Cooling heat exchanger

Abstract

Provided is a novel heat exchanger for cooling, which achieves a double-sided cooling structure having cooling surfaces on both sides with a simple structure, and which is capable of stably obtaining excellent cooling performance. A cooling heat exchanger (10) in which a cooling flow path (28) through which a cooling heat medium flows is formed and which cools an object to be cooled (62) that overlaps a cooling surface (32) provided on the surface is provided with a hollow outer wall member (12) in which the cooling flow path (28) is provided. A pair of cooling wall sections (30, 30) provided with cooling surfaces (32) on the surfaces thereof are provided in mutually facing portions of an outer wall member (12), and a plate-shaped inner fin (34) for dividing an inner region (28) into two parts in the facing direction of the pair of cooling wall sections (30, 30) is disposed in the inner region (28) of the outer wall member (12). A first protrusion (48a) and a second protrusion (48b) are integrally formed on each of the inner fins (34), the first protrusion (48a) and the second protrusion (48b) protruding on one surface of each of the inner fins (34).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling heat exchanger used for cooling a cooling target such as a battery used in an electric vehicle, for example. Background Art

[0002] Cooling heat exchangers used for cooling batteries and inverters are known. For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 7000777 (Patent Document 1), a cooling heat exchanger has a structure in which a cooling flow path for a heat medium is formed within an outer wall member. Furthermore, a cooling target, such as a battery, is superimposed on a cooling surface provided on the surface, and the cooling target is cooled by heat exchange between the cooling target and the heat medium.

[0003] In addition, the cooling heat exchanger of Patent Document 1 is formed as a double-sided cooling structure in which a pair of cooling wall portions constituting an outer wall component are arranged opposite to each other, and cooling surfaces are respectively set on both outer surfaces of the pair of cooling wall portions, which can cool the cooling object overlapping with the cooling surfaces set on both sides.

[0004] Prior art literature Patent Literature Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 7000777 Summary of the Invention Problems to be solved by the invention However, in Patent Document 1, inner fins are housed within the outer wall member to increase the contact area with the heat medium and improve the cooling efficiency of the cooling surface by the heat medium. In Patent Document 1, for the purpose of efficient double-sided cooling, the inner space of the outer wall member is divided by an intermediate plate in the opposing directions of a pair of cooling staves, and inner fins are arranged on both sides of the intermediate plate.

[0005] However, the structure of Patent Document 1 requires an intermediate plate and two inner fins, so there is a problem that the number of components increases and the structure becomes complicated.

[0006] Furthermore, since the heat medium flowing only near the cooling target reaches a high temperature through heat exchange with the cooling target, there is a risk that the cooling performance will be reduced due to the heat exchange with the heat medium flowing near the cooling target. Furthermore, since the heat medium flowing far from the cooling target indirectly cools the cooling target via the intermediate plate and inner fins, there is a risk that the heat exchange efficiency will be lower than that of the heat medium flowing near the cooling target, and the overall heat capacity of the heat medium will not be effectively utilized, resulting in a risk of reduced cooling performance.

[0007] The present invention solves the problem of providing a cooling heat exchanger having a novel structure that can realize a double-sided cooling structure having cooling surfaces on both sides with a simple structure and stably obtain excellent cooling performance.

[0008] Means used to solve problems The following describes preferred embodiments for understanding the present invention. However, the embodiments described below are merely examples and can be appropriately combined with each other. Furthermore, the multiple components described in each embodiment can be independently identified and employed within the scope of possibility, and can also be appropriately combined with any components described in other embodiments. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and various other embodiments can be implemented.

[0009] The first method is a cooling heat exchanger having a cooling flow path formed inside thereof for flowing a heat medium for cooling, and cooling a cooling object overlapping with a cooling surface provided on the surface, wherein the cooling heat exchanger is provided with a hollow outer wall member having the cooling flow path inside thereof, a pair of cooling wall portions having the cooling surfaces on the surfaces thereof being provided at mutually opposing portions of the outer wall member, a plate-shaped inner fin is provided in an inner region of the outer wall member for dividing the inner region into two parts in opposing directions of the pair of cooling wall portions, and a first protrusion and a second protrusion protruding from each side surface are integrally formed on the inner fin.

[0010] According to the cooling heat exchanger structured according to this embodiment, the cooling flow path is divided into two parts by a single inner fin in the opposing direction of the pair of cooling staves, thereby achieving a simple structure to divide the cooling flow path into two parts suitable for double-sided cooling. In addition, for example, by arranging the inner fins in the inner area of ​​the outer wall member, the contact area with the heat medium is increased. Therefore, the pair of cooling staves are also cooled through indirect heat exchange with the heat medium via the inner fins, thereby improving the cooling performance of the cooling object.

[0011] In addition, the inner fins are integrally formed with a first protrusion and a second protrusion protruding from each side. Therefore, the heat medium flowing on both sides of the inner fins changes its flow direction by the first protrusion and the second protrusion, and is stirred, for example, by the generation of eddies and turbulence, or by the heat medium separating from the inner fins and being guided to the cooling wall portion side. Moreover, the heat medium flowing near the cooling wall portion that is heated by heat exchange with the cooling object, and the heat medium flowing away from the cooling wall portion that is maintained at a relatively low temperature (near the inner fins) are stirred, and these heat media with a temperature difference are mixed. As a result, a decrease in the heat exchange efficiency with the cooling object caused by a local temperature rise of the heat medium is prevented, and the overall heat capacity of the heat medium is effectively used to cool the cooling object, thereby achieving improved cooling performance.

[0012] The first protrusion and the second protrusion protrude from both surfaces of the inner fin that partitions the cooling flow path. Therefore, the stirring action of the protrusions can be obtained in the flow paths on both sides of the inner fin with a small number of parts and manufacturing steps.

[0013] A second aspect is a cooling heat exchanger according to the first aspect, wherein the cooling flow path includes a parallel flow path portion, the parallel flow path portion being composed of a plurality of flow path portions that are divided by the inner fins in the flow path width direction and extend adjacently in parallel, and the heat medium in the plurality of flow path portions constituting the parallel flow path portion has the same flow direction.

[0014] According to the cooling heat exchanger structured according to this embodiment, the inner fins form parallel flow paths composed of multiple parallel flow paths. These inner fins can also function as flow straighteners that regulate the flow of the heat medium. Furthermore, the inner fins can easily adjust and set the flow cross-sectional area of ​​each flow path. By adjusting the flow rate and flow velocity of the heat medium in each flow path, the desired cooling performance can be achieved.

[0015] The inner fins constitute walls that partition adjacent flow path portions, thereby increasing the contact area between the inner fins and the heat medium, and achieving more efficient indirect cooling via the cooling surfaces of the inner fins.

[0016] The size of the parallel flow path section composed of multiple flow path sections in the flow path width direction can be adjusted by the number of flow path sections. Therefore, for example, by setting the parallel flow path sections at positions corresponding to the cooling surfaces, the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​each flow path section can be appropriately set, and the size of the cooling surface in the flow path width direction can be set with greater freedom.

[0017] In the plurality of flow path sections constituting the parallel flow path section, the flow directions of the heat medium are set to be the same, and therefore, a decrease in cooling performance due to heat exchange between adjacent flow path sections is less likely to occur.

[0018] The third embodiment is a cooling heat exchanger according to the first embodiment or the second embodiment, wherein the outer wall member is formed to have a structure in which a first member constituting the cooling wall portion on one side and a second member constituting the cooling wall portion on the other side overlap with each other in opposing directions of these pair of cooling wall portions, and the inner fin is arranged between opposing surfaces of these first member and second member.

[0019] According to the cooling heat exchanger configured according to this aspect, by arranging the inner fins between the overlapping surfaces of the first member and the second member, the inner fins can be easily accommodated and arranged in the inner region of the outer wall member.

[0020] The fourth embodiment is a cooling heat exchanger according to any one of the first to third embodiments, wherein the inner fin has a cross-section that is folded back in a serrated or wavy manner in the opposing directions of the pair of cooling wall portions, and the first protrusion and the second protrusion are formed between adjacent folded tops in the inner fin.

[0021] According to the cooling heat exchanger structured according to this embodiment, the inner area of ​​the outer wall member can be divided by the inner fins of simple shape. In particular, by forming the inner fins into a sawtooth or wavy cross-section, multiple parallel flow paths can be formed, separated by the inner fins.

[0022] Furthermore, by providing the inner fins with a zigzag or wavy folded cross section, the deformation rigidity of the inner fins can be easily ensured, and for example, the inner fins can be thinned. Furthermore, by forming the first and second protrusions between the folded tops of the inner fins, the deformation rigidity of the inner fins can be further improved.

[0023] A fifth embodiment is a cooling heat exchanger according to any one of the first to third embodiments, wherein the inner fin has an intermediate partition portion, which is arranged separately from both sides of the pair of cooling wall portions in the outer wall component, and divides the opposing surfaces of the pair of cooling wall portions into two parts in the opposing directions of the pair of cooling wall portions, and the first protrusion and the second protrusion are formed in the intermediate partition portion. The inner fin has a partition portion protruding from the intermediate partition portion toward the pair of cooling wall portions and to both sides, and through the partition portion, the internal area of ​​the outer wall component is divided into a plurality of flow path portions in the flow path width direction of the cooling flow path.

