Energy storage system equipped with air-liquid linkage intelligent liquid cooling unit and thermal management method thereof

Abstract

The present invention discloses an energy storage system and a thermal management method thereof equipped with an air-liquid linkage intelligent liquid cooling unit, and relates to the technical field of thermal management systems; the liquid cooling unit includes a liquid cooling unit frame, a condenser equipped with a condenser fan, an evaporator equipped with an evaporator fan, a compressor, and a liquid cooling medium heat exchanger; the liquid cooling unit frame is respectively formed with a condenser air duct, an evaporator air duct, and a converging air duct located between the condenser air duct and the evaporator air duct; the connecting path between the condenser air duct and the outside, the connecting path between the condenser air duct and the converging air duct, the connecting path between the evaporator air duct and the outside, and the connecting path between the evaporator air duct and the converging air duct can all be controlled to open / close. The present invention mainly solves the problem of how to provide a liquid cooling unit for an energy storage system based on a high-temperature lithium battery; the present invention has the characteristics of reasonable structure, good heat dissipation / heating effect, energy saving and consumption reduction, and high energy efficiency, and effectively improves the electric-to-electric conversion efficiency of the energy storage system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of thermal management systems, and in particular to an energy storage system equipped with an air-liquid linkage intelligent liquid cooling unit and a thermal management method thereof. Background Art

[0002] In the context of power system transformation and upgrading, the controllability and storability of electric energy has become one of the core of development. In this context, energy storage systems will also play the role of backup power supply and power supply to enhance the reliability of power systems and prevent accidental power outages. Energy storage systems based on lithium-ion batteries have the characteristics of flexible site selection, short construction period, and good regulation performance. At the same time, lithium-ion batteries themselves have high safety performance. The above characteristics make energy storage systems based on lithium-ion batteries widely used.

[0003] The power consumption of the auxiliary system is one of the important factors affecting the electricity-to-electricity conversion efficiency of the energy storage system. Experimental verification shows that the auxiliary system power consumption rate of the energy storage system based on lithium iron phosphate batteries is as high as more than 10%. The power consumption of the above-mentioned auxiliary system is mainly the cooling power consumption generated by the thermal management system. Therefore, the cooling power consumption generated by the thermal management system will reduce the overall electricity-to-electricity conversion efficiency of the energy storage system by about 5%.

[0004] With the continuous development of battery technology, the performance, service life and output of high-temperature lithium batteries have achieved great development and breakthroughs; the optimal energy efficiency temperature zone of high-temperature lithium batteries is much higher than the temperature zone regulated by traditional liquid cooling systems. Considering factors such as environmental protection and energy saving, reducing system complexity, and controlling the overall cost of energy storage systems, energy storage systems based on high-temperature lithium batteries do not need to use phase change refrigeration technology for heat dissipation at all times. You can consider starting the phase change refrigeration device to dissipate heat for the energy storage system when the ambient temperature is high, and only start the fan / blower to dissipate heat for the energy storage system when the ambient temperature is low, and use heat pump heating to heat the energy storage system when the ambient temperature is extremely low.

[0005] In summary, how to provide a thermal management system with a reasonable structure, good heat dissipation / heating effect, energy saving and consumption reduction, and high energy efficiency for energy storage systems (especially energy storage systems based on high-temperature lithium batteries) has become an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an energy storage system equipped with an air-liquid linkage intelligent liquid cooling unit and a thermal management method thereof, wherein the thermal management system has the characteristics of reasonable structure, good heat dissipation / heating effect, energy saving and consumption reduction, and high energy efficiency.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides the following technical solutions: an energy storage system equipped with an air-liquid linkage intelligent liquid cooling unit, the energy storage system having at least one heating element; the liquid cooling unit comprises a liquid cooling unit frame, a condenser equipped with a condenser fan, an evaporator equipped with an evaporator fan, a compressor and a liquid-cooling medium heat exchanger; the liquid-cooling medium heat exchanger is connected to a liquid-cooling heat dissipation channel of at least one of the heating elements, so that the liquid-cooling medium can circulate between the liquid-cooling medium heat exchanger and the liquid-cooling heat dissipation channel of the heating element; the liquid cooling unit frame is respectively formed with a condenser air duct and an evaporator air duct, and a heat dissipation channel between the condenser air duct and the heating element. The condenser is arranged in the condenser duct of the liquid cooling unit frame, the evaporator is arranged in the evaporator duct of the liquid cooling unit frame, and the liquid-cooling medium heat exchanger is arranged in the converging duct of the liquid cooling unit frame; the condenser, the evaporator and the compressor are interconnected to form a refrigeration system based on refrigerant circulation; the connecting path between the condenser air duct and the outside, the connecting path between the condenser air duct and the converging air duct, the connecting path between the evaporator air duct and the outside, and the connecting path between the evaporator air duct and the converging air duct can all be controlled to open / close.

