Liquid cooling plate, power battery, vehicle and power battery thermal management method

Abstract

The invention discloses a liquid cooling plate, a power battery, a vehicle and a power battery thermal management method. The liquid cooling plate comprises a liquid inlet, a plurality of flow channels and a liquid outlet which are communicated in sequence, and the flow channels are independent of one another and arranged between the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet in parallel. Plugging pieces are arranged in at least two flow channels of the liquid cooling plate, and the opening pressures of the plugging pieces in the at least two flow channels are different. Therefore, two flow channels exist in the liquid cooling plate: the flow channel provided with the plugging piece is conducted only after the pressure of the cooling liquid reaches the opening pressure of the plugging piece, and the flow channel provided with the plugging piece is conducted only after the pressure of the cooling liquid reaches the opening pressure of the plugging piece; and the flow channel without the plugging piece is always communicated. Different types of flow channels are arranged in the liquid cooling plate, the conduction condition of each flow channel can be dynamically adjusted according to factors such as power battery thermal management working condition requirements and a whole vehicle driving mode, and the distribution proportion of cooling liquid in each flow channel of the liquid cooling plate is adjusted.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of power batteries, and in particular relates to a liquid cooling plate, a power battery, a vehicle, and a power battery thermal management method. Background Art

[0002] As the core of new energy vehicles, power batteries determine the charging and discharging performance of the entire vehicle. Power battery performance is greatly affected by temperature. To ensure that power batteries always operate in an optimal state, thermal management systems have emerged.

[0003] As a core component of power batteries, liquid cooling plates play a vital role in controlling the temperature of battery cells. Although current liquid cooling plates can effectively regulate the temperature of battery cells, they have the problem of high energy consumption. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present application proposes a liquid cooling plate, a power battery, a vehicle, and a power battery thermal management method that can flexibly adjust the distribution ratio of the liquid cooling plate flow channel.

[0005] In a first aspect of the present application, a liquid cooling plate is provided, comprising a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, and three or more flow channels connected to the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet; the flow channels are independent of each other and are arranged in parallel between the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet; at least two of the flow channels are provided with sealing members, and the opening pressures of the sealing members in at least two of the flow channels are different.

[0006] In some embodiments, when the pressure of the coolant in the flow channel is not less than the opening pressure of the blocking member in the flow channel, the blocking member opens and the flow channel is opened.

[0007] In some embodiments, the blocking member is a switch valve; or the blocking member is an elastic sheet; an openable gap is provided in the middle of the elastic sheet; or a peripheral portion of the elastic sheet is connected to the wall of the flow channel, and the remaining portion forms an openable opening.

[0008] In some embodiments, the flow channels are parallel to each other; and the flow channels provided with the blocking members and the flow channels not provided with the blocking members are alternately arranged.

[0009] In some embodiments, among the blocking members, the flow channel where the blocking member with a relatively smaller opening pressure is located is located inside the flow channel where the blocking member with a relatively larger opening pressure is located.

[0010] In some embodiments, the liquid cooling plate has an inner cavity; a plurality of parallel partitions are provided in the inner cavity of the liquid cooling plate, and the plurality of partitions divide the inner cavity to form a plurality of the flow channels.

[0011] In some embodiments, the partition is arranged to be inclined along the thickness direction of the liquid cooling plate.

[0012] In a second aspect of the present application, a power battery is provided, comprising: The box body is equipped with a battery compartment and a control compartment; a battery assembly, disposed in the battery compartment; a circuit assembly, disposed in the control cabin and electrically connected to the battery assembly; At least one of the liquid cooling plates is disposed in the battery compartment and performs heat exchange with the battery assembly.

[0013] In some embodiments, the battery assembly includes a plurality of battery cells distributed in an array; the liquid cooling plate is disposed between two adjacent battery cells in a vertical position; and the liquid cooling plate exchanges heat with the side surfaces of the battery cells.

[0014] In some embodiments, the power battery is provided with more than two liquid cooling plates; the power battery further includes a liquid inlet pipe and a liquid outlet pipe, the liquid inlet of each liquid cooling plate is respectively connected to the liquid inlet pipe, and the liquid outlet of each liquid cooling plate is respectively connected to the liquid outlet pipe; the pipe openings of the liquid inlet pipe and the liquid outlet pipe are both located on the box body.

[0015] In a third aspect of the present application, a vehicle is provided, comprising: body; The power battery is connected to the vehicle body; a water pump, installed in the vehicle body and connected to the liquid cooling plate of the power battery; A controller is installed in the vehicle body and is electrically connected to the water pump and the circuit components of the power battery respectively.

[0016] In a fourth aspect of the present application, a method for thermal management of a power battery of the above-mentioned vehicle is provided, comprising the following steps: Obtaining the operating status of the power battery and determining whether the power battery is in a thermal runaway state; If the power battery is in a thermal runaway state, controlling the duty cycle of the water pump to be A1 so that all flow channels of the liquid cooling plate are open to cool the power battery; When the power battery is in a non-thermal runaway state: If the power battery is in a charging state, determining whether the maximum charging current of the power battery exceeds a preset current; If the maximum charging current of the power battery exceeds a preset current, the duty cycle of the water pump is controlled to be A2, and A2 is less than A1, so that all flow channels of the liquid cooling plate are connected to cool the power battery; If the maximum charging current of the power battery is less than or equal to a preset current, the duty cycle of the water pump is controlled to be A3, and A3 is less than A2, so that the flow channels of the liquid cooling plate without the blocking member and the flow channels partially with the blocking member are both conductive, thereby cooling the power battery; If the vehicle is in a driving state, determining whether the temperature T of the power battery exceeds a first preset temperature T1 and a second preset temperature T2, where T1<T2; If T<T1, the duty cycle of the water pump is controlled to be A4, and A4<A3, so that only the flow passages in the liquid cooling plate without the blocking member are open to cool the power battery; If T1≤T≤T2, controlling the duty cycle of the water pump to be A3, so that the flow passages of the liquid cooling plate without blocking members and the flow passages partially with blocking members are both conductive, thereby cooling the power battery; If T2<T, the duty cycle of the water pump is controlled to be A2, and A2<A1, so that all flow channels of the liquid cooling plate are connected to cool the power battery.

