Active heat dissipation structure of relay, high voltage distribution box and fast charging circuit

Abstract

The present application provides an active heat dissipation structure of a relay, a high-voltage distribution box, and a fast-charging circuit, wherein the heat dissipation structure includes: a plurality of contacts, each of which includes a terminal portion exposed to the upper surface of the relay, an electrical attraction portion located inside the relay, and a heat dissipation connection portion exposed to the lower surface of the relay; a plurality of heat sinks, the plurality of heat sinks are arranged on the lower surface of the relay, connected to the heat dissipation connection portion, and used to connect to an external insulating heat-conducting member. The present application scheme realizes active control of the relay temperature and improves the heat dissipation efficiency through structural optimization, which not only simplifies the assembly process of the relay, but also improves the reliability and flexibility of the relay in new energy vehicles.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat dissipation technology for electric components, and in particular to an active heat dissipation structure of a relay, a high-voltage distribution box and a fast-charging circuit. Background Art

[0002] Relays are important components used in high-voltage power distribution in new energy vehicles. They have the function of ensuring the normal operation and safety protection of the vehicle's fast charging system and electrical system. With the continuous development of new energy vehicle models, higher demands are placed on the current of the on-board fast charging system, such as the high standard requirement of 80% power after charging for 10 minutes. When arranging relays in traditional vehicles, they are limited by their current carrying capacity and temperature resistance. Sufficient structural space needs to be reserved to ensure active heat dissipation. The structural space occupancy is unreasonable, the assembly method is complex, and there are many restrictions, which can no longer meet the structural design requirements.

[0003] Therefore, an active heat dissipation structure of a relay is needed to solve the heat dissipation problem of electrical components required in new energy vehicles. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention aims to provide an active heat dissipation structure, a high-voltage distribution box and a fast charging circuit for a relay, which can improve the heat dissipation efficiency of the relay and simplify its assembly process.

[0005] According to aspects of the present application, there is provided an active heat dissipation structure of a relay, comprising a plurality of contacts, each contact comprising a terminal portion exposed on the upper surface of the relay, an electrical attraction portion located inside the relay, and a heat dissipation connection portion exposed on the lower surface of the relay, a plurality of heat sinks, the plurality of heat sinks being arranged on the lower surface of the relay, connected to the heat dissipation connection portion, and used to be connected to an external insulating heat conductor.

[0006] According to some embodiments, the plurality of contacts include a plurality of 90 degree inverted T-shaped copper pillars.

[0007] According to some embodiments, the plurality of heat sinks include a plurality of copper sheets.

[0008] According to some embodiments, the plurality of contacts and the plurality of heat dissipation copper sheets are respectively physically connected structures.

[0009] According to some embodiments, the plurality of contacts and the plurality of heat dissipation copper sheets are respectively integrally formed structures.

[0010] According to some embodiments, the plurality of contacts and the plurality of heat dissipation copper sheets are respectively welded structures.

[0011] According to some embodiments, the relay is a horizontal relay.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present application, a high-voltage distribution box is provided, comprising a shell, a bottom mounting surface, a relay, and any of the active heat dissipation structures described above, wherein the relay is fixed in the shell by fasteners, a plurality of heat sinks of the active heat dissipation structure face the bottom mounting surface of the shell, and an insulating heat conductive member is arranged between the relay and the bottom mounting surface.

[0013] According to some embodiments, the insulating thermally conductive member includes an insulating thermally conductive gasket, thermally conductive mud, thermally conductive gel, or thermally conductive silicone grease.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present application, a fast charging circuit is provided for use in new energy vehicles, characterized in that the fast charging circuit comprises: any of the above-mentioned high-voltage distribution boxes.

[0015] According to the embodiment of the present application, the active heat dissipation of the relay is realized through structural optimization, and the safety of the relay is improved. In addition, the contacts run through the upper and lower surfaces of the relay, and the heat is transferred through the heat sink connected to the contacts, which not only has a simple structure and simplifies the assembly process of the relay, but also improves the heat dissipation efficiency and reliability of the relay.

[0016] According to some embodiments, the heat generated inside the relay is conducted through a T-shaped copper column with multiple contacts located inside the relay, and then the heat is dissipated through a heat sink. This not only allows for more efficient heat dissipation for the relay, but also simplifies the assembly process of the relay, and improves the reliability and flexibility of the relay in new energy vehicles.

