A thermal management system and method based on a semiconductor refrigeration chip

Abstract

This invention discloses a thermal management system and method based on a semiconductor cooling chip. The method includes: real-time acquisition of the internal cell temperature of a battery pack using a temperature sensor; comparison of the current cell temperature with the heating threshold temperature of the semiconductor cooling chip; and control of the operating mode of the semiconductor cooling chip based on the comparison result. This invention utilizes a semiconductor cooling chip, a material that simultaneously possesses heating and cooling functions. The thermal management system based on the semiconductor cooling chip of this invention is environmentally friendly, highly reliable, miniaturized and portable, noiseless, highly efficient in both heating and cooling, has a fast response speed, a wide operating temperature range, a compact structure, and flexible layout. Furthermore, this invention can improve thermal management efficiency and response speed, thereby extending the lifespan of the battery cells.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of battery pack thermal management technology, and in particular to a thermal management system and method based on a semiconductor cooling chip. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the charging and discharging efficiency and rate of a battery pack are influenced by the battery cell itself. However, the battery cell is greatly affected by temperature. The current charging temperature range for battery cells is generally 0~60℃, and the discharging temperature range is generally -20~60℃. The optimal temperature range for high charging rates is 20~45℃, and the optimal temperature range for high discharging rates is 15℃~60℃. Exceeding the optimal charging and discharging temperature range of the battery cell when using high rates not only affects the charging and discharging efficiency but also causes irreversible damage to the battery cell's lifespan. Therefore, adding a thermal management system to the battery pack is essential, especially for battery packs operating in high and low temperature environments (tropical and high-altitude areas, etc.) and for high-rate charging and discharging battery packs (such as high-speed electric motorcycles, mountain bikes, and beach buggies).

[0003] Current thermal management technologies for battery packs include cooling and heating technologies.

[0004] Cooling technologies primarily rely on liquid cooling, air cooling, and compressor cooling. Liquid cooling works by transferring heat generated by the battery cells to the liquid cooling pipes via thermally conductive silicone pads, where the coolant circulates freely to remove the heat. However, this system suffers from low heat dissipation efficiency and slow response. Air cooling typically uses fans to increase airflow and remove heat; this system also suffers from low heat dissipation efficiency, slow response, and high noise levels. Compressor cooling, on the other hand, is characterized by high power consumption and high noise levels.

[0005] The heating technology mainly uses PTC active heating, but PTC has the drawbacks of high energy consumption and an overly large thermal management system, making it unsuitable for small and medium-sized batteries. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The main objective of this invention is to propose a thermal management system and method based on a semiconductor cooling chip, which aims to improve thermal management efficiency and response speed, and extend the battery cell lifespan.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a thermal management system based on a semiconductor cooling chip, the thermal management system based on a semiconductor cooling chip includes a temperature sensor, a fan drive module, a water pump drive module, a DC-DC module, an MCU control module, and a relay control module;

[0008] The temperature sensor is used to detect the temperature of the battery cells inside the battery pack, the hot and cold surface temperatures of the semiconductor cooling chip, and the liquid input and output temperatures in the liquid pipe.

[0009] The hot side of the semiconductor cooling chip is attached to the outer casing of the battery pack, and the fan drive module is used to drive the fan to dissipate heat from the outer casing;

[0010] The water pump drive module is used to drive the flow of liquid in the liquid pipe and control the flow rate of the liquid, so as to remove the heat inside the battery PACK through the flow of liquid.

[0011] The DC-DC module is used to control the cooling and heating power of the semiconductor refrigeration chip through output voltage, thereby adjusting the cooling and heating efficiency of the battery pack.

[0012] The MCU control module is used to control the working logic of the temperature sensor, fan drive module, water pump drive module, DC-DC module and relay control module;

[0013] The relay module is used to control the on and off of four relays to adjust the direction of the output voltage of the DC-DC module. When the output voltage of the DC-DC module is positive, the thermoelectric cooler turns on the cooling function; when the output voltage of the DC-DC module is negative, the thermoelectric cooler turns on the heating function.