[0017] According to the liquid cooling plate provided in one or more embodiments of the present application, the liquid cooling plate includes a liquid inlet, a plurality of flow channels and a liquid outlet that are connected in sequence, and each flow channel is independent of each other and is arranged in parallel between the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet. A blocking member is provided in at least two flow channels of the liquid cooling plate, and the opening pressures of the blocking members in at least two flow channels are different. As a result, there are two types of flow channels in the liquid cooling plate: a flow channel with a blocking member, which will only be conductive after the pressure of the coolant reaches the opening pressure of the blocking member; and a flow channel without a blocking member, that is, an ordinary flow channel, which is always conductive. By arranging different types of flow channels in the liquid cooling plate, the conductivity of each flow channel can be dynamically adjusted according to factors such as the thermal management working conditions of the power battery and the driving mode of the whole vehicle, and the distribution ratio of the coolant in each flow channel of the liquid cooling plate can be adjusted.

[0018] Compared to related art liquid cooling plates that only have standard, always fully open flow channels, the liquid cooling plates provided by one or more embodiments of the present application can operate the water pump at a lower power while maintaining the same duty cycle, saving energy. The average coolant requirement for vehicles equipped with power batteries equipped with this liquid cooling plate is only approximately 70% of that of related art systems. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, a brief introduction will be given below to the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0020] Figure 1A schematic structural diagram of a liquid cooling plate in one or more embodiments of the present application is shown.

[0021] Figure 2 Shown Figure 1 AA cross-sectional view of the liquid cooling plate.

[0022] Figure 3 Shown Figure 1 BB cross-sectional view of the liquid cooling plate.

[0023] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the state changes of the sealing member of the liquid cooling plate in one or more embodiments of the present application is shown.

[0024] Figure 5 Schematic diagrams showing state changes of the blocking member of the liquid cooling plate in other embodiments of the present application are shown.

[0025] Figure 6 A full cross-sectional view of a liquid cooling plate in some other embodiments of the present application is shown.

[0026] Figure 7 Shown Figure 6 CC cross-sectional view of the liquid cooling plate.

[0027] Figure 8 A schematic structural diagram of a sealing sheet of a liquid cooling plate in one or more embodiments of the present application is shown.

[0028] Figure 9 A schematic structural diagram of a power battery in one or more embodiments of the present application is shown.

[0029] Figure 10 Shown Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the power battery structure after removing the upper cover.

[0030] Figure 11 Shown Figure 9 DD-direction cross-sectional view of the power battery.

[0031] Figure 12 Shown Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the liquid cooling plate and battery assembly in the power battery.

[0032] Figure 13 A schematic structural diagram of a vehicle in one or more embodiments of the present application is shown.

[0033] Figure 14 A logic block diagram of a power battery thermal management method in one or more embodiments of the present application is shown.

[0034] Explanation of Reference Numerals: 1000 - vehicle; 100 - power battery; 10 - liquid cooling plate; 11 - liquid inlet; 12 - liquid outlet; 13 - flow channel, 13a - flow channel with a blocking member, 13b - flow channel without a blocking member; 14 - blocking member, 14a - sealing sheet, 141 - slit, 142 - opening, 143 - through hole; 15 - plate body, 151 - first plate, 152 - second plate; 16 - liquid inlet, 161 - liquid inlet mixing chamber; 17 - liquid outlet, 171 - liquid outlet mixing chamber; 18 - cavity hole; 19 - partition; 20-box, 21-frame, 211-frame, 2111-side longitudinal beam, 2112-side cross beam, 2113-mounting part, 212-cross beam, 213-battery compartment, 214-control compartment, 22-upper cover, 23-bottom guard plate; 30-battery assembly, 31-battery cell; 40-circuit assembly, 41-control unit, 42-power distribution device; 50-liquid inlet pipe, 51-pipe mouth of liquid inlet pipe; 60-liquid outlet pipe, 61-pipe mouth of liquid outlet pipe; 70-fire retardant board; 200-body; 300-water pump; 400-controller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] In order to enable those skilled in the art to understand the present application more clearly, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0036] In addition, this application may repeat reference numbers and / or reference letters in different examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or settings discussed. In addition, this application provides examples of various specific processes and materials, but those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0037] The specific technical solutions of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale. Similar or identical reference numerals may be used to designate the same or similar parts in different figures. The use of similar or identical reference numerals in different figures does not imply that all figures including similar or identical reference numerals constitute a single or identical embodiment. The accompanying drawings generally illustrate various embodiments discussed in this application by way of example and not limitation.

[0038] In related technologies, the flow channels within the liquid cooling plate are always fully open, and the coolant must circulate to fill all channels within the liquid cooling plate, resulting in a high demand for coolant. Furthermore, the battery thermal management system can only control the cooling capacity by adjusting the duty cycle of the water pump to meet different battery thermal management requirements, which is difficult to accurately control. Under extreme operating conditions, the distribution of coolant to various vehicle components is difficult, and the battery often faces the problem of insufficient coolant.

[0039] See also Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the first embodiment of the present application, there is provided a liquid cooling plate 10, comprising a liquid inlet 11, a liquid outlet 12, and three or more flow channels 13 connected to the liquid inlet 11 and the liquid outlet 12. Each flow channel 13 is independent of each other, and each flow channel 13 is arranged in parallel between the liquid inlet 11 and the liquid outlet 12. Among the three or more flow channels 13 of the liquid cooling plate 10, at least two flow channels 13 are provided with a blocking member 14. As a result, there are two types of flow channels 13 in the liquid cooling plate 10: a flow channel 13 provided with a blocking member 14, which is conductive after the pressure of the coolant reaches the opening pressure of the blocking member 14; and a flow channel 13 not provided with a blocking member 14, that is, an ordinary flow channel, which is always conductive.

[0040] See also Figure 3 For easy distinction, the flow channel with a blocking member is designated 13a, and the flow channel without a blocking member is designated 13b. The reference numeral "13" refers to all flow channels 13, including both flow channels 13a with blocking members 14 and flow channels 13b without blocking members 14.

[0041] It is understood that providing a single blocking member 14 in the flow channel 13 can achieve controllable opening of the flow channel 13. Of course, in other embodiments, two or more blocking members 14 may be provided in the flow channel 13. The following embodiments are all described using the example of providing only one blocking member 14 in the flow channel 13. Unless otherwise specified, only one blocking member 14 is provided in the flow channel 13.

