Thermal management assembly and battery

Abstract

The thermal management assembly comprises a bottom cold plate, a side cold plate, a connecting piece, a collecting piece and a detecting piece, a drainage flow channel is formed in the bottom cold plate, and the side cold plate comprises a current collecting part located at the end of the side cold plate. The connecting piece communicates with the flow collecting part and is used for enabling the heat exchange medium to flow into and / or flow out of the flow collecting part. The collecting piece and the side cooling plate are both arranged above the bottom cooling plate, the collecting piece comprises a collecting cavity, and the position of the collecting cavity corresponds to the position of the flow collecting part and the position of the connecting piece. The detection piece comprises a detection cavity and a detection part, the drainage runner is communicated with the collection cavity and the detection cavity, and the detection part extends into the detection cavity and is used for detecting whether liquid exists in the detection cavity or not. According to the technical scheme, the liquid leakage problem of the heat management assembly can be effectively found in time, the drainage flow channel is arranged in the bottom cooling plate, the structure is simplified, the bottom cooling plate can conduct heat exchange with the outside through heat of leaked liquid, and the heat utilization rate of a heat exchange medium is increased.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to thermal management components and batteries. Background Art

[0002] Batteries are typically equipped with liquid cooling components to regulate the operating temperature of the battery cells. To increase the heat exchange area with the battery cells, related technologies use multiple cold plates to exchange heat with the battery cells. The cold plates are connected by a current collecting structure to divert the heat exchange medium. If the battery is used for a long time in harsh environments such as vibration and turbulence, leakage is likely to occur at the connection interface between the current collecting structure and the cold plate. If the leakage is not detected in time, it will accumulate, causing the internal insulation of the battery to fail, which will reduce the battery's reliability. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a thermal management component and a battery to address the problem that leakage of the liquid cooling component cannot be detected in time.

[0004] In a first aspect, the present application provides a thermal management component, comprising: The bottom cold plate has a drainage channel formed inside; a side cold plate, including a header located at an end thereof; a connecting piece, connected to the manifold, for allowing heat exchange medium to flow into and / or out of the manifold; A collecting member, both of which are arranged above the bottom cold plate together with the side cold plate, wherein the collecting member comprises a collecting cavity, and the position of the collecting cavity corresponds to the positions of the collecting portion and the connecting member; and The detection member includes a detection cavity and a detection portion. The drainage channel connects the collection cavity and the detection cavity. The detection portion extends into the detection cavity to detect whether there is liquid in the detection cavity.

[0005] In some embodiments, the collecting member includes a mounting portion, the mounting portion is located in the collecting chamber, and at least a portion of the collecting portion is positionally mounted on the mounting portion.

[0006] In some embodiments, the mounting portion is provided with a mounting groove, the mounting groove is independent of the collecting chamber, and at least a portion of the collecting portion is inserted into the mounting groove.

[0007] In some embodiments, the mounting groove has a first slot and a second slot that are arranged intersectingly and interconnected, the first slot passes through the side wall of the collecting chamber, the second slot opens away from the bottom wall of the collecting chamber, and at least a portion of the collecting part passes through the first slot and the second slot and is inserted into the mounting groove.

[0008] In some embodiments, a plurality of the side cold plates are arranged side by side and spaced apart in a first direction, and a current collector is provided at the same end of the plurality of the side cold plates; the plurality of mounting portions are spaced apart in the first direction, and the first notches of all the mounting portions open in the same direction, and each of the current collectors is correspondingly mounted on the mounting portion.

[0009] In some embodiments, the bottom wall of the collection cavity is inclined, and the bottom wall includes a first end and a second end which are arranged opposite to each other in its inclined direction, and the first end is higher than the second end; The collection member includes a drainage groove recessed in the second end, and the collection member is communicated with the drainage flow channel through the drainage groove.

[0010] In some embodiments, the collection member includes a liquid discharge hole which penetrates through the bottom of the drainage groove; The bottom cold plate includes a liquid inlet hole which is arranged opposite to the liquid discharge hole and communicates the liquid discharge hole and the drainage flow channel, so that the drainage groove is communicated with the drainage flow channel.

[0011] In some embodiments, the drainage flow channel includes a main flow channel and a branch flow channel, a diversion port is arranged in the middle of the main flow channel, one end of the branch flow channel is connected to the diversion port, and the other end is communicated with the detection cavity.

[0012] In some embodiments, the bottom surface of the main flow channel is inclined from both ends thereof to the diversion port, and the diversion port is located at a low position of the bottom surface.

[0013] In some embodiments, the width w of the main flow channel satisfies: w≤29 mm.

[0014] In a second aspect, the present application provides a battery, and the battery includes: A box body; The thermal management component according to any one of the above embodiments, which is arranged in the box body; A battery cell, which is arranged in the box body, the bottom of the battery cell is in heat exchange connection with the bottom cold plate, and the side surface of the battery cell is in heat exchange connection with the side cold plate.

[0015] In some embodiments, the detection member includes a Hall component, and the Hall component has the detection cavity; The Hall component includes a current-carrying conductor and a detection conductor, the detection conductor is arranged on the current-carrying conductor, and the current-carrying conductor is electrically connected to the high-voltage circuit of the battery cell; the detection conductor extends into the detection cavity as the detection portion, and when the liquid in the detection cavity contacts the detection conductor, the box body and the current-carrying conductor are in a conducting state; The battery further includes a detection circuit, which is electrically connected to the box body and used to detect the insulation condition of the box body, so as to judge whether there is liquid in the detection cavity.

[0016] In some embodiments, the box body includes a support beam, the detection member is arranged on the support beam, a liquid storage cavity is formed in the support beam, and the liquid storage cavity communicates with the drainage channel and the detection cavity.