[0024] In a cooling heat exchanger structured according to this method, a single inner fin divides the interior area of ​​the outer wall member not only in the opposing direction of the pair of cooling stave sections but also in the width direction of the cooling flow path, forming multiple flow path sections. This allows the number of flow path sections, flow path cross-sectional area, and other factors to be easily set with a wide degree of freedom by simply adjusting the spacing and number of partitions provided on a single inner fin.

[0025] Since the first and second protrusions are provided on the intermediate partition portion, the turbulence promoting effect of the protrusions is exerted in each flow path region, thereby achieving excellent cooling performance.

[0026] A sixth aspect is the cooling heat exchanger according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the first and second protrusions are formed in a V-shape on the surface of the inner fin and are formed to become narrower toward the upstream side of the cooling flow path.

[0027] In a cooling heat exchanger configured according to this embodiment, when the heat medium passes over the V-shaped first or second protrusion, it flows in a direction inclined toward the center of the V in the width direction of the flow path to reduce flow resistance. This causes the heat medium flows passing over the first or second protrusion to merge, generating eddies and turbulence downstream of the first or second protrusion. As a result, the heat medium is more efficiently stirred, improving cooling performance by reducing temperature differences (temperature uniformity) within the heat medium.

[0028] A seventh aspect is the cooling heat exchanger according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the inner fins are arranged partially in a flow path length direction of the cooling flow path.

[0029] According to the cooling heat exchanger structured according to this method, for example, by removing the inner fins in areas where double-sided cooling is not required, weight reduction and cost reduction can be achieved. By arranging the inner fins having the first and second protrusions in areas where double-sided cooling is required, high cooling performance due to the agitation of the heat medium can be expected.

[0030] An eighth aspect is the cooling heat exchanger according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein regions having different effects of disturbing the flow of the heat medium by at least one of the plurality of first protrusions and the second protrusions are set in the cooling flow path.

[0031] According to the cooling heat exchanger structured according to this method, for example, when there are portions on the cooling surface requiring different cooling performance, by enhancing the effect of disturbing the flow of the heat medium in the portion requiring higher cooling performance, it is possible to achieve a local improvement in cooling performance based on the promotion of turbulence.

[0032] A ninth aspect is the cooling heat exchanger according to the eighth aspect, wherein the regions having different effects of disturbing the flow of the heat medium are set at different positions in the cooling flow path in the flow direction of the heat medium.

[0033] According to the cooling heat exchanger structured according to this method, the turbulence promoting effect that disturbs the flow of the heat medium is different in the flow direction of the heat medium. Therefore, for example, when the portion where the temperature difference between the heat medium close to the cooling object and the heat medium far from the cooling object is likely to increase and the portion where the temperature difference between these heat media is not likely to increase are located at different positions in the flow direction of the cooling flow path, by setting the area with a strong turbulence promoting effect in the portion where the temperature difference between the heat medium close to the cooling object and the heat medium far from the cooling object is likely to increase, the temperature difference in the flow direction of the heat medium can be reduced.

[0034] Furthermore, by setting a region that suppresses disturbance of the heat medium flow in a portion of the cooling flow path where the temperature difference between the heat medium near the cooling target and the heat medium far from the cooling target is less likely to increase, a smooth flow of the heat medium can be achieved.

[0035] The tenth aspect is a cooling heat exchanger according to the ninth aspect, wherein the effects of disturbing the flow of the heat medium are different from each other and the regions set at different positions in the flow direction of the heat medium in the cooling flow path are set so that the effect of disturbing the flow of the heat medium is stronger as the region is on the downstream side.

[0036] According to the cooling heat exchanger structured according to this method, on the downstream side where the temperature difference between the heat medium flowing close to the cooling object and the heat medium flowing away from the cooling object tends to become larger, the temperature of the heat medium is uniformed by the stirring action based on the disturbance of the flow of the heat medium, thereby achieving high cooling performance.

[0037] An eleventh aspect is the cooling heat exchanger according to any one of the eighth to tenth aspects, wherein the cooling flow path includes a parallel flow path portion, the parallel flow path portion being composed of a plurality of flow path portions divided by the inner fins and extending adjacently in parallel, the heat medium in the plurality of flow path portions constituting the parallel flow path portion having the same flow direction, and at least one set of adjacent flow path portions in the parallel flow path portion being provided with regions having different effects of disturbing the flow of the heat medium.

[0038] According to the cooling heat exchanger structured according to this embodiment, for example, when there is a difference in the heat generation of the cooling object in the width direction of the flow path, the flow disturbance of the heat medium can be set to be stronger in the part of the cooling object with a higher heat generation, and the flow disturbance of the heat medium can be set to be weaker in the part of the cooling object with a lower heat generation, thereby stabilizing the cooling performance.

[0039] A twelfth aspect is a cooling heat exchanger according to any one of the eighth to eleventh aspects, wherein the regions having different effects of disturbing the flow of the heat medium are set by at least one of a difference in distance between the plurality of first protrusions and a difference in distance between the plurality of second protrusions in the flow direction of the heat medium.

[0040] According to the cooling heat exchanger configured according to this embodiment, for example, by shortening the distance between the first protrusions and / or the distance between the second protrusions in the direction of the heat medium flow, a region with a strong effect of disrupting the heat medium flow (turbulence promotion) can be set, while by increasing the distance between the first protrusions and / or the distance between the second protrusions, a region with a weaker effect of disrupting the turbulence can be set. In this way, by providing different spacing between the first protrusions and / or the second protrusions, regions with different effects of disrupting the heat medium flow can be easily set.

[0041] In the thirteenth embodiment, based on the cooling heat exchanger described in any one of the eighth to twelfth embodiments, the areas that have different effects of disturbing the flow of the heat medium are set by at least one of the differences in height between the plurality of first protrusions and the differences in height between the plurality of second protrusions.

[0042] With a cooling heat exchanger configured according to this embodiment, for example, by locally increasing the height of the first and / or second protrusions, it is possible to set a region where the effect of disrupting the flow of the heat medium (the turbulence-promoting effect) is strong, while by locally decreasing the height of the first and / or second protrusions, it is possible to set a region where the turbulence-promoting effect is weak. In this way, by varying the heights of the multiple first and / or second protrusions, it is possible to easily set regions where the effect of disrupting the flow of the heat medium is different from one another.

[0043] A fourteenth aspect is the cooling heat exchanger according to any one of the first to thirteenth aspects, wherein the cooling target is a battery.

[0044] With a cooling heat exchanger configured in accordance with this embodiment, for example, when cooling a battery that is prone to localized temperature increases, such as in the output terminal area, adjusting the configuration of the first and / or second protrusions allows efficient cooling of the high-temperature portion of the battery. Furthermore, when cooling a battery cell composed of multiple battery cells, adjusting the configuration of the first and / or second protrusions allows efficient cooling of all of the multiple battery cells, preventing degradation of the overall battery cell performance due to deterioration of a specific battery cell.

[0045] A fifteenth aspect is the cooling heat exchanger according to any one of the first to fourteenth aspects, wherein the inner fin is provided with an elastic deformation portion that allows the pair of cooling stave portions to deform toward each other by elastic deformation.

[0046] According to the cooling heat exchanger structured in accordance with this embodiment, for example, when a battery serving as a cooling target undergoes bulging deformation due to heating caused by charging and discharging, deformation of the pair of cooling staves, which follows the bulging deformation of the battery, toward the mutually approaching sides is permitted by elastic deformation of the elastically deformable portions of the inner fins disposed between the opposing surfaces of the pair of cooling staves. Therefore, even in a configuration in which inner fins are disposed between the opposing surfaces of the pair of cooling staves, the deformation of the cooling staves following the surface shape of the cooling target prevents undesirable situations such as separation of the overlapping surfaces of the cooling target and the cooling surface due to deformation of the cooling target, thereby achieving stable cooling performance.

[0047] A sixteenth aspect is the cooling heat exchanger according to any one of the first to fifteenth aspects, wherein the first protrusion and the second protrusion each extend over the entire width of the cooling flow path and are continuous with the sidewalls of the cooling flow path at both ends.

[0048] The cooling heat exchanger structured according to this embodiment prevents the flow of heat medium between the sidewall of the cooling channel and the first and second protrusions, thereby effectively improving cooling performance. Furthermore, if the first and second protrusions are separated from the sidewall of the cooling channel, the flow rate of the heat medium flowing between the sidewall of the cooling channel and the first and second protrusions is likely to increase, potentially causing abrasion of the cooling channel wall and the first and second protrusions. However, in the cooling heat exchanger of this embodiment, the first and second protrusions extend entirely across the width of the channel and are continuous with the sidewall of the cooling channel. This prevents the flow of heat medium between the sidewall of the cooling channel and the first and second protrusions, thereby preventing abrasion of the cooling channel wall and the first and second protrusions.

