Semi-immersed liquid-cooled battery module and temperature control method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a semi-immersed liquid-cooled battery module and a temperature control method thereof. The module comprises a module shell, a temperature control module and a battery module, wherein the temperature control module and the battery module are arranged in the module shell; the battery module comprises a battery pack, a battery pack shell, a fixing part, a buffering part and a temperature sensor, the battery pack is formed by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series; the temperature sensor is arranged below the battery cells; a fixing part is arranged on the inner side wall of the battery pack shell, and a liquid cooling cavity and an air cooling cavity are respectively formed between the fixing part and the bottom and the top of the battery pack shell; a water inlet / outlet penetrating through the liquid cooling cavity is formed in the outer side of the battery pack The liquid cooling cavity is filled with cooling liquid; the temperature control module comprises a controller, and a water pump and a temperature control board which are respectively controlled by the controller; the water pump and the temperature control board are arranged on the circulating pipeline, and the controller is designed to start the water pump and the temperature control board to work according to real-time temperature information detected by the temperature sensor, so that liquid exchange of the cooling liquid is realized, and the working stability and safety of the battery are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of energy storage batteries, and in particular to a semi-immersed liquid-cooled battery module and a temperature control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the popularization and development of new energy electric vehicles, the heat dissipation problem faced by battery systems during high-power charging and discharging has become particularly prominent.

[0003] The traditional battery packaging structure makes it difficult to effectively dissipate heat under high-intensity working conditions. The main cooling methods currently used include air cooling, phase change cooling, full immersion liquid cooling, etc., but these technologies have their own shortcomings. For example, the heat exchange efficiency of air cooling is low and it is difficult to ensure uniform temperature inside the module; the material cost of phase change cooling is high and the introduction of related equipment will increase the volume and weight of the entire battery pack; and the traditional full immersion cooling completely immerses the heating element or the entire device in the coolant, using the thermal conductivity of the liquid to take away the heat, thereby achieving efficient heat dissipation. However, it not only has high requirements for the coolant, but also has high safety risks.

[0004] It can be seen that how to optimize the design of the battery packaging structure and improve the heat dissipation effect of the battery has become a technical problem that needs to be urgently solved by technical personnel in this field. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present invention provides a semi-immersed liquid-cooled battery module and a temperature control method thereof, so as to solve the problem of how to combine the semi-immersed liquid cooling technology with the intelligent temperature control strategy to achieve uniform heat dissipation and temperature control of the battery module and improve the stability of battery operation.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, an embodiment of the present invention provides a semi-immersed liquid-cooled battery module, comprising: a module housing, and a temperature control module and a battery module arranged in the module housing; The battery module includes a battery pack, a battery pack housing, a fixing component and a temperature sensor; The battery pack is composed of a plurality of battery cells connected in series, and the temperature sensor is arranged below the battery cells; The fixing component is provided on the inner side wall of the battery pack housing, a liquid cooling cavity is formed between the fixing component and the bottom of the battery pack housing, and an air cooling cavity is formed between the fixing component and the top of the battery pack housing; a water inlet and a water outlet penetrating the liquid cooling cavity are provided on the outer side of the battery pack housing, and the water inlet and the water outlet are connected through a circulation pipeline; The liquid cooling cavity is filled with cooling liquid; the fixing component has a battery opening for inserting the battery pack, and the battery pack is partially inserted into the liquid cooling cavity through the battery opening; The temperature control module includes: a controller, and a water pump and a temperature control board respectively controlled by the controller; The water pump and the temperature control board are both arranged on the circulation pipeline, and the controller is designed to start the water pump and the temperature control board accordingly according to the real-time temperature information detected by the temperature sensor, so as to realize the liquid exchange of the coolant.

[0007] Furthermore, the structure also includes buffer components arranged on both sides and the top electrode of each of the battery cells for protecting the battery pack.

[0008] Furthermore, the temperature control plate is designed as a heating plate and a cooling plate that fit each other.