[0008] In the above technical solution, the liquid cooling unit can: start the refrigeration system, the condenser fan and the evaporator fan, guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the evaporator air duct, and after cooling through the evaporator, flow to the converging air duct to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger, and guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the condenser air duct, and after passing through the condenser, directly flow out of the condenser air duct to cool the condenser; the liquid cooling unit can also: stop the refrigeration system, start the condenser fan and the evaporator fan, guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the evaporator air duct, and then flow to the converging air duct to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger, and guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the condenser air duct, and then flow to the converging air duct to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger. medium; the liquid cooling unit can also: stop the refrigeration system and the condenser fan, start the evaporator fan, guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the evaporator air duct, and then flow to the converging air duct to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger; the liquid cooling unit can also: stop the refrigeration system, the condenser fan and the evaporator fan, and open the converging air duct so that the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger can be naturally cooled; the liquid cooling unit can also: start the refrigeration system, the condenser fan and the evaporator fan, guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the condenser fan, after being heated by the condenser, flow to the converging air duct to heat the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger, and guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the evaporator air duct, after passing through the evaporator, directly flow out of the evaporator air duct.

[0009] In the above technical solution, the condenser air duct is provided with a condenser air inlet, a condenser air outlet, a first condenser air guide and a second condenser air guide; when the condenser fan is in operation, it can drive the airflow from the outside into the condenser air duct through the condenser air inlet; the first condenser air guide is arranged at the condenser air outlet, and the first condenser air guide can be controlled to open / close, thereby opening / closing the connection path between the condenser air duct and the outside; the second condenser air guide is arranged between the condenser air duct and the confluence air duct, and the second condenser air guide can be controlled to open / close, thereby opening / closing the connection path between the condenser air duct and the confluence air duct.

[0010] In the above technical solution, the evaporator air duct is provided with an evaporator air inlet, an evaporator air outlet, a first evaporator air guide and a second evaporator air guide; when the evaporator fan is in operation, it can drive the airflow from the outside into the evaporator air duct through the evaporator air inlet; the first evaporator air guide is arranged at the evaporator air outlet, and the first evaporator air guide can be controlled to open / close, thereby opening / closing the connection path between the evaporator air duct and the outside; the second evaporator air guide is arranged between the evaporator air duct and the confluence air duct, and the second evaporator air guide can be controlled to open / close, thereby opening / closing the connection path between the evaporator air duct and the confluence air duct.

[0011] In the above technical solution, the first condenser air guide, the second condenser air guide, the first evaporator air guide and the second evaporator air guide are all air guide plates that can be controlled to adjust their own rotation angles.

[0012] In the above technical solution, the heating element of the energy storage system is specifically at least one of a battery pack, a power conversion device and a control device.

[0013] A thermal management method for an energy storage system, which is applied to the above-mentioned energy storage system equipped with an air-liquid linkage intelligent liquid cooling unit, the method comprising:

[0014] The liquid cooling unit selectively enters one of the following operating modes:

[0015] Refrigeration mode: start the refrigeration system, the condenser fan and the evaporator fan, guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the evaporator air duct, and after being cooled by the evaporator, flow to the converging air duct to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger, and guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the condenser air duct, and after passing through the condenser, directly flow out of the condenser air duct to cool the condenser;

[0016] High-intensity air cooling mode: stop the refrigeration system, start the condenser fan and the evaporator fan, guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the evaporator air duct, and then flow to the converging air duct to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger, and guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the condenser air duct, and then flow to the converging air duct to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger;

[0017] Low-intensity air cooling mode: the refrigeration system and the condenser fan are stopped, the evaporator fan is started, and the air flow is guided from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the evaporator air duct, and then flows to the converging air duct to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger;

[0018] Natural heat dissipation mode: the refrigeration system, the condenser fan and the evaporator fan are stopped, and the converging air duct is opened to allow the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger to cool naturally;

[0019] Heating mode: start the refrigeration system, the condenser fan and the evaporator fan, guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the condenser fan, and after being heated by the condenser, flow to the converging air duct to heat the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger, and guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the evaporator air duct, and after passing through the evaporator, directly flow out of the evaporator air duct.

[0020] In the above technical solution, the liquid cooling unit selects its operating mode based on at least one of the following factors: ambient temperature, heating element temperature, target temperature control temperature, and the temperature difference between the heating element temperature and the target temperature control temperature.

[0021] In the above technical solution, the condenser air duct is provided with a condenser air inlet, a condenser air outlet, a first condenser air guide and a second condenser air guide; when the condenser fan is in operation, it can drive the airflow from the outside into the condenser air duct through the condenser air inlet; the first condenser air guide is arranged at the condenser air outlet, and the first condenser air guide can be controlled to be opened / closed, thereby opening / closing the connection path between the condenser air duct and the outside; the second condenser air guide is arranged between the condenser air duct and the converging air duct, and the second condenser air guide can be controlled to be opened / closed, thereby opening / closing the connection between the condenser air duct and the converging air duct. a communication path; the evaporator air duct is provided with an evaporator air inlet, an evaporator air outlet, a first evaporator air guide and a second evaporator air guide; when the evaporator fan is in operation, it can drive airflow from the outside into the evaporator air duct through the evaporator air inlet; the first evaporator air guide is arranged at the evaporator air outlet, and the first evaporator air guide can be controlled to be opened / closed, thereby opening / closing the communication path between the evaporator air duct and the outside; the second evaporator air guide is arranged between the evaporator air duct and the converging air duct, and the second evaporator air guide can be controlled to be opened / closed, thereby opening / closing the communication path between the evaporator air duct and the converging air duct;