[0017] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary only and are not restrictive of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for describing the embodiments are briefly introduced below.

[0019] Figure 1 A diagram showing an existing relay heat dissipation structure.

[0020] Figure 2 A diagram showing an active heat dissipation structure of a relay according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0021] Figure 3 A side view of the active heat dissipation structure of a relay according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0022] Figure 4A , 4B An example diagram of the active heat dissipation structure of a relay according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0023] Figure 5A schematic diagram of the contact structure of the active heat dissipation structure of a relay according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0024] Figure 6 An assembly diagram of a high-voltage distribution box according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0025] Figure 7 A system schematic diagram of a fast charging circuit according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, example embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present invention will be comprehensive and complete and fully convey the concepts of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the figures represent the same or similar parts, and thus their repeated description will be omitted.

[0027] In addition, the described features, structures or characteristics may be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner. In the following description, many specific details are provided to provide a full understanding of the embodiments of the present invention. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the technical solution of the present invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or other methods, components, devices, steps, etc. may be adopted. In other cases, known methods, devices, implementations or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid blurring various aspects of the present invention.

[0028] The block diagrams shown in the accompanying drawings are merely functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically independent entities. That is, these functional entities may be implemented in software form, or in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or in different networks and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0029] The flowcharts shown in the accompanying drawings are only exemplary and do not necessarily include all the contents and operations / steps, nor must they be executed in the order described. For example, some operations / steps can be decomposed, and some operations / steps can be combined or partially combined, so the actual execution order may change according to actual conditions.

[0030] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various components, these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one component from another component. Therefore, the first component discussed below can be referred to as the second component without departing from the teachings of the present inventive concept. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any one of the associated listed items and all combinations of one or more.

[0031] The user information (including but not limited to user device information, user personal information, etc.) and data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, stored data, displayed data, etc.) involved in the present invention are all information and data authorized by the user or fully authorized by all parties, and the collection, use and processing of relevant data must comply with the relevant laws, regulations and standards of relevant countries and regions, and provide corresponding operation entrances for users to choose to authorize or refuse.

[0032] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the drawings are merely schematic diagrams of example embodiments, and the modules or processes in the drawings are not necessarily necessary for implementing the present invention, and therefore cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the present invention.

[0033] In the current new energy vehicle industry, relays play a vital role as an important component of high-voltage power distribution, and have the function of ensuring the normal operation and safety protection of the vehicle's fast charging system and electrical system. However, traditional relays need to leave enough space to achieve active heat dissipation when arranged, which not only takes up assembly space, but also makes the assembly method complicated and cumbersome.

[0034] To this end, the present application proposes an active heat dissipation structure of a relay, a high-voltage distribution box, and a fast charging circuit. Heat is conducted out through a copper column running through the inside of the relay, which not only improves the active heat dissipation efficiency, but also saves assembly space and reduces assembly difficulty through structural optimization, thereby improving the reliability and flexibility of the relay in new energy vehicles.

[0035] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] Figure 1 A diagram showing an existing relay heat dissipation structure.

[0037] A relay is an electrical control device. When the change of the input quantity (excitation quantity) reaches the specified requirement, it causes the controlled quantity to undergo a predetermined step change in the electrical output circuit. It has an interactive relationship between the control system (also known as the input circuit) and the controlled system (also known as the output circuit). It is usually used in automated control circuits. It is actually an "automatic switch" that uses a small current to control the operation of a large current. Therefore, it plays the role of automatic adjustment, safety protection, and circuit conversion in the circuit.

[0038] See also Figure 1 According to the example, the heat dissipation structure of the existing relay includes a busbar 101, a balance fixing hole 105 and a thermal conductive pad 107.

[0039] According to some embodiments, one end of the busbar 101 is connected to the fast charging circuit, and the other end is connected to the relay 103 .

[0040] The busbar refers to the copper or aluminum busbar that connects the main switch in the cabinet and the switches in each branch circuit in the power supply system. The surface is insulated and its main function is to be used as a conductor. The main power supply line of the power distribution device (copper busbar and aluminum busbar are called busbar), and each branch line (branch busbar) is led down from the busbar. Sometimes it is also called busbar, which is the name of the conductive material on the power distribution equipment. The material is copper (equivalent to wire), there is no insulation layer, and the outside is painted with color paint indicating the phase sequence. It is mainly used for indoor transformers to distribution cabinets and then to the main power switch and then connected to each branch switch.

