Battery thermal management device based on U-shaped heat pipe and liquid cooling

Abstract

The invention discloses a battery thermal management device based on U-shaped heat pipes and liquid cooling, and the device comprises square batteries (1), each square battery (1) comprises an electrode top surface, an electrode bottom surface, a long side surface and a short side surface, and a plurality of square batteries (1) are arranged along the thickness direction in a manner that the long side surfaces are adjacent to each other to form a battery module; the U-shaped heat pipes (2) are arranged in gaps of the long side faces of the adjacent square batteries (1) in a staggered mode, each U-shaped heat pipe (2) comprises an evaporation section and a condensation section, the evaporation sections are arranged in the gaps of the long side faces of the adjacent square batteries (1) in a clamped mode, and the condensation sections are located above the top faces of the electrodes and abut against the liquid cooling plate (3); and the two sides of the liquid cooling plate (3) are provided with sheet-shaped heat-conducting sheets of which the number is the same as that of the square batteries (1), and the sheet-shaped heat-conducting sheets are in complete contact with the short side surfaces of the square batteries (1). Efficient heat dissipation of the heat management device on the battery can be achieved, space is fully utilized, and the structure is simple and compact.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of battery thermal management in energy storage systems, and particularly to a battery thermal management device based on U-shaped heat pipes and liquid cooling. Background Art

[0002] The rapid development of new energy vehicles and the energy storage field has made the performance and safety of the core component - the battery highly concerned. During the charging and discharging process, the battery will release a large amount of heat. If not properly controlled, it will not only reduce the battery performance and shorten its lifespan, but also may cause safety hazards. Therefore, the battery thermal management technology has become the top priority in the industry research. Currently, the thermal management technologies include various means such as air cooling, liquid cooling, thermoelectric cooling, heat pipe technology, and the application of phase change materials. Especially the liquid cooling technology, due to its excellent cooling effect, has been widely used in the market. This technology absorbs and releases heat through the circulating liquid to achieve the purpose of cooling the battery. The traditional air cooling technology often fails to meet the heat dissipation requirements in high-load scenarios, while the pure liquid cooling technology, although having high heat transfer efficiency, may lead to problems such as complex structure when achieving the ideal heat dissipation effect in the case of narrow monomer gaps.

[0003] As an efficient heat conduction element, the heat pipe can achieve high-efficiency heat transfer by utilizing the characteristics of the internal working fluid evaporating and absorbing heat; liquid cooling forcibly takes away heat through the circulation of the coolant. The combination of the two can further improve the battery temperature control ability and make full use of the limited space. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a battery heat dissipation device that combines heat pipes and liquid cooling.

[0004] In the existing structures that combine liquid cooling and heat pipes, most of the structural designs directly insert straight heat pipes between the batteries and then transfer the heat to the external condensation section, and then use a special cooling system to absorb the heat transferred to the condensation section. This structure is prone to the problem of low space utilization. There is also a design that uses an evaporation section with a larger length to absorb the heat of multiple batteries, and at the same time uses liquid cooling to cool the heat pipe and a certain surface of the battery. Such a design is likely to cause a large temperature difference between the batteries far from the liquid cooling plate and the batteries close to the liquid cooling plate, affecting the temperature uniformity of the entire battery pack.

[0005] Therefore, how to maintain the temperature uniformity of the battery module while reducing the maximum temperature of the battery module is challenging. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a battery thermal management device based on U-shaped heat pipes and liquid cooling, which can effectively improve the efficiency and stability of battery thermal management, and maintain the temperature uniformity of the battery module while reducing the maximum temperature of the battery module.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned invention purpose, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0008] A battery thermal management device based on U-shaped heat pipes and liquid cooling, the device comprising:

[0009] Square batteries, which include electrode top surfaces, bottom surfaces, long side surfaces and short side surfaces, and a plurality of square batteries are arranged along the thickness direction in a manner that the long side surfaces are adjacent to form a battery module;

[0010] U-shaped heat pipes, which are arranged staggeredly in the gaps between the long side surfaces of adjacent square batteries. The U-shaped heat pipes include evaporation sections and condensation sections. The evaporation sections are clamped in the gaps between the long side surfaces of adjacent square batteries, and the condensation sections are located above the electrode top surfaces and are close to the liquid cooling plate;

[0011] A liquid cooling plate, on both sides of which there are sheet-shaped heat conducting fins with the same number as the batteries and which are in full contact with the short side surfaces of the square batteries.