[0049] The seventeenth embodiment is a cooling heat exchanger according to any one of the first to sixteenth embodiments, wherein the protrusion height of at least one of the first protrusion and the second protrusion varies in the flow path width direction of the cooling flow path, and either one of the low protrusion with a low protrusion height and the high protrusion with a high protrusion height is located in the central part in the flow path width direction, and any other one of the low protrusion and the high protrusion is located at the two end parts of the first protrusion and the second protrusion in the flow path width direction, respectively.

[0050] According to the cooling heat exchanger configured in this manner, the stirring effect, flow rate, and other characteristics can be differentiated between the flow of the heat medium passing over the central portion of the protrusions in the flow path width direction and the flow of the heat medium passing over the end portions of the first and / or second protrusions in the flow path width direction. Therefore, the influence of the first and / or second protrusions on cooling performance can be differentiated between the central portion and the end portions in the flow path width direction, allowing the cooling performance to be adjusted across the flow path width direction.

[0051] The eighteenth embodiment is based on the cooling heat exchanger described in the seventeenth embodiment, and at least one of the multiple first protrusions and the second protrusions arranged along the flow path length direction of the cooling flow path is constructed so that the central low protrusion with the low protrusion set in the central part of the flow path width direction of the cooling flow path and the high protrusion set at both end parts, and the central high protrusion with the high protrusion set in the central part of the flow path width direction of the cooling flow path and the low protrusion set at both end parts are alternately arranged in the flow path length direction of the cooling flow path.

[0052] According to the cooling heat exchanger structured according to this embodiment, the central low protrusions, each having a low protrusion in the center of the flow path width direction, and the central high protrusions, each having a low protrusion at each end of the flow path width direction, are alternately arranged in the flow path length direction. This allows, for example, the flow of heat medium connected to the low protrusions, where flow resistance is easily suppressed, to meander in the flow path width direction, thereby achieving a stirring effect on the heat medium in the flow path width direction. Furthermore, for example, heat medium passing through the low protrusions of one protrusion flows toward the high protrusions of the next protrusion. This can also be expected to allow heat medium, having smoothly passed through the low protrusions with relatively low flow resistance, to collide with the high protrusions, resulting in efficient stirring.

[0053] The nineteenth embodiment is a cooling heat exchanger according to any one of the first to eighteenth embodiments, wherein at least one of the first protrusion and the second protrusion is formed into a cross-sectional shape in which the front end becomes thinner toward the front end of the protrusion in the cross-sectional shape in the flow path length direction of the cooling flow path, and the arc-shaped protrusion top, the upstream inclined portion extending obliquely from the protrusion top toward the bottom surface side of the cooling flow path, i.e., the protrusion base, toward the upstream side of the cooling flow path, and the downstream inclined portion extending obliquely from the protrusion top toward the protrusion base toward the downstream side have no corners and are smoothly and continuously arranged.

[0054] According to the cooling heat exchanger configured according to this aspect, the surface of the protrusion is smoothly continuous in the cross section in the flow path length direction, thereby smoothly generating the flow of the heat medium over the protrusion.

[0055] The twentieth embodiment is based on the cooling heat exchanger described in the nineteenth embodiment. In the cross section of the cooling flow path in the flow path length direction, the curvature radius of the protrusion top is in the range of 0.05~1.5 times the length dimension of the protrusion base, and in the cross section of the cooling flow path in the flow path length direction, the inclination angle of the upstream inclined portion relative to the bottom surface of the cooling flow path is formed in the range of 20~70°.

[0056] According to the cooling heat exchanger structured according to this embodiment, the curvature radius of the protrusion top is 0.05 times or greater relative to the length of the protrusion base, so that the protrusion top does not form a substantial corner and forms a smooth arc-shaped cross-section. Furthermore, by setting the curvature radius of the protrusion top to 1.5 times or less relative to the length of the protrusion base, the length of the protrusion in the flow path direction can be prevented from being excessively lengthened, and the inclination angle relative to the bottom surfaces of the upstream and downstream inclined portions, which smoothly continue from the protrusion top, can be set to a sufficiently large value.

[0057] By setting the upstream inclined portion's inclination angle relative to the bottom surface of the cooling channel to 20° or greater, the upstream inclined portion effectively disrupts the flow of heat medium from the upstream side of the protrusion, improving cooling performance through its stirring effect. Furthermore, by setting the upstream inclined portion's inclination angle relative to the bottom surface of the cooling channel to 70° or less, the protrusion can be prevented from excessively restricting the flow of heat medium.

[0058] A twenty-first aspect is the cooling heat exchanger according to the nineteenth aspect, wherein in a cross section of the cooling flow path in the flow path length direction, an inclination angle of the upstream inclined portion relative to the bottom surface of the cooling flow path is formed to be 25° or less.

[0059] According to the cooling heat exchanger structured according to this method, by setting the inclination angle of the upstream inclined portion relative to the bottom surface of the cooling flow path to be less than 25°, the pressure loss can be set to be sufficiently small, and for example, a lower-performance and cheaper pump can be used to make the heat medium flow.

[0060] A twenty-second aspect is the cooling heat exchanger according to any one of the first to twenty-first aspects, wherein a protrusion height of at least one of the first protrusion and the second protrusion arranged in the cooling flow path along the flow path longitudinal direction increases toward the downstream.

[0061] According to the cooling heat exchanger structured in this manner, by increasing the protrusion height of the first and / or second protrusions arranged in the flow path length direction toward the downstream side, the protrusions can more effectively disrupt the flow of the heat medium on the downstream side. As a result, the heat medium flowing closer to the cooling target is more likely to reach a higher temperature due to heat exchange, further effectively achieving the cooling performance enhancement effect of the protrusions.

[0062] The twenty-third embodiment is a cooling heat exchanger according to any one of the first to twenty-second embodiments, wherein in at least one of the first protrusions and the second protrusions arranged along the length direction of the cooling flow path, the spacing of the cooling flow path in the length direction of the flow path narrows toward the downstream.

[0063] According to the cooling heat exchanger structured in this manner, by narrowing the spacing between the first and / or second protrusions arranged along the length of the flow path toward the downstream side, the protrusions can more effectively disrupt the flow of the heat medium on the downstream side. This allows the protrusions to more effectively enhance cooling performance on the downstream side, which is more likely to reach a high temperature due to heat exchange with the cooling target.

[0064] The twenty-fourth embodiment is a cooling heat exchanger according to any one of the first to twenty-third embodiments, wherein, in at least one of the first protrusions and the second protrusions arranged along the length direction of the cooling flow path, the protrusion height increases toward the downstream, and the spacing of the cooling flow path in the length direction of the flow path narrows toward the downstream.

[0065] According to the cooling heat exchanger structured according to this embodiment, by increasing the height of the protrusions toward the downstream side and narrowing the spacing (pitch) between the protrusions, the stirring effect of the protrusions that disturbs the flow of the heat medium is more strongly exerted toward the downstream side. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the reduction in cooling performance on the downstream side is more effectively suppressed.

[0066] Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, in a cooling heat exchanger, a double-sided cooling structure including cooling surfaces on both sides can be realized with a simple structure, and excellent cooling performance can be stably obtained. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0067] Figure 1 It is an exploded perspective view showing a cooling heat exchanger according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0068] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The cross-sectional view of the cooling heat exchanger shown is equivalent to Figure 3 Figure 2 is a diagram of the II-II section.

[0069] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Sectional view III-III.

[0070] Figure 4 It is composed Figure 1 A top view of the inner fins of the cooling heat exchanger is shown.

[0071] Figure 5 Yes Figure 4 FIG is an enlarged view of the VV section.

[0072] Figure 6 Indicates the assembly status of the battery pack Figure 1 A perspective view of a cooling heat exchanger.

[0073] Figure 7 It is an exploded perspective view showing a cooling heat exchanger according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0074] Figure 8 It is an exploded perspective view showing a cooling heat exchanger according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0075] Figure 9 It is a plan view of inner fins constituting a cooling heat exchanger according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0076] Figure 10 It is a plan view of inner fins constituting a cooling heat exchanger according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[0077] Figure 11 yes Figure 10 The cross-sectional view of the inner fin shown is a Figure 11 A diagram showing an enlarged portion of the XIII-XIII cross section.

[0078] Figure 12 is equivalent to Figure 10 An enlarged sectional view of section XII-XII.

[0079] Figure 13 is equivalent to Figure 10 An enlarged sectional view of section XIII-XIII.

[0080] Figure 14 It is a plan view of inner fins constituting a cooling heat exchanger according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

[0081] Figure 15 is equivalent to Figure 14 An enlarged sectional view of section XV-XV.

[0082] Figure 16 is equivalent to Figure 14 An enlarged sectional view of section XVI-XVI.