[0014] The MCU control module is also used to detect the temperature difference ΔT between the input liquid and the output liquid in real time during the water circulation process. If ΔT≥0, the output voltage of the DC-DC module is increased to increase the heating effect of the semiconductor refrigeration chip.

[0015] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention also proposes a thermal management method based on a semiconductor refrigeration chip, which is applied to the thermal management system based on a semiconductor refrigeration chip as described above. The method includes the following steps:

[0016] Step S10: The temperature of the cells inside the battery pack is collected in real time using the temperature sensor.

[0017] Step S20: Compare the current cell temperature with the semiconductor cooling chip's heating temperature threshold TTEC_HOT_ON;

[0018] Step S30: Control the working mode of the semiconductor cooling chip based on the comparison results.

[0019] A further technical solution of the present invention is that step S30 includes:

[0020] Step S301: If the cell temperature is less than or equal to TTEC_HOT_ON, then the semiconductor cooling chip heating mode is turned on to heat the battery PACK.

[0021] Step S302: Compare the cell temperature with the semiconductor cooling chip's off heating temperature threshold TTEC_HOT_OFF;

[0022] In step S303, if the cell temperature is greater than or equal to TTEC_HOT_OFF, the semiconductor cooling chip heating mode is turned off, and the heating of the battery pack is stopped.

[0023] A further technical solution of the present invention is that, after step S301, it further includes:

[0024] Step S304: Turn on the water pump drive module to drive water circulation and heat the battery PACK.

[0025] A further technical solution of the present invention is that step S304 includes:

[0026] The temperature difference ΔT between the input and output liquids during the water circulation process is detected in real time. If ΔT ≥ 0, the output voltage of the DC-DC module is increased to enhance the heating effect of the semiconductor refrigeration chip.

[0027] A further technical solution of the present invention is that step S30 further includes:

[0028] Step S305: If the cell temperature is greater than TTEC_HOT_ON, then compare the cell temperature with the semiconductor cooling chip turn-on cooling temperature threshold TTEC_COOL_ON.

[0029] Step S306: If the cell temperature is greater than or equal to TTEC_COOL_ON, then the semiconductor refrigeration mode is turned on.

[0030] Step S307: Compare the cell temperature with the semiconductor cooling chip's off-temperature threshold TTEC_COOL_OFF;

[0031] In step S308, if the cell temperature is less than or equal to TTEC_COOL_OFF, the semiconductor refrigeration mode is turned off and refrigeration is stopped.

[0032] A further technical solution of the present invention is that, after step S306, it further includes:

[0033] Step S309: Turn on the water pump drive module to drive water circulation and dissipate heat from the battery PACK.

[0034] A further technical solution of the present invention is that step S309 includes:

[0035] The temperature difference ΔT between the input and output liquids during the water circulation process is detected in real time. If ΔT≤0, the output voltage of the DC-DC module is increased to enhance the cooling effect of the semiconductor refrigeration chip, and / or the power of the water pump drive module is increased to accelerate the liquid flow rate.

[0036] A further technical solution of the present invention is that, after step S306, it further includes:

[0037] Step S310: Real-time monitoring of the battery pack casing temperature;

[0038] Step S311: Compare the casing temperature with the fan-on temperature threshold TFAN_ON;

[0039] Step S312: If the casing temperature is greater than or equal to TFAN_ON, then turn on the fan drive module to dissipate heat from the casing.

[0040] A further technical solution of the present invention is that, after step S312, it further includes:

[0041] Step S313: Compare the casing temperature with the fan-off temperature threshold TFAN_OFF;

[0042] In step S304, if the casing temperature is less than or equal to TFAN_OFF, the fan drive module is turned off to stop heat dissipation from the casing.