[0009] Furthermore, the fixing component includes a shaping component and an L-shaped member, wherein the outer side of the shaping component is connected to the inner side wall of the battery pack housing, and the L-shaped member is sleeved on the inner side of the shaping component.

[0010] Furthermore, the shaping component and the L-shaped member are fixedly connected by threads.

[0011] Furthermore, a heat dissipation hole is provided at the air cooling chamber on the same side as the water inlet and the water outlet.

[0012] Furthermore, a baffle is provided at the heat dissipation hole, and the ventilation condition of the air-cooling chamber is adjusted by controlling the closing state of the baffle.

[0013] Furthermore, the structure also includes a working power supply, and the amplitude of the working voltage is set to -24~+24V, which is used to provide voltage for the temperature control board.

[0014] Furthermore, the temperature sensor may be a thermocouple or a thermistor.

[0015] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a temperature control method for a semi-immersed liquid-cooled battery module, comprising: Controlling the working power supply to be turned on, and sending the real-time collected temperature information of the coolant to the temperature control module through the temperature sensor; When the temperature exceeds / is lower than a preset temperature threshold, the controller controls the temperature control plate to cool or heat the coolant.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the embodiments of the present invention have the following advantages: This embodiment plays the role of containing, fixing and protecting the battery pack and the coolant by cooperating with the shell, shaping components, L-shaped components and buffer components of the battery module. It also combines semi-immersion liquid cooling technology with intelligent temperature control strategy, where semi-immersion liquid cooling has lower requirements for coolant and more uniform cooling effect, and utilizes the synergistic effect of temperature control source and liquid cooling plate in heat absorption and heat release to achieve constant temperature control of the battery module. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a semi-submerged liquid-cooled battery module in one embodiment of the present invention; FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a fixing component in one embodiment of the present invention; FIG3 is a schematic flow chart of a temperature control method for a semi-immersed liquid-cooled battery module provided by the present invention; Reference numerals: Among them, 1. module housing; 2. battery module; 21. battery pack; 22. battery pack housing; 23. fixing component; 24. first buffer component; 25. temperature sensor; 26. second buffer component; 3. temperature control module; 31. water pump; 32. temperature control board. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] 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. The purpose of providing these embodiments is to make the disclosure of the present invention more thorough and comprehensive. 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.

[0019] In the description of this application, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first", "second", "third", etc. may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0020] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be a connection between the two elements. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "left", "right", "upper", "lower" and similar expressions used herein are only for illustrative purposes, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0021] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in the present invention have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art. The terms used in the specification of the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood by specific circumstances.

[0022] An embodiment of the present invention provides a semi-submerged liquid-cooled battery module. Specifically, please refer to Figure 1, which shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a semi-submerged liquid-cooled battery module in one embodiment of the present invention. It can be seen that the structure includes a module shell 1, and a battery module 2 and a temperature control module 3 arranged in the module shell 1.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment of the device, handles can be added to both sides of the module housing 1 for moving the entire battery module. At the same time, the module housing 1 is used to protect the various modules and components inside.

[0024] The battery module 2 includes a battery pack 21 , a battery pack housing 22 , a fixing component 23 and a temperature sensor 25 .

[0025] The battery pack 21 is composed of a plurality of battery cells connected in series. The battery cells can be arranged in multiple rows with certain gaps between the battery cells to ensure that each side of the battery cell can directly exchange heat with the coolant, thereby increasing the heat dissipation area and improving the heat dissipation efficiency.

[0026] In actual situations, it is understandable that the bottom of the battery cell arranged in the middle of the battery pack is the place with the highest temperature in the entire battery pack. Therefore, in this embodiment, the temperature sensor 25 is arranged below the battery cell. Based on the above arrangement, preferably, only one temperature sensor can be configured to measure the temperature of the coolant in the battery module 2 and feed the result back to the temperature control module 3.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment of the device, the temperature sensor 25 may be a thermocouple or an NTC thermistor.