[0012] In the present invention, by arranging a number of heat conducting fins with the same size as the battery thickness on both sides of the liquid cooling plate and being in full contact with the battery side surfaces to absorb the heat generated by the battery, and the lower side of the liquid cooling plate is in contact with the condensation section of the U-shaped heat pipe to recover the heat of the working fluid in the heat pipe. The working fluid evaporates in the evaporation section and flows towards the condensation section, thereby absorbing the heat of the battery. The U-shaped heat pipes and the liquid cooling plate simultaneously absorb the heat generated by the battery, and at the same time the liquid cooling plate can also recover the heat at the U-shaped heat pipe, making reasonable use of the limited space; and arranging the U-shaped heat pipes staggeredly enables the evaporation section of the U-shaped heat pipe to be between every two square batteries; which is beneficial to improving the stability and compactness of battery thermal management.

[0013] Wherein, the U-shaped heat pipe contains a wick inside, and the condensation section is close to the liquid cooling plate, ensuring the maximum contact area with the battery and the liquid cooling plate and improving the heat transfer efficiency.

[0014] There are several rows of U-shaped heat pipes arranged at equal intervals between adjacent square batteries, and every two adjacent rows of U-shaped heat pipes are arranged in a staggered distribution.

[0015] Each row of U-shaped heat pipes includes 2 to 6 U-shaped heat pipes, and the number of square batteries is 4 to 8. Through the above arrangement, it can be flexibly applied in systems with different capacities or cooling requirements.

[0016] The distance between the condensation section of the U-shaped heat pipe and the top of the electrode terminal of the square battery is at least 10 mm. Thus, a wiring space is reserved.

[0017] Preferably, the U-shaped heat pipe is flat-shaped, which can increase the contact area with the liquid cooling plate and the battery and enhance the heat exchange effect. In the present invention, the thickness of the U-shaped heat pipe is 2 to 5 mm.

[0018] The evaporation section in the U-shaped heat pipe is attached to the battery through a heat-conducting adhesive, and the condensation section in the U-shaped heat pipe is attached to the lower surface of the liquid cooling plate through a heat-conducting adhesive.

[0019] Among them, the heat conducting sheet is in full contact with the short side of the battery through a gasket or heat conducting glue.

[0020] Among them, the size of the sheet-shaped heat conducting sheet conforms to the thickness of the battery.

[0021] Flow channels are provided on the liquid cooling plate, and the flow channels are parallel straight channels or serpentine channels.

[0022] The flow channels inside the liquid cooling plate can be optimized in shape or layout according to the heat dissipation requirements of the battery pack.

[0023] The U-shaped heat pipe is made of copper or aluminum, the liquid cooling plate is made of aluminum or aluminum alloy, and the working medium in the U-shaped heat pipe is R134A or acetone.

[0024] Preferably, the liquid cooling plate is made of aluminum to solve the possible weight problem caused by a large number of heat conducting sheets.

[0025] The geometric dimensions of the heat pipe and the geometric dimensions of the liquid cooling plate of the battery thermal management device provided by the present invention can be adjusted accordingly according to different working scenarios.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0027] The battery thermal management device based on U-shaped heat pipes and liquid cooling provided by the present invention realizes fast and efficient heat transfer and reduces the temperature difference of the battery pack by arranging the evaporation sections of the U-shaped heat pipes staggered between adjacent square batteries and making the condensation sections contact with the liquid cooling plate; the coolant of the liquid cooling plate can take away most of the heat, and combined with the heat absorption characteristics of the phase change of the working medium in the heat pipe, the overall heat dissipation efficiency is high; the structure is relatively compact, which not only retains the advantages of liquid cooling but also makes full use of the heat transfer ability of the U-shaped heat pipe, and is suitable for battery thermal management systems that are sensitive to volume and weight; at the same time, the flow rate of the coolant can be adjusted according to different working conditions of the battery to more effectively dissipate heat from the battery module. Therefore, the device provided by the present invention can effectively improve the efficiency and stability of battery thermal management.