[0022] In the cooling mode: the first condenser air guide is opened, the second condenser air guide is closed, the first evaporator air guide is closed, and the second evaporator air guide is opened;

[0023] In the high-intensity air cooling mode: the first condenser air guide is closed, the second condenser air guide is opened, the first evaporator air guide is closed, and the second evaporator air guide is opened;

[0024] In the low-intensity air cooling mode / the natural heat dissipation mode: the first condenser air guide is closed, the second condenser air guide is closed, the first evaporator air guide is closed, and the second evaporator air guide is opened;

[0025] In the heating mode: the first condenser air guide is closed, the second condenser air guide is opened, the first evaporator air guide is opened, and the second evaporator air guide is closed.

[0026] In the above technical solution, the liquid-cooling medium heat exchanger is connected to a liquid-cooling heat dissipation channel of at least one of the heating elements; the heating element of the energy storage system is specifically at least one of a battery pack, a power conversion device and a control device.

[0027] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the energy storage system of the present invention is equipped with an air-liquid linkage intelligent liquid cooling unit and its thermal management method, wherein the liquid-cooling medium heat exchanger is connected to the liquid-cooling heat dissipation channel of at least one heating element, so that the liquid-cooling medium can circulate between the liquid-cooling medium heat exchanger and the liquid-cooling heat dissipation channel of the heating element; the connecting path between the condenser air duct and the outside world, the connecting path between the condenser air duct and the converging air duct, the connecting path between the evaporator air duct and the outside world, and the connecting path between the evaporator air duct and the converging air duct can all be controlled to open / close, and by changing the opening / closing of the above-mentioned connecting paths, a control system can be provided. There are a total of five operating modes, namely, cooling mode, high-intensity air cooling mode, low-intensity air cooling mode, natural heat dissipation mode and heating mode. The liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger can be cooled / heated through a suitable operating mode to maintain the temperature of the energy storage system. The energy storage system and thermal management method thereof configured with an air-liquid linkage intelligent liquid cooling unit of the present invention have the characteristics of reasonable structure, good heat dissipation / heating effect, energy saving and consumption reduction, and high energy efficiency, so that the liquid cooling unit can provide a reasonable heat dissipation / heating effect for the energy storage system, while saving a large amount of electricity consumption, and effectively improving the electric-electric conversion efficiency of the energy storage system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 It is a structural view of the energy storage system of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 It is a system structure diagram of the energy storage system of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 3 It is a structural view of the liquid cooling unit of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the air duct flow field of the liquid cooling unit of the present invention in the cooling mode.

[0032] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the air duct flow field of the liquid cooling unit of the present invention in the high-intensity air cooling mode.

[0033] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the air duct flow field of the liquid cooling unit of the present invention in the low-intensity air cooling mode / natural heat dissipation mode.

[0034] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the air duct flow field of the liquid cooling unit of the present invention in the heating mode.

[0035] The accompanying drawings are marked as follows: 10, energy storage system; 20, energy storage system frame; 30, battery pack; 40, power conversion device; 50, liquid cooling box; 60, liquid cooling unit; 70, liquid cooling medium pipeline; 1, liquid cooling unit frame; 11, condenser air duct; 111, condenser air inlet; 112, condenser air outlet; 113, first condenser air guide; 114, second condenser air guide; 12, evaporator air duct; 121, evaporator air inlet; 122, evaporator air outlet; 123, first evaporator air guide; 124, second evaporator air guide; 13, converging air duct; 2, condenser; 3, condenser fan; 4, evaporator; 5, evaporator fan; 6, compressor; 7, liquid cooling medium heat exchanger. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0037] This embodiment provides an energy storage system equipped with an air-liquid linkage intelligent liquid cooling unit, which has the purpose of storing electric energy and can achieve its own thermal management through the liquid cooling unit 60.

[0038] See also Figure 1The energy storage system of the embodiment is equipped with an air-liquid linkage intelligent liquid cooling unit. Based on the energy storage system frame 20, the energy storage system frame 20 is used to provide a structural support foundation and a protective foundation. It can be a chassis constructed of metal / composite plates, or an independent civil structure fixed building (i.e., a machine room), or a compartment in a civil structure fixed building (i.e., a machine room); the energy storage system of the embodiment is equipped with an air-liquid linkage intelligent liquid cooling unit, which includes at least a battery pack 30, a power conversion device 40, and a control device (not shown in the figure); in the embodiment, the battery pack 30 is used to store electrical energy, preferably a high-temperature lithium battery pack; in the embodiment, a power conversion system (PCS) commonly used in energy storage systems is used as a typical case of the power conversion device 40 to specifically illustrate the technical solution of the present invention; in the embodiment, the control device can be selected as a dedicated controller for the energy storage system, a programmable controller, an embedded system, an industrial control computer, etc., which is equipped with at least a battery management system (BMS) to regulate the operation of the battery pack 30 and the power conversion device 40.