[0043] The beneficial effects of the thermal management system and method based on semiconductor refrigeration chips of this invention are:

[0044] This invention utilizes a semiconductor cooling chip, a material that simultaneously possesses heating and cooling functions, through the aforementioned technical solution. The thermal management system based on this semiconductor cooling chip offers advantages such as environmental friendliness, high reliability, miniaturization and portability, noiselessness, high heating and cooling efficiency, fast response speed, a wide operating temperature range, compact structure, and flexible layout. Furthermore, this invention improves thermal management efficiency and response speed, thereby extending the battery cell's lifespan. Attached Figure Description

[0045] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0046] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of the operating logic of the thermal management system based on a semiconductor refrigeration chip according to the present invention;

[0047] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the relay control voltage logic;

[0048] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the first embodiment of the thermal management method based on a semiconductor refrigeration chip of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the second embodiment of the thermal management method based on a semiconductor refrigeration chip of the present invention.

[0050] The realization of the objective, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0051] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0052] This invention proposes a thermal management system based on a semiconductor cooling chip, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the thermal management system based on a semiconductor cooling chip of the present invention includes a temperature sensor, a fan drive module, a water pump drive module, a DC-DC module, an MCU control module, and a relay control module.

[0053] The temperature sensor is used to detect the temperature of the battery cells inside the battery pack, the hot and cold surfaces of the semiconductor cooling chip, and the liquid input and output temperatures in the liquid pipe.

[0054] The hot side of the semiconductor cooling chip is attached to the outer casing of the battery pack, and the fan drive module is used to drive the fan to dissipate heat from the outer casing.

[0055] Since the hot side of the semiconductor cooling chip is attached to the outer casing of the battery pack, it is necessary to increase the heat dissipation capacity of the outer casing. In this embodiment, the fan is driven by the fan drive module to increase the heat dissipation of the outer casing.

[0056] The water pump drive module is used to drive the flow of liquid in the liquid pipe and control the flow rate of the liquid, so as to remove heat from the inside of the battery pack through the liquid flow. It should be noted that the liquid in the liquid pipe mainly acts as a heat transfer medium. When the cell temperature is too high, the liquid flow can remove the heat from the inside of the battery pack, and when the cell temperature is too low, the liquid can heat the cell.

[0057] The DC-DC module is used to control the cooling and heating power of the semiconductor refrigeration chip by outputting voltage, thereby adjusting the cooling and heating efficiency of the battery pack.

[0058] The MCU control module is used to control the working logic of the temperature sensor, fan drive module, water pump drive module, DC-DC module and relay control module.

[0059] The relay module is used to control the on and off of four relays to adjust the direction of the output voltage of the DC-DC module. When the output voltage of the DC-DC module is positive, the thermoelectric cooler turns on the cooling function. When the output voltage of the DC-DC module is negative, the thermoelectric cooler turns on the heating function.

[0060] The relay control voltage logic is as follows: Figure 2 As shown, the relay control module controls the on / off state of four relays to adjust the direction of the DC-DC module's output voltage. When the DC-DC module's output voltage is positive (relays S1 and S2 are closed), the thermoelectric cooler activates its cooling function; when the DC-DC module's output voltage is negative (relays S3 and S4 are closed), the thermoelectric cooler activates its heating function. Figure 2 COOL+ and COOL- provide cooling / heating mode power for the semiconductor refrigeration chip.

[0061] This invention relates to a thermal management system based on a semiconductor refrigeration chip, which possesses both heating and cooling functions. This semiconductor refrigeration chip-based thermal management system is environmentally friendly, highly reliable, miniaturized and portable, noiseless, has high heating and cooling efficiency, fast response speed, a wide operating temperature range, a compact structure, and flexible layout. Furthermore, this invention improves thermal management efficiency and response speed, thereby extending the battery cell's lifespan.

[0062] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention also proposes a thermal management method based on a semiconductor refrigeration chip, which is applied to the thermal management system based on a semiconductor refrigeration chip as described in the above embodiments.

[0063] like Figure 3 As shown, the first embodiment of the thermal management method based on semiconductor cooling chip of the present invention includes the following steps: Step S10, the temperature of the internal cells of the battery PACK is collected in real time by the temperature sensor.

