Heat exchange assembly

Abstract

There is provided a heat exchange assembly for a battery system including a plurality of battery cells and at least one electronic component, the heat exchange assembly including: a heat exchange plate including a first plate and a second plate arranged to face the first plate, the heat exchange plate is arranged to receive a plurality of battery cells on at least one of a first plate and a second plate in a first portion of the heat exchange plate, and to receive at least one electronic component on at least one of the first plate and the second plate in a second portion of the heat exchange plate, the heat exchange plate further comprising at least one first flow channel, and a heat exchanger for accommodating a heat exchange fluid and formed between the first plate and the second plate in the first portion of the heat exchange plate.

Description

[0001] Cross - reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to European Patent Application No. 24152543.5, filed on January 18, 2024, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical field

[0003] The present invention relates to the field of battery (accumulator) systems comprising a plurality of battery cells, and more particularly to a heat exchange assembly for a battery system and a battery system comprising the heat exchange assembly. Background art

[0004] Batteries comprising a plurality of battery cells play an increasingly important role in energy storage for mobile and grid - storage applications.

[0005] The temperature of the battery cells is crucial for the performance of the battery cells (e.g., for the charge and discharge capacity of the battery cells). The temperature of the battery cells also affects the lifespan of the battery cells and thus the lifespan of the battery.

[0006] During operation, the battery cells generate heat, and in order to ensure the safe operation of the battery, this heat needs to be appropriately discharged from the battery.

[0007] In addition, in the case where the temperature of the battery is affected by, for example, the ambient temperature around the battery and is not conducive to battery operation, heating of the battery cells may be required. In such a case, it may be necessary to heat the battery to at least a predetermined temperature, above which the safe operation of the battery can be ensured before and during battery operation.

[0008] To this end, batteries are typically equipped with a heat exchange system. The heat exchange system typically uses a heat exchange fluid to perform heat exchange between the battery cells and the heat exchange fluid.

[0009] A battery can be associated with at least one additional electronic component (such as an inverter, a motor controller, a DC (direct current) or AC (alternating current) power converter, etc.) for controlling the electrical output of the battery. A combination of a battery comprising a plurality of battery cells and at least one additional electronic component can also be referred to as a battery system.

[0010] Typically, in a battery system, the at least one electronic component tends to have an independent heat exchange system. Providing an independent heat exchange system for the at least one electronic component allows for improved temperature control of the at least one electronic component. However, this comes at the cost of increasing the manufacturing cost of the battery system, increasing the complexity of the battery system, and increasing the space required to accommodate the independent heat exchange system.

[0011] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a heat exchange component for the battery system that can solve the above-mentioned drawbacks.

[0012] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a heat exchange component for a battery system that can provide effective heat exchange with a battery system of low manufacturing cost and low complexity. Summary of the Invention

[0013] To achieve this object, in one aspect, the present invention provides a heat exchange component for a battery system, the battery system including a plurality of battery cells and at least one electronic component, the heat exchange component including:

[0014] A heat exchange plate, the heat exchange plate including a first plate and a second plate arranged to face the first plate,

[0015] The heat exchange plate is arranged to accommodate a plurality of battery cells on at least one of the first plate and the second plate in a first portion of the heat exchange plate, and is arranged to accommodate at least one electronic component on at least one of the first plate and the second plate in a second portion of the heat exchange plate,

[0016] The heat exchange plate further includes at least one first flow channel for accommodating a heat exchange fluid and formed between the first plate and the second plate in the first portion of the heat exchange plate.

[0017] To achieve this object, in another aspect, the present invention provides an energy storage system, including: a plurality of battery cells; at least one electronic component adapted to control the electrical output of the plurality of battery cells; and a heat exchange component supporting the plurality of battery cells and the at least one electronic component, the heat exchange component including: a heat exchange plate having a first plate and a second plate arranged to face the first plate, the plurality of battery cells being arranged on a first portion of the heat exchange plate, the at least one electronic component being arranged on a second portion of the heat exchange plate such that there is a predetermined gap between the plurality of battery cells and the at least one electronic component along the heat exchange plate, the heat exchange component further including a first fluid channel for accommodating a heat exchange fluid and formed between the first plate and the second plate in the first portion of the heat exchange plate, and

[0018] A second fluid passage for accommodating a heat exchange fluid and formed between a first plate and a second plate in a second portion of a heat exchange plate, wherein the second fluid passage branches out from an inlet portion of the first fluid passage to an outlet portion of the first fluid passage to bypass a first portion of the heat exchange plate, wherein a first portion of the heat exchange fluid passes through the first fluid passage to effect heat exchange with the plurality of battery cells, and a second portion of the heat exchange fluid passes through the second fluid passage to effect heat exchange with the at least one electronic component, wherein the second fluid passage has a sinusoidal profile and has a cross-sectional area different from that of the first fluid passage such that the fluid flow rate through the first fluid passage is different from the fluid flow rate through the second fluid passage, and wherein the heat exchange rate between the plurality of battery cells and the first portion of the heat exchange plate is different from the heat exchange rate between the electronic component and the second portion of the heat exchange plate. Description of the Drawings