[0039] The energy storage system 10 has at least one heating element, which is specifically at least one of a battery pack 30, a power conversion device 40 and a control device. Although the battery pack 30, the power conversion device 40 and the control device are all heating elements described in this embodiment, not all of the above devices need to be thermally managed by the liquid cooling unit 60, but one, more than one or all of them can be selected to achieve thermal management through the liquid cooling unit 60.

[0040] See also Figure 3 The liquid cooling unit of this embodiment includes a liquid cooling unit frame 1, a condenser 2 equipped with a condenser fan 3, an evaporator 4 equipped with an evaporator fan 5, a compressor 6 and a liquid cooling medium heat exchanger 7.

[0041] Among them, the liquid cooling unit frame 1 is used to provide a structural support foundation, a protection foundation and a duct structure foundation for the liquid cooling unit 60. It can be a chassis constructed of metal / composite plates, or an independent civil structure fixed building (i.e., a machine room), or a compartment in a civil structure fixed building (i.e., a machine room); in this embodiment, the energy storage system frame 20 and the liquid cooling unit frame 1 are both chassis constructed of metal / composite plates, and the liquid cooling unit frame 1 is integrated on the side wall or cabinet door of the energy storage system frame 20.

[0042] Among them, the condenser 2 is a condenser in the refrigeration system, used for the refrigerant to condense and release heat therein; the evaporator 4 is an evaporator in the refrigeration system, used for the refrigerant to evaporate and absorb heat therein; the compressor 6 is a compressor in the refrigeration system, preferably a variable frequency compressor, used to compress the refrigerant; the condenser fan 3 is an electronic fan, which can drive the air to flow in a directional manner and pass through the condenser 2 to take away the heat generated by the condenser 2; the evaporator fan 5 is an electronic fan, which can drive the air to flow in a directional manner and pass through the evaporator 4 to cool the air.

[0043] The liquid-cooling medium heat exchanger 7 is a metal heat exchanger having a plurality of liquid flow channels, and fins are provided between each of the liquid flow channels. When the airflow passes through the liquid-cooling medium heat exchanger 7, the liquid-cooling medium therein can be cooled / heated.

[0044] Liquid cooling heat dissipation channels are arranged at the battery pack 30 and the power conversion device 40 (i.e., the heat generating body), such as liquid cooling heat dissipation channels attached to the heat exchange plates of the battery pack 30 and the power conversion device 40, or liquid cooling heat dissipation channels built into the battery pack 30 and the power conversion device 40.

[0045] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 The liquid-cooling medium heat exchanger 7 is connected to the liquid-cooling heat dissipation channel of at least one heating element, so that the liquid-cooling medium can circulate between the liquid-cooling medium heat exchanger 7 and the liquid-cooling heat dissipation channel of the heating element; in this embodiment, a liquid cooling box 50 is configured in the energy storage system frame 20 of the energy storage system 10, and at least a circulating pump is provided in the liquid cooling box 50. The liquid-cooling medium heat exchanger 7 and the liquid-cooling heat dissipation channel of the heating element are specifically connected in a circulation manner through the circulating pump and the liquid-cooling medium pipeline 70 arranged in the energy storage system frame 20, so that the liquid-cooling medium can circulate between the liquid-cooling medium heat exchanger 7 and the liquid-cooling heat dissipation channel of the heating element.

[0046] See also Figure 3 A condenser air duct 11, an evaporator air duct 12, and a converging air duct 13 located between the condenser air duct 11 and the evaporator air duct 12 are respectively formed in the liquid cooling unit frame 1; in fact, the condenser air duct 11, the evaporator air duct 12 and the converging air duct 13 are all inner cavity spaces with a certain directionality in the liquid cooling unit frame 1.

[0047] The condenser 2 is arranged in the condenser air duct 11 of the liquid cooling unit frame 1, the evaporator 4 is arranged in the evaporator air duct 12 of the liquid cooling unit frame 1, and the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger 7 is arranged in the converging air duct 13 of the liquid cooling unit frame 1; specifically, the condenser 2, the evaporator 4 and the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger 7 can be fixedly installed respectively by independent brackets or the inner wall of the liquid cooling unit frame 1.

[0048] The condenser 2, the evaporator 4 and the compressor 6 are interconnected (specifically, the connection is achieved through a refrigerant pipe) to form a refrigeration system based on refrigerant circulation. In fact, the expansion valve and the control device are also necessary components of the refrigeration system. It can be understood that the refrigeration system based on refrigerant circulation composed of the condenser 2, the evaporator 4, the compressor 6, the expansion valve and the control device is actually a common refrigeration system in the prior art and will not be described in detail here.

[0049] The communication path between the condenser air duct 11 and the outside, the communication path between the condenser air duct 11 and the converging air duct 13, the communication path between the evaporator air duct 12 and the outside, and the communication path between the evaporator air duct 12 and the converging air duct 13 can all be controlled to open / close.