[0041] According to some embodiments, the busbar 101 achieves heat dissipation by connecting and contacting the thermal pad 107. In order to reduce the stress generated during assembly, a balancing fixing hole 105 is provided that passes through the busbar 101 and the thermal pad 107. This method increases the drilling process, and the existence of the balancing fixing hole 105 has an adverse effect on the electrical performance of the busbar 101.

[0042] Figure 2 A diagram showing an active heat dissipation structure of a relay according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0043] See also Figure 2 According to the embodiment of the present application, the active heat dissipation structure of the relay includes: a plurality of contacts, each contact including a terminal portion 201 exposed on the upper surface of the relay, an electrical attraction portion located inside the relay, and a heat dissipation connection portion exposed on the lower surface of the relay; a plurality of heat sinks 203, arranged on the lower surface of the relay 205, connected to the heat dissipation connection portion, and used to be connected to an external insulating thermal conductor 207.

[0044] According to some embodiments, the terminal portion of the contact exposed on the upper surface of the relay can better meet the assembly process of the vehicle PDU and ensure the assembly tolerance.

[0045] According to an exemplary embodiment, the plurality of contacts include a plurality of 90-degree inverted T-shaped copper pillars, and the three sections can be used for internal pull-in, electrical connection with the busbar, and heat dissipation connection, respectively, so that while completing the basic electrical connection and pull-in functions, heat can be transferred to the outside of the relay. For example, the heat of the T-shaped copper pillar is conducted to the heat dissipation connection portion of the contact exposed to the lower surface of the relay, and the heat is transferred to the heat sink 203.

[0046] According to some embodiments, the heat sink 203 includes a heat dissipation copper sheet to improve heat conduction efficiency.

[0047] According to an example embodiment, each contact is connected to a heat-conducting copper sheet, and the connection method includes but is not limited to welding or other physical connection methods, so that the contact and the heat-conducting copper sheet become an integrated structure, thereby improving the heat conduction efficiency. According to some embodiments, the contact and the plurality of heat-dissipating copper sheets are respectively an integrally formed structure.

[0048] According to the embodiment, the active heat dissipation of the relay is achieved through structural optimization, and the safety of the relay is improved. In addition, the contacts run through the upper and lower surfaces of the relay, and the heat is transferred through the heat sink connected to the contacts, which not only has a simple structure and simplifies the assembly process of the relay, but also improves the heat dissipation efficiency and reliability of the relay.

[0049] Figure 3 A side view of the active heat dissipation structure of a relay according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0050] See also Figure 3 According to an exemplary embodiment, the heat sink 203 is connected to the insulating heat conductive member 207 , and heat is conducted to the insulating heat conductive member 207 through the heat sink 203 .

[0051] According to some embodiments, the relay 205 comprises a horizontal relay.

[0052] According to some embodiments, the insulating heat conductive member 207 is connected to the external heat dissipating housing.

[0053] Figure 4A , 4B An example diagram of the active heat dissipation structure of a relay according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0054] See also Figure 4A , Figure 4B According to an exemplary embodiment, the contact terminal 201 is located on the upper surface of the relay 205 .

[0055] According to an exemplary embodiment, the heat sink 203 is disposed on the lower surface of the relay 205 .

[0056] According to some embodiments, the heat dissipation area of ​​the heat sink is substantially 10 to 25 cm per contact. 2 .

[0057] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the contact structure of the active heat dissipation structure of a relay according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0058] See also Figure 5 According to the embodiment of the present application, the contact is a 90-degree inverted T-shaped copper column, including a terminal portion 501, an electrical attraction portion 503 and a heat dissipation connection portion 505.

[0059] According to example embodiments, the T-type contact may transfer heat directly from the terminal portion to the heat dissipation connection portion 505 and out through an external insulating heat conductor connected thereto.

[0060] Figure 6 An assembly diagram of a high-voltage distribution box according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0061] PDU (Power Distribution Unit) is a high-voltage distribution box. PDU is electrically connected to high-voltage components through busbars and wiring harnesses, and can provide functions such as charge and discharge control, power-on control of high-voltage components, circuit overload and short-circuit protection, high-voltage sampling, low-voltage control, etc. for the high-voltage system of new energy vehicles, and protect and monitor the operation of the high-voltage system. PDU can also integrate functions such as BMS master control, charging module, DC module, PTC control module, etc. Compared with traditional PDU, it has more vehicle functional modules, is more integrated in function, and is more complex in structure, with heat dissipation structures such as water cooling or air cooling.