[0019] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, which are presented for a better understanding of the concepts of the present invention but should not be regarded as limiting the present invention. In the drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 A heat exchange assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0021] Figure 2a 、 Figure 2b 、 Figure 2c A heat exchange assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0022] Figure 3 A heat exchange assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0023] Figure 4 A heat exchange assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0024] Figure 5 A heat exchange assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0025] Figure 6a 、 Figure 6b 、 Figure 6c and Figure 6d A heat exchange assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0026] Figure 7 A battery system according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0027] Figure 8 A battery system according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0028] Figure 9 Schematically shows a battery system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed implementation

[0029] Figure 1 Schematically shows a heat exchange assembly 1 for a battery system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the heat exchange assembly 1 is provided in the battery system 100. In other words, in one or more embodiments of the present invention, the battery system 100 includes the heat exchange assembly and one or more additional elements. The battery system 100 may also be referred to as an energy storage system.

[0030] In an embodiment of the present invention, the battery system 100 includes a plurality of battery cells and at least one electronic component. The battery system 100 further includes the heat exchange assembly 1 according to the embodiments described herein. The heat exchange assembly 1 is arranged to support the plurality of battery cells and at least one electronic component. In other words, the heat exchange assembly 1 is arranged to accommodate the plurality of battery cells and at least one electronic component.

[0031] The battery system 100 may be a multi-level converter with energy storage, such as an AC battery. In an AC battery, the components of the AC battery are positioned close to each other. This poses a challenge for efficient heat exchange while maintaining the compact design of the AC battery. The present invention aims to address these challenges, and more specifically, proposes to combine the thermal management of the battery cells with the thermal management of the at least one electronic component into a single thermal management system of the battery system 100 by providing the heat exchange assembly 1 according to the embodiments described herein, with the aim of reducing material costs, development costs, and manufacturing costs, reducing the complexity of the battery system 100, and improving the compactness of the battery system 100.

[0032] It will become apparent from the subsequent disclosure that the energy efficiency of the battery system 100 can be improved because, due to the heat dissipated by the at least one electronic component, a smaller amount of heating power of the heater required to heat the battery cells in a cold climate environment is needed. The lower heating power consumption during the heating cycle will increase the energy efficiency of the battery system 100, especially if heating cycles need to be performed regularly in a cold climate environment. If the battery system 100 cannot obtain energy from the power grid (e.g., during a power outage), the lower heating power consumption will contribute to a higher discharge capacity of the battery system because less energy storage of the battery system is used for heating.

[0033] It should be understood that the thermal management of the battery system 100 may involve thermal management for cooling the battery cells and / or the at least one electronic component, and / or thermal management for heating the battery cells and / or the at least one electronic component.

[0034] In an embodiment of the present invention, the at least one electronic component may be adapted to control the electrical output of a plurality of battery cells. The at least one electronic component may be or may include at least one power electronic component and / or at least one associated electronic component. The associated electronic component(s) may be any one or more of a pre-charge circuit or a balancing resistor required to control the battery system 100.

[0035] In Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the heat exchange assembly 1 includes a heat exchange plate 10. The heat exchange plate 10 includes a first plate 11 and a second plate 12 arranged facing the first plate 11. Figure 1 It is shown that the first plate 11 is arranged to face the second plate 12 along the y direction. The heat exchange plate 10 may be formed by two metal plates, each corresponding to one of the first plate 11 and the second plate 12, connected together at their peripheries. The first plate 11 and the second plate 12 may be connected together through at least one side surface. The metal may be aluminum.

[0036] The heat exchange plate 10 is arranged to accommodate a plurality of battery cells on at least one of the first plate 11 and the second plate 12 in a first portion 13 of the heat exchange plate 10, and is arranged to accommodate at least one electronic component on at least one of the first plate 11 and the second plate 12 in a second portion 14 of the heat exchange plate 10.

[0037] In an embodiment of the present invention, the first portion 13 should be understood as the portion of the heat exchange plate 10 to be used for accommodating a plurality of battery cells, and the second portion 14 should be understood as the portion of the heat exchange plate 10 to be used for accommodating the at least one electronic component.

[0038] Preferably, the heat exchange plate 10 is arranged to accommodate a plurality of battery cells in the first portion 13 and to accommodate the at least one electronic component in the second portion 14 such that when arranged in the respective portions, there is a predetermined gap along the heat exchange plate 10 between the plurality of battery cells and the at least one electronic component. This predetermined gap prevents heat transfer between the plurality of battery cells and the at least one electronic component.

[0039] The first part 13 and the second part 14 can be adjacent non-overlapping parts of the heat exchange plate 10. The first part 13 and the second part 14 being adjacent to each other can mean that the first part 13 and the second part 14 are adjoining parts. In other words, the first part 13 and the second part 14 can be continuous parts of the heat exchange plate 10. It should be understood that the term "continuous parts" represents a configuration of the heat exchange plate 10 where the heat exchange plate 10 is a one-piece element, but it also represents a configuration of the heat exchange plate 10 where the heat exchange plate 10 is at least a two-piece element, each corresponding to one of the first part 13 and the second part 14. However, the multiple pieces (or in other words, the first part 13 and the second part 14) would be connected together. The connection can be made by using mechanical means (such as fastening means) or by using other methods for connecting two metal elements (such as brazing, soldering, or bonding).