[0028] For the battery thermal management device based on U-shaped heat pipes and liquid cooling provided by the present invention, while the liquid cooling plate cools the working medium in the condensation section of the heat pipe, several heat conducting sheets on both sides of the liquid cooling plate are in contact with the side of the battery to dissipate heat from the battery. Therefore, the cooperation mode of the heat pipe and the liquid cooling plate adopted by the battery thermal management device provided by the present invention can not only perform double heat dissipation on the battery by liquid cooling and heat pipes, but also the liquid cooling can cool the working medium of the heat pipe, making full use of the limited space and improving the heat dissipation efficiency of the battery.

[0029] Compared with the thermal management device using a single heat pipe for heat dissipation, the battery thermal management device provided by the present invention has more efficient heat transfer and a relatively more compact structure. Description of the Drawings

[0030] Figure 1 FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a battery thermal management device based on a U-shaped heat pipe and liquid cooling provided by the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery thermal management device based on a U-shaped heat pipe and liquid cooling provided by the present invention without a liquid cooling plate;

[0032] Figure 3 FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the mating position between the U-shaped heat pipe and the battery of a battery thermal management device based on a U-shaped heat pipe and liquid cooling provided by the present invention;

[0033] Figure 4 FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the liquid cooling plate of a battery thermal management device based on a U-shaped heat pipe and liquid cooling provided by the present invention;

[0034] Wherein: 1, square battery; 2, U-shaped heat pipe; 3, liquid cooling plate; 4, flow channel. Detailed Description of the Embodiments

[0035] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Apparently, the described embodiments are some, but not all, of the embodiments of the present application. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present application without creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0036] Embodiment 1

[0037] As shown in Figures 1-4 FIG. 5, the battery thermal management device based on a U-shaped heat pipe and liquid cooling provided in this embodiment includes:

[0038] Square batteries 1 are arranged in sequence along the thickness direction of the square batteries 1 with a gap slightly larger than the thickness of the U-shaped heat pipes 2. The square batteries 1 include an electrode top surface, a bottom surface, a long side surface, and a short side surface.

[0039] U-shaped heat pipes 2 are arranged in the gaps between the long side surfaces of adjacent square batteries 1 and are attached to the square batteries 1 through thermal conductive adhesive. The condensation section of the U-shaped heat pipes 2 is attached to the lower part of the liquid cooling plate 3 through thermal conductive adhesive.

[0040] Liquid cooling plate 3 contains flow channels 4 for circulating coolant inside, and there are pairs of heat conductive sheets with the same number as the batteries on both sides of the liquid cooling plate 3. The heat conductive sheets are attached to the short side surfaces of the square batteries 1 through thermal conductive adhesive for heat transfer.

[0041] Specifically, the U-shaped heat pipe 2 is made of copper material, and its interior contains a wick structure for transporting the condensed working fluid back to the evaporation section. The working fluid undergoing phase change inside it is R134A; the liquid cooling plate 3 with several heat conduction fin structures is made of aluminum material. Among them, the heat conduction fins are connected to the side surface of the square battery 1 through heat conduction gaskets.

[0042] In this embodiment, the thickness of the U-shaped heat pipe 2 is 3 mm, its internal working fluid is R134A, the thickness of the liquid cooling plate 3 is 5 mm, the length and width of the flow channel 4 are both 3 mm, and the heat conduction fins on both sides of the liquid cooling plate 3 are 1 mm thick.

[0043] In this embodiment, 4 rows of U-shaped heat pipes are arranged along the long side surface of the square battery 1, with 2 U-shaped heat pipes in each row, totaling 8; among them, there are two rows of U-shaped heat pipes in the gap on the same long side surface, with 2 in each row.

[0044] Embodiment 2 - 3

[0045] The battery thermal management device based on U-shaped heat pipes and liquid cooling provided in Embodiment 2 - 3 can refer to Embodiment 1, the difference being that the thicknesses of the U-shaped heat pipes 2 are 4 mm and 5 mm respectively.