[0083] Figure 17 It is a cross-sectional view showing a part of an inner fin constituting a cooling heat exchanger according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

[0084] Figure 18 This is a cross-sectional view showing a portion of an inner fin constituting a cooling heat exchanger according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0085] Description of Reference Numerals 10: Cooling heat exchanger (first embodiment); 12: Outer wall member; 14: First member; 16: Second member; 18: Recess; 20: Supply hole; 22: Discharge hole; 24: Supply port; 26: Discharge port; 28: Cooling flow path; 30: Cooling wall portion; 32: Cooling surface; 34: Inner fin; 35: End wall portion; 36: End wall connecting portion; 37: End wall main body; 38: Intermediate partition; 40: Protrusion forming portion; 42: Partition wall portion; 44: Partition wall main body; 46: Partition wall connecting portion 48: protrusion; 48a: first protrusion; 48b: second protrusion; 50: upstream inclined surface; 52: downstream inclined surface; 54: ridgeline; 56: flow path; 58: parallel flow path; 60a: first narrow flow path; 60b: second narrow flow path; 62: battery pack (cooling target); 64: terminal; 70: cooling heat exchanger (second embodiment); 72: inner fin; 74: inclined plate; 76: top; 78: protrusion; 78a: first protrusion; 78b: second protrusion; 80 : Cooling heat exchanger (third embodiment); 82: inner fin; 84: protrusion; 84a: first protrusion; 84b: second protrusion; 90: inner fin (fourth embodiment); 100: inner fin (fifth embodiment); 102: protrusion; 102a: first protrusion; 102b: second protrusion; 104: protrusion top; 106: protrusion base; 108: upstream inclined portion; 110: downstream inclined portion; 112: low protrusion; 114: high protrusion; 116: central low protrusion; 118 : Central high protrusion; 120: Inner fin (sixth embodiment); 122: Protrusion; 122a: First protrusion; 122b: Second protrusion; 124: Convex portion; 130: Inner fin (seventh embodiment); 140: Protrusion (another embodiment); 142: Top of protrusion; 144: Upstream inclined portion; 146: Downstream inclined portion; 148: Base of protrusion; R: Curvature radius of the top of the protrusion; L: Length dimension of the base of the protrusion; α: Inclination angle of the upstream inclined portion; β: Inclination angle of the downstream inclined portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0086] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0087] exist Figures 1 to 3 , a cooling heat exchanger 10 is shown as a first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 、 Figure 3 As shown, the cooling heat exchanger 10 includes a hollow outer wall member 12, and the outer wall member 12 is composed of a first member 14 and a second member 16. In the following description, in principle, the up and down directions refer to Figure 2 The up and down directions and left and right directions refer to Figure 2 The left and right directions in the text refer to Figure 3 The vertical up-down direction, left-right direction, and front-back direction are used for convenience of explanation. For example, the vertical up-down direction of the cooling heat exchanger 10 in use may be the vertical up-down direction in the embodiment described above, or the left-right direction or the front-back direction, or may be a direction that does not coincide with any of the vertical, left-right, or front-back directions.

[0088] The first component 14 is formed into a roughly rectangular flat plate shape, and is formed so that the length dimension in the left-right direction is larger than the width dimension in the front-back direction. The first component 14 is preferably formed of a material with high thermal conductivity, for example, an aluminum alloy, stainless steel, a copper alloy, etc. The first component 14 can also be formed into a composite plate formed by laminating a brazing filler metal on a base material. In the case where the first component 14 is a composite plate, for example, the base material can be formed of an Al-Mn aluminum alloy formed by adding manganese to aluminum, and the brazing filler metal can be formed of an Al-Si aluminum alloy formed by adding silicon to aluminum. In addition, the first component 14 can also be formed into a composite plate formed by combining a base material composed of stainless steel and a brazing filler metal composed of a nickel alloy. The composite plate can be obtained by known manufacturing methods such as pressing the base material and the brazing filler metal, blowing the brazing filler metal relative to the base material, etc.

[0089] The second member 16 is formed into an open rectangular box with a downwardly open recess 18. The second member 16 is integrally formed with a substantially rectangular flat plate-shaped upper bottom wall and a rectangular cylindrical peripheral wall protruding downward from the outer peripheral end of the upper bottom wall. Like the first member 14, the second member 16 is preferably formed of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as an aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or a copper alloy.

[0090] A supply hole 20 is formed at the left end portion of the second member 16, extending vertically through the upper bottom wall of the recess 18. A discharge hole 22 is formed at the right end portion of the second member 16, extending vertically through the upper bottom wall of the recess 18. The second member 16 includes a substantially cylindrical supply port 24 projecting upward from the upper bottom wall of the recess 18 at the periphery of the opening of the supply hole 20, and a substantially cylindrical discharge port 26 projecting upward from the upper bottom wall of the recess 18 at the periphery of the opening of the discharge hole 22.

[0091] like Figure 2 、 Figure 3 As shown, the first member 14 and the second member 16 are vertically overlapped and fixedly connected. The outer peripheral end of the first member 14 abuts against the protruding front end surface of the peripheral wall of the recess 18 in the second member 16. For example, brazing is performed using the brazing filler metal of the first member 14 formed as a composite plate, thereby fixing the first member 14 and the second member 16 to each other. In this way, by overlapping and fixing the first and second members 14, 16, these first and second members 14, 16 form the outer wall member 12.

[0092] The opening of the recess 18 of the second member 16 is covered by the first member 14, and a cooling flow path 28 is formed inside the outer wall member 12. The cooling flow path 28 is a flow path for a heat medium composed of a liquid such as water, an ethylene glycol aqueous solution, or a gas such as air to flow. In the cooling flow path 28, a heat medium formed into a low temperature is supplied from the outside through the supply hole 20, and the heat medium that becomes a high temperature due to heat exchange is discharged to the outside through the discharge hole 22. Therefore, the supply hole 20 is provided at the end of the upstream side of the cooling flow path 28, and the discharge hole 22 is provided at the end of the downstream side of the cooling flow path 28. In addition, the cooling flow path 28 for the heat medium to flow is formed inside the outer wall member 12, whereby the joint portion between the first member 14 and the second member 16 has a fluid sealing property that can prevent leakage of the heat medium.

[0093] A pair of cooling wall portions 30, 30 are provided in the outer wall member 12. That is, in the first member 14, the portion of the wall portion constituting the cooling flow path 28 is formed as the cooling wall portion 30 on the lower side. In addition, the bottom wall of the recessed portion 18 in the second member 16 is formed as the cooling wall portion 30 on the upper side. Therefore, the portions of the outer wall member 12 that are opposed to each other in the up-down direction are formed as a pair of cooling wall portions 30, 30. The cooling wall portions 30, 30 are cooled by heat exchange with the heat medium flowing in the cooling flow path 28. The cooling wall portions 30, 30 are formed as planes whose upper and lower outer surfaces are substantially perpendicular to the up-down direction and extend, and these upper and lower outer surfaces are respectively formed as cooling surfaces 32.

[0094] The inner fins 34 are housed in the cooling flow path 28 formed between the opposing surfaces of the bottom walls of the recessed portion 18 formed in the first member 14 and the second member 16. Figure 4 、 Figure 5 As shown, the inner fins 34 are generally formed into a roughly rectangular plate shape, with the left-right length dimension being larger than the front-to-back width dimension. The inner fins 34 are formed, for example, from a metal such as an aluminum alloy or stainless steel, or a synthetic resin. In this embodiment, the inner fins 34 are formed as stamped metal parts made of an aluminum alloy. Preferably, the inner fins 34 are formed from a material with high thermal conductivity, similar to the first and second members 14 and 16. The inner fins 34 are shaped and sized to fit into the recesses 18 of the second member 16.

[0095] End wall portions 35 protruding in the upward and downward directions are respectively provided at both ends of the inner fin 34 in the front-to-back direction. The end wall portion 35 is bent downward at the front end protruding upward and protrudes downward, thereby protruding to both the upper and lower sides. More specifically, the end wall portion 35 integrally includes an end wall connecting portion 36 protruding upward and an end wall main body portion 37 protruding downward from the upper end portion of the end wall connecting portion 36. The end wall connecting portion 36 is inclined in a direction spaced apart from the end wall main body portion 37 in the front-to-back direction. The end wall main body portion 37 is formed to be substantially non-inclined in the upward and downward directions. The end wall main body portion 37 protrudes further downward than the lower end of the end wall connecting portion 36. In addition, the end wall portion 35 can also be configured so that the end wall connecting portion 36 protrudes downward and the end wall main body portion 37 protrudes upward from the lower end portion of the end wall connecting portion 36.

[0096] An intermediate partition 38 is provided between the end wall portions 35 and the end wall portions 35 of the inner fin 34. The intermediate partition 38 is integrally continuous with the end portion on the inner side of the end wall connecting portion 36 in the front-to-back direction. Furthermore, the end wall portion 35 protrudes in both the vertical directions relative to the intermediate partition 38. Furthermore, the intermediate partition 38 is located in the middle of the end wall main body portion 37 in the vertical direction and extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the vertical direction. The intermediate partition 38 of this embodiment is divided into three protrusion-forming portions 40, 40, and 40 by two partition walls 42, 42, described later.