[0040] It should be noted that although a broken line is shown between the first part 13 and the second part 14 in Figure 1 , this broken line is used to illustrate that the first part 13 and the second part 14 are separate parts of the heat exchange plate 10, that is, the plurality of battery cells are accommodated on the first part 13, and the at least one electronic component is accommodated on the second part 14.

[0041] The heat exchange plate 10 further includes at least one first flow channel 15 for accommodating a heat exchange fluid. The at least one first flow channel 15 is formed between a first plate 11 and a second plate 12 in the first part 13 of the heat exchange plate 10.

[0042] In some implementations of embodiments of the present invention, the heat exchange fluid can be a heat exchange fluid for cooling the battery cells in a cooling application. In other implementations of embodiments of the present invention, the heat exchange fluid can be a heat exchange fluid for heating the battery cells in a heating application. In some implementations of embodiments of the present invention, the same heat exchange fluid can be used for cooling and heating, while in other implementations of embodiments of the present invention, different heat exchange fluids can be used for cooling and heating. The heat exchange fluid can be, for example, water or oil. It should be understood that a heater (also referred to as a system heater hereinafter) can generally be provided to heat the heat exchange fluid. The heater can be provided as part of the battery system 100, or can be an external heater.

[0043] Accordingly, the present invention provides an integrated heat exchange plate 10 for performing heat exchange based on a heat exchange fluid for the plurality of battery cells and the at least one electronic component of the battery system 100. The battery system 100 may be a battery system for multistage conversion. Embodiments of the present invention may also be used in conjunction with additional heat exchange paths provided to one or more other electronic components (such as monitoring chips, balancing resistors, and processors) within the battery system 100.

[0044] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the heat exchange plate 10 may further include at least one second flow channel 16 for accommodating the heat exchange fluid. The at least one second flow channel 16 may be formed between a first plate 13 and a second plate 14 in a second portion of the heat exchange plate 10. The second flow channel 16 may be optional. For this reason, the second flow channel 16 is shown in dashed lines in Figure 1 In some implementations of the embodiments of the present invention, the second flow channel 16 may not be provided. In these implementations, heat exchange for the at least one electronic component is performed by the heat exchange plate 10. In other words, the heat exchange plate 10 may function as a heat sink. It should be understood that based on the heat exchange fluid flowing through at least one first flow channel 15, the temperature of the heat exchange plate 10 (especially the temperatures of the first plate 11 and the second plate 12) also changes in the second portion 14 of the heat exchange plate 10 compared to the case where no heat exchange fluid flows through at least one first flow channel 15.

[0045] In other embodiments of the present invention, for example, in embodiments where at least one electronic component requires more efficient heat exchange, at least one second flow channel 16 may be provided. In these embodiments of the present invention, in addition to the heat exchange plate 10 functioning as a heat sink, the heat exchange fluid flowing through at least one second flow channel 16 enhances heat exchange.

[0046] Using a heat exchange material disposed between the at least one electronic component and the first plate 11 and / or the second plate 12, the at least one electronic component may be disposed on at least one of the first plate 11 and / or the second plate 12. The heat exchange material may be, for example, thermal paste, thermal pad, or thermal adhesive. Such a heat exchange material may provide structural stability to the at least one mounted electronic component and may further enhance heat exchange between the at least one electronic component and the heat exchange plate 10. However, such a heat exchange material is optional, and the at least one electronic component may also be directly disposed on at least one of the first plate 11 and / or the second plate 12 and mounted by using mechanical mounting means (such as fastening means).

[0047] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, at least one second flow channel 16 may be formed to branch out from at least one first flow channel 15 at at least one position of the at least one first flow channel 15.

[0048] In Figure 2a FIG. 1 schematically shows a heat exchange assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which at least one second flow channel 16 may be formed to branch out from at least one first flow channel 15 at at least one location of the at least one first flow channel 15. In this embodiment of the present invention, the second part 14 is located in the upper part of the heat exchange plate 10, and the first part 13 is the remaining part of the heat exchange plate 10. In this embodiment of the present invention, the heat exchange plate 10 may include at least one inlet 17 and at least one outlet 18, the at least one inlet being for distributing the heat exchange fluid in the at least one first flow channel 15, and the at least one outlet being for distributing the heat exchange fluid away from the at least one first flow channel 15. Preferably, as Figure 2a shown, the at least one location at which the at least one second flow channel 16 branches out from the at least one first channel 15 is located in or near the inlet portion of the at least one first flow channel 15. The inlet portion of the at least one first flow channel 15 may be regarded as the portion of the at least one first flow channel 15 arranged after the inlet 17. The inlet portion of the at least one first flow channel may be regarded as the portion of the at least one flow channel before the heat exchange fluid reaches the plurality of battery cells.

[0049] As Figure 2a shown in this embodiment of the present invention, one first flow channel 15 and one second flow channel 16 are provided. However, this is only an example, and more than one first flow channel 15 and / or more than one second flow channel 16 may be provided. One second flow channel 16 branches out from the at least one first channel at a first location (on the left hand side of the figure, near the inlet 17), and branches into (or feeds into) the at least one first channel at another location (on the right hand side of the figure, near the outlet 18). The portion of the at least one first channel 15 located before the outlet 18 may also be referred to as the outlet portion of the at least one first flow channel 15. This outlet portion may be regarded as the portion of the at least one first flow channel 15 after the heat exchange fluid has passed through the plurality of battery cells. Preferably, the at least one second flow channel 16 is formed to branch into the at least one first flow channel 15 at at least one location in the outlet portion of the at least one first flow channel 15.