[0050] See also Figure 4 Specifically, the liquid cooling unit 60 can: start the refrigeration system, the condenser fan 3 and the evaporator fan 5, guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame 1 into the evaporator air duct 12, and after being cooled by the evaporator 4, flow to the converging air duct 13 to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger 7, and guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame 1 into the condenser air duct 11, after passing through the condenser 2, directly flow out of the condenser air duct 11 to cool the condenser 2;

[0051] See also Figure 5 The liquid cooling unit 60 can also: stop the refrigeration system, start the condenser fan 3 and the evaporator fan 5, guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame 1 into the evaporator air duct 12, and then flow to the converging air duct 13 to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger 7, and guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame 1 into the condenser air duct 11, and then flow to the converging air duct 13 to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger 7;

[0052] See also Figure 6 The liquid cooling unit 60 can also: stop the refrigeration system and the condenser fan 3, start the evaporator fan 5, guide the air flow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame 1 into the evaporator air duct 12, and then flow to the converging air duct 13 to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger 7;

[0053] See also Figure 6 The liquid cooling unit 60 can also: stop the refrigeration system, the condenser fan 3 and the evaporator fan 5, and open the converging air duct 13, so that the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger 7 can be cooled naturally;

[0054] See also Figure 7The liquid cooling unit 60 can also: start the refrigeration system, the condenser fan 3 and the evaporator fan 5, guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame 1 into the condenser fan 3, and after being heated by the condenser 2, flow to the converging air duct 13 to heat the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger 7, and guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame 1 into the evaporator air duct 12, and after passing through the evaporator 4, directly flow out of the evaporator air duct 12.

[0055] To be more specific, the condenser air duct 11 is provided with a condenser air inlet 111, a condenser air outlet 112, a first condenser air guide 113 and a second condenser air guide 114, wherein the condenser air inlet 111 and the condenser air outlet 112 are both opening structures or grille structures arranged at the liquid cooling unit frame 1; when the condenser fan 3 is in operation, it can drive the airflow from the outside to enter the condenser air duct 11 through the condenser air inlet 111; the first condenser air guide 113 is arranged at the condenser air outlet 112, and the first condenser air guide 113 can be controlled to open / close, thereby opening / closing the communication path between the condenser air duct 11 and the outside; the second condenser air guide 114 is arranged between the condenser air duct 11 and the converging air duct 13, and the second condenser air guide 114 can be controlled to open / close, thereby opening / closing the communication path between the condenser air duct 11 and the converging air duct 13.

[0056] More specifically, the evaporator air duct 12 is provided with an evaporator air inlet 121, an evaporator air outlet 122, a first evaporator air guide 123 and a second evaporator air guide 124, wherein the evaporator air inlet 121 and the evaporator air outlet 122 are both opening structures or grille structures arranged at the liquid cooling unit frame 1; when the evaporator fan 5 is in operation, it can drive the airflow from the outside into the evaporator air duct 12 through the evaporator air inlet 121; the first evaporator air guide 123 is arranged at the evaporator air outlet 122, and the first evaporator air guide 123 can be controlled to open / close, thereby opening / closing the connection path between the evaporator air duct 12 and the outside; the second evaporator air guide 124 is arranged between the evaporator air duct 12 and the converging air duct 13, and the second evaporator air guide 124 can be controlled to open / close, thereby opening / closing the connection path between the evaporator air duct 12 and the converging air duct 13.

[0057] It should be noted that the first condenser air guide 113, the second condenser air guide 114, the first evaporator air guide 123 and the second evaporator air guide 124 are all air guide plates that can be controlled to adjust their own rotation angles, such as electric air guide plates or electric louvered air guide plates.

[0058] It can be understood that the liquid cooling unit 60 of the present embodiment is equipped with a host computer (such as a dedicated controller for a refrigeration system, a programmable controller, an embedded system, an industrial computer, etc.); the signal interfaces of the condenser 2, the condenser fan 3, the evaporator 4, the evaporator fan 5, and the compressor 6 are all connected to the signal interface of the host computer through a signal line / a power line with an integrated signal line; and the first condenser air guide 113, the second condenser air guide 114, the first evaporator air guide 123, and the second evaporator air guide 12 The actuator (e.g., motor) of 4 is also connected to the signal interface of the host computer through a signal line / a power line integrated with a signal line; in the above manner, the condenser 2, the condenser fan 3, the evaporator 4, the evaporator fan 5, the compressor 6, the first condenser air guide 113, the second condenser air guide 114, the first evaporator air guide 123, and the second evaporator air guide 124 can all be controlled by the host computer; the host computer is signal-connected (e.g., communication-connected) to the control device of the energy storage system to realize data interaction.

[0059] This embodiment also provides a thermal management method for an energy storage system, which is applied to the above-mentioned energy storage system equipped with an air-liquid linkage intelligent liquid cooling unit.

[0060] See also Figure 1-Figure 7 , the method comprising:

[0061] The liquid cooling unit 60 selectively enters one of the following operating modes:

[0062] Cooling mode (such as Figure 4 As shown): start the refrigeration system, the condenser fan 3 and the evaporator fan 5, guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame 1 into the evaporator air duct 12, and after being cooled by the evaporator 4, flow to the converging air duct 13 to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger 7, and guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame 1 into the condenser air duct 11, after passing through the condenser 2, directly flow out of the condenser air duct 11 to cool the condenser 2.