[0042] In each flow channel 13a provided with a blocking member 14, the opening pressure of the blocking member 14 in at least two flow channels 13a is different. That is to say, among the blocking members 14 of the liquid cooling plate 10, there are blocking members 14 with different opening pressures, and the blocking members 14 with different opening pressures are distributed in different flow channels 13a. Due to the existence of the flow channels 13a provided with blocking members 14, the number and position of the flow channels 13 that are connected in the liquid cooling plate 10 are different under different duty cycle conditions of the water pump 300. Therefore, for different battery thermal management requirements, the battery thermal management system can not only control the cooling amount by adjusting the duty cycle of the water pump 300, but also adjust the number and position of the flow channels 13 that are connected in the liquid cooling plate 10 through different duty cycles of the water pump 300. There are more thermal management adjustment gears, which can accurately match different battery thermal management requirements.

[0043] According to the liquid cooling plate 10 provided in one or more embodiments of the present application, by providing different types of flow channels 13 in the liquid cooling plate 10, the conductivity of each flow channel 13 can be dynamically adjusted based on factors such as the thermal management operating conditions of the power battery 100 and the driving mode of the vehicle, thereby adjusting the distribution ratio of the coolant in each flow channel 13 of the liquid cooling plate 10. Compared to the liquid cooling plate 10 provided in the related art, which only has ordinary flow channels 13 and the flow channels 13 are always fully conductive, the liquid cooling plate 10 provided in one or more embodiments of the present application can operate the water pump 300 at a lower power when the water pump 300 is at the same duty cycle, thereby saving energy consumption. The average coolant demand of a vehicle 1000 equipped with a power battery 100 having this liquid cooling plate 10 is only about 70% of that of the related art.

[0044] The internal flow channel 13 of the liquid cooling plate 10 can be formed by stamping, casting or machining, which is not limited in this application. Figure 3 In some embodiments, the liquid cooling plate 10 has an inner cavity. Several parallel partitions 19 are provided within the inner cavity of the liquid cooling plate 10. These partitions 19 divide the inner cavity to form a plurality of flow channels 13. Specifically, the flow channels 13 are formed by the inner cavity walls 18 of the liquid cooling plate 10 and the partitions 19. This allows the entire interior space of the liquid cooling plate 10 to be used for cooling, resulting in higher cooling efficiency. The outer surface of the liquid cooling plate 10 is flat, ensuring full contact with the battery cells 31.

[0045] See also Figure 3In some embodiments, the partition 19 is arranged obliquely along the thickness direction of the liquid cooling plate 10. After the liquid cooling plate 10 is installed on the power battery 100, the two side surfaces of the liquid cooling plate 10 in the thickness direction are in contact with the battery cells 31 respectively. Since the battery cells 31 are arranged in a compressed state in the power battery 100, and the battery cells 31 will expand after being heated. Therefore, along the thickness direction of the liquid cooling plate 10, the liquid cooling plate 10 is sandwiched between adjacent battery cells 31. By arranging the partition 19 to be inclined along the thickness direction of the liquid cooling plate 10, the liquid cooling plate 10 has a tendency to reduce in thickness when it is under excessive pressure, and the partition 19 will not puncture the battery cells 31.

[0046] The opening pressure of the blocking member 14 is related to the pressure of the coolant. When the pressure of the coolant in the flow channel 13 is not less than the opening pressure of the blocking member 14 in the flow channel 13, the blocking member 14 opens, and the flow channel 13 where the blocking member 14 is located is connected. Blocking members 14 with different opening pressures require different coolant pressures when opening. Since the pressure of the coolant is related to the duty cycle of the water pump 300, the opening pressure of the blocking member 14 is also related to the duty cycle of the water pump 300. In other words, the opening pressure of the blocking member 14 can be converted into the duty cycle of the water pump 300. The different opening pressures of the blocking member 14 can be understood as the different duty cycles of the water pump 300 when different blocking members 14 are opened. For example, a blocking member A opens when the duty cycle of the water pump 300 is 60%; another blocking member B opens when the duty cycle of the water pump 300 is 90%. When the duty cycle of the water pump 300 is 95%, both blocking parts A and B are open; when the duty cycle of the water pump 300 is 80%, only blocking part A is open and blocking part B remains closed; when the duty cycle of the water pump 300 is 50%, both blocking parts A and B are closed.

[0047] See also Figure 2 and Figure 3 , showing full cross-sectional views of the liquid cooling plate 10 in different directions in certain embodiments. In certain embodiments, the flow channels 13 of the liquid cooling plate 10 are parallel to each other. To reduce flow resistance, the flow channels 13 can be straight channels, i.e., the flow field within the liquid cooling plate 10 is parallel. This allows the flow channels 13 to be sorted along their arrangement direction. For example, if the liquid cooling plate 10 contains 10 straight channels, the flow channels 13 can be numbered 1#, 2#, ..., 9#, 10#.

[0048] In some embodiments, flow channels 13a with blocking members 14 are alternately arranged with flow channels 13b without blocking members 14. Since the flow channels 13a with blocking members 14 are conditionally conductive, while the flow channels 13b without blocking members 14 are normally conductive, alternating the two types of flow channels 13 ensures that the coolant inside the liquid cooling plate 10 remains evenly distributed when the coolant pressure is low, thereby ensuring a cooling effect.

[0049] It is understandable that the flow channels 13a with blocking members 14 and the flow channels 13b without blocking members 14 can alternate one by one. For example, the flow channels 13a with blocking members 14 are all located in odd or even positions, and the flow channels 13b without blocking members 14 are all located in even or odd positions. Similarly, taking the liquid cooling plate 10 as an example, which includes 10 direct current channels, the ten flow channels 13 include five flow channels 13a with blocking members 14 and five flow channels 13b without blocking members 14. The five flow channels 13a with blocking members 14 are numbered 1#, 3#, 5#, 7#, and 9#, respectively; and the five flow channels 13b without blocking members 14 are numbered 2#, 4#, 6#, 8#, and 10#, respectively.

[0050] In other embodiments, the flow channels 13a provided with the blocking members 14 and the flow channels 13b not provided with the blocking members 14 may be arranged alternately, for example, for every two flow channels 13b not provided with the blocking members 14, one flow channel 13a provided with the blocking member 14 is provided. Similarly, taking the example of a liquid cooling plate 10 having 10 straight flow channels, the flow channels 13 numbered 3#, 6#, and 9# are the flow channels 13a provided with the blocking members 14, and the flow channels 13 numbered 1#, 2#, 4#, 5#, 7#, 8#, and 10# are the flow channels 13b not provided with the blocking members 14.

[0051] In some embodiments, the liquid cooling plate 10 is provided with seven or more flow channels 13, and at least four flow channels 13 are provided with sealing members 14. The sealing members 14 in at least two of the flow channels 13 of the liquid cooling plate 10 have different opening pressures. For example, the opening pressures of the sealing members 14 in two of the flow channels 13 may be the same, F1; the opening pressures of the sealing members 14 in two of the flow channels 13 may be the same, F2, with F2 greater than F1; and the opening pressures of the sealing members 14 in the remaining flow channels 13 may be F3, with F3 greater than F2.