[0050] In this embodiment of the present invention, since at least one second flow channel 16 is formed to branch out from at least one first flow channel 15 at at least one position of the at least one first flow channel 15, a first portion of the heat exchange fluid passes through the at least one second flow channel 16 to perform heat exchange with at least one electronic component, and a second portion of the heat exchange fluid passes through the at least one first flow channel 15 to perform heat exchange with a plurality of battery cells. This allows a portion of the heat exchange fluid to be used for heat exchange of at least one electronic component, while the remaining portion of the heat exchange fluid is used for heat exchange of the plurality of battery cells.

[0051] In this embodiment of the present invention, the second flow channel 16 can be regarded as a bypass channel. The flow of the heat exchange fluid can also be referred to as parallel flow (and flow). Therefore, in this embodiment of the present invention, the heat exchange plate 10 has independent flow channels for heat exchange transfer of the battery cells and at least one electronic component.

[0052] In the heat exchange assembly 1 in this embodiment of the present invention, wherein at least one second flow channel 16 can be formed to branch out from at least one first flow channel 15 at at least one position of the at least one first flow channel 15, which has the advantage of reducing the number of components of the battery system 100. In addition, the heat generated by at least one electronic component and transferred away via the heat exchange plate 10 and at least one second flow channel 16 does not negatively affect the temperature spread on the battery cells within the battery system 100. Further, when the heat exchange fluid circulates under cold climatic conditions, the heat generated by at least one electronic component and transferred via the heat exchange fluid can be used to provide heating to the plurality of battery cells.

[0053] In Figure 2a it is shown that at least one second flow channel 16 has a sinusoidal profile. This improves heat exchange because the sinusoidal profile increases the contact area of the at least one second flow channel 16 with the first plate and / or the second plate.

[0054] Figure 2b An embodiment of the present invention is shown, in which the heat exchange assembly 1 further includes at least one third flow channel 53, a first restricting device 51, and a second restricting device 52. Both the first restricting device 51 and the second restricting device 52 can be valves. Each valve can be a one-way valve, however, this is not restrictive. The first restricting device 51 can be arranged before the position where the at least one second flow channel 16 branches into (or feeds into) the at least one first channel 15). The second restricting device 52 can be arranged before the first restricting device 51.

[0055] At least one third flow channel 53 may be arranged to branch from at least one first flow channel 15 at a position after the position where at least one second flow channel 16 branches from at least one first channel 15.

[0056] At least one third flow channel 53 may be arranged to be in fluid communication with at least one first flow channel 15. At least one third flow channel 53 may be arranged to be in fluid communication with at least one second flow channel 16 via a second restricting device 52.

[0057] The first restricting device 51 may be arranged to control the flow of heat exchange fluid between at least one second flow channel 16 and at least one first flow channel 15 at the position where at least one second flow channel 16 branches into at least one first flow channel 15. The second restricting device 52 may be arranged to control the heat exchange fluid between at least one second flow channel 16 and at least one third flow channel 53.

[0058] Both the first restricting device 51 and the second restricting device 52 may be arranged to be operable in at least one of two states: an open state and a closed state. It should be understood that a control unit may be provided as part of the battery system 100 or as an external unit to control each of the first restricting device 51 and the second restricting device 52 to be in one of at least two states.

[0059] Placing the first restricting device 51 in the open state and the second restricting device 52 in the closed state allows the at least one second flow channel 16 to operate as a bypass channel, as described in detail with reference to Figure 2a Accordingly, the heat transferred from at least one electronic component does not heat the plurality of battery cells.

[0060] Placing the first restricting device 51 in the closed state and the second restricting device 52 in the open state allows the heat exchange fluid that has been heated by heat transfer with at least one electronic component to rejoin the heat exchange fluid in at least one first flow channel 15, thereby heating the plurality of battery cells and reducing the heat required from the system heater to heat the heat exchange fluid or accelerating the heating cycle.

[0061] Placing both the first restricting device 51 and the second restricting device 52 in the open state can reduce the heat transferred from at least one electronic component to the plurality of battery cells.

[0062] At least one third channel 53 may also be formed between the first plate 11 and the second plate 12. Manufacturing the second part 14 of the heat exchange plate 10 as a separate component and connecting it to the first part 13 of the heat exchange plate 10 can facilitate the manufacturing of at least one third flow channel 53.

[0063] Figure 2c Another embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment of the present invention, the heat exchange assembly 1 may further include at least two first restricting devices 54 disposed between a position of at least one second flow channel 16 and at least one first flow channel 15 (where at least one second flow channel 16 branches out from at least one first flow channel 15). The heat exchange assembly may further include at least two second restricting devices 55 disposed between at least one second flow channel 16 and a position where at least one second flow channel 16 branches into at least one first flow channel 15).