[0028] The fixing component 23 is provided on the inner side wall of the battery pack housing 22, and a liquid cooling cavity is formed between the fixing component 23 and the bottom of the battery pack housing 22, and an air cooling cavity is formed between the fixing component 23 and the top of the battery pack housing 22. The liquid cooling cavity is filled with cooling liquid, and the fixing component 23 has a battery opening for inserting the battery pack 21, and the battery pack 21 is partially inserted into the liquid cooling cavity through the battery opening.

[0029] As shown in FIG1 , it can be seen that the battery pack 21 of this embodiment is divided into a natural air cooling area and a liquid cooling area, namely, an air cooling cavity and a liquid cooling cavity, with the fixed component 23 as the boundary. It can be understood that the battery pack 21 located below the fixed component 23 is immersed in the coolant, which is a liquid cooling area, and the heat is dissipated by the flow of the coolant; while the pole area of ​​the battery cell located above the fixed component 23 is a natural air cooling area, which is dissipated by natural air cooling and the heat conduction of the battery itself.

[0030] In this embodiment, the fixing component 23 includes a shaping component and an L-shaped member. Specifically, please refer to Figure 2, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fixing component in one embodiment of the present invention. It can be seen that the outer side of the shaping component is connected to the inner side wall of the battery pack housing, and the L-shaped member is sleeved on the inner side of the shaping component.

[0031] The shaping component and the L-shaped member are both fixed structures, located at a certain height below the battery cell pole of the battery pack 21. In this embodiment, the shaping component and the L-shaped member are fixedly connected by threads, so that the two components work together to fix the battery pack. This prevents the battery pack from tilting or shaking when subjected to external forces, and can also seal the coolant in the liquid cooling area.

[0032] In this embodiment, an opening is provided in the middle of the shaping component for placing the battery cell group, that is, multiple battery cells are placed through this opening. The edge of the opening, that is, the inner wall of the shaping component is provided with an L-shaped member of a certain height and thickness for reinforcing the battery cell. The horizontal plate portion of the L-shaped member is tightly fitted with the reserved surface of the opening edge of the shaping component, and the L-shaped member and the shaping component body are fixed by welding screws.

[0033] It is worth noting that in order to meet the sealing requirements of the liquid cooling chamber of the battery module 2, glue can be poured in the area formed by the vertical plate and the horizontal plate of the shaping component and the L-shaped member to fill the gap caused by welding. Glue pouring can ensure flexibility and sealing, and can enhance the fixing effect, which is convenient for construction.

[0034] In addition to being able to fix the entire battery module 2, the battery pack housing 22 is provided with a water inlet and a water outlet at the same height that penetrate the liquid cooling chamber on the outside of the battery pack housing 22, and the water inlet and the water outlet are connected through a circulation pipeline. It can be understood that the water inlet and water outlet provided are the water inlet and outlet, and the water inlet and outlet holes are connected to the circulation pipeline, i.e., the water inlet and outlet pipes, thereby providing a channel for the coolant to circulate between the battery module 2 and the temperature control module 3.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment of the device, a heat dissipation hole is provided at the same side of the air cooling cavity as the water inlet and outlet. The heat dissipation hole should be provided at the air cooling cavity, that is, at the height of the battery pack pole, so as to improve the heat dissipation efficiency of the natural air cooling area. For example, the heat dissipation hole can be provided in a rectangular shape.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment of the device, a baffle may be provided at the heat dissipation hole, and the ventilation condition of the air-cooling chamber may be adjusted by controlling the closing state of the baffle, thereby optimizing the heat dissipation effect of the entire battery pack.

