Current-sharing liquid-cooled device and energy storage device

Abstract

The application provides a liquid cooling device and an energy storage device, and relates to the field of cooling, which is used for cooling electrical elements. The liquid cooling device comprises a liquid pump, a liquid inlet primary pipe, a liquid return primary pipe, and a cooling pipe cluster. The liquid pump is provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid return. The liquid inlet primary pipe is in communication with the liquid inlet. The liquid return primary pipe is in communication with the liquid return. The cooling pipe cluster is arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the liquid inlet primary pipe. The cooling pipe cluster is in communication with the liquid inlet primary pipe and a cooling flow channel. The cooling pipe cluster is in communication with the cooling flow channel and the liquid return primary pipe. The cooling liquid flowing through each cooling pipe cluster has the same flow length in the liquid inlet primary pipe and the liquid return primary pipe. The cooling pipe cluster comprises a secondary branch and a tertiary branch. The secondary branch is in communication with the liquid inlet primary pipe and the liquid return primary pipe. The secondary branch extends out of the liquid inlet primary pipe along a first direction. The tertiary branch is in communication with the secondary branch and the cooling flow channel. A plurality of tertiary branches are arranged at intervals along the first direction. Along the first direction, the pipe diameter of each tertiary branch increases. The electrical elements have better temperature uniformity.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications This application claims priority to Chinese application 202410697264.0, filed on May 31, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to the field of cooling, and more particularly to a liquid cooling device and an energy storage device for equalizing flow. Background Technology

[0003] Energy storage devices include battery cells for storing electrical energy. During operation, these cells generate heat, requiring liquid cooling. To ensure consistent lifespan and output capacity across all cells, the liquid cooling system must maintain uniform cooling levels for each cell. This type of liquid cooling system uses regulators to adjust the flow resistance in different sections of the piping, ensuring a consistent flow rate of coolant through each cell. However, this method is relatively expensive to manufacture. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a flow-equalizing liquid cooling device and an energy storage device to solve the technical problem of how to reduce the manufacturing cost of liquid cooling devices.

[0005] This invention provides a flow-equalizing liquid cooling device for cooling electrical components with cooling channels. The device includes: a liquid pump with a supply port and a return port, the pump driving the flow of coolant; an inlet primary pipe connected to the supply port; a return primary pipe connected to the return port; and cooling tube clusters, a plurality of which are spaced apart along the extension direction of the inlet primary pipe, the cooling tube clusters connecting the inlet primary pipe and the cooling channels, and the cooling tube clusters connecting the cooling channels and the return ports. The cooling tube cluster has a single-stage inlet pipe, and the sum of the flow lengths of the coolant flowing through each cooling tube cluster is the same in the inlet pipe and the return pipe. The cooling tube cluster includes a secondary branch and a tertiary branch. The secondary branch is connected to the inlet pipe and the return pipe. The secondary branch extends out of the inlet pipe along a first direction. The tertiary branch connects the secondary branch and the cooling channel. Multiple tertiary branches are spaced apart along the first direction, and the diameter of each tertiary branch increases along the first direction.

[0006] Further, the secondary branch includes a secondary liquid inlet branch and a secondary liquid return branch, the tertiary branch includes a tertiary liquid inlet branch and a tertiary liquid return branch, the secondary liquid inlet branch is communicated with the liquid inlet primary pipe and the tertiary liquid inlet branch, the tertiary liquid inlet branch is communicated with the cooling flow channel and the secondary liquid inlet branch, the tertiary liquid return branch is communicated with the cooling flow channel and the secondary liquid return branch, and the secondary liquid return branch is communicated with the tertiary liquid return branch and the liquid return primary pipe; wherein the liquid cooling device further includes a temperature adjusting member, the temperature adjusting member is used for adjusting the temperature of the cooling liquid in the tertiary liquid inlet branch, and the temperature of the cooling liquid in the tertiary liquid inlet branch is decreased in a first direction.

[0007] Further, the temperature adjusting member includes a heating member, which is used for heating the cooling liquid in at least part of the tertiary liquid inlet branch, and the power of each heating member is decreased in the first direction, and / or the temperature adjusting member includes a cooling member, which is used for cooling the cooling liquid in at least part of the tertiary liquid inlet branch, and the power of each cooling member is increased in the first direction.

[0008] Further, the temperature adjusting member includes a semiconductor temperature adjusting member, which is capable of exchanging heat with the cooling liquid in two tertiary liquid inlet branches in the same cooling pipe cluster; wherein the semiconductor temperature adjusting member includes a hot end for heating and a cold end for cooling, the hot end is used for heating the cooling liquid in the tertiary liquid inlet branch close to the liquid inlet primary pipe among the two tertiary liquid inlet branches, and the cold end is used for cooling the cooling liquid in the other tertiary liquid inlet branch.

[0009] Further, the temperature adjusting member is arranged in the tertiary liquid inlet branch.

