able to perform maintenance in the main maintenance direction and the auxiliary maintenance direction.

[0005] In one embodiment, the heat dissipation assembly includes a first circulation system and a second circulation system. The first circulation system includes at least two compressors, and the second circulation system includes at least two water pumps. The at least two compressors are disposed near the second surface, and the at least two water pumps are disposed near the first surface.

[0006] In one embodiment, the heat dissipation assembly further includes an electrical control box assembly, which is rotatably mounted on the lower side of the cabinet located on the first surface.

[0007] In one embodiment, the electrical control box assembly is rotatably connected to the side of the cabinet away from the second surface via a hinge.

[0008] In one embodiment, the first circulation system further includes two fans, a condenser, an electronic expansion valve, and a plate heat exchanger disposed within the accommodating space; the second circulation system further includes an expansion tank, an electric heater, an automatic exhaust valve, and a water supply tank. The two fans and the condenser are arranged side by side in the upper region of the accommodating space, with the condenser located closer to the second surface and the two fans located on the side of the cabinet away from the second surface. The at least two compressors, the automatic exhaust valve, and the water supply tank are all located on the bottom side of the condenser. The electric heater is located on the bottom side of the two fans. The plate heat exchanger is located on the bottom side of the electric heater and close to the first surface. The expansion tank is located on the bottom side of the at least two compressors and close to the second surface. The electronic expansion valve is located between the plate heat exchanger and the expansion tank. The at least two water pumps are located at the bottom of the accommodating space.

[0009] In one embodiment, the heat dissipation assembly further includes a piping assembly having a piping interface located at the bottom of the cabinet and close to the second side.

[0010] In one embodiment, the cabinet has an air inlet on the second cabinet panel on the second side, and the second cabinet panel is detachably connected to the cabinet; the cabinet has an air outlet on the first cabinet panel on the first side, and the first cabinet panel is detachably connected to the cabinet.

[0011] In one embodiment, both the container and the cabinet are rectangular parallelepipeds, the main maintenance direction of the liquid cooling unit corresponds to the short side of the container, and the auxiliary maintenance direction of the liquid cooling unit corresponds to the long side of the container.

[0012] On the other hand, this application also provides an energy storage container, including two compact liquid cooling units as described above, the two liquid cooling units being arranged horizontally side by side along the end face of the container.

[0013] In one embodiment, the two liquid cooling units are mirror images of each other.

[0014] In summary, this application provides a compact liquid-cooled chiller unit and energy storage container. The direction facing the first side of the cabinet closest to the container end face forms the main maintenance direction of the liquid-cooled chiller unit, and the direction facing the second side of the cabinet adjacent to the first side forms the auxiliary maintenance direction. The heat dissipation components are rationally arranged, making the structure compact. The overall size of the unit meets the installation and application requirements of the application site. It allows the liquid-cooled chiller unit to be maintained in both the main and auxiliary maintenance directions inside the container without the need to remove pipes. Moreover, when maintaining a component inside the unit, it is not necessary to remove other components or parts inside the unit. This allows maintenance of most components inside the liquid-cooled chiller unit to be carried out from the front and one side, eliminating the need to disassemble the unit and pull it out of the container for maintenance, which brings convenience and greatly reduces time and labor costs. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a front view of an illustrative energy storage container used in this application.

[0016] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Side view of the internal structure of the liquid cooling unit.

[0017] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Exploded 3D view of the liquid-cooled unit. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Before describing the embodiments in detail, it should be understood that this application is not limited to the detailed structures or element arrangements described below or in the accompanying drawings. This application can be implemented in other ways. Furthermore, it should be understood that the wording and terminology used herein are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as limiting. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and similar expressions used herein mean to include the items listed thereafter, their equivalents, and other additional items. In particular, when describing "an element," this application does not limit the number of elements to one, but may include multiple elements.

[0019] In the embodiments of this application, all directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicator will also change accordingly.