[0037] As can be seen from FIG. 1 , the battery module 2 further includes buffer components disposed on both sides and at the top electrode of each battery cell for protecting the battery pack.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment of the present device, the buffer component can be a cushion with a certain thickness and elasticity. As shown in Figure 1, the second buffer component 26 is located between the battery pack pole and the top of the battery pack shell 22, which can compress the battery cell without damaging it. The first buffer component 24 is located between the side-by-side battery cells, and can be a narrow rubber sheet with the same width as the battery cell, and its length is much smaller than the height of the battery cell. It can not only create a certain space between the battery cells to allow the battery cells to fully contact with the coolant, but also absorb the vibration generated during the overall movement, and reserve buffer space for the deformation generated during the battery charging and discharging. In addition, the first buffer component 24 can cooperate with the fixing component 23 to fill the gap generated when the shell and the battery cell are in contact, so as to better seal the coolant.

[0039] It is worth noting that due to the presence of the first buffer component 24, the glue can be confined to the area between the fixing component 23 and the first buffer component 24 during glue pouring, thereby improving the sealing and preventing the glue from dripping into the coolant to reduce the heat dissipation efficiency.

[0040] Furthermore, the temperature control module 3 includes: a controller, and a water pump 31 and a temperature control board 32 respectively controlled by the controller.

[0041] As shown on the left side of Figure 1, the water pump 31 and the temperature control plate 32 are both arranged on the circulation pipeline, and the controller is designed to start the water pump 31 and the temperature control plate 32 accordingly according to the real-time temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 25 to realize liquid exchange of the coolant.

[0042] The temperature control plate 32 is designed as a heating plate and a cooling plate that fit together. In a preferred embodiment of the present device, the temperature control plate 32 is a temperature control source and a liquid cooling plate made of a semiconductor cooling plate. The two fit together to cover a part of the inlet and outlet water pipes (circulating pipes) to absorb / release heat, that is, the temperature control source and the liquid cooling plate work together to exchange heat with the battery cells through the circulation of the coolant, thereby achieving constant temperature control of the coolant.

[0043] In the temperature control module 3 of the present device, a working power supply is also provided accordingly. It can be seen from FIG1 that the two sides of the working voltage are connected to the temperature control board 32 and the temperature sensor 25 through wires. Since the semiconductor refrigeration plate has two thermal control effects of heating and cooling, when the working power supply is turned on, the temperature control source and the liquid cooling plate respectively release heat or absorb heat, which can be used to control the battery module at a constant temperature.

[0044] Based on this, in this embodiment, the amplitude of the working voltage is set to a continuously adjustable voltage source of -24~+24V, which is used to provide voltage for the temperature control board. Thus, the working power source controls the start and stop of the water pump according to the coolant temperature fed back by the temperature sensor 25, and realizes the heat absorption / release of the temperature control board 32 by changing the voltage polarity and amplitude of the working power source.

[0045] In summary, the embodiments of the present invention rely on the mutual cooperation of the shell, the shaping component, the L-shaped component and the buffer component to ensure the effective sealing of the temperature control liquid and the insulation and isolation of the electrical parts of the electrode; by dividing the battery module into a natural air cooling zone and a liquid cooling zone through the shaping component and the L-shaped component, semi-immersed liquid cooling is achieved. Semi-immersed liquid cooling has lower requirements for the coolant and has a more uniform cooling effect; by controlling the temperature control source of the temperature control module and the liquid cooling plate to cooperate in heat dissipation and heat absorption, the coolant is temperature-controlled, thereby improving the stability of battery operation.

[0046] An embodiment of the present invention provides a temperature control method for a semi-immersed liquid-cooled battery module. Specifically, please refer to FIG. 3 , which is a schematic flow chart of a temperature control method for a semi-immersed liquid-cooled battery module in one embodiment of the present invention, including the following steps: S1. Control the working power supply to be turned on, and send the real-time collected temperature information of the coolant to the temperature control module through the temperature sensor.

[0047] S2. When the temperature exceeds / is lower than a preset temperature threshold, the controller controls the temperature control board to cool or heat the coolant.

[0048] Specifically, when the temperature exceeds a preset temperature threshold, cooling is performed by controlling the liquid cooling plate; when the temperature is lower than the preset temperature threshold, heat is released by controlling the liquid cooling plate, and heat is absorbed by controlling the temperature control source.