[0010] Further, in the first direction, the pipe diameter of the secondary liquid inlet branch is increased.

[0011] Further, the length of the liquid return primary pipe is not less than the length of the liquid inlet primary pipe.

[0012] Further, the liquid return primary pipe includes the first part and the second part, the first part extends from a position close to the liquid pump to a position away from the liquid pump, the second part extends from a position away from the liquid pump to a position close to the liquid pump, one end of the second part away from the liquid pump is communicated with the first part, and one end of the second part close to the liquid pump is communicated with the liquid return port.

[0013] Further, the extension direction of the liquid inlet primary pipe is parallel to the first part, and the cooling pipe cluster is communicated with the liquid inlet primary pipe and the first part.

[0014] Further, the liquid inlet primary pipe comprises a third part and a fourth part, the third part extends from a position close to the liquid pump to a position away from the liquid pump, the fourth part extends from a position away from the liquid pump to a position close to the liquid pump, an end of the fourth part away from the liquid pump is communicated with the third part, and an end of the third part close to the liquid pump is communicated with the liquid supply port, wherein the cooling pipe cluster is used to communicate the first part and the third part, and the cooling pipe cluster is also used to communicate the second part and the fourth part.

[0015] The embodiment of the present application also provides a storage device, which comprises an electrical element capable of storing electrical energy, and a cooling flow channel in the electrical element.

[0016] The liquid cooling device as described in the above embodiment, the third branch is communicated with the cooling flow channel; wherein the liquid inlet primary pipe and the liquid return primary pipe are both located at the bottom of the electrical element, the electrical element further comprises an electric core, and the cooling flow channel is capable of exchanging heat with the electric core.

[0017] The embodiment of the present application provides a liquid cooling device for cooling an electrical element with a cooling flow channel, which comprises a liquid pump with a liquid supply port and a liquid return port, a liquid inlet primary pipe communicated with the liquid supply port, a liquid return primary pipe communicated with the liquid return port, and a cooling pipe cluster communicated with the liquid inlet primary pipe, the cooling flow channel and the liquid return primary pipe, a plurality of cooling pipe clusters are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the liquid inlet primary pipe, and the flow lengths of the cooling liquid flowing in the liquid inlet primary pipe and the liquid return primary pipe are the same, so that the flow resistance of the cooling liquid in the liquid inlet primary pipe and the liquid return primary pipe is the same; wherein the cooling pipe cluster comprises a second branch and a third branch, the second branch is communicated with the liquid inlet primary pipe and the liquid return primary pipe, the second branch extends out of the liquid inlet primary pipe along a first direction, the third branch is communicated with the second branch and the cooling flow channel, a plurality of third branches are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the third branch, and the diameters of the third branches increase in the first direction, it can be understood that the second branch and the third branch form a non-uniform pipe, the flow resistance of the cooling liquid in the second branch gradually increases in the first direction, and by increasing the diameters of the third branches, the increasing flow resistance in the second branch can be offset, so that the flow of the cooling liquid flowing into the cooling flow channel of each electrical element is the same, and the thermal consistency of each electrical element is improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of the liquid cooling device provided by the embodiment of the present application is provided.

[0019] Figure 2 A position relationship diagram of a liquid inlet primary pipe, a cooling pipe cluster and a liquid return primary pipe in the liquid cooling device provided by the embodiment of the present application is provided.

[0020] Figure 3 Structure diagram of the first liquid inlet primary pipe, the cooling pipe cluster and the liquid return primary pipe in the liquid cooling device with flow equalization provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 4 Structure diagram of the second liquid inlet primary pipe, the cooling pipe cluster and the liquid return primary pipe in the liquid cooling device with flow equalization provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 5 Structure diagram of the first tertiary liquid inlet branch and the temperature regulating member in the liquid cooling device with flow equalization provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 6 Structure diagram of the second tertiary liquid inlet branch and the temperature regulating member in the liquid cooling device with flow equalization provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 7 Structure diagram of the secondary liquid inlet branch in the liquid cooling device with flow equalization provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 8 Structure diagram of the energy storage device provided by the embodiment of the present application.

[0026] Explanation of reference signs

[0027] 10, energy storage device; 100, liquid cooling device; 110, liquid pump; 111, liquid supply port; 112, liquid return port; 120, liquid inlet primary pipe; 120A, third part; 120B, fourth part; 130, liquid return primary pipe; 130A, first part; 130B, second part; 140, cooling pipe cluster; 140A, first cooling pipe cluster; 140B, second cooling pipe cluster; 141, secondary branch; 1411, secondary liquid inlet branch; 1412, secondary liquid return branch; 142, tertiary branch; 1421, tertiary liquid inlet branch; 1422, tertiary liquid return branch; 150, temperature regulating member; 151, heating member; 152, cooling member; 153, semiconductor temperature regulating member; 1531, hot end; 1532, cold end; 200, electrical element; 220, battery cell. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and should not be used to limit the present application.