[0064] Each of the at least two first restricting devices 54 may be arranged to control the flow of the heat exchange fluid in a direction opposite to that of the other of the two first restricting devices 54, and each of the at least two second restricting devices 55 may be arranged to control the flow of the heat exchange fluid in a direction opposite to that of the other of the two second restricting devices 55.

[0065] In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the at least two first restricting devices 54 and each of the at least two second restricting devices 55 may be a check valve. Each check valve is generally arranged to allow the heat exchange fluid to flow through the check valve in only one direction. In other words, each of the at least two first restricting devices 54 and each of the at least two second restricting devices 55 may be controlled to be in an open state or a closed state. In the open state, each of the at least two first restricting devices 54 and the at least two second restricting devices 55 allows the heat exchange fluid to flow in only one direction. By alternately changing which of the at least two first restricting devices 54 and the at least two second restricting devices 55 is in the open state and which is in the closed state, the heat exchange fluid either flows through at least one second flow channel 16 as a bypass channel (as described in detail with reference to Figure 2a ), or at least a portion of the heat exchange fluid in at least one second flow channel 16 recirculates in at least one first flow channel to heat the incoming heat exchange fluid flow through at least one first flow channel 15 to heat the plurality of battery cells. It should be understood that, as described above, a heater may generally be provided to heat the heat exchange fluid.

[0066] It should be understood that "after", "before", and "between" and "branches out" and "branches into" represent the relative positions and arrangements of the corresponding elements with respect to the flow of the heat exchange fluid from the inlet 17 to the outlet 18.

[0067] Figure 3Schematically shown is a heat exchange component 1 according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment of the present invention, at least one second flow channel 16 is an extension of at least one first flow channel 15 in the second part 14 of the heat exchange plate 10. Thus, the heat exchange fluid entering the heat exchange plate 10 via the inlet 17 flows through at least one first flow channel 15 and continues to flow through at least one second flow channel 16, and then is distributed away from the heat exchange plate 10 via the outlet 18 (indicated by arrows).

[0068] In this embodiment of the present invention, the flow of the heat exchange fluid can also be referred to as series flow. In this embodiment of the present invention, the advantage of this arrangement of the first flow channel 15 and the second flow channel 16 is that for the same total flow rate, the same temperature difference of the components (battery cells and at least one electronic component) is lower. For example, if the target temperature difference across multiple battery cells is less than 5 °C, this can be achieved with a lower total flow rate. However, this arrangement may result in a higher pressure drop within the battery system 100. This may require increasing the size of at least one second flow channel 16 and imposing more geometric constraints on at least one second flow channel 16 and / or at least one first flow channel 15. In addition, it may be more challenging to configure an overall flow path with good coverage for the components (battery cells and at least one electronic component) of the battery system 100.

[0069] The sizes and forms of at least one first flow channel 15 and at least one second flow channel 16 are designed to be able to distribute a desired proportion of the heat exchange fluid flow to multiple battery cells and at least one electronic component. As a non-limiting example, the sizes and forms of at least one flow channel 15 and at least one second flow channel 16 can be designed such that a higher percentage of the heat exchange fluid flows in at least one first flow channel 15 and a relatively lower percentage of the heat exchange fluid flows in at least one second flow channel 16. As another example, about 80% of the heat exchange fluid can flow in at least one first flow channel 15 and about 20% of the heat exchange fluid can flow in at least one second flow channel 16.

[0070] By increasing or decreasing the cross-section of each of at least one first flow channel 15 and at least one second flow channel 16 and / or by increasing flow turbulence, the flow of the heat exchange fluid in each of at least one first flow channel 15 and at least one second flow channel 16 can be balanced. By providing at least one curved portion to at least one first flow channel 15 and at least one second flow channel 16, flow turbulence can be increased.

[0071] Alternatively or additionally, one or more components, such as one or more fins, may be provided in each of the at least one first flow channel 15 and the at least one second flow channel 16.

[0072] The term "balanced flow" shall be understood to mean a flow characterized by an adjustable or controllable flow rate of the heat exchange fluid.

[0073] Thus, in one or more embodiments of the present invention, each of the at least one first flow channel 15 and the at least one second flow channel 16 includes at least one bent portion. Preferably, the number of bent portions of the at least one first flow channel 15 is different from the number of bent portions of the at least one second flow channel 16.

[0074] Preferably, in one or more embodiments of the present invention, the cross-sectional area of the at least one first flow channel 15 is different from the cross-sectional area of the at least one second flow channel 16. This causes the fluid flow rate of the heat exchange fluid through the at least one first flow channel 15 to be different from the fluid flow rate of the heat exchange fluid through the at least one second flow channel 16, so that the heat exchange rate between the plurality of battery cells and the first portion 13 of the heat exchange plate 10 is different from the heat exchange rate between the at least one electronic component and the second portion 14 of the heat exchange plate 10. This enables customization of the heat exchange rate in the battery system 100.

[0075] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the first portion 13 and the second portion 14 of the heat exchange plate 10 are adjacent to each other (the first portion 13 and the second portion 14 are adjacent portions), as described above, and are arranged in a plane. In these embodiments of the present invention, the heat exchange plate 10 is a flat plate. For example, in Figure 2a and Figure 3 the schematically illustrated heat exchange assembly, the heat exchange plate 10 is a flat plate.