[0052] In each blocking member 14 of the liquid cooling plate 10, the flow channel 13 where the blocking member 14 with a relatively small opening pressure is located is located on the inner side of the flow channel 13 where the blocking member 14 with a relatively large opening pressure is located. That is to say, when the flow channels 13 are parallel to each other, the closer to the outside, the greater the opening pressure of the blocking member 14 in the flow channel 13. As a result, the flow channel 13 located on the inside is easier to conduct and can cool the middle part of the battery cell 31. Similarly, taking the liquid cooling plate 10 including 10 direct current channels as an example, the flow channels 13 numbered 3#, 5#, 7#, and 9# are flow channels 13a provided with blocking members 14. The flow channels 13 numbered 3# and 9# are located on the outside compared to the flow channels 13 numbered 5# and 7#. The opening pressures of the blocking members 14 in the flow channels 13 numbered 3# and 9# are greater than the opening pressures of the blocking members 14 in the flow channels 13 numbered 5# and 7#. Figure 3In some embodiments, the opening pressure of the blocking members 14 in the flow channels 13 numbered 3# and 9# may be both F2, the opening pressure of the blocking members 14 in the flow channels 13 numbered 5# and 7# may be F1, and F2>F1.

[0053] Along the extension direction of the flow channel 13, the positions of each blocking member 14 in the flow channel 13 can be the same or different. For example, each blocking member 14 is located at the entrance of the flow channel 13, or is located in the middle of the flow channel 13. In some embodiments, the positions of at least two blocking members 14 in the flow channel 13 are different. Also, taking the liquid cooling plate 10 as an example, which includes 10 straight flow channels, the flow channels 13 numbered 3#, 5#, 7#, and 9# are flow channels 13a provided with blocking members 14. The flow channels 13 numbered 3# and 9# are located on the outside compared to the flow channels 13 numbered 5# and 7#. The blocking members 14 in the flow channels 13 numbered 3# and 9# are both located at the entrance of the flow channel 13; the blocking members 14 in the flow channels 13 numbered 5# and 7# are both located in the middle of the flow channel 13.

[0054] The blocking member 14 can be an electrically controlled valve, a mechanical valve, or a mechanical structure with a valve function. Considering that the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow channel 13 of the liquid cooling plate 10 is relatively small, it is inconvenient to install an electrically controlled valve. In some embodiments, the blocking member 14 is a switch valve, which is a mechanical switch valve, such as a spring-loaded safety valve, a direct-acting overflow valve, a one-way valve, etc. Whether the switch valve is open is affected by the pressure of the coolant in the flow channel 13 where the switch valve is located. When the pressure of the coolant reaches the opening pressure of the switch valve, the switch valve opens and the flow channel 13 is connected; when the pressure of the coolant is less than the opening pressure of the switch valve, the switch valve closes, the flow channel 13 is cut off, and the coolant can only fill the upstream of the switch valve, but cannot form a circulation flow.

[0055] In some embodiments, the blocking member 14 is an elastic sheet. The elastic sheet can be a soft plastic sheet made of silicone, rubber, latex or other soft plastic materials. Figure 4 In some embodiments, an openable slit may be provided in the middle of the elastic sheet. For example, a cross-shaped slit 141 may be obtained by cutting the middle of the elastic sheet in a cross shape. Figure 4 As shown in (a) of FIG. 1 , the circumference of the elastic sheet is fixedly connected to the wall of the flow channel 13 of the liquid cooling plate 10. When the pressure of the coolant exceeds the opening pressure of the cross-shaped slit 141, the cross-shaped slit 141 is opened to form an opening 142 for the coolant to flow. Figure 4 As shown in (b).

[0056] See also Figure 5 In some embodiments, a portion of the outer periphery of the elastic sheet can be connected to the wall of the flow channel 13 of the liquid cooling plate 10, and the remaining portion of the outer periphery of the elastic sheet is not connected to the wall of the flow channel 13, forming an openable structure, such as Figure 5 As shown in (c). When the pressure of the coolant exceeds the elastic force of the elastic sheet, the unfixed portion of the elastic sheet undergoes elastic deformation, forming an opening 142 for the coolant to flow, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown in (d).

[0057] In some embodiments, the flow channels 13 of the liquid cooling plate 10 are parallel to each other. In order to evenly distribute the cooling liquid to each flow channel 13, see Figure 2 and Figure 6 In some embodiments, the liquid cooling plate 10 includes a liquid inlet 16, a plate body 15, and a liquid outlet 17, which are sealed and connected in sequence. The plate body 15 has a plurality of parallel linear cavities inside, forming various flow channels 13. The liquid inlet 16 is provided with a liquid inlet mixing chamber 161, which is connected to the liquid inlet 11. The liquid inlet mixing chamber 161 may have the same number of outlets as the flow channels 13 in the plate body 15, and each outlet corresponds to and is connected to each flow channel 13 one by one. The cooling liquid enters the liquid inlet mixing chamber 161 from the liquid inlet 11, and enters each flow channel 13 evenly through the outlet of the liquid inlet mixing chamber 161. In other embodiments, the liquid inlet mixing chamber 161 may be formed by the liquid inlet 16 and the plate body 15, and the liquid inlet mixing chamber 161 is directly connected to each flow channel 13 in the plate body 15.

[0058] The liquid outlet portion 17 has a similar structure to the liquid inlet portion 16. The liquid outlet portion 17 is provided with a liquid outlet mixing chamber 171, which is connected to the liquid outlet port 12. The liquid outlet mixing chamber 171 may have the same number of inlets as the flow channels 13 in the plate body 15, and each inlet corresponds to and is connected to each flow channel 13. The coolant in each flow channel 13 enters the liquid outlet mixing chamber 171 through its corresponding inlet, mixes in the liquid outlet mixing chamber 171, and then enters the liquid outlet port 12. In other embodiments, the liquid outlet mixing chamber 171 may be formed by the liquid outlet portion 17 and the plate body 15, and the liquid outlet mixing chamber 171 is directly connected to each flow channel 13 in the plate body 15.

[0059] To facilitate installation of the blocking member 14, it can be positioned at the liquid inlet section of the plate 15, that is, at the end of the plate 15 near the liquid inlet 16. Positioning the blocking member 14 near the end of the plate 15 facilitates installation and maintenance of the blocking member 14. In other embodiments, the blocking member 14 can be positioned in the middle of the plate 15, allowing the plate 15 to be a split structure, facilitating installation of the blocking member 14.