[0020] like Figure 1As shown, this application provides an energy storage container, which includes a compact liquid-cooled unit 14 and a container 12. The liquid-cooled unit 14 is installed on one side of the end face inside the container 12. In this embodiment, two liquid-cooled units 14 are provided, arranged horizontally side by side at intervals along the end face of the container 12, and the two liquid-cooled units 14 are mirror images of each other. All components inside the two liquid-cooled units 14 can be shared. By adjusting the installation method of the components inside the liquid-cooled units 14 and adjusting some pipelines to become a left-side or right-side pipe-out unit, the versatility of the unit parts is greatly improved. The mirror image design of the two liquid-cooled units 14 makes the components completely interchangeable, and most other structural components are also interchangeable, improving standardization and versatility, reducing component procurement costs, and improving production and processing efficiency.

[0021] The container 12 of this application adopts the dimensions of a 20-foot container (length 6058 * width 2438 * height 2896). After deducting the thickness of the container columns and door panels, two liquid-cooled units 14 are installed on the inner end face of the container 12. The front of the liquid-cooled unit 14 is the main maintenance direction and the air outlet direction, and the air inlet side of the liquid-cooled unit 14 is the auxiliary maintenance direction. This allows all vulnerable parts inside the unit to be maintained without having to be pulled out of the container 12, which facilitates unit maintenance and reduces maintenance costs.

[0022] In the illustrated embodiment, both the container 12 and the liquid-cooled unit 14 are rectangular parallelepipeds. The width of the liquid-cooled unit 14 is defined as its horizontal dimension when viewed from the short side of the container 12; the depth of the liquid-cooled unit 14 is defined as its horizontal dimension when viewed from the long side of the container 12; and the height of the liquid-cooled unit 14 is defined as its vertical dimension from its bottom surface to its top surface. Specifically, in the width direction of the liquid-cooled unit 14, the side closest to the short side of the container 12 is the front of the liquid-cooled unit 14; and in the depth direction of the liquid-cooled unit 14, the side closest to the long side of the container 12 is the air inlet side of the liquid-cooled unit 14. The liquid-cooled unit 14 receives air from the air inlet side and exhausts air from the front. That is, the main maintenance direction of the liquid-cooled unit 14 corresponds to the short side of the container 12, and the auxiliary maintenance direction corresponds to the long side of the container 12.

[0023] The space between the other end face of container 12 and the two liquid cooling units 14 is used to install several batteries for energy storage. The liquid cooling units 14 are used to dissipate heat and cool the batteries. A maintenance passage is formed between the air inlet side of the liquid cooling unit 14 and the corresponding long side inside container 12, so that maintenance personnel can perform maintenance on the unit from the auxiliary maintenance direction through the maintenance passage.

[0024] In the illustrated embodiment, the liquid cooling unit 14 is installed on the bottom surface inside the container 12, and the height of the liquid cooling unit 14 is less than the height of the container 12. Since the two liquid cooling units 14 are mirror images of each other, the following detailed description will only take one of the liquid cooling units 14, for example, the liquid cooling unit 14 located on the right side inside the container 12, as an example.

[0025] It should also be noted that in some other embodiments, depending on the actual design requirements and the size design requirements of the container, the liquid cooling unit 14 may be provided with only one or more than two units. This application does not limit the number of liquid cooling units 14.

[0026] Please also refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the liquid cooling unit 14 includes a cabinet 16 with a receiving space and a heat dissipation component disposed in the receiving space. The cabinet 16 has a first side 18 near the end face of the container 12 and a second side 20 near the side of the container 12 and adjacent to the first side 18. The direction facing the first side 18 forms the main maintenance direction of the liquid cooling unit 14, and the direction facing the second side 20 forms the auxiliary maintenance direction of the liquid cooling unit 14. The heat dissipation component is configured to be able to be maintained in both the main maintenance direction and the auxiliary maintenance direction of the liquid cooling unit 14. That is, through reasonable layout, when the heat dissipation component needs maintenance, maintenance personnel can directly maintain the heat dissipation component in both the main maintenance direction and the auxiliary maintenance direction without removing other components or parts inside the unit, without disassembling the unit and pulling it out of the container, thus enabling maintenance of most of the internal components of the liquid cooling unit to be achieved from the front and one side.