[0076] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the first part 13 and the second part 14 of the heat exchange plate 10 are adjacent to each other (the first part 13 and the second part 14 are adjacent parts) and are arranged in different planes, with an angle therebetween. In some embodiments, the angle may be 90° or approximately 90°. Considering manufacturing tolerances, approximately 90° may represent 90° ± 5°. In these embodiments of the present invention, the heat exchange plate 10 may be formed as a one-piece element or a two-piece element. By bending the flat heat exchange plate 10 (or in other words, by performing sheet metal folding on the flat heat exchange plate 10), the heat exchange plate 10 can be formed as a one-piece element. In embodiments of the present invention where at least one second flow channel is not provided, it may be advantageous to perform sheet metal folding on the flat heat exchange plate 10. It should be understood that due to manufacturing defects, the angle may be approximately 90°. By arranging the first part 13 and the second part 14 in different planes and then connecting the first part 13 and the second part 14, the heat exchange plate 10 can be formed as a two-piece element. The connection can be carried out by using mechanical means (such as fastening means) or other methods for connecting two metal elements (such as hard soldering, soft soldering, or bonding).

[0077] Figure 4 The heat exchange plate 10 according to these embodiments of the present invention is shown, where the first part 13 and the second part 14 are in different planes. In these embodiments of the present invention, it can be said that the heat exchange plate 10 has a heat exchange interface in more than one plane. This configuration of the heat exchange plate 10 can increase the number of heat exchange interfaces. For example, in Figure 4 , the second part may be a vertical part and the first part may be a horizontal part. It should be noted that Figure 4 only a part of the first part 13 is shown in the figure. The first part 14 can be arranged on the front side or the rear side in the figure. This enables a larger number of battery cells to be arranged in the first part 13.

[0078] In these embodiments of the present invention where the first part 13 and the second part 14 are arranged in different planes, without providing at least one second flow channel 16, heat exchange of at least one electronic component can be achieved only through the heat exchange plate 10, which means that the heat exchange plate serves as a radiator. As described above, optionally, a heat exchange material such as thermal paste, thermal pad, or thermal adhesive can be provided between at least one electronic component and the corresponding first plate 11 and second plate 12.

[0079] In some embodiments of the present invention where the first part 13 and the second part 14 are arranged in different planes, a second flow channel 16 can be provided in the second part 14 of the heat exchange plate 10. The heat exchange assembly according to this embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown inFigure 5 In Figure 5 at least one first flow channel 15 extends as at least one second flow channel in a second portion 14 of the heat exchange plate 10. The advantage of this structure is that the number of components (such as fittings) can be reduced. The number of potential leakage paths can also be reduced. In addition, the heat exchange of at least one electronic component is improved. In Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, at least one electronic component is disposed on each of a first plate 11 and a second plate 12 in the second portion 14 of the heat exchange plate 10.

[0080] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, in addition to or instead of providing at least one second flow channel 16, one or more heat exchange members 19 may be provided. Figure 4 In it shows two heat exchange members 19 arranged on the first plate 11.

[0081] In other words, in one or more embodiments of the present invention, the heat exchange assembly 1 may include at least one heat exchange member 19 disposed on the first plate 11 and / or the second plate 12 for transferring heat from at least one electronic component to the first portion 13 of the heat exchange plate.

[0082] At least one heat exchange member 19 may include at least one tube element 191 filled with a phase change medium. Such a heat exchange member 19 may also be referred to as a heat pipe. The phase change medium may be a phase change fluid. The heat pipe utilizes the phase change of the phase change medium to absorb and release heat.

[0083] At least one tube element 191 may have at least one contact surface arranged to contact the heat exchange plate 10. In Figure 6a and Figure 6b it shows at least one tube element arranged on the first plate 11 of the heat exchange plate 10 and in direct contact with the first plate 11 of the heat exchange plate 10.

[0084] In other embodiments of the present invention, at least one tube element 191 may contact at least one electronic component 20, as Figure 6d shown.

[0085] At least one contact surface of at least one tube element 191 may be a flat surface or a curved surface. The contact between at least one tube element 191 and the heat exchange plate 10 or at least one electronic component 20 may be direct contact or indirect contact. In Figure 6a and 6b it shows at least one tube element 191 in direct contact with the heat exchange plate 10. In Figure 6a and 6b it shows that the contact surface is a flat surface. The cross-section of at least one tube element 191 may be a rectangular cross-section, asFigure 6a As shown. In other words, at least one flat tube element 191 can be used. This can improve the structural stability of the heat exchange assembly 1. In another embodiment of the present invention, the cross-section of at least one tube element 191 can be a semi-circular cross-section, as Figure 6b shown. In other words, the surface of at least one tube element 191 can be flattened on the surface in contact with the heat exchange plate 10 or at least one electronic component 20 to increase the heat transfer area, while the remaining part can have a cylindrical shape to maintain a steam cavity space inside at least one tube element 191 for optimal thermal conductivity.