[0060] See also Figure 7In certain embodiments, the plate body 15 includes a first plate member 151 and a second plate member 152 that are sealed together. A groove is defined in the first plate member 151 and / or the second plate member 152, and the first plate member 151 and the second plate member 152 are sealed together to enclose the groove to form the flow channel 13. The blocking member 14 can be fixedly connected to one of the first plate member 151 and the second plate member 152. After the first plate member 151 and the second plate member 152 are sealed together, since the blocking member 14 is no longer connected to the other of the first plate member 151 and the second plate member 152, an openable opening 142 can be formed between the blocking member 14 and the other of the first plate member 151 and the second plate member 152.

[0061] In other embodiments, the blocking member 14 may also be disposed between the liquid inlet 16 and the plate 15. Figure 6 In some embodiments, a sealing sheet 14 a is provided between the liquid inlet portion 16 and the plate body 15 . The sealing sheet 14 a is sandwiched between the liquid inlet portion 16 and the plate body 15 to achieve a sealing effect.

[0062] See also Figure 8 In some embodiments, the sealing sheet 14a is provided with a plurality of through-holes 143. These through-holes 143 correspond to portions of the flow passages 13 of the plate 15. These portions of the flow passages 13 are the flow passages 13b not provided with the blocking member 14. The sealing sheet 14a is provided with a plurality of slits 141. These slits 141 can be linear, zigzag, or curved. These slits 141 correspond to the remaining flow passages 13 of the plate 15. These portions of the flow passages 13 are the flow passages 13a provided with the blocking member 14. The areas where the slits 141 are located form the blocking member 14.

[0063] See also Figure 9 and Figure 10 According to a second embodiment of the present application, a power battery 100 is provided, comprising a housing 20, a battery assembly 30, a circuit assembly 40, and at least one liquid cooling plate 10 according to the first embodiment. The housing 20 is provided with a battery compartment 213 and a control compartment 214. The battery assembly 30 is disposed in the battery compartment 213, and the circuit assembly 40 is disposed in the control compartment 214. The circuit assembly 40 is electrically connected to the battery assembly 30. The liquid cooling plate 10 is disposed in the battery compartment 213 and is in heat exchange with the battery assembly 30.

[0064] See also Figure 10 and Figure 11In some embodiments, the box body 20 includes a frame 21, an upper cover 22 and a bottom guard plate 23. The frame 21 includes a frame 211 and a crossbeam 212 connected to the frame 211. The frame 211 is provided with a mounting hole 2113 for connecting to the vehicle 1000 so as to install the power battery 100 on the vehicle 1000. The crossbeam 212 is provided in the frame 211, and the inner cavity of the frame 211 is divided into a control compartment 214 and a battery compartment 213 by the crossbeam 212. The upper cover 22 is connected to the frame 21 and covers the upper opening 142 of the inner cavity of the frame 211. The bottom guard plate 23 is connected to the frame 21 and covers the lower opening 142 of the inner cavity of the frame 211.

[0065] In some embodiments, the upper cover 22 is formed by a continuous long glass fiber fabric and resin molded composite. The long glass fiber fabric provides high tensile strength to the upper cover 22 body. After being heated and pressurized, the resin can impregnate and solidify the glass fiber, allowing the upper cover 22 to be formed according to the desired design features. The molded thickness can be as low as less than 1mm, and the density can be as low as 2g / cm3, achieving maximum lightweighting. In some embodiments, the upper cover 22 is provided with an inner concave structure and an outer convex structure, which constitute the reinforcement structure of the upper cover 22, can improve the natural frequency of the upper cover 22 as a whole, and improve the rigidity in the free state. The material strength of the bottom guard plate 23 is greater than that of the liquid cooling plate 10, for example, 1MPa high-strength steel can be used to protect the battery assembly 30.

[0066] See also Figure 11 In some embodiments, a fire retardant plate 70, such as a mica plate, is provided between the upper cover 22 and the battery assembly 30. The fire retardant plate 70 can be a single plate or multiple plates corresponding to the small space areas within the battery compartment 213.

[0067] See also Figure 10 In some embodiments, the circuit assembly 40 includes a control unit 41 and a power distribution device 42. The control unit 41 may be a BMS (battery management system), and the power distribution device 42 may be a BDU (battery energy distribution unit, also known as a high-voltage distribution box). The control unit 41 and the power distribution device 42 are arranged side by side in a transverse direction (the axial direction of the crossbeam 212).

[0068] See also Figure 10 and Figure 12 In some embodiments, the battery assembly 30 includes a plurality of battery cells 31 distributed in an array. By setting the number and relationship of series and parallel connections of each battery cell 31, the battery assembly 30 can achieve high and low voltage output on the same side of the beam 212, that is, the high-voltage connection line and the low-voltage connection line connecting the battery assembly 30 and the circuit assembly 40 are both close to the beam 212, and then establish a high and low voltage connection relationship with the circuit assembly 40 in the control cabin 214, realizing the connectivity and interaction of low-voltage sampling and high-voltage circuits, and realizing high integration of local positions.

[0069] The liquid cooling plate 10 can be arranged below the battery assembly 30, between the battery assembly 30 and the bottom guard plate 23; the liquid cooling plate 10 can also be arranged inside the battery assembly 30. Figure 12 In some embodiments, the liquid cooling plate 10 is placed vertically between two adjacent battery cells 31 to achieve three-dimensional cooling. When the liquid cooling plate 10 is placed vertically, the flow channels 13 extend horizontally, and the flow channels 13 are arranged vertically.

[0070] The liquid cooling plate 10 exchanges heat with the side surfaces of the battery cells 31. Specifically, the two side surfaces of the liquid cooling plate 10 exchange heat with the side surfaces of the battery cells 31 on the corresponding sides, that is, both sides of the liquid cooling plate 10 participate in cooling, and the cooling effect is good. Taking the square shell battery cell 31 as an example, the square shell battery cell 31 can be understood as a rectangular parallelepiped (the battery cells 31 of some battery packs may be cylindrical), and its dimensions satisfy: height H>length L>width B. In order to accommodate more battery cells 31, the battery cells 31 are usually arranged vertically, that is, the height H is parallel to the vertical direction, and the two opposite sides formed by the length and width are the upper surface (also called the top surface) and the lower surface (also called the bottom surface). The two opposite sides formed by the length and height have the largest area, which is usually called the large surface of the battery cell. In some embodiments, the liquid cooling plate 10 exchanges heat with the large surface of the battery cell, which can effectively remove the heat generated in the middle of the battery cell 31 in the super-fast charging scenario.