[0017] The present application has the following beneficial effects: The above-mentioned thermal management component and battery utilize the collection cavity of the collection member to collect the liquid leaked from the current collector and the connecting member. Under the drainage of the drainage channel built in the bottom cold plate, the liquid in the collection cavity can flow to the detection cavity and then be detected and sensed by the detection part. At this time, not only can the liquid leakage problem of the thermal management component be effectively and timely discovered, but also the drainage channel is built in the bottom cold plate, which not only simplifies the structure, but also enables the bottom cold plate to exchange heat with the outside by using the heat of the leaked liquid, improving the heat utilization rate of the heat exchange medium. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] By reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, various other advantages and benefits will become clear to those of ordinary skill in the art. The drawings are only for the purpose of showing the preferred embodiments and are not considered to be a limitation of the present application. Moreover, in all the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to represent the same components. In the drawings: Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a thermal management component for some embodiments.

[0019] Figure 2 For Figure 1 Another perspective view of the thermal management component shown.

[0020] Figure 3 For Figure 2 The sectional view taken along line A-A in

[0021] Figure 4 For Figure 2 The sectional view taken along line B-B in

[0022] Figure 5 For Figure 3 The enlarged view of part I in

[0023] Figure 6 For Figure 4 The enlarged view of part II in

[0024] Figure 7 For Figure 1 The application schematic diagram of the thermal management component shown.

[0025] Figure 8Schematic structural diagram of the collection member for some embodiments.

[0026] Figure 9 It is Figure 2 The cross-sectional view at C-C in

[0027] Figure 10 It is Figure 9 The enlarged view at III in

[0028] Figure 11 It is Figure 8 Another orientation view of the collection member shown in

[0029] Figure 12 Exploded schematic diagram of the bottom guard plate for some embodiments.

[0030] Figure 13 Schematic sectional view of the bottom guard plate for some embodiments.

[0031] The reference numerals in the specific implementation are as follows: 100, battery; X, first direction; Y, second direction; Z, third direction; 10, thermal management component; 11, bottom cold plate; 11a, drainage channel; a1, main channel; o, shunt port; a2, branch channel; 11b, heat exchange channel; 11c, liquid inlet hole; 11m, inlet; 11n, outlet; 11u, cover plate; 11v, channel plate; 11d, liquid outlet hole; Q1, electrical heat exchange area; Q2, main heat exchange area; 12, side cold plate; 12d, current collecting part; 13, connecting piece; 14, collection member; 14e, collection cavity; e1, bottom wall; e11, high end; e12, low end; e2, side wall; e3, sub-cavity; 14f, installation part; f1, installation groove; f11, first notch; f12, second notch; 14g, drainage groove; 14h, liquid discharge hole; 15, detection member; 15i, detection cavity; 15j, detection part; 15A, Hall component; A1, current-carrying conductor; A2, detection conductor; A3, Hall sensor; 15p, through hole; 16, liquid inlet pipe; 17, liquid outlet pipe; 18, thermal conductive adhesive; 20, box body; 21, support beam; 21k, liquid storage cavity; 22, side plate; 30, battery cell; 40, power supply device; 50, conductive bus bar. Specific implementation

[0032] To make the above objects, features, and advantages of the present application more obvious and understandable, the following detailed description of the specific implementation of the present application will be made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to fully understand the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without departing from the connotation of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0033] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that if present, the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation to the present application.

[0034] In addition, if present, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "a plurality of" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically and clearly defined.

[0035] In the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, if present, the terms "mounted", "connected", "coupled", "fixed", etc. shall be construed in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the communication inside two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly limited. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0036] In the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, if present, the first feature being "on" or "under" the second feature may be that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are indirectly in contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "over" and "on top of" the second feature may be that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or merely indicates that the first feature has a higher horizontal height than the second feature. The first feature being "under", "beneath" and "underneath" the second feature may be that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or merely indicates that the first feature has a lower horizontal height than the second feature.

[0037] It should be noted that, if any, when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there can also be an intermediate element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intermediate element at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and similar expressions used herein are only for illustrative purposes and do not represent the only implementation.

[0038] In view of the problems pointed out in the background art, the present application proposes a thermal management component and a battery.

[0039] The battery involved in the embodiments of the present application includes a box body, a thermal management component and battery cells. The thermal management component and the battery cells are housed in the box body. A plurality of battery cells are loaded in the box body, and the battery cells are connected in series, in parallel or in a mixed connection, and the thermal management component is used to perform thermal management on each battery cell. A battery cell is the smallest unit in the battery that undergoes an electrochemical reaction and can be a secondary battery or a primary battery. The battery cell can be a lithium-ion battery, a sodium-ion battery or a magnesium-ion battery, but is not limited thereto. The battery cell can be in the shape of a cylinder, a flat body, a cuboid or other shapes, etc.

[0040] In some embodiments, the battery cell includes a housing, an end cap and an electrode assembly. The housing and the end cap together form an internal space for accommodating the electrode assembly. Specifically, an accommodation cavity is formed in the housing and at least one end is open, and the end cap covers the open end of the housing to close the accommodation cavity, and the electrode assembly is loaded in the accommodation cavity. The housing can be but is not limited to a metal housing, such as an aluminum shell, a steel shell, etc.

[0041] The electrode assembly generally includes a positive electrode sheet, a negative electrode sheet and a separator that separates the positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet. An electrolyte can be injected into the battery cell, and the electrolyte infiltrates the inside of the electrode assembly to provide an ion migration path for the electrode assembly to undergo an electrochemical reaction and play a conductive role. The electrode assembly can be in the form of a wound type, a stacked type, etc. One or more electrode assemblies can be loaded in the battery cell.

[0042] The first direction, the second direction and the third direction involved in the embodiments of the present application intersect pairwise and are not coplanar. In some application states, the first direction and the second direction correspond to the horizontal direction, and the third direction corresponds to the vertical direction.

[0043] The thermal management component in the embodiments of the present application will be described below.