[0064] Step S20: Compare the current cell temperature with the semiconductor cooling chip's heating temperature threshold TTEC_HOT_ON.

[0065] Step S30: Control the working mode of the semiconductor cooling chip based on the comparison results.

[0066] In this embodiment, the operating modes of the semiconductor refrigeration chip include a semiconductor refrigeration chip heating mode and a semiconductor refrigeration chip cooling mode.

[0067] Please refer to Figure 4 The present invention proposes a second embodiment of the thermal management method based on a semiconductor refrigeration chip. In this embodiment, step S30 includes:

[0068] In step S301, if the cell temperature is less than or equal to TTEC_HOT_ON, the semiconductor cooling chip heating mode is activated to heat the battery pack.

[0069] Step S302: Compare the cell temperature with the semiconductor cooling chip's off heating temperature threshold TTEC_HOT_OFF.

[0070] In step S303, if the cell temperature is greater than or equal to TTEC_HOT_OFF, the semiconductor cooling chip heating mode is turned off, and the heating of the battery pack is stopped.

[0071] In this embodiment, the method further includes the following after step S301:

[0072] Step S304: Turn on the water pump drive module to drive water circulation and heat the battery PACK.

[0073] Step S304 specifically includes:

[0074] The temperature difference ΔT between the input and output liquids during the water circulation process is detected in real time. If ΔT ≥ 0, the output voltage of the DC-DC module is increased to enhance the heating effect of the semiconductor refrigeration chip.

[0075] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the liquid temperature is collected when the liquid tube enters the thermoelectric cooler, T1, and when it exits the thermoelectric cooler, T2, where ΔT = T1-T2.

[0076] Further, please continue to refer to Figure 4 In this embodiment, step S30 further includes:

[0077] Step S305: If the cell temperature is greater than TTEC_HOT_ON, then compare the cell temperature with the semiconductor cooling chip turn-on cooling temperature threshold TTEC_COOL_ON.

[0078] Step S306: If the cell temperature is greater than or equal to TTEC_COOL_ON, then the semiconductor refrigeration mode is activated.

[0079] Step S307: Compare the cell temperature with the semiconductor cooling chip's off-temperature threshold TTEC_COOL_OFF.

[0080] In step S308, if the cell temperature is less than or equal to TTEC_COOL_OFF, the semiconductor refrigeration mode is turned off and refrigeration is stopped.

[0081] In this embodiment, the method further includes the following after step S306:

[0082] Step S309: Turn on the water pump drive module to drive water circulation and dissipate heat from the battery PACK.

[0083] Step S309 specifically includes:

[0084] The temperature difference ΔT between the input and output liquids during the water circulation process is detected in real time. If ΔT≤0, the output voltage of the DC-DC module is increased to enhance the cooling effect of the semiconductor refrigeration chip, and / or the power of the water pump drive module is increased to accelerate the liquid flow rate.

[0085] In this embodiment, the method further includes the following after step S306:

[0086] Step S310: Real-time monitoring of the battery pack casing temperature;

[0087] Step S311: Compare the casing temperature with the fan-on temperature threshold TFAN_ON;

[0088] Step S312: If the casing temperature is greater than or equal to TFAN_ON, then turn on the fan drive module to dissipate heat from the casing.

[0089] In this embodiment, the method further includes the following after step S312:

[0090] Step S313: Compare the casing temperature with the fan-off temperature threshold TFAN_OFF;

[0091] In step S304, if the casing temperature is less than or equal to TFAN_OFF, the fan drive module is turned off to stop heat dissipation from the casing.

[0092] The following provides a detailed description of the heating and cooling modes of the semiconductor refrigeration chip in the thermal management method based on the semiconductor refrigeration chip of this invention.