[0071] See also Figure 12 In some embodiments, a plurality of liquid cooling plates 10 are provided in the power battery 100. A liquid cooling plate 10 may be provided between every two rows or every two columns of battery cells 31. For example, the battery assembly 30 includes M rows and N columns of battery cells 31, wherein the direction of the rows is parallel to the axial direction of the crossbeam 212, and the direction of the columns is perpendicular to the axial direction of the crossbeam 212. M-1 liquid cooling plates 10 may be provided in the power battery 100, wherein the length direction of each liquid cooling plate 10 is parallel to the crossbeam 212, and the liquid cooling plate 10 is sandwiched between two adjacent rows of battery cells 31. N-1 liquid cooling plates 10 may also be provided in the power battery 100, wherein the length direction of each liquid cooling plate 10 is perpendicular to the crossbeam 212, and the liquid cooling plate 10 is sandwiched between two adjacent columns of battery cells 31. In other embodiments, a liquid cooling plate 10 may be provided every two rows or columns of battery cells 31. Thus, M / 2-1 liquid cooling plates 10 or N / 2-1 liquid cooling plates 10 may be provided in the power battery 100. Further configurations of the liquid cooling plates 10 are not exhaustive.

[0072] See also Figure 10 、 Figure 11 and Figure 12In some embodiments, the power battery 100 is further provided with a liquid inlet pipe 50 and a liquid outlet pipe 60. The liquid inlet 11 of each liquid cooling plate 10 is respectively connected to the liquid inlet pipe 50, and the liquid outlet 12 of each liquid cooling plate 10 is respectively connected to the liquid outlet pipe 60. The liquid inlet pipe 50 and the liquid outlet pipe 60 can both be located in the frame 211. For example, the liquid inlet pipe 50 is located inside one of the side longitudinal beams 2111 of the frame 211, and the liquid outlet pipe 60 is located inside the other side longitudinal beam 2111 of the frame 211. The pipe opening 51 of the liquid inlet pipe 50 and the pipe opening 61 of the liquid outlet pipe 60 are both located on the box body 20, and can be specifically set on the side crossbeam 2112 of the frame 211.

[0073] For other structures of the power battery 100 that are not described in detail, reference may be made to the disclosures of related technologies and will not be elaborated here.

[0074] See also Figure 13 According to the third embodiment of the present application, a vehicle 1000 is provided, comprising a vehicle body 200, a water pump 300, a controller 400 and a power battery 100 according to the second embodiment. The power battery 100 is connected to the vehicle body 200. The water pump 300 and the controller 400 are both installed in the vehicle body 200. The water pump 300 is connected to the liquid cooling plate 10 of the power battery 100 to provide power for the circulation of the coolant. The controller 400 is electrically connected to the water pump 300 and the circuit assembly 40 of the power battery 100, respectively. The controller 400 can be a vehicle controller of the vehicle 1000 or a power battery thermal management controller, and the power battery thermal management controller is electrically connected to the vehicle controller.

[0075] The power battery 100 can be suspended and mounted below the bottom of the vehicle body 200, or built into the chassis of the vehicle body 200. In some embodiments, the housing 20 of the power battery 100 can be integrated with the vehicle body 200, that is, the vehicle body 200 has a cavity inside for mounting the battery assembly 30, circuit assembly 40, and liquid cooling plate 10 of the power battery 100.

[0076] Since the vehicle 1000 is equipped with a power battery 100 , the vehicle 1000 may be a pure electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid vehicle, or a range-extended hybrid vehicle, which is not limited in this application.

[0077] A fourth embodiment of the present application provides a method for thermal management of a power battery 100. This method is implemented based on the vehicle 1000 described in the third aspect. For example, this method can be applied to a power battery thermal management controller or a vehicle controller of the vehicle 1000 described in the aforementioned embodiments of the present application. In other embodiments, this method can also be executed by other devices that communicate with the vehicle controller, such as remote control via a mobile phone, computer, tablet computer, or other device. This application does not limit the implementation methods of these other devices or the execution entities of the various embodiments.

[0078] See also Figure 14 The thermal management method for the power battery 100 includes the following steps: obtaining the working status of the power battery 100 and determining whether the power battery 100 is in a thermal runaway state; if the power battery 100 is in a thermal runaway state, controlling the duty cycle of the water pump 300 to be A1 so that all flow channels 13 of the liquid cooling plate 10 are conductive to cool the power battery 100.

[0079] When the power battery 100 is in a non-thermal runaway state: if the power battery 100 is in a charging state, it is determined whether the maximum charging current of the power battery 100 exceeds a preset current.

[0080] If the maximum charging current of the power battery 100 exceeds the preset current, the duty cycle of the water pump 300 is controlled to be A2, and A2<A1, so that all the flow channels 13 of the liquid cooling plate 10 are connected to cool the power battery 100.

[0081] If the maximum charging current of the power battery 100 is less than or equal to the preset current, the duty cycle of the water pump 300 is controlled to be A3, and A3<A2, so that the flow channels 13b of the liquid cooling plate 10 without the blocking member 14 and the flow channels 13a partially equipped with the blocking member 14 are both conductive, thereby cooling the power battery 100.

[0082] If the vehicle 1000 is in a driving state, it is determined whether the temperature T of the power battery 100 exceeds a first preset temperature T1 and a second preset temperature T2, wherein T1<T2.

[0083] If T<T1, the duty cycle of the water pump 300 is controlled to be A4, and A4<A3, so that only the flow channel 13b without the blocking member 14 in the liquid cooling plate 10 is open to cool the power battery 100.

[0084] If T1≤T≤T2, the duty cycle of the water pump 300 is controlled to be A3, so that the flow channels 13b without the blocking member 14 and the flow channels 13a partially with the blocking member 14 of the liquid cooling plate 10 are both conductive, thereby cooling the power battery 100.

[0085] If T2<T, the duty cycle of the water pump 300 is controlled to be A2, and A2<A1, so that all the flow channels 13 of the liquid cooling plate 10 are connected to cool the power battery 100.