[0044] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the thermal management component 10 in some embodiments. Figure 2 It is Figure 1 Another perspective view of the shown thermal management component 10. Figure 3 It isFigure 2 Cross-sectional view at A-A in [the figure]. Figure 4 is Figure 2 Cross-sectional view at B-B in [the figure]. Figure 5 is Figure 3 Enlarged view at I in [the figure]. Figure 6 is Figure 4 Enlarged view at II in [the figure]. Figure 7 is Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the application of the thermal management component 10 shown in [the figure].

[0045] Please refer to Figures 1 to 6 for understanding. In the embodiment of the present application, the thermal management component 10 includes a bottom cold plate 11, side cold plates 12, a connecting member 13, a collecting member 14, and a detecting member 15. A drainage flow channel 11a is formed inside the bottom cold plate 11. The side cold plate 12 includes a collecting portion 12d at its end. The connecting member 13 is connected to the collecting portion 12d and is used for the heat exchange medium to flow into and / or out of the collecting portion 12d. The collecting member 14 and the side cold plates 12 are both disposed above the bottom cold plate 11. The collecting member 14 includes a collecting cavity 14e, and the position of the collecting cavity 14e corresponds to the positions of the collecting portion 12d and the connecting member 13. The detecting member 15 includes a detecting cavity 15i and a detecting portion 15j. The drainage flow channel 11a communicates with the collecting cavity 14e and the detecting cavity 15i, and the detecting portion 15j extends into the detecting cavity 15i for detecting whether there is liquid in the detecting cavity 15i.

[0046] In actual application, as Figure 7 described, when the thermal management component 10 is applied to the battery 100, the bottom cold plate 11 is laid flat at the bottom of the box body 20, and the side cold plates 12, the connecting member 13, the collecting member 14, and the detecting member 15 are all disposed above the bottom cold plate 11. The bottom cold plate 11 is used for heat exchange with the bottom surface of the battery cell 30, and the side cold plate 12 is used for heat exchange with the side surface of the battery cell 30.

[0047] Heat exchange channels 11b for the heat exchange medium to flow are provided inside both the bottom cold plate 11 and the side cold plates 12. Further, the thermal management component 10 includes an inlet pipe 16 and an outlet pipe 17. The box body 20 is provided with an inlet interface and an outlet interface. The inlet pipe 16 is connected to the inlet interface, and the outlet pipe 17 is connected to the outlet interface. The inlet ports of the bottom cold plate 11 and the side cold plates 12 can be connected to different inlet pipes 16 or the same inlet pipe 16. The outlet ports of the bottom cold plate 11 and the side cold plates 12 can be connected to different outlet pipes 17 or the same outlet pipe 17. That is to say, the heat exchange channels 11b of the bottom cold plate 11 and the heat exchange channels 11b of the side cold plates 12 can be connected in series or can be independently arranged.

[0048] The thermal management component 10 includes a plurality of side cold plates 12. In one embodiment, along as Figure 1As shown, a plurality of side cold plates 12 are arranged at intervals along the first direction X, and at least one side of each side cold plate 12 is provided with battery cells 30. Optionally, the battery cells 30 are arranged between every two adjacent side cold plates 12, and their opposite sides are respectively heat exchange connected to different side cold plates 12. Optionally, there are battery cells 30 whose only one side is heat exchange connected to the side cold plate 12 at the end.

[0049] The side cold plates 12 extend longitudinally along the second direction Y. The manifold 12d is provided at at least one end of the side cold plate 12 for allowing the heat exchange medium to enter and / or flow out of the manifold 12d. When the manifold 12d allows the heat exchange medium to enter and exit, an inlet and an outlet 11n may be provided on the manifold 12d. The manifolds 12d between the side cold plates 12 are connected by a connecting member 13, and the side cold plates 12 are connected in series or in parallel through the cooperation of the manifolds 12d and the connecting member 13. The connecting member 13 may be a connection joint, a connecting pipe, etc., and the specific form is not limited. The connecting member 13 may be connected between the manifolds 12d, or may be connected between the manifold 12d and the inlet pipe 16 / outlet pipe 17.

[0050] There are various arrangement forms of the manifolds 12d, which will not be exhausted here. In one example, the manifolds 12d are provided at the same end of each side cold plate 12 in the second direction Y. In another example, the manifolds 12d are also provided at the same other end of each side cold plate 12. In yet another example, the manifolds 12d of adjacent side cold plates 12 may also be arranged at different ends.

[0051] The collecting member 14 is used to collect the heat exchange medium leaked from the manifold 12d, the connecting member 13 or the connection between the two. Specifically, the collecting member 14 has a collecting cavity 14e that is open upward. The collecting cavity 14e corresponds to the manifold 12d and the connecting member 13 in the up-down direction (corresponding to the third direction Z), and the collecting cavity 14e is located below the manifold 12d and the connecting member 13 to collect the liquid leaked from them, so as to avoid the leaked liquid from contaminating the battery cells 30.

[0052] A drainage channel 11a is provided in the bottom cold plate 11, which connects the collecting cavity 14e and the detection cavity 15i. It can be understood that the drainage channel 11a in the bottom cold plate 11 is not connected to the heat exchange channel 11b in the bottom cold plate 11. When there is liquid collected in the collecting cavity 14e, this part of the liquid is guided through the drainage channel 11a to flow towards the detection cavity 15i.

[0053] The detection unit 15j is used to detect whether there is liquid in the detection cavity 15i, and accordingly determine whether the thermal management component 10 leaks. Exemplarily, the detection unit 15j is a liquid level sensor. When there is liquid in the detection cavity 15i, the liquid level sensor can sense the change in the liquid level, and accordingly determine that the thermal management component 10 leaks. Another example is that the detection unit 15j includes a float and an induction sheet. When there is liquid in the detection cavity 15i, the float rises and is sensed by the induction sheet, and accordingly determine that the thermal management component 10 leaks.