[0093] 1. Operating logic of semiconductor cooling chip heating mode:

[0094] When the temperature sensor detects that the cell temperature is lower than the thermoelectric cooler's heating threshold TTEC_HOT_ON (e.g., when TTEC_HOT_ON = 15℃, the thermoelectric cooler's heating mode is activated when the cell temperature is less than or equal to 15℃), the MCU control module controls the relay to make the DC-DC module output voltage negative, thus activating the thermoelectric cooler's heating mode. Simultaneously, the water pump drive module promotes water circulation, activating the heating of the battery pack. The MCU control module also controls the output voltage of the DC-DC module. When the thermoelectric cooler's heating effect is unsatisfactory (unsatisfactory heating effect includes two aspects: firstly, the temperature difference between the input and output liquids ΔT ≥ 0; secondly, the cold energy dissipated by the battery pack is greater than the heat dissipated by the thermoelectric cooler), the DC-DC module increases the output voltage, increasing the heating effect of the thermoelectric cooler. When the cell temperature exceeds the thermoelectric cooler's heating-off threshold (TTEC_HOT_OFF = 30℃), the MCU control module will shut down the thermoelectric cooler, stopping heating.

[0095] 2. Operating logic of the semiconductor refrigeration chip in cooling mode:

[0096] When the temperature sensor detects that the cell temperature is greater than or equal to the thermoelectric cooler's cooling threshold TTEC_COOL_ON (for example, when TTEC_COOL_ON = 30°C, the thermoelectric cooler activates cooling when the cell temperature is greater than or equal to 30°C), the MCU control module controls the relay to make the DC-DC module output voltage positive, and the thermoelectric cooler activates its cooling mode. Simultaneously, the water pump drive module promotes water circulation, activating heat dissipation for the battery pack. The MCU control module also controls the DC-DC module output voltage. When the thermoelectric cooler's heat dissipation effect is not ideal (unsatisfactory cooling effect includes two aspects: firstly, the temperature difference between the input and output liquids ΔT ≤ 0; secondly, the heat dissipated by the battery is greater than the heat carried away by the thermoelectric cooler), the DC-DC module increases the output voltage to enhance the thermoelectric cooler's cooling effect or increase the water pump power to accelerate the liquid flow. Since the hot side of the thermoelectric cooler is in contact with the outer casing during cooling, when the casing temperature reaches the fan-on temperature threshold (e.g., TFAN_ON = 40℃), the MCU control module will turn on the fan to increase heat dissipation from the casing. The MCU control module can also adjust the fan speed to further enhance the cooling effect. When the casing temperature is below the fan-off temperature threshold (TFAN_OFF = 35℃), the MCU control module will control the fan to turn off. When the cell temperature is below the thermoelectric cooler-off cooling temperature threshold (e.g., TTEC_COOL_OFF = 25℃), the MCU control module will turn off the thermoelectric cooler, stopping cooling.

[0097] The beneficial effects of the thermal management method based on semiconductor refrigeration chips in this invention are:

[0098] The present invention, through the above technical solution, uses the temperature sensor to collect the temperature of the battery cells inside the battery pack in real time; compares the current cell temperature with the heating temperature threshold of the semiconductor cooling chip; and controls the working mode of the semiconductor cooling chip based on the comparison result, which can improve thermal management efficiency and response speed, and extend the service life of the battery cells.

[0099] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made under the concept of the present invention using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of thermal management based on semiconductor refrigeration plates, characterized in that, The method comprises the following steps: Step S10, collecting the temperature of the battery PACK in real time through a temperature sensor; Step S20, comparing the current battery temperature with the semiconductor refrigeration piece heating start temperature threshold TTEC HOT ON; Step S30, controlling the working mode of the semiconductor refrigeration piece according to the comparison result; The step S30 comprises: Step S301, if the battery temperature is less than or equal to TTEC HOT ON, the semiconductor refrigeration piece heating mode is started, and the battery PACK is heated; Step S302, comparing the battery temperature with the semiconductor refrigeration piece heating stop temperature threshold TTEC HOT OFF; Step S303, if the battery temperature is greater than or equal to TTEC HOT OFF, the semiconductor refrigeration piece heating mode is stopped, and the heating of the battery PACK is stopped; The step S301 further comprises: Step S304, starting the water pump driving module to push the water circulation, and heating the battery PACK; The step S304 comprises: Real-time detection of the temperature difference △T between the input liquid and the output liquid in the water circulation process, if △T≥0, the output voltage of the DC-DC module is increased, and the heating effect of the semiconductor refrigeration piece is increased.