[0029] In the specific embodiments described above, various specific technical features can be combined in any suitable manner, for example, different combinations of different specific technical features can form different embodiments and technical solutions. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, various possible combinations of various specific technical features in the present application are not described again.

[0030] In the following description, the terms "first", "second", and the like are merely used to distinguish different objects, and do not mean that the objects have the same or related meanings. It should be understood that the positional description "upper", "lower", "outer", "inner", "left", "right" are the positions in the normal use state, and the "left" and "right" directions are the directions shown in the specific corresponding schematic diagram, which can be the left and right directions in the normal use state or can not be.

[0031] It should be noted that the terms "comprise", "contain" or any other variant thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that the process, method, article or device including a series of elements not only includes those elements, but also includes other elements not explicitly listed or inherent to such process, method, article or device. Without more limitations, the element defined by the statement "comprises a" does not exclude the presence of another identical element in the process, method, article or device including the element. The term "connected" includes both direct and indirect connections unless otherwise specified.

[0032] In the following detailed description, the liquid cooling device can be used to cool any electrical element with a cooling flow channel inside, for example, the liquid cooling device can be used to cool each storage array in a server, and for example, the liquid cooling device can be used to cool each battery cell in an energy storage device. It should be noted that the cooling flow channels in the electrical elements are not directly connected, and the liquid cooling device is connected to each cooling flow channel to form parallel cooling flow channels, so that each electrical element can be independently cooled. For ease of description, the liquid cooling device will be applied to the energy storage device, and the structure of the liquid cooling device will be described by way of example for cooling the battery cells in the energy storage device.

[0033] In some embodiments, as Figure 1As shown, the liquid pump liquid cooling device 100 for cooling an electrical element with a cooling flow channel includes a liquid pump 110, a liquid inlet primary pipe 120, a liquid return primary pipe 130, and a plurality of cooling pipe clusters 140. The liquid pump 110 includes a liquid supply port and a liquid return port. The liquid inlet primary pipe 120 is in communication with the liquid supply port, and the liquid return primary pipe 130 is in communication with the liquid return port. The plurality of cooling pipe clusters 140 are arranged along the extension direction of the liquid inlet primary pipe 120 at intervals. The cooling pipe cluster 140 is in communication with the liquid inlet primary pipe 120 and the cooling flow channel. The cooling pipe cluster 140 is in communication with the cooling flow channel and the liquid return primary pipe 130. It can be understood that the liquid inlet primary pipe 120, part of the cooling pipe cluster 140, the cooling flow channel, another part of the cooling pipe cluster 140, and the liquid return primary pipe 130 are sequentially communicated, that is, the two parts of the cooling pipe cluster 140 are respectively in communication with the two ends of the cooling flow channel, so as to communicate the cooling flow channel, the liquid inlet primary pipe 120, and the liquid return primary pipe 130 through the cooling pipe cluster 140. The cooling liquid flows out of the liquid supply port under the drive of the liquid pump 110, and then sequentially flows through the liquid inlet primary pipe 120, part of the cooling pipe cluster 140, the cooling flow channel, another part of the cooling pipe cluster 140, and the liquid return primary pipe 130, and then flows into the liquid return port through the liquid return primary pipe 130, so that the cooling liquid can exchange heat with the electrical element through the cooling flow channel and carry away the heat of the electrical element.