[0054] In the thermal management component 10 in the embodiment of the present application, the collection cavity 14e of the collection member 14 can collect the liquid leaked from the current collector portion 12d and the connection member 13. Under the drainage of the drainage channel 11a built in the bottom cold plate 11, the liquid in the collection cavity 14e can flow to the detection cavity 15i, and then be detected and sensed by the detection unit 15j. At this time, not only can the liquid leakage problem of the thermal management component 10 be effectively and timely discovered, but also the drainage channel 11a is built in the bottom cold plate 11, which not only simplifies the structure, but also the bottom cold plate 11 can exchange heat with the outside by using the heat of the leaked liquid, improving the heat utilization rate of the heat exchange medium.

[0055] In some embodiments, in combination with Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 7 it is understood that the upper surface of the bottom cold plate 11 is divided into an electrical heat exchange area Q1. The electrical heat exchange area Q1 is used to support and place electrical devices (such as a high-voltage box, the power supply device 40 in the following text, etc.) in the battery 100, and the drainage channel 11a passes through the electrical heat exchange area Q1. In this way, the leaked heat exchange medium flowing in the drainage channel 11a can be used to exchange heat with the electrical heat exchange area Q1 to adjust the temperature of each electrical device, improving the heat utilization rate of the heat exchange medium.

[0056] Figure 8 It is a schematic structural diagram of the collection member 14 in some embodiments.

[0057] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 8 , the collection member 14 includes an installation portion 14f. The installation portion 14f is located in the collection cavity 14e, and at least part of the current collector portion 12d is limited and installed on the installation portion 14f.

[0058] Specifically, the installation portion 14f can be a hole structure, a groove structure, a column structure, etc. that can realize the fixation of the current collector portion 12d and the collection member 14, which can play the role of positioning and installing the current collector portion 12d, and help to effectively ensure that the liquid leaked from the current collector portion 12d can be smoothly collected into the collection cavity 14e.

[0059] Further in the embodiment, referring to Figure 8 , and in combination with Figure 3It is understood that the mounting portion 14f is provided with a mounting groove f1, the mounting groove f1 is independent of the collecting chamber 14e, and at least a portion of the collecting portion 12d is inserted into the mounting groove f1.

[0060] In practical applications, the mounting groove f1 can be an upwardly open groove structure, with the manifold 12d inserted into the mounting groove f1 from top to bottom. Alternatively, the mounting groove f1 can be a horizontally open groove structure, with the manifold 12d inserted horizontally into the mounting groove f1. The mounting groove f1 is disconnected from the collection chamber 14e to prevent liquid in the collection chamber 14e from flowing out of the mounting groove f1 and causing accumulation of liquid in the collection chamber 14e.

[0061] At this time, the collecting portion 12d is installed in the installation groove f1 by plug-in, which is simple to assemble and easy to operate, and helps to speed up the assembly production of the thermal management component 10.

[0062] Specifically in the embodiment, continue to refer to Figure 8 The mounting groove f1 has a first notch f11 and a second notch f12 that are arranged to intersect and communicate with each other. The first notch f11 passes through the side wall e2 of the collecting chamber 14e, and the second notch f12 opens away from the bottom wall e1 of the collecting chamber 14e. At least part of the collecting portion 12d passes through the first notch f11 and the second notch f12 and is inserted into the mounting groove f1.

[0063] The bottom wall e1 of the collection chamber 14e and its open end are positioned opposite each other in the third direction Z. Its sidewalls e2 enclose the periphery of the bottom wall e1, forming the collection chamber 14e. The mounting slot f1 opens in both the third direction Z and the second direction Y. When the first notch f11 of the manifold 12d in the second direction Y is inserted into the mounting slot f1, the second notch f12 in the third direction Z clears the manifold 12d. This allows for the installation of manifolds 12d of various structural types, simplifying the structural design of the manifold 12d.

[0064] In some embodiments, combined Figure 3 and Figure 8 It is understood that the multiple side cold plates 12 are arranged side by side and spaced apart along the first direction X, the same end of the multiple side cold plates 12 is provided with a collecting portion 12d, the multiple mounting portions 14f are arranged at intervals along the first direction X, and the first notches f11 of all the mounting portions 14f open in the same direction, and each collecting portion 12d is installed in a one-to-one correspondence with the mounting portion 14f.

[0065] The multiple side cold plates 12 are each provided with a manifold 12d at the same end in the second direction Y. The first notches f11 of each mounting portion 14f open toward the side where the manifold 12d is located along the second direction Y. In actual use, the multiple side cold plates 12 can be simultaneously inserted into the mounting portions 14f along the first notches f11, one-to-one, resulting in high assembly efficiency.

[0066] Figure 9 is Figure 2 a cross-sectional view at the C-C position in Figure 10 is Figure 9 an enlarged view at position III in

[0067] In some embodiments, in combination with Figure 5 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 it is understood that the bottom wall e1 of the collection chamber 14e is inclined, the bottom wall e1 includes a first end e11 and a second end e12 arranged opposite to each other in its inclined direction, and the first end e11 is higher than the second end e12. The collection member 14 includes a drainage groove 14g recessed in the second end e12, and the collection member 14 communicates with the drainage channel 11a through the drainage groove 14g.

[0068] The bottom wall e1 is an inclined surface, the first end e11 is the high position end, the second end e12 is the low position end, and the high position end is higher than the low position end in the third direction Z. The drainage groove 14g is located at the low position end of the bottom wall e1. In this way, the liquid flowing into the collection chamber 14e can quickly flow towards the drainage groove 14g under the action of gravity, and is guided by the drainage groove 14g to be discharged from the collection chamber 14e and flow towards the drainage channel 11a.

[0069] In this way, the liquid in the collection chamber 14e can be discharged more smoothly, avoiding the liquid remaining in the collection chamber 14e.