[0062] See also Figure 6 According to the embodiment, the high-voltage distribution box includes: a shell 601, including a bottom mounting surface; a relay 205, which may include any of the aforementioned active heat dissipation structures, the relay 205 is fixed in the shell 601 by fasteners (for example, bolts, etc.), and a plurality of heat sinks of the active heat dissipation structure face the bottom mounting surface of the shell; an insulating heat conductor 603, which is arranged between the relay 205 and the bottom mounting surface.

[0063] According to some embodiments, the packaging shell 601 has a fluid cooling function, such as a water cooling or air cooling function.

[0064] According to some implementations, the insulating thermally conductive member includes, but is not limited to, an insulating thermally conductive pad, thermally conductive mud, thermally conductive gel, or thermally conductive silicone grease.

[0065] According to some embodiments, the connection of the thermal pad is in accordance with the assembly standard of the thermal pad, and the assembly is accompanied by a compression of about 30%. The thermal pad does not need to be bonded to the copper sheet, and the fastener fixing the relay will exert pressure on the thermal pad, and the compression is about 30%, which can prevent vibration from causing poor contact or separation between the two.

[0066] Thermal pastes fill the air gap between the heat sink and the metal base, and their flexible, elastic characteristics allow them to be used to cover very uneven surfaces. Heat is transferred from discrete components or entire PCBs to metal housings or diffusion plates, thereby increasing the efficiency and service life of heat-generating electronic components.

[0067] Thermally conductive adhesive is a single-component, heat-conductive, room-temperature curing silicone adhesive sealant. It undergoes a condensation reaction with moisture in the air to release low-molecular substances, causing cross-linking and curing, and vulcanizes into a high-performance elastomer. Good-adhesive thermally conductive adhesive has excellent resistance to cold and hot alternation, aging resistance, and electrical insulation properties. It also has excellent moisture resistance, shock resistance, corona resistance, leakage resistance, and chemical resistance. It can be used continuously at -60 to 280°C and maintains performance. It does not swell and has good adhesion to most metal and non-metal materials.

[0068] Thermal grease, commonly known as heat dissipation paste, is a thermally conductive silicone grease made from organic silicone as the main raw material, with the addition of heat-resistant and thermally conductive materials to create a thermally conductive silicone grease-like compound that can be used for heat conduction and heat dissipation of electronic components such as power amplifiers, transistors, electron tubes, and CPUs, thereby ensuring the stability of the electrical performance of electronic instruments and meters.

[0069] According to some embodiments, the thermally conductive pad may be provided with an insulating layer. According to other embodiments, the thermally conductive mud or gel or silicone grease may also be provided with an insulating layer, such as yellow tape.

[0070] According to the exemplary embodiment, an area for placing insulating heat conductors is designed at the assembly position of the relay, and the relay is assembled in the vehicle PDU packaging shell through the relay packaging shell. The heat loss generated by the contact and conduction impedance conversion generated by the electrical connection is finally achieved through the heat dissipation structure, or water, or wind, and the energy conversion is achieved through the heat dissipation mechanism. According to some embodiments, the current carrying capacity of low-power relays can be increased by 40%.

[0071] PDU high-voltage power distribution involves many contents, including high voltage and low voltage. The inventors found that in the PDU assembly, the side assembly limits the structural design space. In addition, the PDU assembly has high requirements for position and flatness. If the flatness deviates, the contact impedance will increase, resulting in additional losses and heat. If the PDU housing is placed after the external assembly (including busbars and other electronic components), in order to ensure the effectiveness of subsequent assembly and ensure flatness and position (weakened), precise tooling is required before placing it in the PDU housing. This involves the problem of series tolerance chain. According to the example embodiment, the terminals are on top and can be stacked and installed in sequence. The relays are installed first, and then the copper busbars are installed to achieve flatness and position.

[0072] Figure 7 A system schematic diagram of a fast charging circuit according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0073] The high-voltage distribution box according to the embodiment of the present application can be used in the fast charging circuit of new energy vehicles.

[0074] See also Figure 7 ,Relays play important functions in the fast charging circuit of new energy vehicles, including: power control, charging gun control, current regulation, and safety protection.