[0034] At the same time, the cooling liquid flowing through each cooling pipe cluster 140 has the same sum of flow lengths in the liquid inlet primary pipe 120 and the liquid return primary pipe 130, that is, the liquid inlet primary pipe 120 and the liquid return primary pipe 130 form a same-path pipe line. For example, Figure 2As shown, the liquid cooling device 100 includes a first cooling tube bundle 140A and a second cooling tube bundle 140B. The first cooling tube bundle 140A and the second cooling tube bundle 140B are spaced apart along the extension direction of the liquid inlet primary pipe 120. The length of the liquid inlet primary pipe 120 between the first connection position A1 of the first cooling tube bundle 140A and the liquid supply port 111 is L1. The length of the liquid return primary pipe 130 between the first cooling tube bundle 140A and the second connection position A2 of the first cooling tube bundle 140A and the liquid return port 112 is L2. The second cooling tube bundle 140B is spaced apart along the extension direction of the liquid inlet primary pipe 120. The length of the inlet primary pipe 120 between the third connection position B1 and the liquid supply port of the first cooling pipe 120 is L3, and the length of the return primary pipe 130 between the fourth connection position B2 and the return port of the second cooling pipe cluster 140B and the return primary pipe 130 is L4. The sum of L1 and L2 equals the sum of L3 and L4, thus ensuring that the flow length of the coolant flowing through the first cooling pipe cluster 140A in the inlet primary pipe 120 and the return primary pipe 130 is equal to the flow length of the coolant flowing through the second cooling pipe cluster 140B in the inlet primary pipe 120 and the return primary pipe 130. It should be noted that the length of coolant flow in the pipeline is positively correlated with the friction loss of the coolant. By making the inlet primary pipe 120 and the return primary pipe 130 have the same length, the friction loss generated by the coolant flowing through different cooling pipe clusters 140 in the inlet primary pipe 120 and the return primary pipe 130 can be made the same. The specific structure of the parallel pipeline formed by the inlet primary pipe 120 and the return primary pipe 130 will be described in subsequent embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0035] Among them, such as Figure 1 As shown, the cooling pipe cluster 140 includes a secondary branch 141 and a tertiary branch 142. The secondary branch 141 is connected to the liquid inlet primary pipe 120 and the liquid return primary pipe 130, and the secondary branch 141 extends out of the liquid inlet primary pipe 120 in a first direction (the first direction is as shown in the figure). Figure 1 (As indicated by the middle arrow) Simultaneously, the tertiary branch 142 connects to the secondary branch 141 and the cooling channels within the electrical components. Multiple tertiary branches 142 are spaced apart along the extension direction of the secondary branch 141, thus connecting to the cooling channels within the multiple electrical components respectively. The secondary branch 141 extends out of the liquid inlet pipe 120 along a first direction. This can be understood as one end of the secondary branch 141 connecting to the liquid inlet pipe 120, and the secondary branch 141 extending along the first direction to the other end. This first direction can be parallel to or not parallel to the extension direction of the liquid inlet pipe 120. When the first direction is not parallel to the extension direction of the liquid inlet pipe 120, the secondary branch 141 extends away from the liquid inlet pipe 120, thereby enabling the secondary branch 141 to cool electrical components located away from the liquid inlet pipe 120.

[0036] Furthermore, in the first direction, the pipe diameter of the tertiary branch 142 is increased, and it can be understood that the cooling liquid flowing into the secondary branch 141 from the liquid inlet primary pipe 120 flows into the cooling flow channel of each electrical element by the different tertiary branches 142 respectively and flows into the liquid return primary pipe 130, that is, the secondary branch 141 and the tertiary branch 142 form a non-uniform pipe, and the cooling liquid flows non-uniformly in the secondary branch 141 and the tertiary branch 142, and in the first direction, the flow path of the cooling liquid is increased, and the flow resistance formed is increased, by increasing the pipe diameter of the tertiary branch 142 in the first direction, so that the flow resistance in each tertiary branch 142 gradually decreases in the first direction, so as to offset the gradually increasing flow resistance in the secondary branch 141, so that the flow resistance in each tertiary branch 142 is the same, the flow in each tertiary branch 142 is the same, and further, the cooling capacity of the cooling liquid to each electrical element is consistent, and the temperature uniformity of each electrical element is improved.

[0037] It should be noted that the tertiary branch 142 includes a tertiary liquid inlet branch 1421 communicated with the liquid inlet primary pipe 120 through the secondary branch 141 and a tertiary liquid return branch 1422 communicated with the liquid return primary pipe 130 through the secondary branch 141, and increasing the pipe diameter of the tertiary liquid inlet branch 1421 and / or the tertiary liquid return branch 1422 in the first direction can make the flow of the cooling liquid in the tertiary branch 142 the same, specifically, by increasing the pipe diameter of the tertiary liquid inlet branch 1421, the flow resistance of the cooling liquid flowing into each tertiary liquid inlet branch 1421 can be directly reduced, thereby directly offsetting the increase of the flow resistance in the secondary branch 141; by increasing the pipe diameter of the tertiary liquid return branch 1422, the flow resistance of the cooling liquid flowing out of the cooling flow channel can be reduced, thereby indirectly reducing the flow resistance of the cooling liquid flowing into each tertiary liquid inlet branch 1421, thereby indirectly offsetting the increase of the flow resistance in the secondary branch 141.

[0038] The embodiment of the present application provides a liquid cooling device for cooling electrical elements with cooling flow channels, the liquid cooling device comprising a liquid pump with a liquid supply port and a liquid return port, a liquid inlet primary pipe in communication with the liquid supply port, a liquid return primary pipe in communication with the liquid return port, and a cooling pipe cluster in communication with the liquid inlet primary pipe, the cooling flow channels and the liquid return primary pipe, a plurality of cooling pipe clusters are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the liquid inlet primary pipe, and the flow lengths of the cooling liquid flowing through each cooling pipe cluster in the liquid inlet primary pipe and the liquid return primary pipe are the same, so that the flow resistance of the cooling liquid in the liquid inlet primary pipe and the liquid return primary pipe is the same; wherein the cooling pipe cluster comprises a secondary branch and a tertiary branch, the secondary branch is in communication with the liquid inlet primary pipe and the liquid return primary pipe, the secondary branch extends out of the liquid inlet primary pipe along a first direction, the tertiary branch is in communication with the secondary branch and the cooling flow channels, a plurality of tertiary branches are arranged at intervals along the first direction, and the pipe diameters of each tertiary branch increase in the first direction, it can be understood that the secondary branch and the tertiary branch form a non-constant-flow pipe, and the flow resistance of the cooling liquid in the secondary branch gradually increases in the first direction, by increasing the pipe diameters of the tertiary branches, the increasing flow resistance in the secondary branch can be offset, so that the cooling liquid flow into the cooling flow channels of each electrical element is the same, and the thermal consistency of each electrical element is improved.