[0070] Figure 11 is Figure 8 another perspective view of the collection member 14 shown in Figure 12 is an exploded schematic view of the bottom guard plate in some embodiments.

[0071] Further in the embodiments, referring to Figure 10 , and in combination with Figure 11 and Figure 12 it is understood that the collection member 14 includes a liquid discharge hole 14h, and the liquid discharge hole 14h penetrates through the bottom of the drainage groove 14g. The bottom cold plate 11 includes a liquid inlet hole 11c, the liquid inlet hole 11c is arranged opposite to the liquid discharge hole 14h, and communicates with the liquid discharge hole 14h and the drainage channel 11a, so that the drainage groove 14g communicates with the drainage channel 11a.

[0072] Specifically, a plurality of liquid discharge holes 14h are arranged along the extension direction of the drainage groove 14g, and a liquid inlet hole 11c is provided on the bottom cold plate 11 corresponding to each liquid discharge hole 14h.

[0073] At this time, the liquid in the drainage groove 14g flows through the liquid discharge hole 14h and the liquid inlet hole 11c in sequence and enters the drainage channel 11a, realizing the discharge of the liquid in the drainage groove 14g. The solution is simple and easy to implement.

[0074] In a specific embodiment, in combination with Figure 3 and Figure 8It is understood that a plurality of mounting portions 14f are arranged at intervals in sequence along the first direction X in the collection chamber 14e, and the collection chamber 14e is partitioned to form a plurality of sub-chambers e3. The drainage groove 14g extends through each sub-chamber e3, and each sub-chamber e3 is communicated through the drainage groove 14g. Drainage holes 14h are provided at the bottom of the drainage groove 14g corresponding to each sub-chamber e3, and liquid inlet holes 11c are provided on the bottom cold plate 11 corresponding to each drainage hole 14h. Each sub-chamber e3 is correspondingly arranged with a connecting member 13.

[0075] In practical applications, the liquid leaked from each connecting member 13 and the current collecting portion 12d connected thereto can be quickly discharged into the drainage channel 11a through each sub-chamber e3, the drainage groove 14g in each sub-chamber e3, and the drainage holes 14h. In this way, the liquid can be discharged from the collection chamber 14e more quickly, and the liquid accumulation in the collection chamber 14e can be avoided.

[0076] In some embodiments, it is understood that Figure 12 the drainage channel 11a includes a main channel a1 and branch channels a2. A diversion port o is provided in the middle of the main channel a1. One end of the branch channel a2 is connected to the diversion port o, and the other end is communicated with the detection chamber 15i.

[0077] The main channel a1 is distributed below the drainage groove 14g and is consistent with the extension direction of the drainage groove 14g. The drainage holes 14h are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the drainage groove 14g, so as to facilitate the liquid to flow into the main channel a1 quickly and evenly, reduce the drainage distance between the drainage holes 14h and the main channel a1, improve the detection accuracy, and avoid the waste of cold quantity. It should be noted that the extension direction of the main channel a1 is consistent with the extension direction of the drainage groove 14g, including that the extension direction of the main channel a1 is substantially consistent with the extension direction of the drainage groove 14g, as long as it can ensure that the liquid can flow from the drainage groove 14g into the main channel a1. The setting of the branch channel a2 can flexibly adapt to the arrangement position of the detection member 15 to drain the liquid in the collection chamber 14e to the detection chamber 15i. When the collection member 14 includes the above-mentioned drainage groove 14g and drainage holes 14h, and the bottom cold plate 11 includes the above-mentioned liquid inlet holes 11c, the liquid inlet holes 11c communicate the drainage holes 14h and the main channel a1. The liquid in the drainage groove 14g enters the main channel a1 through the drainage holes 14h and the liquid inlet holes 11c in sequence, and finally flows to the detection chamber 15i through the branch channel a2.

[0078] Preferably, the branch flow channel a2 passes through the electrical heat exchange area Q1 to enhance the heat exchange efficiency of the liquid therein. The upper surface of the bottom cold plate 11 has a main heat exchange area Q2 separated from the electrical heat exchange area Q1, and the battery cell 30 exchanges heat with the main heat exchange area Q2. The collecting member 14 is disposed on the bottom cold plate 11 in the area between the main heat exchange area Q2 and the electrical heat exchange area Q1. Thus, not only can the liquid inlet efficiency of the liquid entering the branch flow channel a2 be improved, and the detection sensitivity be enhanced, but also the waste of cold quantity can be further avoided. At the same time, the collecting member 14 is used to collect the liquid leaked from the side cold plate 12 to prevent the leaked liquid from entering the main heat exchange area Q2 and contaminating the battery cell 30. Moreover, the collecting member 14 can be used to install and fix the current collecting portion 12d. While simplifying the overall structure of the battery 100, improving the overall compactness of the battery 100, and facilitating installation and production, the leaked liquid is further utilized to exchange heat with the current collecting portion 12d, further avoiding the waste of cold quantity.

[0079] Preferably, the length of the main flow channel a1 along its extending direction can be greater than the length of the drainage groove 14g along its extending direction, so that a certain amount of liquid can accumulate in the main flow channel a1, expanding the heat exchange area corresponding to the main flow channel a1 and improving the heat exchange efficiency here. The lengths of the main flow channel a1 and the drainage groove 14g can be set as required, as long as it can be ensured that each drain hole 14h can communicate with the main flow channel a1.

[0080] Specifically in the embodiment, combined with Figure 12 Understand that the bottom surface of the main flow channel a1 is inclined from both ends thereof towards the diversion port o, and the diversion port o is located at the lower position of the bottom surface.

[0081] Preferably, the depth of the main flow channel a1 in the third direction Z increases from both ends of the main flow channel a1 towards the diversion port o. In this way, the top surface of the main flow channel a1 can be designed as a plane, simplifying the processing. Further, the minimum depth (at both ends thereof) of the main flow channel a1 is 0.5 mm to 2 mm (such as 1.5 mm), and the maximum depth (at the diversion port o) is 2 mm to 6 mm (such as 4 mm).