[0097] In the middle of the middle partition 38 in the inner fin 34 in the front-to-back direction, two partition portions 42 and 42 are provided, protruding from the middle partition 38 in the upward and downward directions. The partition portion 42 integrally includes a partition body portion 44 protruding in the upward and downward directions relative to the middle partition 38, and a pair of partition connection portions 46 and 46 connecting the upper and lower ends of the partition body portion 44 to the middle partition 38. The partition body portion 44 is continuously formed over the entire length of the inner fin 34 in the left-to-right direction and is formed to be substantially non-inclined with respect to the upward and downward directions. The partition connection portion 46 is continuously formed over the entire length of the inner fin 34 in the left-to-right direction and extends from the upper and lower ends of the partition body portion 44 toward the inner side in the upward and downward directions. The partition connection portion 46 is inclined in the direction of the gap from the partition body portion 44 in the front-to-back direction. The partition wall connecting portions 46 extending from upper and lower ends of the partition wall main body portion 44 are connected to one of two protrusion forming portions 40 , 40 adjacent to each other in the front-rear direction. These two protrusion forming portions 40 , 40 are integrally connected by the partition wall portion 42 .

[0098] A plurality of protrusions 48 are formed on the protrusion forming portion 40, the protrusion forming portion 40, and the protrusion forming portion 40 of the intermediate partition portion 38 divided by the partition portion 42 and the partition portion 42. Figure 4As shown, the protrusion 48 is formed in a generally V-shaped configuration on the surface of the inner fin 34. This V-shape, when viewed from above and below, narrows in the front-to-rear direction toward the left, which is the upstream side of the cooling flow path 28, as described later. The left portion of the protrusion 48, which is the upstream side of the cooling flow path 28, forms an upstream inclined surface 50, serving as an upstream inclined portion, which slopes toward the downstream side, increasing its protruding height. The right portion, which is the downstream side, forms a downstream inclined surface 52, serving as a downstream inclined portion, which slopes toward the downstream side, decreasing its protruding height. Consequently, at the junction of the upstream inclined surface 50 and the downstream inclined surface 52, i.e., the center portion of the protrusion 48 in the left-to-right direction, a ridgeline 54 with the greatest protruding height continues in a generally V-shaped configuration when viewed from above and below.

[0099] A plurality of protrusions 48 are provided, arranged at approximately equal intervals in the left-right direction. The same number of first protrusions 48a (described below) are formed at approximately the same positions in the left-right direction on the protrusion-forming portion 40, the protrusion-forming portion 40, and the protrusion-forming portion 40. The same number of second protrusions 48b (described below) are formed at approximately the same positions in the left-right direction. The protrusions 48 are provided over approximately the entire left-right length of the intermediate partition 38. The protrusions 48 are dispersed over approximately the entire front-to-back region of the protrusion-forming portion 40. In this embodiment, the protrusions 48 are slightly separated from the end walls 35, the end walls 35, and the partition walls 42, the partition walls 42 in the front-to-back direction, leaving portions at the front and rear ends of the protrusion-forming portion 40 without protrusions 48. Thus, when the end wall portion 35, the end wall portion 35, and the partition wall portion 42, the partition wall portion 42 are formed by stamping, it is possible to prevent the protrusion 48 from becoming an obstacle to the forming of the end wall portion 35, the end wall portion 35, and the partition wall portion 42, the partition wall portion 42. Alternatively, the protrusion 48 may be continuously provided over the entire width direction (front-rear direction) of the protrusion forming portion 40, with both ends directly connected to the partition wall portion 42 and / or the end wall portion 35.

[0100] like Figure 2 、 Figure 5 As shown, the protrusion 48 includes a first protrusion 48a protruding from the lower surface of the intermediate partition 38, and a second protrusion 48b protruding from the upper surface of the intermediate partition 38. Figure 2 As shown, the first protrusions 48a and the second protrusions 48b are arranged alternately in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the first protrusions 48a and the second protrusions 48b have substantially the same shape and size, protruding in opposite directions. However, the shapes and sizes may differ. The left-right arrangement of the first protrusions 48a and the second protrusions 48b in the three protrusion-forming portions 40, 40, 40 is identical in this embodiment, but may differ.

[0101] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the inner fin 34 is disposed between the first member 14 and the second member 16, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 、 Figure 3 As shown, the inner fins 34 are housed within the cooling flow path 28 that constitutes the interior region of the outer wall member 12. The inner fins 34 are formed to have a length dimension in the left-right direction that is smaller than the length dimension of the cooling flow path 28, and the left and right end surfaces of the inner fins 34 are separated from the outer wall member 12 to the left and right inwards. In short, the inner fins 34 are partially disposed along the lengthwise direction of the cooling flow path 28, approximately in the center of the cooling flow path 28. Therefore, in this embodiment, more specifically, the interior region of the outer wall member 12, divided into two sections by the inner fins 34, constitutes the central portion of the cooling flow path 28 in the left-right direction, excluding the left and right end portions of the cooling flow path 28. In this embodiment, the inner fins 34 are positioned inward in the left-right direction of the supply holes 20 and discharge holes 22 formed at the end portions of the cooling flow path 28 in the lengthwise direction, and are disposed so as not to cover these supply holes 20 and discharge holes 22.

[0102] The inner fin 34 can be positioned relative to the outer wall member 12 by fitting the end wall portions 35 and the side walls of the second member 16 in the front-to-rear direction, or can be positioned relative to the outer wall member 12 by sandwiching at least one of the end wall portions 35 and the partition walls 42 and 42 between the bottom walls of the first member 14 and the second member 16. In addition, a positioning structure other than the end wall portions 35 and the partition walls 42 and 42 may be provided between the inner fin 34 and the outer wall member 12. Specifically, for example, if at least one of the bottom wall and the side walls of the second member 16 is provided with a protrusion that engages with the left and right end surfaces of the inner fin 34 in the left-right direction, the inner fin 34 can be positioned relative to the outer wall member 12 in the front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-to-down directions without requiring the end walls 35, 35 to fit into the recesses 18 or the end walls 35, 35 and / or the partition walls 42, 42 to be sandwiched between the first member 14 and the second member 16. Furthermore, the inner fin 34 may not be fixedly connected to the outer wall member 12. For example, at least one of the end walls 35, 35 and the partition walls 42, 42 may be fixedly connected to the outer wall member 12 by means such as bonding or brazing.

[0103] By arranging the inner fins 34 within the cooling flow path 28, the inner fins 34 divide the cooling flow path 28 into multiple sections in the middle portion of the flow path lengthwise. Specifically, the middle partition 38 of the inner fins 34 is located in the middle of the end wall portions 35, 35, and the partition walls 42, 42 in the vertical direction, thereby separating it from the cooling stave portions 30, 30. Thus, the cooling flow path 28 is divided into two sections on both the upper and lower sides by the inner fins 34. The area below the inner fins 34 in the cooling flow path 28 cools the cooling stave portion 30 of the first component 14, while the area above the inner fins 34 cools the cooling stave portion 30 of the second component 16.

[0104] By dividing the cooling flow path 28 into two parts on the upper and lower sides by the middle partition 38 of the inner fin 34, in the cooling heat exchanger 10 with a double-sided cooling structure in which the cooling surfaces 32 are provided on the upper and lower surfaces, it becomes easy to adjust the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the upper and lower areas of the cooling flow path 28 that cools the cooling surfaces 32, the cooling surfaces 32 (the cooling wall portion 30, the cooling wall portion 30) to control the flow rate and flow velocity of the heat medium.

[0105] Furthermore, by arranging the inner fins 34 in the middle of the cooling flow path 28 in the flow path length direction, the inner fins 34 do not vertically divide the two end portions of the cooling flow path 28 in the flow path length direction, where the supply holes 20 and the discharge holes 22 are provided. Therefore, the heat medium supplied from the supply holes 20 to the cooling flow path 28 flows into any upper or lower region of the cooling flow path 28 without being obstructed by the inner fins 34, and the heat medium that has passed through any upper or lower region of the cooling flow path 28 is discharged to the outside through the discharge holes 22 without being obstructed by the inner fins 34.

[0106] The areas above and below the inner fins 34 in the cooling flow path 28 are divided into three sections in the front-to-rear direction by the two partition walls 42, 42. Thus, the cooling flow path 28 is divided into six flow path sections 56, 56, ..., 56, in which the heat medium flows in the same direction. These six flow path sections 56, 56, ..., 56 arranged in parallel constitute the parallel flow path section 58 of this embodiment.

[0107] In this way, the upper and lower side areas of the cooling flow path 28 are divided into three each in the flow path width direction by the partition wall portion 42 and the partition wall portion 42, so that the flow rate and flow velocity of the heat medium flowing in each flow path portion 56 can be appropriately controlled, and the cooling surface 32 and the flow path width dimension of the cooling surface 32 that are cooled by these flow path portions 56 can be set with greater freedom.