[0046] Embodiment 4 - 5

[0047] The battery thermal management device based on U-shaped heat pipes and liquid cooling provided in Embodiment 4 - 5 can refer to Embodiment 1, the difference being that the number of heat pipes at each gap between adjacent batteries is 2 and 6 respectively.

[0048] In summary, the heat dissipation ability of the battery thermal management device provided by the present invention is efficient. It can utilize heat pipes and liquid cooling for dual heat dissipation of the battery, and the liquid cooling can also condense the condensation section of the heat pipe. The heat of the battery absorbed by the evaporation section of the heat pipe is recovered by the liquid cooling plate at the condensation section. In addition, the special structure of the liquid cooling plate enables the liquid cooling to also conduct heat exchange with the side part of the battery. The entire heat pipe and liquid cooling composite thermal management device effectively dissipates heat from the battery, fully retains the advantages of liquid cooling and heat pipes, improves the heat dissipation performance of the thermal management device, and retains the advantage of a compact structure.

[0049] Although the disclosed manner in the embodiments of this application is as above, the content is only the implementation manner adopted for easy understanding. Any person of ordinary skill in the art should understand that without departing from the spirit and scope disclosed by the present invention, any modifications and changes can be made in the form of implementation and details, but the patent protection scope of the present invention still must be subject to the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A battery thermal management device based on a U-shaped heat pipe and liquid cooling, characterized in that: The device comprises: A square battery (1), the square battery (1) comprising an electrode top surface, a bottom surface, a long side surface and a short side surface, and a plurality of square batteries (1) are arranged in a thickness direction in a manner such that the long side surfaces are adjacent to each other to form a battery module; U-shaped heat pipes (2) are arranged in a staggered manner in the long side gaps of adjacent square batteries (1), the U-shaped heat pipes (2) comprising an evaporation section and a condensation section, the evaporation section is sandwiched in the long side gaps of adjacent square batteries (1), and the condensation section is located above the top surface of the electrode and close to the liquid cooling plate (3); A liquid cooling plate (3), wherein the same number of sheet-shaped heat conducting plates as the square batteries (1) are arranged on both sides of the liquid cooling plate (3), and the sheet-shaped heat conducting plates are in full contact with the short side surfaces of the square batteries (1).

2. The battery thermal management device based on U-shaped heat pipe and liquid cooling according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of rows of U-shaped heat pipes (2) are arranged at equal intervals between adjacent square batteries (1), and each two adjacent rows of U-shaped heat pipes (2) are arranged to form a staggered distribution.

3. The battery thermal management device based on U-shaped heat pipe and liquid cooling according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each row of U-shaped heat pipes (2) comprises 2 to 6 U-shaped heat pipes (2), and the number of square batteries (1) is 4 to 8.

4. The battery thermal management device based on U-shaped heat pipe and liquid cooling according to claim 1, characterized in that: The distance between the condensation section of the U-shaped heat pipe (2) and the top of the electrode terminal of the square battery (1) is at least 10 mm.

5. The battery thermal management device based on U-shaped heat pipe and liquid cooling according to claim 1, characterized in that: The U-shaped heat pipe (2) is flat and has a thickness of 2 to 5 mm.

6. The battery thermal management device based on U-shaped heat pipe and liquid cooling according to claim 1, characterized in that: The evaporation section in the U-shaped heat pipe (2) is bonded to the square battery (1) via thermally conductive adhesive, and the condensation section in the U-shaped heat pipe (2) is bonded to the lower surface of the liquid cooling plate (3) via thermally conductive adhesive.

7. The battery thermal management device based on U-shaped heat pipe and liquid cooling according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid cooling plate (3) is provided with a flow channel (4), and the flow channel (4) is a parallel straight flow channel or a serpentine flow channel.

8. The battery thermal management device based on U-shaped heat pipe and liquid cooling according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the U-shaped heat pipe (2) is copper or aluminum, the material of the liquid cooling plate (3) is aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and the working fluid in the U-shaped heat pipe (2) is R134A or acetone.

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