[0063] The refrigeration mode is suitable for high temperature environment. At this time, the refrigeration system composed of the condenser 2, the evaporator 4 and the compressor 6 is used to refrigerate by circulating the refrigerant, so that the evaporator 4 is in a low temperature state. The evaporator fan 5 guides the air flow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame 1 into the evaporator air duct 12. After the air flow is cooled by the evaporator 4, it becomes a low-temperature air flow and flows to the converging air duct 13 to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger 7, so as to obtain the most efficient heat dissipation effect for the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger 7.

[0064] High intensity air cooling mode (such as Figure 5As shown): stop the refrigeration system, start the condenser fan 3 and the evaporator fan 5, guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame 1 into the evaporator air duct 12, and then flow to the converging air duct 13 to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger 7, and guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame 1 into the condenser air duct 11, and then flow to the converging air duct 13 to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger 7.

[0065] The high-intensity air cooling mode is suitable for relatively high temperature environments. At this time, the airflow is guided into the evaporator air duct 12 and the condenser air duct 11 respectively through the evaporator fan 5 and the condenser fan 3, and converges in the converging air duct 13 to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger 7, so as to obtain an efficient air cooling and heat dissipation effect for the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger 7; since the compressor 6 is in a stopped state, the high-intensity air cooling mode can save a lot of electric energy while taking into account a good air cooling and heat dissipation effect.

[0066] Low intensity air cooling mode (such as Figure 6 As shown): stop the refrigeration system and the condenser fan 3, start the evaporator fan 5, guide the air flow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame 1 into the evaporator air duct 12, and then flow to the converging air duct 13 to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger 7.

[0067] The low-intensity air cooling mode is suitable for medium-temperature environments. At this time, the air flow is guided by the evaporator fan 5 to enter the evaporator air duct 12 and flow to the converging air duct 13 to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger 7, so as to obtain an air-cooling heat dissipation effect for the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger 7; since the compressor 6 and the condenser fan 3 are both in a stopped state, the low-intensity air cooling mode can save more electricity than the high-intensity air cooling mode, while taking into account the air cooling heat dissipation effect.

[0068] Natural cooling mode (such as Figure 6 As shown): the refrigeration system, the condenser fan 3 and the evaporator fan 5 are stopped, and the converging air duct 13 is opened, so that the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger 7 can be cooled naturally.

[0069] The natural heat dissipation mode is suitable for a relatively low temperature environment. At this time, it is only necessary to open the converging air duct 13 so that the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger 7 can be naturally cooled, and a certain degree of natural heat dissipation effect can be obtained; since the refrigeration system, the condenser fan 3 and the evaporator fan 5 are all in a stopped state, the liquid cooling unit 60 in this state has the lowest energy consumption.

[0070] Heating mode (such as Figure 7As shown): start the refrigeration system, the condenser fan 3 and the evaporator fan 5, guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame 1 into the condenser fan 3, and after being heated by the condenser 2, flow to the converging air duct 13 to heat the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger 7, and guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame 1 into the evaporator air duct 12, and after passing through the evaporator 4, directly flow out of the evaporator air duct 12.

[0071] The heating mode is suitable for low temperature environments (for example, the ambient temperature is lower than the freezing point of the liquid cooling medium, or the ambient temperature is so low that the battery pack 30 is in poor operating condition). At this time, the refrigeration system composed of the condenser 2, the evaporator 4 and the compressor 6 is used to heat the condenser 2 by circulating the refrigerant, so that the condenser 2 is in a high temperature state. The condenser fan 3 guides the air flow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame 1 into the condenser air duct 11. After the air flow is heated by the condenser 2, it becomes a high-temperature airflow and flows to the converging air duct 13 to heat the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger 7, thereby providing a heating effect for the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger 7.

[0072] More specifically, if Figure 4 As shown, in the cooling mode: the first condenser air guide 113 is turned on, the second condenser air guide 114 is turned off, the first evaporator air guide 123 is turned off, and the second evaporator air guide 124 is turned on; Figure 5 As shown, in the high-intensity air cooling mode: the first condenser air guide 113 is closed, the second condenser air guide 114 is opened, the first evaporator air guide 123 is closed, and the second evaporator air guide 124 is opened; Figure 6 As shown, in the low-intensity air cooling mode / natural heat dissipation mode: the first condenser air guide 113 is closed, the second condenser air guide 114 is closed, the first evaporator air guide 123 is closed, and the second evaporator air guide 124 is opened; Figure 7 As shown, in the heating mode: the first condenser air guide 113 is closed, the second condenser air guide 114 is opened, the first evaporator air guide 123 is opened, and the second evaporator air guide 124 is closed.