[0108] like Figure 2 、 Figure 3As shown, either the first protrusion 48a or the second protrusion 48b protrudes from the intermediate partition 38 of the inner fin 34 into each flow path portion 56. The first protrusion 48a is spaced upward relative to the lower cooling stave portion 30. Furthermore, a first narrow flow path 60a is formed between the first protrusion 48a and the lower cooling stave portion 30, with the flow path cross-sectional area being smaller than that of other portions in the lower flow path portion 56. Furthermore, the second protrusion 48b is spaced downward relative to the upper cooling stave portion 30. Furthermore, a second narrow flow path 60b is formed between the second protrusion 48b and the upper cooling stave portion 30, with the flow path cross-sectional area being smaller than that of other portions in the upper flow path portion 56. In this embodiment, the first narrow flow path 60a and the second narrow flow path 60b have substantially the same flow path cross-sectional area and flow path cross-sectional shape, but they may also be different.

[0109] like Figure 6 As shown, the cooling heat exchanger 10 having the structure described above is equipped with a battery pack 62 as a cooling object. The battery pack 62 is, for example, a battery for an electric vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. The battery pack 62 has, for example, a generally rectangular shape, and the front-to-back width dimension is formed to be larger than the left-to-right length dimension. In addition, terminal portions 64 protruding forward are provided at the upper and lower end portions of the battery pack 62. The terminal portion 64 is formed as an output terminal for outputting a large current through a busbar not shown. Therefore, when the battery pack 62 of this embodiment is in use, the upper and lower end portions having the terminal portion 64 are more likely to become hotter than the upper and lower center portions.

[0110] The cooling heat exchanger 10 has a double-sided cooling structure with cooling surfaces 32 provided on both its upper and lower surfaces. Consequently, the battery packs 62 overlap the cooling surfaces 32 and 32 on the upper and lower sides of the cooling heat exchanger 10, respectively. In this embodiment, multiple battery packs 62 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the cooling flow path 28, i.e., in the left-right direction, on the upper and lower sides of the cooling heat exchanger 10, with each battery pack 62 overlapping the cooling surfaces 32 and 32.

[0111] In the cooling heat exchanger 10, the cooling surfaces 32, 32 provided on the surfaces of the cooling staves 30, 30 are cooled by heat exchange between the cooling medium flowing through the cooling flow path 28 and the cooling staves 30, 30 of the first and second members 14, 16. Furthermore, the battery pack 62, which generates heat during operation, is mounted on the cooling surfaces 32, 32. Heat exchange between the first and second members 14, 16, which have the cooling surfaces 32, 32, and the battery pack 62, which overlaps with the cooling surfaces 32, cools the battery pack 62. In other words, the battery pack 62 is cooled by heat exchange between the battery pack 62 and the heat medium flowing through the cooling flow path 28 via the first and second members 14, 16.

[0112] Inner fins 34 are arranged in cooling flow path 28 and are in contact with outer wall member 12 (first member 14 and second member 16). Therefore, inner fins 34 increase the substantial contact area between outer wall member 12 and the heat medium, allowing cooling surfaces 32 to be efficiently cooled by the heat medium.

[0113] The heat medium receives heat from the battery pack 62, causing its temperature to rise. In particular, the heat medium flowing near the cooling staves 30 and 30 is heated by the heat of the battery pack 62, causing its temperature to rise. On the other hand, the heat medium flowing at a position away from the cooling staves 30 and 30, in other words, at a position close to the inner fins 34, is less susceptible to the heat of the battery pack 62, and its temperature rise is relatively suppressed, making it easier to maintain a low temperature. As a result, in the heat medium within the cooling flow path 28, a temperature distribution in which the temperature becomes higher toward the upper and lower sides is easily generated due to heat exchange with the battery pack 62. As a result, the temperature difference between the high-temperature heat medium flowing near the cooling staves 30 and 30 and the battery pack 62 becomes smaller, resulting in a decrease in the efficiency of heat exchange between the battery pack 62 and the heat medium.

[0114] Therefore, in the cooling heat exchanger 10, the inner fins 34 are provided with first and second protrusions 48a, 48b that protrude into the cooling flow path 28. As the heat medium passes over the first and second protrusions 48a, 48b, it is stirred, thereby reducing the temperature difference between the heat medium in the vertical direction. This prevents the heat medium flowing only near the battery pack 62 from reaching a high temperature, ensuring a large temperature difference between the battery pack 62 and the heat medium flowing therein, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency between the battery pack 62 and the heat medium.

[0115] In this embodiment, the first and second protrusions 48a, 48b are formed substantially across the entire left-right direction of the inner fins 34. This allows the first and second protrusions 48a, 48b to stir the heat medium in the parallel flow path 58 formed by the inner fins 34, effectively cooling the battery pack 62 through the heat medium flowing through the parallel flow path 58. Furthermore, in the cooling heat exchanger 10 of this embodiment, the inner fins 34 are positioned to extend outwardly from both sides of the region where the battery pack 62 overlaps, effectively extending the heat exchange efficiency improvement provided by the inner fins 34 to the entire battery pack 62.

[0116] In this embodiment, the protrusion 48 is formed into a V-shape on the surface of the inner fin 34, with its width narrowing toward the upstream side of the flow path portion 56. In short, the protrusion 48 is formed into a V-shape when viewed from above. When the heat medium passes over the protrusion 48, it flows in a direction perpendicular to the protrusion 48, where the flow resistance decreases. This direction tilts inward in the flow path width direction relative to the flow path length direction (left-right direction) of the flow path portion 56. Furthermore, the heat medium flowing inward in the flow path width direction merges downstream of the protrusion 48, generating eddies and turbulence downstream of the protrusion 48. These eddies and turbulence stir the heat medium. This reduces the temperature difference between the upper and lower sides of the heat medium, thus preventing a decrease in cooling performance due to heating of the heat medium by the battery pack 62.

[0117] However, the battery pack 62 may deform by bulging due to heat generated during use. In such cases, the cooling staves 30 and 30 having the cooling surfaces 32 are able to elastically deform in response to the deformation of the battery pack 62. Specifically, the flat-plate-shaped cooling staves 30 and 30 allow for elastic flexural deformation, and the partition walls 42 of the inner fins 34, which overlap with the cooling staves 30 and 30 from the cooling flow path 28 side, allow for elastic flexural deformation in at least one of the partition body 44 and the partition connecting portions 46 and 46. Thus, when the surface of the battery pack 62 bulges toward the cooling surface 32 and the cooling surface 32 is pressed into the cooling flow path 28 side, the elastic flexural deformation of the cooling staves 30 and 30 occurring without being hindered by the partition walls 42 of the inner fins 34. In this way, the cooling surface 32 elastically deforms following the deformation of the surface of the battery pack 62, thereby preventing the formation of a gap between the overlapping surfaces of the cooling surface 32 and the battery pack 62, plastic deformation of the cooling stave 30, the first member 14 and the second member 16 including the cooling stave 30, and plastic deformation of the inner fin 34. As can be seen from the above, in the inner fin 34 of this embodiment, the partition wall portions 42 are formed as elastically deformable portions that allow the cooling stave 30, the cooling stave 30 to approach (approach deformation) due to the elastic deformation of the cooling stave 30.

[0118] By allowing elastic flexural deformation of the partition walls 42, 42, for example, even if the vertical height of the partition walls 42, 42 is slightly larger than the depth of the recess 18 due to an error, the partition walls 42, 42 elastically flex and deform, allowing the partition walls 42, 42 to be accommodated within the cooling flow path 28. In this embodiment, the end walls 35, 35 of the inner fins 34 also allow elastic flexural deformation similar to the partition walls 42, 42, thereby preventing the end walls 35, 35 from being improperly accommodated within the cooling flow path 28. Therefore, a structure can be adopted in which the inner fins 34 are sandwiched and supported between the cooling staves 30, 30, while allowing for dimensional differences due to tolerances between the second member 16 and the inner fins 34.

[0119] Figure 7 A cooling heat exchanger 70 is shown as a second embodiment of the present invention. The cooling heat exchanger 70 has a structure in which inner fins 72 are arranged between a first member 14 and a second member 16. In the following description, components and locations substantially identical to those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and their description is omitted.

[0120] The inner fin 72 is formed of metal, synthetic resin, etc., and is formed into a thin-walled plate. The inner fin 72 has a cross-section that is folded back in a zigzag or wavy shape in the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, a plurality of flat-plate-shaped inclined plate portions 74 extending obliquely in the vertical direction and the front-to-back direction are formed, and the zigzag cross-section is provided in a continuous manner in the front-to-back direction at the folded tops 76. The inner fin 72 extends straight in the left-right direction with a zigzag cross-sectional shape. In addition, the number of folds (the number of tops 76) of the inner fin 72 formed in a zigzag or wavy shape is not particularly limited, and is appropriately set, for example, in consideration of the width dimension of the cooling surface and the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path portion divided by the inner fin 72.