[0082] It is also preferable that the depth of each part of the main flow channel a1 can also be kept consistent. Regardless of the depth size of each part of the main flow channel a1, as long as it satisfies that the bottom surface of the main flow channel a1 is inclined from both ends thereof towards the diversion port o, and the diversion port o is located at the lower position in its inclined direction. In this way, the liquid in the main flow channel a1 can converge towards the diversion port o under the action of gravity and flow into the detection cavity 15i through the branch flow channel a2, avoiding liquid accumulation in the main flow channel a1 and improving the detection sensitivity.

[0083] In some embodiments, the width w of the main flow channel a1 satisfies: w ≤ 29 mm.

[0084] The width direction of the sprue a1 is perpendicular to its extending direction. The width w of the sprue a1 is the dimension of the sprue a1 in the width direction and is the maximum dimension in its width direction. In Figure 12 In the illustrated example, the width direction of the sprue a1 corresponds to the second direction Y. The width of the sprue a1 should not be too wide to avoid situations such as collapse and bulging.

[0085] Specifically, the optional values of the width w are 14mm, 15mm, 16mm, 17mm, 18mm, 19mm, 20mm, 21mm, 22mm, 23mm, 24mm, 25mm, 26mm, 27mm, 28mm, and the values between any adjacent selected values.

[0086] When the width w takes values within the above range, its width is relatively narrow, and there is less water accumulation in the sprue a1. The liquid can flow to the detection chamber 15i in time and be detected, which helps to detect the liquid leakage problem in time.

[0087] Of course, the width w of the sprue a1 cannot be too narrow either. An overly narrow width w will result in a large flow resistance of the liquid in the sprue a1, which will instead hinder the liquid from flowing to the detection chamber 15i in time. The discharge speed of the liquid in the collection chamber 14e is slow, and it is easy to accumulate and overflow the collection chamber 14e, polluting the inside of the battery 100. Moreover, an overly narrow width w is not easy to process and increases the processing cost. Since the sprue a1 is recessed on the runner plate 11v and formed by stamping, R corners ( Figure 13 represented by R in the figure) are formed on both sides of the bottom of the sprue a1 (where the dimension in the width direction of the sprue a1 is the smallest) during stamping. A buffer transition is formed through the R corners. At this time, each side of the sprue a1 forms a transition through 2 R corners, so the sprue a1 includes 4 R corners. Refer to Figure 13 shown in the figure, and the bottom of the sprue a1 should have at least a certain width (for example, greater than 1.5mm). Generally, the R corner needs to reach 3mm to be formed. Therefore, for the convenience of production, w≥(3*4 + 1.5)mm. Preferably, w is not less than 13.5mm.

[0088] As Figure 12 shown in the figure, in a specific embodiment, the bottom cold plate 11 includes a runner plate 11v and a cover plate 11u. The heat exchange runner 11b and the drainage runner 11a are both recessed and formed on the runner plate 11v. The cover plate 11u covers the runner plate 11v to enclose the heat exchange runner 11b and the drainage runner 11a. The liquid inlet hole 11c is provided on the cover plate 11u. Further, an inlet 11m and an outlet 11n are provided on the cover plate 11u. The liquid inlet pipe 16 passes through the inlet 11m and is connected to the inlet end of the heat exchange runner 11b of the bottom cold plate 11. The liquid outlet pipe 17 passes through the outlet 11n and is connected to the outlet end of the heat exchange runner 11b of the bottom cold plate 11. The heat exchange runner 11b can be arranged in a zigzag shape.

[0089] As long as the solutions of the above embodiments do not conflict with each other, they can be freely combined to obtain more embodiments.

[0090] In addition, in combination with Figure 7 it is understood that the battery 100 proposed in the embodiments of the present application includes a box body 20, the above-mentioned thermal management component 10, and battery cells 30. The thermal management component 10 and the battery cells 30 are both arranged in the box body 20. The bottom of the battery cell 30 is heat exchange-connected to the bottom cold plate 11, and the side surface of the battery cell 30 is heat exchange-connected to the side cold plate 12.

[0091] This battery 100 includes all the beneficial effects of the above embodiments.

[0092] Specifically in the embodiment, the side cold plate 12, the battery cell 30, and the collecting member 14 are arranged on the upper surface of the bottom cold plate 11. The collecting member 14 separates a main heat exchange area Q2 and an electrical heat exchange area Q1 between the upper surfaces of the bottom cold plate 11. A plurality of battery cells 30 are arranged side by side in the second direction Y to form a group of battery cell groups, and multiple groups of battery cell groups are arranged in the main heat exchange area Q2. All the side cold plates 12 are spaced along the first direction X on the top surface of the bottom cold plate 11. A battery cell group is arranged between adjacent side cold plates 12, and they are all heat exchange-connected to the side surface of the battery cell group. The collecting portions 12d are provided at the same end of all the side cold plates 12 in the second direction Y. The collecting portions 12d of adjacent side cold plates 12 are connected through a connecting member 13. The collecting portion 12d of the side cold plate 12 at the edge is connected to the liquid inlet pipe 16 or the liquid outlet pipe 17 through a connecting member 13. The collecting member 14 includes a collecting cavity 14e located below the collecting portion 12d and the connecting member 13. A drainage flow channel 11a is provided in the bottom cold plate 11 corresponding to the electrical heat exchange area Q1. The detecting member 15 is arranged in the electrical heat exchange area Q1 and has a detecting cavity 15i communicating with the drainage flow channel 11a. A detecting member 15 is arranged in the detecting cavity 15i. A heat-conducting adhesive 18 is provided between the bottom cold plate 11 and the battery cell 30 to make the heat conduction between the two uniform.