[0039] In other embodiments, specific structures of the liquid inlet primary pipe and the liquid return primary pipe form a constant-flow pipe are provided, and the specific structures of the liquid inlet primary pipe and the liquid return primary pipe are exemplarily described below. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The specific structures of the liquid inlet primary pipe and the liquid return primary pipe are exemplarily described.

[0040] As shown in Figure 3 , the liquid return primary pipe 130 comprises a first part 130A and a second part 130B, the first part 130A extends from a position close to the liquid pump 110 to a position away from the liquid pump 110, the second part 130B extends from a position away from the liquid pump 110 to a position close to the liquid pump 110, one end of the second part 130B away from the liquid pump 110 is in communication with the first part 130A, and one end of the second part 130B close to the liquid pump 110 is in communication with the liquid return port, it can be understood that the second part 130B forms two opposite ends, one end is close to the liquid pump 110, and the other end is away from the liquid pump 110, by communicating one end with the first part 130A and making the other end communicate with the liquid return port of the liquid pump 110, the cooling liquid flowing into the liquid return primary pipe 130 from the liquid inlet primary pipe 120 can flow in the same direction as the flow direction of the liquid inlet primary pipe 120, rather than flowing in the opposite direction of the flow direction of the liquid inlet primary pipe 120, so that the liquid inlet primary pipe 120 and the liquid return primary pipe 130 form a constant-flow pipe.

[0041] Optionally, as shown in Figure 3As shown, the liquid inlet primary pipe 120 extends from a position close to the liquid pump 110 to a position far away from the liquid pump 110, and the extension direction of the liquid inlet primary pipe 120 is parallel to the extension direction of the first part 130A. The liquid inlet primary pipe 120 is connected to the first part 130A through each cooling pipe cluster 140.

[0042] Optional, such as Figure 4 As shown, the liquid inlet primary pipe 120 includes a third part 120A and a fourth part 120B. The third part 120A extends from a position near the liquid pump 110 to a position away from the liquid pump 110, and the fourth part extends from a position away from the liquid pump 110 to a position near the liquid pump 110. The end of the fourth part 120B away from the liquid pump 110 is connected to the third part 120A, and the end of the third part 120A near the liquid pump 110 is connected to the liquid supply port. The cooling tube bundle 140 is used to connect the first part 130A and the third part 120A. The cooling tube cluster 140 is also used to connect the second part 130B and the fourth part 120B. It can be understood that the third part 120A and the fourth part 120B of the liquid inlet primary tube 120 can both be used to supply coolant to the cooling channels in the electrical components, and the coolant flowing into the return primary tube 130 can flow in the same direction as the coolant in the liquid inlet primary tube 120. That is, while the liquid inlet primary tube 120 and the return primary tube 130 can form a parallel pipeline, the liquid inlet primary tube 120 can also cool more electrical components.

[0043] In some other embodiments, the length of the return primary pipe 130 is not less than the length of the inlet primary pipe 120. That is, when the return primary pipe 130 and the inlet primary pipe 120 form a parallel pipeline, if the lengths of the inlet primary pipe 120 and the return primary pipe 130 are different, the pipeline with the shorter length is used as the inlet primary pipe 120, and the pipeline with the longer length is used as the return primary pipe. This allows the coolant to flow into the cooling channel of the electrical components through a shorter path, reducing the flow resistance of the inlet primary pipe 120 and improving the cooling capacity of the liquid cooling device.

[0044] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5As shown, the secondary branch 141 includes a secondary liquid inlet branch 1411 and a secondary liquid return branch 1412, and the tertiary branch 142 includes a tertiary liquid inlet branch 1421 and a tertiary liquid return branch 1422. The secondary liquid inlet branch 1411 connects to the primary liquid inlet pipe 120 and the tertiary liquid inlet branch 1421. The tertiary liquid inlet branch 1421 connects to the cooling channel and the secondary liquid inlet branch 1411. The tertiary liquid return branch 1422 connects to... The cooling channel and the secondary return branch 1412 are connected to the tertiary return branch 1422 and the primary return pipe 130. That is, the coolant flowing out of the supply port flows through the primary inlet pipe 120, the secondary inlet branch 1411, the tertiary inlet branch 1421, the cooling channel, the tertiary return branch 1422, the secondary return branch 1412 and the primary return pipe 130 in sequence before flowing into the return port.