[0027] The heat dissipation assembly includes a first circulation system and a second circulation system. The first circulation system includes a heat exchanger, through which the first and second circulation systems exchange heat. Specifically, the heat exchanger has a water-cooling channel and a condensation channel. The water-cooling channel is connected to the second circulation system, while the condensation channel is connected to the first circulation system. The heat exchanger is typically a plate heat exchanger 34, but a cylindrical heat exchanger or other types of heat exchangers can also be used.

[0028] In some embodiments, the heat dissipation assembly may include two first circulation systems. The condensers 32 of the two first circulation systems are vertically positioned in the upper region of the unit, forming a V-shape with their openings facing the external fan. Of course, in other embodiments, the condensers 32 may also be arranged side-by-side or in other configurations.

[0029] In some embodiments, the second circulation system of the heat dissipation component may include at least two water pumps 24 connected in parallel in the circulation pipeline. When one water pump 24 fails, the other water pump 24 can still operate normally, thereby improving the reliability of the system.

[0030] In some embodiments, the first circulation system includes at least two compressors 22 disposed within the housing space, and the second circulation system includes at least two water pumps 24 disposed within the housing space. In the illustrated embodiment, two compressors 22 and two water pumps 24 are provided. The two compressors 22 are positioned close to the second side 20 and symmetrically along the depth direction of the cabinet 16, with the two compressors 22 positioned as close as possible to the lower right corner so that maintenance can be performed from the auxiliary maintenance direction when a compressor 22 fails. The two water pumps 24 are positioned close to the first side 18 so that maintenance can be performed from the main maintenance direction when a water pump 24 fails. Furthermore, the unit uses a dual-compressor, dual-water-pump scheme, which offers high reliability, a compact structure, and overall dimensions that meet the installation and application requirements of the application site. Generally, to meet the cooling capacity requirements, dual compressors and dual water pumps operate. When one compressor or water pump fails, the refrigeration system can continue to operate with the other compressor or water pump, greatly reducing the probability of abnormal downtime and ensuring a continuous cooling and heat dissipation environment within the container 12.

[0031] The heat dissipation assembly also includes an electrical control box assembly 26, which is rotatably mounted on the lower side of the cabinet 16 located on the first surface 18. In the illustrated embodiment, the electrical control box assembly 26 is rotatably connected to the side of the cabinet 16 away from the second surface 20 via a hinge 28, facilitating maintenance of the electrical control box assembly 26 in the main maintenance direction. Of course, in other embodiments, the electrical control box assembly 26 can also be rotatably connected to the cabinet 16 via other rotating connection structures, such as through a rotating engagement between a shaft and a shaft hole. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the electrical control box assembly 26 can also be connected to the cabinet 16 in other detachable ways, such as by means of clips, which also facilitates disassembly and maintenance of the electrical control box assembly 26 in the main maintenance direction.

[0032] Furthermore, the first circulation system also includes at least two fans 30, a condenser 32, a plate heat exchanger 34, and an electronic expansion valve 48, all housed within the accommodating space; the second circulation system also includes an expansion tank 36, an electric heater 38, a reactor 40, an automatic exhaust valve 42, a water supply tank 44, a pressure sensor 46, and other main components. The condenser 32 can be a finned heat exchanger, such as a V-shaped finned heat exchanger. In this embodiment, two fans 30 are provided. Among them, the plate heat exchanger 34, two water pumps 24, expansion tank 36, electric heater 38, reactor 40, automatic air vent valve 42, water supply tank 44, pressure sensor 46, and electronic expansion valve 48 correspond to the electrical control box assembly 26 in the main maintenance direction. That is, when the plate heat exchanger 34, two water pumps 24, expansion tank 36, electric heater 38, reactor 40, automatic air vent valve 42, water supply tank 44, pressure sensor 46, and electronic expansion valve 48 are damaged, these components can be maintained in the main maintenance direction by opening the electrical control box assembly 26. In addition, some components located near the second surface 20 can also be maintained in the auxiliary maintenance direction, or some components can be maintained simultaneously in both the main maintenance direction and the auxiliary maintenance direction.