[0093] In a specific embodiment, with reference to Figure 6, the detection component 15 includes a Hall component 15A, and the Hall component 15A has a detection cavity 15i. The Hall component 15A includes a current-carrying conductor A1 and a detection conductor A2. The detection conductor A2 is electrically connected and disposed on the current-carrying conductor A1. The current-carrying conductor A1 is electrically connected to the high-voltage circuit of the battery cell 30. That is, the current-carrying conductor A1 can be connected in series to the high-voltage circuit of the entire battery through the conductive bar 50. One end of it is connected to the battery cell 30, and the other end is connected to the power supply device 40. The conductive bar 50 and the current-carrying conductor A1 can be fixedly connected by bolts or the like. The detection conductor A2 extends into the detection cavity 15i as the detection part 15j. When the liquid in the detection cavity 15i contacts the detection conductor A2, the box body 20 and the current-carrying conductor A1 are in a conductive state. The battery 100 further includes a detection circuit, and the detection circuit is electrically connected to the box body 20 for detecting the insulation condition of the box body 20 to determine whether there is liquid in the detection cavity 15i. Specifically, the detection circuit can be the insulation detection circuit of the battery 100. The high-voltage circuit of the battery 100 and the box body 20 are insulated under normal conditions, so the insulation condition detected by the detection circuit is normal. In this embodiment, when the liquid in the detection cavity 15i contacts the detection conductor A2, the box body 20 and the current-carrying conductor A1 are in a conductive state, which makes the box body 20 and the high-voltage circuit of the battery 100 in a conductive state. At this time, the insulation condition detected by the detection circuit is abnormal, and thus it can be determined that there is liquid. The insulation detection circuit is widely used in the battery 100 and will not be elaborated here.

[0094] The setting of the Hall component 15A can help the battery 100 management system monitor the charge and discharge state of the battery 100, as well as achieve battery 100 balancing and fault diagnosis, and it is widely used in the battery 100. Specifically, the Hall component 15A includes a Hall sensor A3, and the current-carrying conductor A1 passes through the Hall sensor A3. The power supply device 40 is electrically connected to the Hall sensor A3 for supplying power to the Hall sensor A3. The power supply device 40 can be a BDU (Battery Disconnect Unit), a BMS (Battery Management System), etc. When a current flows through the current-carrying conductor A1 to generate a magnetic field, the Hall sensor A3 can measure the magnetic field intensity to infer the magnitude of the current and achieve non-contact current detection.

[0095] Detection conductor A2 is electrically conductively disposed on overcurrent conductor A1. When overcurrent conductor A1 is energized, detection conductor A2 becomes energized. If the liquid level within detection chamber 15i reaches a preset level and contacts detection conductor A2, the current carried by detection conductor A2 can be conducted to housing 20 through the liquid, bottom cold plate 11, and the like, thereby electrically connecting housing 20 and overcurrent conductor A1. When housing 20 and overcurrent conductor A1 are electrically connected, the detection circuit electrically connected to housing 20 can detect insulation anomalies through the insulation detection circuit. For example, if the insulation resistance decreases, indicating insulation failure, the presence of liquid in detection chamber 15i can be determined, confirming that the thermal management assembly 10 is leaking.

[0096] At this time, the Hall component 15A in the battery 100 can be used as the detection component 15 to detect leakage of the thermal management component 10. The Hall component 15A can not only detect current, but also be used to detect leakage in combination with the insulation detection circuit of the battery 100 itself. It has a high utilization rate and can reduce the configuration cost of the battery 100.

[0097] In some embodiments, reference Figure 6 The box body 20 includes a support beam 21, and the detection member 15 is provided on the support beam 21. A liquid storage cavity 21k is formed in the support beam 21, and the liquid storage cavity 21k communicates with the drainage channel 11a and the detection cavity 15i.

[0098] Specifically, the bottom cold plate 11 is provided with a liquid outlet 11d, and the detection member 15 is provided with a through-hole 15p. The liquid outlet 11d connects the branch flow channel a2 with the liquid storage chamber 21k, while the through-hole 15p connects the detection chamber 15i with the liquid storage chamber 21k. Specifically, the housing 20 includes a bottom plate (not shown) and side plates 22. The side plates 22 surround the bottom plate, on which the bottom cold plate 11 is mounted. The support beam 21 is located above the bottom cold plate 11 and is connected to the side plates 22, thereby enhancing the structural strength of the housing 20.

[0099] It should be noted that the height of the liquid storage chamber 21k is less than the height of the sidewall e2 of the collection chamber 14e. This facilitates the accumulation of liquid in the liquid storage chamber 21k. The liquid can then flow upward from the liquid storage chamber 21k into the detection chamber 15i, thereby contacting the detection conductor A2 and avoiding the problem of liquid in the liquid storage chamber 21k being unable to flow into the detection chamber 15i. When the liquid in the liquid storage chamber 21k does not flow into the detection chamber 15i and contact the detection conductor A2, the liquid can be stored in the drainage channel 11a and the collection chamber 14e. The drainage channel 11a passes through the electrical heat exchange zone Q1. The leaked heat exchange medium flowing in the drainage channel 11a exchanges heat with the electrical heat exchange zone Q1. The collection chamber 14e is provided with a mounting portion 14f. The mounting portion 14f is used to positionally mount the manifold 12d. The leaked heat exchange medium in the collection chamber 14e exchanges heat with the manifold 12d, thereby regulating the temperature of the manifold 12d and improving the heat utilization rate of the heat exchange medium.