[0086] The contact surface can be a curved surface as Figure 6c shown. Figure 6c It is shown that the heat pipe can be arranged on the heat exchange plate 10 or at least one electronic component 20. In Figure 6c it is also shown that the contact is an indirect contact. In other words, as Figure 6c shown, a heat exchange material 22 is provided between at least one tube element 191 and the heat exchange plate 10 / at least one electronic component 20. In some embodiments of the present invention, the heat exchange material 22 can increase the structural stability of the heat exchange assembly 1, especially in the embodiments of the present invention where the contact surface is a curved surface. In other words, in some embodiments of the present invention, the heat exchange material 22 can also be used as an adhesive material to mount at least one tube element 191, thus contributing to the ease of the manufacturing process. The heat exchange material 22 can be, for example, thermal paste, thermal pad or thermal glue.

[0087] In other embodiments of the present invention, for example, in the embodiments where there is a direct contact between at least one tube element 191 and the heat exchange plate 10 / at least one electronic component 20, at least one tube element 191 can be mounted on the heat exchange plate 10 / at least one electronic component by using mechanical means (such as fastening means). Other mounting methods of at least one tube element 191 can be hard soldering or soft soldering. Such mounting methods can achieve very good thermal conductivity at the boundary between at least one tube element 191 and the heat exchange plate 10 / at least one electronic component 20. It should be understood that different mounting methods can be combined.

[0088] In an embodiment of the present invention, the heat exchange member 19 can be arranged in the second part 14 and can be arranged to extend at least to a part of the first part 13.

[0089] Preferably, the heat exchange member 19 is arranged in an area in the second part 14 that at least partially overlaps with the area arranged to accommodate at least one electronic component 20. This improves the heat exchange transfer between at least one electronic component 20 and the heat exchange plate 10.

[0090] Figure 7 The battery system 100 including the heat exchange assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment of the present invention, the heat exchange member 19 has at least one bent portion, and the bending angle of the bent portion corresponds to the angle between the first portion 13 and the second portion 14 of the heat exchange plate 10. Such a heat exchange member 19 may also be referred to as a folded heat exchange member 19 or a folded heat pipe.

[0091] Figure 7 The heat exchange member 19 is shown disposed on the first plate 11. The heat exchange material 22 is disposed between the heat exchange member 19 and the first plate 11. However, the heat exchange material 22 is optional. As described above, at least one heat exchange member 19 can be installed by means of hard soldering, soft soldering or adhesion. In Figure 7 the embodiment of the present invention shown, at least one electronic component 20 is disposed on the second plate 12 in the second portion 14. At least one electronic component is arranged on the second plate 12 by using the heat exchange material 23. However, the heat exchange material 23 is optional. The heat exchange material 23 for disposing at least one electronic component 20 and the heat exchange material for disposing at least one heat exchange member 19 may be of the same type of material or may be of different types of materials. Figure 7 The folded heat exchange member 19 shown increases the heat exchange transfer between at least one electronic component 20 and the first portion 13 of the heat exchange plate 10.

[0092] In this embodiment of the present invention, at least one second flow channel 16 may not be provided in the second portion 14, and the second portion 14 of the heat exchange plate 10 may be formed by a solid extension of the first portion 13, so that the heat exchange plate 10 is manufactured as a one-piece heat exchange plate 10. As described above, the heat exchange plate 10 is manufactured as a one-piece, for example, by folding the heat exchange plate 10 by sheet metal. Naturally, the heat exchange plate 10 can also be manufactured as a two-piece heat exchange plate 10. In any case, the manufacturing process is simplified by not providing at least one second flow channel, and heat exchange is still achieved because the main heat transfer path is via the heat exchange member 19.

[0093] In Figure 7 it is shown that, in this embodiment, the heat exchange member 19 is disposed in a region of the first portion 13 that does not overlap with the region arranged to accommodate a plurality of battery cells 30. This allows a greater number of battery cells to be accommodated in the first portion 13.

[0094] In another embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 8As shown, at least one heat exchange member 19 may be provided on the second plate 12. In this embodiment of the present invention, at least one electronic component 20 may be provided on the first plate 11, and at least one electronic component 20 may be provided directly on or via a heat exchange material 23 on at least one heat exchange member 19. At least one electronic component 20 provided on at least one heat exchange member 19 may be an electronic component that requires a higher degree of heat exchange than at least one electronic component provided on the first plate 11. As Figure 7 As shown, in this embodiment of the present invention, a battery cell is provided on the first plate 11. Providing at least one heat exchange member 19 on the second plate 12 does not impair (e.g., does not reduce) the available area for arranging a plurality of battery cells 13.

[0095] In other words, in one or more embodiments of the present invention, it is preferred to arrange the heat exchange member 19 on one of the first plate 11 and the second plate 12, and arrange a plurality of battery cells 30 on the other of the first plate 11 and the second plate 12.

[0096] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, more than one heat exchange member 19 may be used. The plurality of heat exchange members 19 may be arranged in different directions. Figure 9 A battery system 100 including a heat exchange assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. In Figure 9 the left part, a front view of the heat exchange assembly is shown, and in the right part, a side view of the heat exchange assembly is shown. This arrangement may be advantageous in the configuration of the battery system 100, where the width of at least one electronic component is less than the width of the battery cell, and the heat exchange member 19 may help to provide a spare space for heat exchange transfer. In this embodiment of the present invention, the first plate 11 and the second plate 12 are connected together by at least one side surface. The heat exchange member 19 is arranged on at least one side surface of the second part 14 and at least extends to a part of the first part 11.