[0033] More specifically, two fans 30 and a condenser 32 are arranged side-by-side in the upper area of ​​the enclosure, with the condenser 32 located closer to the second surface 20 and the two fans 30 located on the side of the cabinet 16 away from the second surface 20. Therefore, the two fans 30 are easier to maintain in the main maintenance direction, and the condenser 32 can be maintained simultaneously in the main and auxiliary maintenance directions, or in either direction depending on the actual situation. Two compressors 22, an automatic exhaust valve 42, a pressure sensor 46, and a water tank 44 are all located on the bottom side of the condenser 32. The placement of the two compressors 22 on the bottom side of the condenser 32 reduces the impact of right-side air intake on the heat exchange of the condenser 32, improving heat exchange performance. Furthermore, the two compressors 22 are located closer to the second surface 20, making them easier to maintain in the auxiliary maintenance direction. The automatic exhaust valve 42 and the pressure sensor 46 are located on the side of the two compressors 22 away from the second surface 20, making them easier to maintain in the main maintenance direction. The water tank 44 is also located on the side of the two compressors 22 away from the second surface 20. Because it is obstructed by the two compressors 22 and the reactor 40 in the auxiliary maintenance direction, the water tank 44 is easier to maintain in the main maintenance direction. The reactor 40 is located between the two compressors 22, and is closer to the second surface 20; therefore, the reactor 40 is easier to maintain in the auxiliary maintenance direction. The electric heater 38 is located on the bottom side of the two fans 30 and directly opposite the top side of the electrical control box assembly 26; therefore, the electric heater 38 is easier to maintain in the main maintenance direction. The plate heat exchanger 34 is located on the bottom side of the electric heater 38 and close to the first surface 18; therefore, the plate heat exchanger 34 is easier to maintain in the main maintenance direction. The expansion tank 36 is located on the bottom side of the two compressors 22 and close to the second surface 20; therefore, the expansion tank 36 is easier to maintain in the auxiliary maintenance direction. The electronic expansion valve 48 is located between the plate heat exchanger 34 and the expansion tank 36, and is directly opposite the center of the electrical control box assembly 26. Therefore, the electronic expansion valve 48 is easier to maintain in the main maintenance direction. The two water pumps 24 are located at the bottom of the housing space, and are directly opposite the bottom side of the electrical control box assembly 26. The two water pumps 24 are spaced a certain distance from the second surface 20. Therefore, the two water pumps 24 are easier to maintain in the main maintenance direction.

[0034] In the illustrated embodiment, the heat dissipation assembly also includes a piping assembly with a piping interface 50. The piping interface 50 is located at the bottom of the cabinet 16 and near the second surface 20. Therefore, the piping interface 50 facilitates maintenance from the auxiliary maintenance direction. Other components of the piping assembly can be maintained from the main maintenance direction and / or the auxiliary maintenance direction, depending on the specific circumstances. An air inlet is provided on the second cabinet panel (not shown) on the second surface 20 of the cabinet 16, and the second cabinet panel is detachably connected to the cabinet 16, for example, by screws, to facilitate maintenance personnel to maintain the unit from the auxiliary maintenance direction. An air outlet is provided on the first cabinet panel (not shown) on the first surface 18 of the cabinet 16, and the first cabinet panel is detachably connected to the cabinet 16, for example, by screws, to facilitate maintenance personnel to maintain the unit from the main maintenance direction. Other surfaces of the cabinet 16 can be selectively equipped with cabinet panels or partially openwork designs, etc., according to actual design requirements.

[0035] In the illustrated embodiment, a support block 52 is also provided at the bottom of the cabinet 16 to support the cabinet 16 and form a gap with the bottom surface of the container 12, which facilitates the heat dissipation of the liquid cooling unit 14 itself. For example, three support blocks 52 are provided, which are evenly spaced and extend in a strip shape along the depth direction of the cabinet 16.

[0036] The above solution is based on the unit installation and application requirements, limiting the unit size and piping method. Through a reasonable layout, it meets the corresponding performance and functional requirements of the unit, while also satisfying the requirements for maintainability and manufacturability. The compact layout of the heat dissipation components reduces the overall size of the liquid-cooled unit 14, leaving more space inside the container 12 to install more batteries, thereby increasing the container's energy storage capacity and charging / discharging capacity.