[0100] The provision of the support beam 21 can provide space in the height direction of the liquid storage cavity 21k. On the one hand, when the amount of liquid leakage is large, the liquid storage cavity 21k in the support beam 21 can store liquid to prevent the leaked liquid from affecting the insulation effect of the battery. On the other hand, when the amount of liquid is small, the liquid storage cavity 21k in the support beam 21 can store some of the leaked heat transfer medium to provide a certain detection redundancy. When the detection conductor A2 contacts the liquid (the leaked heat transfer medium), that is, the overcurrent conductor A1 is electrically connected to the support beam 21, which is equivalent to the overcurrent conductor A1 being electrically connected to the box body 20. The detection circuit can be electrically connected to the box body 20. Specifically, the detection circuit can be an insulation detection circuit. According to the decrease in insulation resistance, insulation abnormality and insulation failure can be judged, so as to judge whether there is liquid in the detection cavity 15i, and further judge whether the heat management component 10 leaks liquid.

[0101] The technical features of the above-described embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. For the sake of brevity of description, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, it should be considered as the scope described in this specification.

[0102] The above-described embodiments only represent several implementation manners of the present application. The description is relatively specific and detailed, but it should not be construed as a limitation on the patent scope of the present application. It should be noted that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the concept of the present application, several deformations and improvements can still be made, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present application should be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. A thermal management component, characterized in that, include: A bottom cold plate (11) is formed with a drainage channel (11a) therein; A side cold plate (12) including a collecting portion (12d) at an end thereof; a connecting piece (13), connected to the header (12d), and used for heat exchange medium to flow into and / or out of the header (12d); A collecting member (14) and the side cold plate (12) are both arranged above the bottom cold plate (11), the collecting member (14) comprising a collecting cavity (14e), the position of the collecting cavity (14e) corresponding to the positions of the collecting portion (12d) and the connecting member (13); and The detection member (15) comprises a detection cavity (15i) and a detection portion (15j); the drainage channel (11a) communicates with the collection cavity (14e) and the detection cavity (15i); the detection portion (15j) extends into the detection cavity (15i) and is used to detect whether liquid exists in the detection cavity (15i).

2. The thermal management component according to claim 1, characterized in that The collecting member (14) comprises a mounting portion (14f), the mounting portion (14f) is located in the collecting chamber (14e), and at least a portion of the collecting portion (12d) is positionally mounted on the mounting portion (14f).

3. The thermal management component according to claim 2, wherein The mounting portion (14f) is provided with a mounting groove (f1), the mounting groove (f1) is independent of the collecting chamber (14e), and at least a portion of the collecting portion (12d) is inserted into the mounting groove (f1).

4. The thermal management component according to claim 3, characterized in that, The installation groove (f1) has a first notch (f11) and a second notch (f12) arranged to intersect and communicate with each other, the first notch (f11) passes through the side wall (e2) of the collection chamber (14e), the second notch (f12) opens away from the bottom wall (e1) of the collection chamber (14e), and at least a portion of the collecting portion (12d) passes through the first notch (f11) and the second notch (f12) and is inserted into the installation groove (f1); and / or, The plurality of side cold plates (12) are arranged side by side at intervals along a first direction (X), and the same end of the plurality of side cold plates (12) is provided with the collecting portion (12d); the plurality of mounting portions (14f) are arranged at intervals along the first direction (X), and the first notches (f11) of all the mounting portions (14f) open in the same direction, and each of the collecting portions (12d) is mounted on the mounting portion (14f) in a one-to-one correspondence.

5. The thermal management component according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The bottom wall (e1) of the collecting chamber (14e) is arranged in an inclined shape, and the bottom wall (e1) includes a first end (e11) and a second end (e12) arranged opposite to each other in the inclined direction thereof, and the first end (e11) is arranged higher than the second end (e12); The collecting member (14) comprises a drainage groove (14g) recessed in the second end (e12), and the collecting member (14) is connected to the drainage channel (11a) through the drainage groove (14g).

6. The thermal management component according to claim 5, characterized in that, The collecting member (14) includes a drainage hole (14h), and the drainage hole (14h) passes through the bottom of the drainage groove (14g); The bottom cold plate (11) includes a liquid inlet hole (11c), the liquid inlet hole (11c) is arranged opposite to the liquid discharge hole (14h), and communicates with the liquid discharge hole (14h) and the drainage channel (11a) to communicate the drainage groove (14g) with the drainage channel (11a).

7. The thermal management component according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The drainage channel (11a) includes a main channel (a1) and branch channels (a2). A diversion port (o) is arranged in the middle of the main channel (a1). One end of the branch channel (a2) is connected to the diversion port (o), and the other end communicates with the detection cavity (15i). The bottom surface of the main channel (a1) is inclined from both ends thereof to the diversion port (o), and the diversion port (o) is located at a lower position of the bottom surface, and / or the width w of the main channel (a1) satisfies: w≤29 mm.

8. A battery, characterized in that, The battery includes: A box body (20); The thermal management assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which is arranged in the box body (20); Battery cells (30), which are arranged in the box body (20). The bottom of the battery cells (30) is in heat exchange connection with the bottom cold plate (11), and the side surfaces of the battery cells (30) are in heat exchange connection with the side cold plates (12).

9. The battery according to claim 8, characterized in that, The detection member (15) includes a Hall assembly (15A), and the Hall assembly (15A) has the detection cavity (15i); The Hall assembly (15A) includes a current-carrying conductor (A1) and a detection conductor (A2). The detection conductor (A2) is arranged on the current-carrying conductor (A1). The current-carrying conductor (A1) is electrically connected to the high-voltage circuit of the battery cell (30). The detection conductor (A2) extends into the detection cavity (15i) as the detection portion (15j). When the liquid in the detection cavity (15i) contacts the detection conductor (A2), the box body (20) and the current-carrying conductor (A1) are in a conducting state; The battery further includes a detection circuit, and the detection circuit is electrically connected to the box body (20) for detecting the insulation condition of the box body (20) to judge whether there is liquid in the detection cavity (15i).

10. The battery according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The box body (20) includes a support beam (21), the detection member (15) is arranged on the support beam (21), a liquid storage cavity (21k) is formed in the support beam (21), and the liquid storage cavity (21k) communicates with the drainage channel (11a) and the detection cavity (15i).

Images