[0086] That is, when vehicle 1000 performs thermal management on the power battery 100, it first determines whether the power battery 100 is in a thermal runaway state. The controller 400 can determine whether the power battery 100 is in a thermal runaway state based on signals from sensors such as the thermal runaway sensor, temperature sensor, pressure sensor, and current sensor installed in the power battery 100. The controller 400 can also determine whether the power battery 100 is in a thermal runaway state based on a thermal runaway alarm signal from the vehicle 1000. During a thermal runaway alarm, the water pump 300 is directly controlled to increase its duty cycle to A1 (A1>A2>A3>A4). At this point, all sealing members 14 in the liquid cooling plate 10 are open, and all flow channels 13 in the liquid cooling plate 10 are open, allowing coolant to circulate at full power to cool the power battery 100.

[0087] If the power battery 100 is in a non-thermal runaway state, that is, the power battery 100 is in a normal charging state or power supply state, further judgment is required based on the battery thermal management requirements. When the power battery 100 is charging, the vehicle 1000 is stopped; when the vehicle 1000 is in a driving state, the power battery 100 is in a power supply state, providing power to electrical devices in the vehicle such as the drive motor, air conditioning compressor, and water pump 300. The thermal management requirements of the power battery 100 are different when it is in a charging state or a power supply state, and the cooling strategy needs to be determined according to the actual operating conditions.

[0088] If the power battery 100 is currently charging, the cooling power needs to be determined based on the maximum charging current of the power battery 100. If the maximum charging current of the power battery 100 exceeds the preset current, it generally indicates that the power battery 100 is currently fast charging and the charging current is relatively high. The duty cycle of the water pump 300 is controlled to be A2 (A1>A2>A3>A4). At this time, all the sealing members 14 in the liquid cooling plate 10 are open, and all the flow channels 13 of the liquid cooling plate 10 are conductive, allowing the coolant to circulate to cool the power battery 100. In this state, the coolant flow rate is slightly lower than when the duty cycle is A1.

[0089] If the maximum charging current of the power battery 100 does not exceed the preset current, this typically indicates that the power battery 100 is currently fast-charging with a low charging current, or is currently slow-charging, and the cooling demand for the power battery 100 is relatively low. The water pump 300 is controlled to have a duty cycle of A3 (A1>A2>A3>A4). At this point, some of the blocking members 14 in the liquid cooling plate 10 are open, while the remaining blocking members 14 remain closed. This allows the flow channels 13b of the liquid cooling plate 10 without blocking members 14 and some of the flow channels 13a with blocking members 14 to flow freely, allowing the coolant to circulate and cool the power battery 100.

[0090] If the vehicle 1000 is in motion, meaning the power battery 100 is currently powered, the thermal management system must maintain the power battery 100 within its optimal operating temperature range. While in motion, the vehicle 1000 must continuously monitor the power battery 100's temperature T to determine whether it exceeds a first preset temperature T1 or a second preset temperature T2, where T1 < T2.

[0091] If T < T1, the current temperature of the power battery 100 is considered slightly above the optimal operating temperature range. The duty cycle of the water pump 300 is controlled to A4 (A1 > A2 > A3 > A4). At this point, all the sealing members 14 in the liquid cooling plate 10 are closed. Only the flow channel 13b in the liquid cooling plate 10, where no sealing member 14 is installed, is open, allowing the coolant to circulate and cool the power battery 100.

[0092] If T1 ≤ T ≤ T2, the current temperature of the power battery 100 is considered high. The water pump 300 is controlled to a duty cycle of A3. At this point, some of the blocking members 14 in the liquid cooling plate 10 are open, while others remain closed. This allows the flow channels 13b of the liquid cooling plate 10 without blocking members 14 and some of the flow channels 13a with blocking members 14 to flow freely, allowing the coolant to circulate and cool the power battery 100.

[0093] If T2 < T, the current temperature of the power battery 100 is considered high. The water pump 300 is controlled to a duty cycle of A2. At this point, all the sealing members 14 in the liquid cooling plate 10 are open, and all the flow channels 13 in the liquid cooling plate 10 are open, allowing the coolant to circulate and cool the power battery 100. In this state, the coolant flow rate is slightly lower than when the duty cycle is A1.

[0094] Please combine Figure 2 and Figure 3The following describes a detailed thermal management method for a power battery 100, using a liquid cooling plate 10 in a specific embodiment as an example. In this embodiment, the preset current is 250A; A1 = 100%; A2 = 90%; A3 = 70%; A4 < 50%; T1 = 40°C; and T2 = 48°C. In this embodiment, the liquid cooling plate 10 is equipped with 10 parallel direct current channels. The position and opening pressure of the sealing member 14 in the liquid cooling plate 10 are shown in the table below.

[0095] The thermal management method for the power battery 100 of this embodiment includes the following steps: obtaining the operating status of the power battery 100 and determining whether the power battery 100 is in a thermal runaway state; if the power battery 100 is in a thermal runaway state, controlling the duty cycle of the water pump 300 to 100% so that all 10 flow channels 13 of the liquid cooling plate 10 are conductive, and water circulates at full power to cool the power battery 100.

[0096] When the power battery 100 is in a non-thermal runaway state: if the power battery 100 is in a charging state, it is determined whether the maximum charging current of the power battery 100 exceeds 250A.

[0097] If the maximum charging current of the power battery 100 exceeds 250A, the duty cycle of the water pump 300 is controlled to 90% so that the blocking members 14 of the flow channels 13 numbered 3#, 5#, 7#, and 9# are all opened, and all 10 flow channels 13 of the liquid cooling plate 10 are connected to cool the power battery 100.

[0098] If the maximum charging current of the power battery 100 is less than or equal to 250A, the duty cycle of the water pump 300 is controlled to 70%, only the blocking members 14 of the flow channels 13 numbered 5# and 7# are opened, and the blocking members 14 of the flow channels 13 numbered 3# and 9# are closed. The eight flow channels 13 (numbered 1#, 2#, 4#, 5#, 6#, 7#, 8#, and 10#) in the liquid cooling plate 10 are connected to cool the power battery 100.

[0099] If the vehicle 1000 is in a driving state, the temperature T of the power battery 100 is continuously obtained.

[0100] If T is less than 40°C, the duty cycle of the water pump 300 is controlled to be less than 50% so that the blocking members 14 of the flow channels 13 numbered 3#, 5#, 7#, and 9# are all closed. Only six flow channels 13 (numbered 1#, 2#, 4#, 6#, 8#, and 10#) in the liquid cooling plate 10 are open to cool the power battery 100.