2. The semiconductor refrigeration plate-based thermal management method of claim 1, wherein, The step S30 further comprises: Step S305, if the battery temperature is greater than TTEC HOT ON, the battery temperature is compared with the semiconductor refrigeration piece cooling start temperature threshold TTEC COOL ON; Step S306, if the battery temperature is greater than or equal to TTEC COOL ON, the semiconductor refrigeration piece cooling mode is started; Step S307, comparing the battery temperature with the semiconductor refrigeration piece cooling stop temperature threshold TTEC COOL OFF; Step S308, if the battery temperature is less than or equal to TTEC COOL OFF, the semiconductor refrigeration piece cooling mode is stopped, and the cooling is stopped.

3. The semiconductor refrigeration plate-based thermal management method of claim 2, wherein, The step S306 further comprises: Step S309, starting the water pump driving module to push the water circulation, and cooling the battery PACK.

4. The semiconductor refrigeration plate-based thermal management method of claim 3, wherein, The step S309 comprises: Real-time detection of the temperature difference △T between the input liquid and the output liquid in the water circulation process, if △T≤0, the output voltage of the DC-DC module is increased, the cooling effect of the semiconductor refrigeration piece is increased, and / or the power of the water pump driving module is increased to speed up the flow speed of the liquid.

5. The semiconductor refrigeration plate-based thermal management method of claim 2, wherein, The step S306 further comprises: Step S310, real-time detection of the shell temperature of the battery PACK; Step S311, comparing the shell temperature with the fan start temperature threshold TFAN ON; Step S312, if the shell temperature is greater than or equal to TFAN ON, the fan driving module is started to cool the shell.

6. The semiconductor refrigeration plate-based thermal management method of claim 5, wherein, The step S312 further comprises: Step S313, comparing the shell temperature with the fan stop temperature threshold TFAN OFF; Step S304, if the shell temperature is less than or equal to TFAN OFF, the fan driving module is stopped, and the cooling of the shell is stopped.

7. A semiconductor cooling fin-based thermal management system, characterized by, The semiconductor-based thermoelectric cooling plate-based thermal management system applies the semiconductor-based thermoelectric cooling plate-based thermal management method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, and comprises a temperature sensor, a fan driving module, a water pump driving module, a DC-DC module, an MCU control module and a relay control module. The temperature sensor is used to detect the temperature of the battery PACK, the hot face and the cold face of the semiconductor-based thermoelectric cooling plate, and the input and output temperature of the liquid in the liquid pipe. The hot face of the semiconductor-based thermoelectric cooling plate is attached to the shell of the battery PACK, and the fan driving module is used to drive the fan to dissipate heat from the shell. The water pump driving module is used to drive the flow of the liquid in the liquid pipe and control the flow rate of the liquid, so as to take away the heat inside the battery PACK through the flow of the liquid. The DC-DC module is used to control the cooling and heating power of the semiconductor-based thermoelectric cooling plate through the output voltage, so as to adjust the cooling and heating efficiency of the battery PACK. The MCU control module is used to control the working logic of the temperature sensor, the fan driving module, the water pump driving module, the DC-DC module and the relay control module. The relay control module is used to control the on and off of the four-way relay to adjust the direction of the output voltage of the DC-DC module, when the output voltage of the DC-DC module is positive, the semiconductor-based thermoelectric cooling plate starts the cooling function, and when the output voltage of the DC-DC module is negative, the semiconductor-based thermoelectric cooling plate starts the heating function. When the temperature difference △T between the input liquid and the output liquid is greater than or equal to 0, the MCU control module increases the output voltage of the DC-DC module, and increases the heating effect of the semiconductor-based thermoelectric cooling plate.

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