[0097] In summary, the present invention provides an integrated heat exchange plate 1 for heat exchange transfer based on a heat exchange fluid for a plurality of battery cells and at least one electronic component in a battery system.

[0098] Although specific embodiments have been described, these embodiments are only provided to provide a better understanding of the present invention defined by the appended claims and should not be considered as limiting.

Claims

1. A heat exchange component for a battery system, the battery system comprising a plurality of battery cells and at least one electronic component, the heat exchange component comprising: A heat exchange plate, the heat exchange plate comprising a first plate and a second plate arranged to face the first plate, The heat exchange plate is arranged to accommodate the plurality of battery cells on at least one of the first plate and the second plate in a first portion of the heat exchange plate, and is arranged to accommodate the at least one electronic component on at least one of the first plate and the second plate in a second portion of the heat exchange plate, The heat exchange plate further comprises at least one first flow channel for accommodating a heat exchange fluid and formed between the first plate and the second plate in the first portion of the heat exchange plate, Wherein the heat exchange plate further comprises at least one second flow channel for accommodating the heat exchange fluid, wherein the at least one second flow channel is formed between the first plate and the second plate in the second portion of the heat exchange plate.

2. The heat exchange component according to claim 1, wherein the at least one second flow channel is formed to branch out from the at least one first flow channel at at least one position of the at least one first flow channel, wherein preferably the at least one position is in an inlet portion of the at least one first flow channel, and Wherein the at least one second flow channel is formed to branch into the at least one first flow channel at at least one position of the at least one first flow channel, wherein preferably the at least one position is in an outlet portion of the at least one first flow channel.

3. The heat exchange component according to claim 2, further comprising at least one third flow channel, a first restricting device and a second restricting device, wherein the at least one third flow channel is arranged to be in fluid communication with the at least one first flow channel and is arranged to be in fluid communication with the at least one second flow channel via the second restricting device, wherein the first restricting device is arranged to control the heat exchange fluid flow between the at least one second flow channel and the at least one first flow channel at the position where the at least one second flow channel branches into the at least one first flow channel, and the second restricting device is arranged to control the heat exchange fluid between the at least one second flow channel and the at least one third flow channel.

4. The heat exchange component according to claim 3, further comprising at least one heat exchange member arranged on the first plate and / or the second plate for transferring heat from the at least one electronic component to the first portion of the heat exchange plate.

5. The heat exchange component according to claim 4, wherein the at least one heat exchange member comprises at least one tube element filled with a phase change medium.

6. The heat exchange component according to claim 5, wherein the heat exchange member is arranged on one of the first plate and the second plate, and the plurality of battery cells are arranged on the other of the first plate and the second plate.

7. The heat exchange component according to claim 6, wherein the first plate and the second plate are connected together by at least one side surface, wherein the heat exchange member is arranged on at least one side surface in the second portion and extends at least into a part of the first portion.

8. An energy storage system, comprising: a plurality of battery cells; at least one electronic component adapted to control the electrical output of the plurality of battery cells; and a heat exchange component supporting the plurality of battery cells and the at least one electronic component, wherein the heat exchanger component comprises: a heat exchange plate having a first plate and a second plate arranged to face the first plate, the plurality of battery cells being arranged on a first portion of the heat exchange plate, the at least one electronic component being arranged on a second portion of the heat exchange plate such that there is a predetermined gap along the heat exchange plate between the plurality of battery cells and the at least one electronic component, a first fluid passage for accommodating a heat exchange fluid and formed between the first plate and the second plate in the first portion of the heat exchange plate, and a second fluid passage for accommodating the heat exchange fluid and formed between the first plate and the second plate in the second portion of the heat exchange plate, wherein the second fluid passage branches out from an inlet portion of the first fluid passage to an outlet portion of the first fluid passage to bypass the first portion of the heat exchange plate, wherein a first portion of the heat exchange fluid passes through the first fluid passage to effect heat exchange with the plurality of battery cells, and a second portion of the heat exchange fluid passes through the second fluid passage to effect heat exchange with the at least one electronic component, wherein the second fluid passage has a sinusoidal profile and has a cross-sectional area different from that of the first fluid passage such that the fluid flow rate through the first fluid passage is different from the fluid flow rate through the second fluid passage, and wherein the heat exchange rate between the plurality of battery cells and the first portion of the heat exchange plate is different from the heat exchange rate between the electronic component and the second portion of the heat exchange plate.

9. A heat exchange component for a battery system, comprising: a heat exchange plate having a first portion and a second portion adjacent to the first portion, wherein the first portion is adapted to accommodate a plurality of battery cells and the second portion is adapted to accommodate at least one electronic component, a first flow passage for accommodating a heat exchange fluid and formed in the first portion of the heat exchange plate, and a second flow passage for accommodating the heat exchange fluid and formed in the second portion of the heat exchange plate, the second flow passage branching out from an inlet portion of the first flow passage and branching into an outlet portion of the first flow passage.

10. The heat exchange component according to claim 9, further comprising at least one heat exchange member arranged at the second portion on the heat exchange plate adjacent to the second flow passage to transfer heat between the at least one electronic component and the heat exchange plate, wherein the at least one heat exchange member comprises at least one tube element filled with a phase change medium.

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