[0121] The inner fin 72 is provided with a protrusion 78. The protrusion 78 is formed in a roughly V-shape on the surface of the inner fin 72, with the front end tapering (the width narrowing) toward the upstream side of the cooling flow path. In short, the protrusion 78 is formed in a roughly V-shape when viewed from above and below. The protrusion 78 is composed of a first protrusion 78a that protrudes toward the upper surface of the inner fin 72, and a second protrusion 78b that protrudes toward the lower surface of the inner fin 72. The first protrusion 78a and the second protrusion 78b are arranged in groups at positions spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the cooling flow path, i.e., the left-right direction. In this embodiment, they are arranged in two rows in the width direction of the cooling flow path, i.e., the front-back direction, with five groups provided in each row. Therefore, the inner fin 72 of this embodiment has ten first protrusions 78a and ten second protrusions 78b.

[0122] The V-shaped protrusion 78 is formed so that the upstream end portion, which is formed to have a narrowed width, is located at the top 76 of the serrations of the inner fin 72, i.e., the continuous portion of the inclined plate portion 74. In the V-shaped protrusion 78, the downstream end portion does not reach the end portion of the inclined plate portion 74, and the protrusions 78 and protrusions 78 adjacent in the front-to-back direction are separated from each other in the front-to-back direction. In addition, the protrusion 78 can be provided until it reaches the top portion 76, or it can be provided in a portion that deviates from the top portion 76. The protrusion 78 only needs to be provided at least at the adjacent top portions 76 and the inclined plate portion 74 between the top portions 76. It is preferable that the protrusion 78 is also provided at the inclined plate portion 74 between the front-to-back end portion of the inner fin 72 and the adjacent top portion 76.

[0123] In this embodiment, the inner fins 72 are formed as stamped metal parts, and the protrusions 78 are formed by stamping. Therefore, a V-shaped depression is present on the surface of the protrusion 78 opposite the protruding side. In addition, if the protrusions 78 are formed simultaneously when the flat metal raw material plate is formed into a serrated cross-section by stamping, the number of processing steps can be reduced.

[0124] In the cooling heat exchanger 70 equipped with the aforementioned inner fins 72, the cooling flow path (not shown) formed between the first component 14 and the second component 16 is divided in the flow path height direction, i.e., in the vertical direction, by the inner fins 72. Furthermore, the inner fins 72 have a zigzag-shaped cross-section, so that the folded top 76 overlaps with the first component 14 or the second component 16, thereby dividing the cooling flow path into multiple sections in the flow path width direction, i.e., in the front-to-back direction. This effectively cools the cooling surfaces 32 provided on the upper and lower outer surfaces of the first component 14 and the second component 16, respectively, in the divided flow path sections of the cooling flow path.

[0125] The inner fins 72 of this embodiment not only partition the cooling channel vertically with a simpler shape than the inner fins 34 of the first embodiment, but also partition the channel widthwise, thereby improving cooling performance. Furthermore, the inner fins 72 can be disposed between the first and second members 14, 16 without being fixed, or with their tops 76 and front and rear ends fixed to the first and second members 14, 16.

[0126] Furthermore, by providing the first protrusion 78a and the second protrusion 78b protruding into the flow path area of ​​the cooling flow path on the inner fin 72, the heat medium flowing in these flow path areas is stirred by the first protrusion 78a and the second protrusion 78b, thereby preventing the heat medium flowing only in the position close to each cooling surface 32 from becoming high temperature, thereby improving the cooling performance.

[0127] For example, when the cooling staves 30 and 30 are deformed toward each other by the pressing force from the battery pack, the inner fins 72 can allow the deformation of the cooling staves 30 and 30 by elastically flexing the inclined plate portions 74. In this way, the inclined plate portions 74 function as elastic deformation portions, thereby improving the followability of the battery pack relative to the cooling surfaces 32 provided on the cooling staves 30 and 30, and preventing unintentional plastic deformation due to external input.

[0128] In addition, Figure 7 In the embodiment, the inner fin 72 having a sawtooth-shaped cross section is shown as an example. However, for example, an inner fin having a curved cross section and a wavy cross section as a whole may be employed without having the flat inclined plate portion 74 .

[0129] Figure 8 A cooling heat exchanger 80 is shown as a third embodiment of the present invention. The cooling heat exchanger 80 has a structure in which inner fins 82 are arranged between a first member 14 and a second member 16 .

[0130] Like the inner fins 72 of the second embodiment, the inner fins 82 are plate-shaped members with a serrated, wavy cross-section. The protrusions 84 (first and second protrusions 84a, 84b) of the inner fins 82 differ in size from those of the inner fins 72 of the second embodiment. The protrusions 84 of this embodiment are formed in a V-shape, similar to the protrusions 78 of the second embodiment, and are continuously provided across the entire front-to-back direction of the sloping plate portion 74, with their downstream ends reaching the front and rear ends of the sloping plate portion 74.

[0131] As shown in this embodiment, the protrusion 84 can be formed on substantially the entire inner fin 82 in the width direction of the cooling channel. Furthermore, the protrusion 84 can be provided up to the folded top 76 of the inner fin 82. Preferably, the protrusion 84 is provided at a portion away from the top 76 to facilitate processing.

[0132] Figure 9 The fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown as an inner fin 90 constituting a cooling heat exchanger. The inner fin 90 of this embodiment can be used in place of the inner fin 34 of the first embodiment. Therefore, in the following description, for ease of understanding, substantially identical components and locations to those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment.

[0133] Multiple protrusions 48 (a first protrusion 48a and a second protrusion 48b) are formed on the intermediate partition 38 (protrusion-forming portion 40, protrusion-forming portion 40, protrusion-forming portion 40) of the inner fin 90. In this embodiment, the protrusions 48 are not provided on the left side of the inner fin 90 located upstream of the cooling flow path 28, but only on the right side of the inner fin 90 located downstream of the cooling flow path 28. As a result, the effect of the protrusions 48 on disrupting the flow of the heat medium is stronger on the downstream side of the cooling flow path 28 than on the upstream side. Regions with different effects on disrupting the flow of the heat medium are located at different locations along the length of the cooling flow path 28.

[0134] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the number and arrangement of protrusions 48 differ among the three protrusion-forming portions 40, 40, and 40. Specifically, the protrusion-forming portion 40 located further forward in the flow path width direction of the cooling flow path 28 has a greater number of protrusions 48, and the spacing between protrusions 48 in the flow path length direction becomes narrower. Consequently, on the downstream side of the parallel flow path portion 58, the protrusions 48 exert a greater effect on disrupting the flow of the heat medium as the flow path portion 56 located further forward is downstream. Regions with different effects on disrupting the flow of the heat medium are located at different positions in the flow path width direction of the cooling flow path 28.

[0135] In this way, if the inner fins 90 involved in this embodiment are used, the effect of disturbing the flow of the heat medium to generate eddies and turbulence (turbulence promotion effect) is set to be locally different in the parallel flow path portion 58. Therefore, in the part where the turbulence promotion effect is strong, high cooling performance is exerted, and the battery pack 62 can be cooled efficiently.

[0136] In particular, in this embodiment, the turbulence-promoting effect is more pronounced on the downstream side of the cooling flow path 28 (parallel flow path portion 58). Therefore, the heat medium on the downstream side, which is heated by heat exchange with the battery pack 62 and approaches the cooling stave portion 30, is agitated, thereby ensuring effective cooling performance also on the downstream side. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the turbulence-promoting effect is more pronounced forward, enabling efficient cooling of the forward portion of the battery pack 62, where the terminal portion 64 is located and heat generation is likely to increase.

[0137] The arrangement of protrusions 48 shown in this embodiment is merely an example and can be appropriately modified based on, for example, the heat generation pattern (temperature distribution) of battery pack 62, the required cooling performance, and the like. Furthermore, the turbulence promoting effect of protrusions 48 varies not only depending on the number and arrangement of protrusions 48 but also on factors such as the height, shape, and surface friction of protrusions 48. Therefore, it is possible to define regions with different turbulence promoting effects by varying the size of protrusions 48, for example.

[0138] In addition, for example, in a case where it is necessary to set areas with different turbulence promoting effects only for the battery pack 62 overlapping with the cooling surface 32 of either side, the setting of areas with different turbulence promoting effects based on differences in the configuration, number, shape, size, surface friction resistance, etc. of the protrusions 48 as shown in this embodiment can be applied only to either side of the first protrusion 48a and the second protrusion 48b.

[0139] Figures 10 to 13 The inner fin 100 constituting the cooling heat exchanger of the fifth embodiment of the present invention is shown. The inner fin 100 of this embodiment can be used in place of the inner fin 72 of the second embodiment. Figure 10 The left side is the upstream of the cooling flow path. Figure 10 The right side in the figure is the downstream of the cooling flow path.

[0140] The inner fins 100 are formed into thin plates made of metal, synthetic resin, etc. and extend in the left-right direction with a zigzag or wavy cross-sectional shape, similar to the inner fins 72 of the second embodiment.