[0049] It can be understood that this embodiment takes into account the actual situation and first sets a temperature threshold suitable for battery operation, that is, at this temperature, the battery module will achieve stable and safe operation. Due to the dual effects of the heat generated by the battery cell itself and the external environment when it is working, the temperature of the coolant in the battery module 2 will change, and the temperature sensor 25 will feedback this change to the controller and the working power supply of the temperature control module 3 in real time. When the temperature exceeds the threshold, by changing the voltage polarity and amplitude of the working power supply, the start and stop of the water pump is controlled, and the input voltage connected to the semiconductor refrigeration plate is adjusted to achieve: when the battery cell temperature is too low, the temperature control source absorbs heat, and the liquid cooling plate releases heat, which serves as a heat source to heat the coolant; when the battery cell temperature is too high, the liquid cooling plate serves as a cold source to cool the coolant.

[0050] The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present invention, and the description thereof is relatively specific and detailed, but it cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the patent of the present invention. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary technicians in this field, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, which all belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present invention shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A semi-immersed liquid-cooled battery module structure, characterized in that: include: A module housing, and a temperature control module and a battery module arranged in the module housing; The battery module includes a battery pack, a battery pack housing, a fixing component and a temperature sensor; The battery pack is composed of a plurality of battery cells connected in series, and the temperature sensor is arranged below the battery cells; The fixing component is provided on the inner side wall of the battery pack housing, a liquid cooling cavity is formed between the fixing component and the bottom of the battery pack housing, and an air cooling cavity is formed between the fixing component and the top of the battery pack housing; a water inlet and a water outlet penetrating the liquid cooling cavity are provided on the outer side of the battery pack housing, and the water inlet and the water outlet are connected through a circulation pipeline; The liquid cooling cavity is filled with cooling liquid; the fixing component has a battery opening for inserting the battery pack, and the battery pack is partially inserted into the liquid cooling cavity through the battery opening; The temperature control module includes: a controller, and a water pump and a temperature control board respectively controlled by the controller; The water pump and the temperature control board are both arranged on the circulation pipeline, and the controller is designed to start the water pump and the temperature control board accordingly according to the real-time temperature information detected by the temperature sensor, so as to realize the liquid exchange of the coolant.

2. The semi-submerged liquid-cooled battery module structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The structure further comprises buffer components arranged at both sides and top electrodes of each of the battery cells for protecting the battery pack.

3. The semi-submerged liquid-cooled battery module structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The temperature control plate is designed as a heating plate and a cooling plate which are attached to each other.

4. The semi-submerged liquid-cooled battery module structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixing component includes a shaping component and an L-shaped member, wherein the outer side of the shaping component is connected to the inner side wall of the battery pack housing, and the L-shaped member is sleeved on the inner side of the shaping component.

5. The semi-submerged liquid-cooled battery module structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The shaping component and the L-shaped member are fixedly connected by threads.

6. The semi-submerged liquid-cooled battery module structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: A heat dissipation hole is arranged on the same side of the air cooling cavity as the water inlet and the water outlet.

7. The semi-submerged liquid-cooled battery module structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: A baffle is provided at the heat dissipation hole, and the ventilation condition of the air cooling chamber is adjusted by controlling the closing state of the baffle.

8. The semi-submerged liquid-cooled battery module structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The structure also includes a working power supply, the amplitude of which is set to -24~+24V, for providing voltage for the temperature control board.

9. The semi-submerged liquid-cooled battery module structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The temperature sensor may be a thermocouple or a thermistor.

10. A temperature control method for a semi-immersed liquid-cooled battery module, applied to the semi-immersed liquid-cooled battery module structure according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: include: Controlling the working power supply to be turned on, and sending the real-time temperature information of the coolant collected by the temperature sensor to the temperature control module; When the temperature exceeds / is lower than a preset temperature threshold, the controller controls the temperature control plate to cool or heat the coolant.

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