[0045] Among them, such as Figure 5 As shown, the liquid cooling device also includes a temperature regulating element 150, which is used to regulate the temperature of the coolant in the three-stage liquid inlet branch 1421 so that the temperature of the coolant in the three-stage liquid inlet branch decreases in the first direction. That is, the temperature regulating element 150 heats or cools the coolant in the three-stage liquid inlet branch 1421, thereby causing the temperature of the coolant in the three-stage liquid inlet branch 1421 to decrease in the first direction.

[0046] exist Figure 1 In the first direction, the coolant flow rate in the three-stage liquid inlet branch 1421 decreases, thereby gradually reducing the cooling capacity of the three-stage liquid inlet branch 1421 in the first direction. The temperature of the coolant in the three-stage liquid inlet branch 1421 is adjusted by the temperature regulating element and decreases in the first direction, so that the cooling capacity area of ​​each three-stage liquid inlet branch 1421 is the same, thereby improving the temperature uniformity of the electrical components.

[0047] It should be noted that although the same-pass pipeline is formed by the liquid inlet primary pipe 120 and the liquid return primary pipe 130, and the flow rate of the cooling liquid flowing into each cooling channel of the electrical element can be basically kept consistent to a certain extent by adjusting the pipe diameter of the third branch 142, the pipe diameter of the third branch 142 needs to be set according to the flow simulation of different pipe diameters, and it is difficult to simulate the flow rate based on the pipe diameter. Moreover, the flow rate of the cooling liquid in the liquid cooling device is also affected by the external environment, resulting in a certain error in the simulation result. Specifically, in the simulation process, it is considered that the pipe diameter of the pipeline is the same as the theoretical pipe diameter, and the pipe diameter can change uniformly as theoretically at the theoretical pipe diameter change position. However, in fact, due to the existence of manufacturing errors, the pipeline with the same theoretical pipe diameter may have a pipe diameter difference, and the change of the pipe diameter at the theoretical pipe diameter change position is also difficult to change completely uniformly. In the simulation process, only the theoretical generation position of vortex and turbulent flow can be determined by the kinetic equation of fluid. However, since the fluid dynamic system is a nonlinear dynamic system, there may be chaotic phenomena. Due to the intrinsic randomness of the chaotic system, vortex and turbulent flow may be generated at positions other than the theoretical generation position. In the simulation process, it is considered that the pipeline is a rigid body. However, in the process of cooling liquid flowing, the pipeline will actually deform to a certain extent, and in turn affect the flow field of the cooling liquid, that is, there is a fluid-structure interaction. Based on the above differences between the theoretical simulation and the actual situation, the flow resistance obtained by simulation will be less than the actual flow resistance, that is, the actual flow rate difference of the cooling liquid in each third branch 142 in the first direction will be greater than the theoretical flow rate difference. If the pipe diameter of each third branch 142 is designed according to the theoretical flow rate difference obtained by simulation, the flow rate of the cooling liquid in each third branch 142 will still decrease in the first direction.

[0048] On this basis, the temperature of the cooling liquid in the third liquid inlet branch 1421 is further corrected by setting the temperature adjusting member 150, and in the first direction, the temperature of the cooling liquid in the third liquid inlet branch 1421 is decreased, so as to further offset the difference in cooling capacity of each electrical element caused by the flow difference of each third liquid inlet branch 1421, thereby further increasing the uniformity of each electrical element; at the same time, the liquid inlet primary pipe 120 and the liquid return primary pipe 130 are the same, the pipe diameters of the third branch 142 are different, which can reduce the flow difference of the cooling liquid in each third branch 142, can reduce the power required by the temperature adjusting member 150, reduce the energy consumption of the liquid cooling device, and also make the structure of the liquid cooling device more compact. The temperature adjusting member 150 can adjust and control the temperature of the cooling liquid in the third liquid inlet branch 1421 in any way, for example, a flow sensor can be arranged in the third liquid inlet branch 1421, and the required temperature of the cooling liquid in each third liquid inlet branch 1421 is determined according to the actual flow of the cooling liquid in each third liquid inlet branch 1421. The required temperature is positively correlated with the flow, so that the cooling liquid in each third liquid inlet branch 1421 reaches the required temperature through the temperature adjusting member 150; for example, a temperature sensor can be arranged in each electrical element, and the required temperature of the cooling liquid in each third liquid inlet branch 1421 is determined according to the actual temperature of each electrical element. The required temperature is negatively correlated with the actual temperature of the electrical element.

[0049] Optionally, the temperature adjusting member 150 can be arranged in the third liquid inlet branch 1421, so as to directly heat or cool the cooling liquid in the third liquid inlet branch 1421; optionally, the temperature adjusting member 150 can also be arranged outside the third liquid inlet branch 1421, and heat exchange with the cooling liquid in the third liquid inlet branch 1421 through heat conduction, so as to indirectly heat or cool the cooling liquid in the third liquid inlet branch 1421.