[0075] For example, in the fast charging circuit of the present application, the relay can be used to control the power switch of the charging pile or the charging device. Before starting charging, the relay can open the power circuit so that current can be transmitted from the power grid to the charging pile.

[0076] After the current is adjusted, the relay can control the plugging and unplugging of the charging gun. When the charging gun is plugged into the charging port, the relay closes the relevant switch and establishes a connection, thereby starting the charging process. When charging is completed or needs to be interrupted, the relay opens the corresponding switch to disconnect the charging gun from the vehicle.

[0077] According to some embodiments, in a fast charging circuit, the current magnitude is adjusted by controlling the switch state of the current path. By switching the on or off state of the relay, the flow of current can be increased or decreased, thereby adjusting the charging rate and power.

[0078] According to some embodiments, the relay also performs some safety protection functions in the fast charging circuit of the present application. For example, when the battery temperature is too high or other abnormal conditions are detected, the relay can interrupt the current transmission to prevent further damage to the battery or vehicle.

[0079] Relays act as an important control component in the fast charging circuit of new energy vehicles, and achieve safe and efficient charging by controlling current, switch and connection status. This protects the battery and vehicle system and provides a convenient and fast charging experience.

[0080] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the technical solution of the present invention can be implemented with the help of software and / or hardware. "Unit" and "module" in this specification refer to software and / or hardware that can independently complete or cooperate with other components to complete specific functions, where the hardware can be, for example, a field programmable gate array, an integrated circuit, etc.

[0081] It should be noted that, for the above-mentioned method embodiments, for the sake of simplicity, they are all described as a series of action combinations, but those skilled in the art should know that the present invention is not limited by the described action sequence, because according to the present invention, certain steps can be performed in other sequences or simultaneously. Secondly, those skilled in the art should also know that the embodiments described in the specification are all preferred embodiments, and the actions and modules involved are not necessarily required by the present invention.

[0082] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0083] In the several embodiments provided by the present invention, it should be understood that the disclosed devices can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic, such as the division of units, which is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some service interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units can be electrical or other forms.

[0084] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0085] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present invention may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit. The above-mentioned integrated unit may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional units.

[0086] If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable memory. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art or the whole or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a memory and includes several instructions for a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server or network device, etc.) to perform all or part of the steps of the methods of various embodiments of the present invention.

[0087] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0088] The exemplary embodiments of the present invention are specifically shown and described above. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the detailed structures, configurations or implementations described herein; on the contrary, the present invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent configurations included in the spirit and scope of the appended clauses.

Claims

1. An active heat dissipation structure of a relay, characterized in that: include: A plurality of contacts, each of which penetrates the upper and lower surfaces of the relay, including a terminal portion exposed on the upper surface of the relay, an electrical suction portion located inside the relay, and a heat dissipation connection portion exposed on the lower surface of the relay. Each contact is a 90-degree inverted T-shaped copper column, the heat dissipation connection portion is the lower end surface of the T-shaped copper column, and the terminal portion is the upper end surface of the T-shaped copper column, so that each contact transfers heat to the outside of the relay while completing the electrical connection and suction functions; A plurality of heat sinks are arranged on the lower surface of the relay, each heat sink is correspondingly connected to a corresponding heat dissipation connection part and is used to connect to an external insulating heat conductive member, and the heat sink is a copper sheet.

2. The active heat dissipation structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each contact is physically connected to the corresponding heat sink.

3. The active heat dissipation structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each contact and the corresponding heat sink are an integrally formed structure.

4. The active heat dissipation structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each contact and the corresponding heat sink are in a welding structure.

5. The active heat dissipation structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The relay is a horizontal relay.

6. A high voltage distribution box, characterized in that: include: a housing including a bottom mounting surface; A relay, comprising the active heat dissipation structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the relay is fixed in the housing by fasteners, and a plurality of heat dissipation fins of the active heat dissipation structure face the bottom mounting surface of the housing; The insulating heat-conducting member is arranged between the relay and the bottom mounting surface.

7. The high voltage distribution box according to claim 6, characterized in that: The insulating heat-conducting component includes an insulating heat-conducting gasket, heat-conducting mud, heat-conducting gel, or heat-conducting silicone grease.

8. A fast charging circuit for new energy vehicles, characterized in that: The fast charging circuit comprises: A high voltage distribution box according to claim 6 or 7.

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