[0101] If 40°C ≤ T ≤ 48°C, the duty cycle of the water pump 300 is controlled to 70%, only the blocking members 14 of the flow channels 13 numbered 5# and 7# are opened, and the blocking members 14 of the flow channels 13 numbered 3# and 9# are closed. The eight flow channels 13 (numbered 1#, 2#, 4#, 5#, 6#, 7#, 8#, and 10#) in the liquid cooling plate 10 are connected to cool the power battery 100.

[0102] If 48°C < T, the duty cycle of the water pump 300 is controlled to 90%, so that the blocking members 14 of the flow channels 13 numbered 3#, 5#, 7#, and 9# are all opened, and all 10 flow channels 13 of the liquid cooling plate 10 are connected to cool the power battery 100.

[0103] In the related art, the liquid cooling plate has three flow channels, all of which are S-shaped and cover the entire liquid cooling plate, and the three flow channels are always conductive. Compared with the related art, the liquid cooling plate 10 provided in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present application has a significantly reduced flow resistance due to the use of a straight flow channel. According to the liquid cooling plate 10 provided in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present application, the cavity wall 18 and the partition 19 of the inner cavity of the liquid cooling plate 10 are combined to form a flow channel 13, and the entire internal space of the liquid cooling plate 10 can be used for cooling, resulting in higher cooling efficiency. Under the same duty cycle conditions of the water pump 300, the cooling power (i.e., heat exchange power) of the liquid cooling plate 10 of the present application and the liquid cooling plate of the related art are as shown in the following table.

[0104] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or may include the first and second features being in contact not directly but through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being "above," "above," and "above" a second feature may include the first feature being directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below," "below," and "below" a second feature may include the first feature being directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0105] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise" and "counterclockwise" indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0106] It should be noted that all directional indications in the embodiments of the present application are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components in a certain specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0107] In this application, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "connection" and "fixation" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "fixation" can mean fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection or electrical connection; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; internal communication between two elements or interaction between two elements, unless otherwise specified. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0108] In addition, the terms "first," "second," and so on, used in this application are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of this application, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0109] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and combine different embodiments or examples described in this specification.

[0110] In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but they must be based on the fact that ordinary technicians in this field can implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is mutually contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by this application.

[0111] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and intent of the present application, and that the scope of the present application is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A liquid cooling plate, characterized in that: It includes a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, and three or more flow channels connected to the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet; each of the flow channels is independent of each other and is arranged in parallel between the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet; at least two of the flow channels are provided with a blocking member, and the opening pressures of the blocking members in at least two of the flow channels are different.

2. The liquid cooling plate according to claim 1, wherein: When the pressure of the coolant in the flow channel is not less than the opening pressure of the blocking member in the flow channel, the blocking member opens and the flow channel is connected.

3. The liquid cooling plate according to claim 1, wherein: The blocking member is a switch valve; or the blocking member is an elastic sheet; an openable gap is provided in the middle of the elastic sheet; or a peripheral portion of the elastic sheet is connected to the wall of the flow channel, and the remaining portion forms an openable opening.

4. The liquid cooling plate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The flow channels are parallel to each other; the flow channels provided with the blocking members and the flow channels not provided with the blocking members are alternately arranged.

5. The liquid cooling plate according to claim 4, characterized in that: In each of the blocking members, the flow channel where the blocking member with a relatively small opening pressure is located is located inside the flow channel where the blocking member with a relatively large opening pressure is located.

6. The liquid cooling plate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The liquid cooling plate has an inner cavity; a plurality of parallel partitions are provided in the inner cavity of the liquid cooling plate, and the plurality of partitions divide the inner cavity to form a plurality of flow channels.

7. The liquid cooling plate according to claim 6, wherein: The partition is arranged obliquely along the thickness direction of the liquid cooling plate.

8. A power battery, characterized in that: include: The box body is equipped with a battery compartment and a control compartment; a battery assembly, disposed in the battery compartment; a circuit assembly, disposed in the control cabin and electrically connected to the battery assembly; At least one liquid cooling plate according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is disposed in the battery compartment and is in heat exchange with the battery assembly.

9. The power battery according to claim 8, characterized in that: The battery assembly includes a plurality of battery cells distributed in an array; the liquid cooling plate is arranged between two adjacent battery cells in a vertical position; and the liquid cooling plate exchanges heat with the side surfaces of the battery cells.

10. The power battery according to claim 9, characterized in that: The power battery is provided with more than two liquid cooling plates; the power battery further includes a liquid inlet pipe and a liquid outlet pipe, the liquid inlet of each liquid cooling plate is respectively connected to the liquid inlet pipe, and the liquid outlet of each liquid cooling plate is respectively connected to the liquid outlet pipe; the pipe openings of the liquid inlet pipe and the liquid outlet pipe are both located on the box body.

11. A vehicle, characterized in that: include: body; The power battery according to any one of claims 8 to 10, connected to the vehicle body; a water pump, installed in the vehicle body and connected to the liquid cooling plate of the power battery; A controller is installed in the vehicle body and is electrically connected to the water pump and the circuit components of the power battery respectively.

12. A thermal management method for a power battery of a vehicle according to claim 11, characterized in that: The steps include: Obtaining the operating status of the power battery and determining whether the power battery is in a thermal runaway state; If the power battery is in a thermal runaway state, controlling the duty cycle of the water pump to be A1 so that all flow channels of the liquid cooling plate are open to cool the power battery; When the power battery is in a non-thermal runaway state: If the power battery is in a charging state, determining whether the maximum charging current of the power battery exceeds a preset current; If the maximum charging current of the power battery exceeds a preset current, the duty cycle of the water pump is controlled to be A2, and A2 is less than A1, so that all flow channels of the liquid cooling plate are connected to cool the power battery; If the maximum charging current of the power battery is less than or equal to a preset current, the duty cycle of the water pump is controlled to be A3, and A3 is less than A2, so that the flow channels of the liquid cooling plate without the blocking member and the flow channels partially with the blocking member are both conductive, thereby cooling the power battery; If the vehicle is in a driving state, determining whether the temperature T of the power battery exceeds a first preset temperature T1 and a second preset temperature T2, where T1<T2; If T<T1, the duty cycle of the water pump is controlled to be A4, and A4<A3, so that only the flow passages in the liquid cooling plate without the blocking member are open to cool the power battery; If T1≤T≤T2, controlling the duty cycle of the water pump to be A3, so that the flow passages of the liquid cooling plate without blocking members and the flow passages partially with blocking members are both conductive, thereby cooling the power battery; If T2<T, the duty cycle of the water pump is controlled to be A2, and A2<A1, so that all flow channels of the liquid cooling plate are connected to cool the power battery.

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