[0050] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 5 The temperature adjusting member 150 includes a heating member 151 for heating at least part of the cooling liquid in the third liquid inlet branch 1421. Specifically, the heating member 151 is used for heating the cooling liquid in the third liquid inlet branch 1421 close to the liquid inlet primary pipe 120, and in the first direction, the power of each heating member 151 decreases, so as to make the cooling capacity of each third liquid inlet branch 1421 consistent. Figure 1

[0051] In other embodiments, as shown in Figure 6 ​As shown, the temperature control unit 150 includes a cooling unit 152 for cooling at least a portion of the coolant in the tertiary inlet branch 1421. Specifically, the cooling unit 152 is used to cool at least the coolant in the tertiary inlet branch 1421 located away from the primary inlet pipe 120. Figure 1 In the first direction, the power of each cooling element 152 increases in order to make the cooling capacity of each three-stage liquid inlet branch 1421 more consistent.

[0052] In some other embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, the temperature control unit 150 includes a heating element 151 and a cooling element 152. The heating element 151 is used to heat the tertiary liquid inlet branch 1421 near the connection position between the secondary liquid inlet branch 1411 and the primary liquid inlet pipe 120. The cooling element 152 is used to cool the tertiary liquid inlet branch 1421 away from the connection position between the secondary liquid inlet branch 1411 and the primary liquid inlet pipe, so that the cooling capacity of each tertiary liquid inlet branch 1421 tends to be consistent.

[0053] Optionally, the temperature regulating element 150 is provided in the third-stage liquid inlet branch 1421 to directly heat or cool the coolant in the third-stage liquid inlet branch 1421, so as to make the structure of the liquid cooling device more compact.

[0054] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6 As shown, the temperature regulating element 150 includes a semiconductor temperature regulating element 153. The semiconductor temperature regulating element 153 can exchange heat with the coolant in the two tertiary liquid inlet branches 1421 in the same cooling tube cluster 140. That is, the semiconductor temperature regulating element 153 can simultaneously heat and cool the coolant in the two tertiary liquid inlet branches 1421. Specifically, the semiconductor temperature regulating element 153 can heat the coolant in the tertiary liquid inlet branch 1421 that is closer to the connection position between the secondary liquid inlet branch 1411 and the primary liquid inlet pipe 120, and cool the coolant in the tertiary liquid inlet branch 1421 that is farther away from the connection position between the secondary liquid inlet branch 1411 and the primary liquid inlet pipe 120. This allows for more efficient adjustment of the temperature of the coolant in each tertiary liquid inlet branch 1421, making the cooling effect of each tertiary liquid inlet branch 1421 more consistent.

[0055] The structure of the semiconductor temperature regulating element 153 is described in detail below. The semiconductor temperature regulating element 153 includes a hot end 1531 for heating and a cold end 1532 for cooling. The hot end 1531 heats the coolant in the third-stage liquid inlet branch 1421, which is closer to the connection position between the second-stage liquid inlet branch 1411 and the first-stage liquid inlet pipe 120. The cold end 1532 cools the coolant in the third-stage liquid inlet branch 1421, which is farther away from the connection position between the second-stage liquid inlet branch 1411 and the first-stage liquid inlet pipe 120.

[0056] In some embodiments, such as Figure 7 As shown, in Figure 1 In the first direction, the pipe diameter of the secondary inlet branch 1411 increases gradually. This can be understood as the flow resistance of the coolant gradually increasing as it flows through the secondary inlet branch 1411. By gradually increasing the diameter of the secondary inlet branch 1411 in its extension direction, the gradually increasing flow resistance is offset, making the flow resistance of the coolant tend to be uniform as it flows through the secondary inlet branch 1411. It should be noted that the diameter of the secondary inlet branch 1411 increases gradually rather than abruptly, reducing the possibility of increased flow resistance due to abrupt changes in pipe diameter.

[0057] This invention also provides an energy storage device for storing electrical energy through battery cells and outputting electrical energy as needed. During the process of electrical energy input and output, the battery cells generate heat, which needs to be cooled by a liquid cooling device. The structure of the energy storage device is described below by way of example.

[0058] In some embodiments, such as Figure 8 As shown, the energy storage device 10 includes: as per the attached specification. Figures 1 to 7 The liquid cooling device 100 and electrical component 200 are shown in any of the images. The electrical component 200 can store electrical energy and has a cooling channel. A three-stage branch 142 is connected to the cooling channel to introduce or remove coolant, thereby cooling the electrical component 200. The electrical component 200 also includes a battery cell 220, which exchanges heat with the cooling channel. The inlet pipe 120 and the return pipe 130 are located at the bottom of the electrical component 200. In the event of leakage from the inlet pipe 120 and the return pipe 130, the impact of the leaking coolant on the electrical component 200 is reduced. Furthermore, in scenarios where the energy storage device 10 is installed outdoors, the impact of solar heat radiation on the inlet pipe 120 and the return pipe 130 is reduced, thus improving the cooling capacity of the liquid cooling device 100.