[0073] Specifically, the liquid cooling unit 60 selects its operating mode based on at least one of the following factors: ambient temperature, heating element temperature, target temperature control temperature, and the temperature difference between the heating element temperature and the target temperature control temperature. It is understandable that the detection of ambient temperature can be achieved by a temperature sensor disposed near the energy storage system 10 or in the machine room / chassis. The temperature sensor is connected to the host computer through an analog output interface or a communication interface to achieve signal connection with the host computer, thereby achieving detection and transmission of the ambient temperature. The temperature of the heating element (such as the battery pack 30) can be detected by directly feeding back information to the host computer in the liquid cooling unit 60 through the battery management system (BMS). The target temperature control temperature is a manually preset temperature target, such as the optimal performance temperature of the battery pack 30 (about 25°C).

[0074] The energy storage system of the present embodiment is equipped with an air-liquid linkage intelligent liquid cooling unit and its thermal management method, wherein the liquid-cooling medium heat exchanger 7 is connected to the liquid-cooling heat dissipation channel of at least one heating element, so that the liquid-cooling medium can circulate between the liquid-cooling medium heat exchanger 7 and the liquid-cooling heat dissipation channel of the heating element; the communication path between the condenser air duct 11 and the outside world, the communication path between the condenser air duct 11 and the converging air duct 13, the communication path between the evaporator air duct 12 and the outside world, and the communication path between the evaporator air duct 12 and the converging air duct 13 can all be controlled to open / close, and by changing the opening / closing of the above-mentioned communication paths, a refrigeration mode, a high There are a total of five operating modes, namely, high-intensity air cooling mode, low-intensity air cooling mode, natural heat dissipation mode and heating mode, so that the liquid-cooling medium in the liquid-cooling medium heat exchanger 7 can be cooled / heated by a suitable operating mode, thereby maintaining the temperature of the energy storage system 10; the energy storage system and thermal management method thereof configured with an air-liquid linkage intelligent liquid cooling unit in this embodiment have the characteristics of reasonable structure, good heat dissipation / heating effect, energy saving and consumption reduction, and high energy efficiency, so that the liquid cooling unit 60 can provide a reasonable heat dissipation / heating effect for the energy storage system, while saving a large amount of electricity consumption, and effectively improving the electric-electric conversion efficiency of the energy storage system.

[0075] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An energy storage system equipped with an air-liquid linkage intelligent liquid cooling unit, characterized in that: The energy storage system has at least one heating element; The liquid cooling unit includes a liquid cooling unit frame, a condenser equipped with a condenser fan, an evaporator equipped with an evaporator fan, a compressor and a liquid cooling medium heat exchanger; The liquid-cooling medium heat exchanger is connected to the liquid-cooling heat dissipation channel of at least one of the heating elements, so that the liquid-cooling medium can circulate between the liquid-cooling medium heat exchanger and the liquid-cooling heat dissipation channel of the heating element; The liquid cooling unit frame is respectively formed with a condenser air duct, an evaporator air duct, and a converging air duct located between the condenser air duct and the evaporator air duct; The condenser is arranged in the condenser air duct of the liquid cooling unit frame, the evaporator is arranged in the evaporator air duct of the liquid cooling unit frame, and the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger is arranged in the converging air duct of the liquid cooling unit frame; The condenser, the evaporator and the compressor are interconnected to form a refrigeration system based on refrigerant circulation; The communication path between the condenser air duct and the outside, the communication path between the condenser air duct and the converging air duct, the communication path between the evaporator air duct and the outside, and the communication path between the evaporator air duct and the converging air duct can all be controlled to be opened / closed.

2. The energy storage system equipped with an air-liquid linkage intelligent liquid cooling unit according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The liquid cooling unit is capable of: starting the refrigeration system, the condenser fan and the evaporator fan, guiding the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the evaporator air duct, and after being cooled by the evaporator, flowing to the converging air duct to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger, and guiding the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the condenser air duct, and after passing through the condenser, directly flowing out of the condenser air duct to cool the condenser; The liquid cooling unit can also: stop the refrigeration system, start the condenser fan and the evaporator fan, guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the evaporator air duct, and then flow to the converging air duct to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger, and guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the condenser air duct, and then flow to the converging air duct to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger; The liquid cooling unit can also: stop the refrigeration system and the condenser fan, start the evaporator fan, guide the air flow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the evaporator air duct, and then flow to the converging air duct to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger; The liquid cooling unit can also: stop the refrigeration system, the condenser fan and the evaporator fan, and open the converging air duct to allow the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger to cool naturally; The liquid cooling unit can also: start the refrigeration system, the condenser fan and the evaporator fan, guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the condenser fan, and after being heated by the condenser, flow to the converging air duct to heat the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger, and guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the evaporator air duct, and after passing through the evaporator, directly flow out of the evaporator air duct.

3. The energy storage system equipped with an air-liquid linkage intelligent liquid cooling unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The condenser air duct is provided with a condenser air inlet, a condenser air outlet, a first condenser air guide and a second condenser air guide; When the condenser fan is in operation, it can drive airflow from the outside into the condenser air duct through the condenser air inlet; The first condenser air guide is arranged at the condenser air outlet, and the first condenser air guide can be controlled to be opened / closed, thereby opening / closing the communication path between the condenser air duct and the outside; The second condenser air guide is disposed between the condenser air duct and the converging air duct, and the second condenser air guide can be controlled to be opened / closed, thereby opening / closing a communication path between the condenser air duct and the converging air duct.