[0037] In summary, this application provides a compact liquid-cooled chiller unit and energy storage container. The direction facing the first side of the cabinet closest to the container end face forms the main maintenance direction of the liquid-cooled chiller unit, and the direction facing the second side of the cabinet adjacent to the first side forms the auxiliary maintenance direction. The heat dissipation components are rationally arranged, making the structure compact. The overall size of the unit meets the installation and application requirements of the application site. It allows the liquid-cooled chiller unit to be maintained in both the main and auxiliary maintenance directions inside the container without the need to remove pipes. Moreover, when maintaining a component inside the unit, it is not necessary to remove other components or parts inside the unit. This allows maintenance of most components inside the liquid-cooled chiller unit to be carried out from the front and one side, eliminating the need to disassemble the unit and pull it out of the container for maintenance, which brings convenience and greatly reduces time and labor costs.

[0038] The concepts described herein may be implemented in other forms without departing from their spirit and characteristics. The specific embodiments disclosed should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive. Therefore, the scope of this application is determined by the appended claims, and not by the preceding description. Any changes within the literal meaning and equivalent scope of the claims should fall within the scope of those claims.

Claims

1. A compact liquid-cooled unit, characterized in that, Installed on one side of the inner end face of an energy storage container, the liquid-cooled unit includes a cabinet with accommodating space and a heat dissipation assembly disposed in the accommodating space. The cabinet has a first side near the end face and a second side near the side of the container and adjacent to the first side. The direction facing the first side forms the main maintenance direction of the liquid-cooled unit, and the direction facing the second side forms the auxiliary maintenance direction of the liquid-cooled unit. The heat dissipation assembly is configured to be maintained in both the main maintenance direction and the auxiliary maintenance direction. An air inlet is provided on a second cabinet plate on the second side of the cabinet, and the second cabinet plate is detachably connected to the cabinet. A maintenance channel is formed between the air inlet side of the liquid-cooled unit and the corresponding long side inside the container. The heat dissipation assembly includes a first circulation system and a second circulation system. The first circulation system includes at least two compressors, and the second circulation system includes at least two water pumps. The at least two compressors are disposed near the second side, and the at least two water pumps are disposed near the first side. The heat dissipation assembly is configured such that the compressors can be maintained from the auxiliary maintenance direction, and the water pumps can be maintained from the main maintenance direction.

2. The compact liquid-cooled unit as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The heat dissipation assembly also includes an electrical control box assembly, which is rotatably mounted on the lower side of the cabinet located on the first side.

3. The compact liquid-cooled unit as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The electrical control box assembly is rotatably connected to the side of the cabinet away from the second side via a hinge.

4. The compact liquid-cooled unit as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first circulation system further includes two fans, a condenser, an electronic expansion valve, and a plate heat exchanger disposed within the containment space; the second circulation system further includes an expansion tank, an electric heater, an automatic exhaust valve, and a water supply tank. The two fans and the condenser are arranged side by side in the upper region of the containment space, with the condenser located closer to the second side. The two fans are located on the side of the cabinet away from the second side. The at least two compressors, the automatic exhaust valve, and the water supply tank are all located on the bottom side of the condenser. The electric heater is located on the bottom side of the two fans. The plate heat exchanger is located on the bottom side of the electric heater and close to the first side. The expansion tank is located on the bottom side of the at least two compressors and close to the second side. The electronic expansion valve is located between the plate heat exchanger and the expansion tank. The at least two water pumps are located at the bottom of the containment space.

5. The compact liquid-cooled unit as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The heat dissipation assembly also includes a piping assembly, which has a piping interface located at the bottom of the cabinet and close to the second side.

6. The compact liquid-cooled unit as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cabinet has an air outlet on the first cabinet panel on the first side, and the first cabinet panel is detachably connected to the cabinet.

7. The compact liquid-cooled unit as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Both the container and the cabinet are rectangular parallelepipeds. The main maintenance direction of the liquid cooling unit corresponds to the short side of the container, and the auxiliary maintenance direction of the liquid cooling unit corresponds to the long side of the container.

8. An energy storage container, characterized in that, It includes two compact liquid cooling units as described in any one of claims 1-7, the two liquid cooling units being arranged horizontally side by side along the end face of the container.

9. The energy storage container as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The two liquid cooling units are mirror images of each other.

Images