[0059] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A liquid cooling device for current sharing, characterized by, The application discloses a liquid cooling device for cooling an electrical element with a cooling flow channel. The liquid cooling device comprises: a liquid pump with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, the liquid pump being configured to drive the flow of the cooling liquid; a first liquid inlet pipe in communication with the liquid inlet; a first liquid outlet pipe in communication with the liquid outlet; a plurality of cooling pipe clusters arranged along the extension direction of the first liquid inlet pipe, the cooling pipe clusters being in communication with the first liquid inlet pipe and the cooling flow channel, the cooling pipe clusters being in communication with the cooling flow channel and the first liquid outlet pipe, the cooling liquid flowing through each cooling pipe cluster having the same flow length in the first liquid inlet pipe and the first liquid outlet pipe; wherein the cooling pipe cluster comprises a second branch and a third branch, the second branch being in communication with the first liquid inlet pipe and the first liquid outlet pipe, the second branch extending out of the first liquid inlet pipe in a first direction, the third branch being in communication with the second branch and the cooling flow channel, a plurality of third branches being arranged along the first direction, and the diameter of each third branch increasing along the first direction, the second branch comprising a second liquid inlet branch and a second liquid outlet branch, the third branch comprising a third liquid inlet branch and a third liquid outlet branch, the second liquid inlet branch being in communication with the first liquid inlet pipe and the third liquid inlet branch, the third liquid inlet branch being in communication with the cooling flow channel and the second liquid inlet branch, the third liquid outlet branch being in communication with the cooling flow channel and the second liquid outlet branch, the second liquid outlet branch being in communication with the third liquid outlet branch and the first liquid outlet pipe; wherein the liquid cooling device further comprises a temperature adjusting member, the temperature adjusting member being configured to adjust the temperature of the cooling liquid in the third liquid inlet branch, and to decrease the temperature of the cooling liquid in the third liquid inlet branch along the first direction, 2. The liquid cooling device of claim 1, wherein, the first liquid outlet pipe comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion extending from a position close to the liquid pump to a position away from the liquid pump, the second portion extending from a position away from the liquid pump to a position close to the liquid pump, an end of the second portion away from the liquid pump being in communication with the first portion, and an end of the second portion close to the liquid pump being in communication with the liquid outlet. the temperature adjusting member comprising heating members configured to heat the cooling liquid in at least part of the third liquid inlet branch, the power of each heating member decreasing along the first direction, and / or, 3. The liquid cooling device of claim 1, wherein, the temperature adjusting member comprising cooling members configured to cool the cooling liquid in at least part of the third liquid inlet branch, the power of each cooling member increasing along the first direction. the temperature adjusting member comprising semiconductor temperature adjusting members configured to exchange heat with the cooling liquid in two third liquid inlet branches in the same cooling pipe cluster; 4. The liquid cooling device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by wherein the semiconductor temperature adjusting member comprises a hot end for heating and a cold end for cooling, the hot end being configured to heat the cooling liquid in the third liquid inlet branch close to the connection position of the second liquid inlet branch and the first liquid inlet pipe among the two third liquid inlet branches, and the cold end being configured to cool the cooling liquid in the other third liquid inlet branch among the two third liquid inlet branches. the temperature adjusting member being arranged in the third liquid inlet branch.

5. The liquid cooling device of claim 1, wherein, In the first direction, the pipe diameter of the secondary liquid inlet branch increases.

6. The liquid cooling device of claim 1, wherein, The length of the liquid return primary pipe is not less than the length of the liquid inlet primary pipe.

7. The liquid cooling device of claim 1, wherein, The extension direction of the liquid inlet primary pipe is parallel to the first part, and the cooling pipe cluster is connected to the liquid inlet primary pipe and the first part, Or, The liquid inlet primary pipe includes a third part and a fourth part, the third part extends from a position close to the liquid pump to a position away from the liquid pump, the fourth part extends from a position away from the liquid pump to a position close to the liquid pump, the end of the fourth part away from the liquid pump is connected to the third part, and the end of the third part close to the liquid pump is connected to the liquid inlet port, wherein the cooling pipe cluster is used to connect the first part and the third part, and the cooling pipe cluster is also used to connect the second part and the fourth part.

8. An energy storage device, characterized by, The energy storage device includes: An electrical element capable of storing electrical energy, and a cooling flow channel in the electrical element; The liquid cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the tertiary branch is connected to the cooling flow channel; The liquid inlet primary pipe and the liquid return primary pipe are both located at the bottom of the electrical element, and the electrical element further includes an electric core, and the cooling flow channel is capable of exchanging heat with the electric core.

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