4. The energy storage system equipped with an air-liquid linkage intelligent liquid cooling unit according to claim 3 is characterized in that: The evaporator air duct is provided with an evaporator air inlet, an evaporator air outlet, a first evaporator air guide and a second evaporator air guide; When the evaporator fan is in operation, it can drive airflow from the outside into the evaporator air duct through the evaporator air inlet; The first evaporator air guide is arranged at the evaporator air outlet, and the first evaporator air guide can be controlled to be opened / closed, thereby opening / closing the communication path between the evaporator air duct and the outside; The second evaporator air guide is disposed between the evaporator air duct and the converging air duct, and the second evaporator air guide can be controlled to be opened / closed, thereby opening / closing a communication path between the evaporator air duct and the converging air duct.

5. The energy storage system equipped with an air-liquid linkage intelligent liquid cooling unit according to claim 4 is characterized in that: The first condenser air guide, the second condenser air guide, the first evaporator air guide, and the second evaporator air guide are all air guide plates that can be controlled to adjust their own rotation angles.

6. The energy storage system equipped with an air-liquid linkage intelligent liquid cooling unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating element of the energy storage system is specifically at least one of a battery pack, a power conversion device and a control device.

7. A thermal management method for an energy storage system, characterized in that: Applied in an energy storage system equipped with an air-liquid linkage intelligent liquid cooling unit as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, the method comprises: The liquid cooling unit selectively enters one of the following operating modes: Refrigeration mode: start the refrigeration system, the condenser fan and the evaporator fan, guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the evaporator air duct, and after being cooled by the evaporator, flow to the converging air duct to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger, and guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the condenser air duct, and after passing through the condenser, directly flow out of the condenser air duct to cool the condenser; High-intensity air cooling mode: stop the refrigeration system, start the condenser fan and the evaporator fan, guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the evaporator air duct, and then flow to the converging air duct to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger, and guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the condenser air duct, and then flow to the converging air duct to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger; Low-intensity air cooling mode: the refrigeration system and the condenser fan are stopped, the evaporator fan is started, and the air flow is guided from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the evaporator air duct, and then flows to the converging air duct to cool the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger; Natural heat dissipation mode: the refrigeration system, the condenser fan and the evaporator fan are stopped, and the converging air duct is opened to allow the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger to cool naturally; Heating mode: start the refrigeration system, the condenser fan and the evaporator fan, guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the condenser fan, and after being heated by the condenser, flow to the converging air duct to heat the liquid cooling medium in the liquid cooling medium heat exchanger, and guide the airflow from the outside of the liquid cooling unit frame into the evaporator air duct, and after passing through the evaporator, directly flow out of the evaporator air duct.

8. The thermal management method of the energy storage system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The liquid cooling unit selects its operating mode according to at least one of the following factors: Ambient temperature, heating element temperature, target temperature control temperature, and the temperature difference between the heating element temperature and the target temperature control temperature.

9. The thermal management method of the energy storage system according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: The condenser air duct is provided with a condenser air inlet, a condenser air outlet, a first condenser air guide and a second condenser air guide; When the condenser fan is in operation, it can drive airflow from the outside into the condenser air duct through the condenser air inlet; The first condenser air guide is arranged at the condenser air outlet, and the first condenser air guide can be controlled to be opened / closed, thereby opening / closing the communication path between the condenser air duct and the outside; The second condenser air guide is disposed between the condenser air duct and the converging air duct, and the second condenser air guide can be controlled to be opened / closed, thereby opening / closing the communication path between the condenser air duct and the converging air duct; The evaporator air duct is provided with an evaporator air inlet, an evaporator air outlet, a first evaporator air guide and a second evaporator air guide; When the evaporator fan is in operation, it can drive airflow from the outside into the evaporator air duct through the evaporator air inlet; The first evaporator air guide is arranged at the evaporator air outlet, and the first evaporator air guide can be controlled to be opened / closed, thereby opening / closing the communication path between the evaporator air duct and the outside; The second evaporator air guide is disposed between the evaporator air duct and the converging air duct, and the second evaporator air guide can be controlled to be opened / closed, thereby opening / closing the communication path between the evaporator air duct and the converging air duct; In the cooling mode: the first condenser air guide is opened, the second condenser air guide is closed, the first evaporator air guide is closed, and the second evaporator air guide is opened; In the high-intensity air cooling mode: the first condenser air guide is closed, the second condenser air guide is opened, the first evaporator air guide is closed, and the second evaporator air guide is opened; In the low-intensity air cooling mode / the natural heat dissipation mode: the first condenser air guide is closed, the second condenser air guide is closed, the first evaporator air guide is closed, and the second evaporator air guide is opened; In the heating mode: the first condenser air guide is closed, the second condenser air guide is opened, the first evaporator air guide is opened, and the second evaporator air guide is closed.

10. The thermal management method of the energy storage system according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: The liquid cooling medium heat exchanger is connected to a liquid cooling heat dissipation channel of at least one of the heating elements; The heating element of the energy storage system is specifically at least one of a battery pack, a power conversion device and a control device.

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