[0141] The inner fins 100 are formed with protrusions 102. The protrusions 102 extend in a generally V-shape on the surface of the inner fins 100, with the distal end narrowing (the width narrowing) toward the upstream side of the cooling flow path. The protrusions 102 are formed in a generally V-shape when viewed from above and below. The protrusions 102 consist of a first protrusion 102a protruding toward the upper surface of the inner fins 100 and a second protrusion 102b protruding toward the lower surface of the inner fins 100.

[0142] Figure 11 The cross section of one protrusion 102 in the flow path length direction is shown in an enlarged manner. Figure 11 In the cross section shown, the protrusion 102 is formed into a tapered cross-sectional shape in which the width becomes narrower in the longitudinal direction of the flow path toward the protruding front end. Figure 11 In the cross section shown, the protrusion 102 is formed into a cross-sectional shape continuously including the following components: a protrusion top 104 curved in an arc shape; an upstream inclined portion 108 extending obliquely upstream from the upstream end of the protrusion top 104 toward the protrusion base 106 (the end of the protrusion 102 connected to the inclined plate portion 74); and a downstream inclined portion 110 extending obliquely downstream from the downstream end of the protrusion top 104 toward the protrusion base 106. Figure 11 The cross section of the protrusion 102 shown is a cross section in the flow path length direction passing through the center in the flow path width direction. In the protrusion 102, any cross section perpendicular to the ridge line 54 is formed to be Figure 11 For any cross section perpendicular to the ridge line 54, the same cross section shape is preferably applied. Figure 11 The same numerical range, etc. are described.

[0143] exist Figure 11 In the cross-section shown along the flow path length, the radius of curvature R of the protrusion top 104, including the ridge line 54, is set within a range of 0.05 to 1.5 times, and more preferably within a range of 0.2 to 1.45 times, the length L of the protrusion base 106 along the flow path length. By setting the radius of curvature R of the protrusion top 104 to 0.05 times or greater relative to the length L of the protrusion base 106, the protrusion top 104 forms a smooth arc-shaped cross-section with virtually no corners. Furthermore, by setting the radius of curvature R of the protrusion top 104 to 1.5 times or less relative to the length L of the protrusion base 106, the length of the protrusion 102 along the flow path length can be prevented from becoming excessively long, and the inclination angles α and β of the upstream inclined portion 108 and the downstream inclined portion 110, which smoothly connect to the protrusion top 104, can be set sufficiently large. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the curvature radius R of the protrusion top 104 is set to be within a range of 0.05 to 0.5 times the length L of the protrusion base 106 .

[0144] The upstream inclined portion 108 may have a curved shape, but in this embodiment, it is formed in a straight line. The upper end of the upstream inclined portion 108 extends tangentially from the upstream end of the protrusion top 104, smoothly continuing without a corner with the protrusion top 104. The lower end of the upstream inclined portion 108 may be curved in an arcuate shape. In this case, it is preferably smoothly continuous without a corner with the inclined plate portion 74 forming the bottom surface of the cooling flow path 28.

[0145] The inclination angle α of the upstream inclined portion 108 relative to the inclined plate portion 74 forming the bottom surface of the cooling flow path 28 is set to be within the range of 20 to 70 degrees, and more preferably within the range of 30 to 60 degrees. Furthermore, when the upstream inclined portion 108 is curved, the inclination angle α of the upstream inclined portion 108 relative to the inclined plate portion 74 can be determined as, for example, the average value of the inclination angles of the upstream inclined portion 108 relative to the inclined plate portion 74.

[0146] By setting the inclination angle α of upstream inclined portion 108 to 20° or greater, the flow of the heat medium from the upstream side toward protrusion 102 is effectively disrupted by upstream inclined portion 108, which forms a sufficiently large angle with the flow direction of the heat medium, thereby improving cooling performance through the stirring effect. Furthermore, by setting the inclination angle α of upstream inclined portion 108 to 70° or less, the flow of the heat medium can be prevented from being excessively restricted by protrusion 102.

[0147] The downstream inclined portion 110 may have a curved shape, but in this embodiment, it is formed in a straight line. The upper end of the downstream inclined portion 110 extends tangentially from the downstream end of the protrusion top 104, smoothly continuing without a corner with the protrusion top 104. The lower end of the downstream inclined portion 110 may be curved in an arcuate shape. In this case, it preferably smoothly continues without a corner with the inclined plate portion 74 forming the bottom surface of the cooling flow path 28.

[0148] The inclination angle β of the downstream inclined portion 110 relative to the inclined plate portion 74 constituting the bottom surface of the cooling flow path 28 is set to be within the range of 20 to 70 degrees, and more preferably within the range of 30 to 60 degrees. Furthermore, when the downstream inclined portion 110 is curved, the inclination angle β of the downstream inclined portion 110 relative to the inclined plate portion 74 can be determined as, for example, the average value of the inclination angles of the downstream inclined portion 110 relative to the inclined plate portion 74.

[0149] By setting the inclination angle β of the downstream inclined portion 110 to 20° or greater, the flow of the heat medium that has passed over the protrusion 10 is easily separated from the downstream inclined portion 110, thereby being expected to facilitate the generation of disturbed flow such as eddies on the downstream side of the protrusion 102. Furthermore, by setting the inclination angle β of the downstream inclined portion 110 to 70° or less, the flow of the heat medium along the downstream inclined portion 110 is also ensured, and efficient stirring of the heat medium by merging with the flow that has separated from the downstream inclined portion 110 can be expected.

[0150] However, if Figure 12 、 Figure 13 As shown, the protrusion height dimension of the protrusion 102 of this embodiment varies in the flow path width direction, i.e., the front-to-back direction. Moreover, the plurality of protrusions 102 are composed of: a central low protrusion 116, the front and rear centers of which are formed into a low protrusion 112 with a low protrusion height and the front and rear ends thereof are formed into a high protrusion 114 with a high protrusion height; and a central high protrusion 118, the front and rear centers of which are formed into a high protrusion 114 with a high protrusion height and the front and rear ends thereof are formed into a low protrusion 112 with a low protrusion height. The first protrusion 102a and the second protrusion 102b are both composed of a plurality of central low protrusions 116 and a plurality of central high protrusions 118. In addition, in Figure 11 、 Figure 12 In the figure, for easy observation, only the protrusion 102 located at the front when observing each cross section is shown.

[0151] like Figure 10As shown, among the plurality of first protrusions 102a and second protrusions 102b arranged along the length of the flow path, the central low protrusions 116 and the central high protrusions 118 are arranged alternately along the length of the flow path, i.e., in the left-right direction. Therefore, in the center portion of the flow path portion 56 in the flow path width direction, the low protrusions 112 of the central low protrusions 116 and the high protrusions 114 of the central high protrusions 118 are arranged alternately along the length of the flow path. Furthermore, at both ends of the flow path portion 56 in the flow path width direction, the high protrusions 114 and 114 of the central low protrusions 116 and the low protrusions 112 and 112 of the central high protrusions 118 are arranged alternately along the length of the flow path.

[0152] According to the inner fin 100 of the present embodiment, the high protrusions 114 with a large protrusion height can provide a stronger stirring effect on the heat medium, while the low protrusions 112 with a small protrusion height can suppress the flow resistance of the heat medium, thereby reducing pressure loss.

[0153] In this embodiment, low protrusions 112 and high protrusions 114 are arranged adjacent to each other along the length of the flow path. The heat medium flowing smoothly through low protrusions 112 is efficiently stirred by high protrusions 114 located downstream of low protrusions 112, thereby effectively improving cooling performance. Furthermore, the heat medium, whose flow was significantly disturbed by high protrusions 114, flows relatively smoothly through low protrusions 112 located downstream of high protrusions 114, making it less likely for the flow to stagnate.

[0154] Furthermore, the heat medium flows more easily through the low protrusions 112, which have less flow resistance than the high protrusions 114. By alternating the central low protrusions 116 and the central high protrusions 118 along the length of the flow path, the low protrusions 112 are alternately positioned in the center and at both ends of the flow path width along the length of the flow path. Consequently, within the flow path portion 56, a flow of the heat medium meanders along the width of the flow path, connecting the low protrusions 112. This can be expected to reduce variations in the temperature distribution of the heat medium across the width of the flow path.

[0155] Figures 14 to 16 The inner fin 120 constituting the cooling heat exchanger according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention is shown. The inner fin 120 has the same zigzag cross-sectional shape as the inner fin 100 according to the fifth embodiment.

[0156] The inner fin 120 is provided with a protrusion 122. The protrusion 122 is composed of a plurality of first protrusions 122a protruding from the upper surface and second protrusions 122b protruding from the lower surface. The protrusion 122 is formed in a V-shape as a whole when viewed in the vertical direction, similarly to the protrusion 102 of the inner fin 100, but is formed on the upstream side ( Figure 14That is, the protrusion 122 of this embodiment extends from the center of the flow path width direction toward both sides and toward the downstream side ( Figure 14 It is composed of two convex portions 124, 124 that extend obliquely and are separated from each other (on the right side in the figure).

[0157] Like the protrusion 102 of the fifth embodiment, the protrusion 122 of this embodiment includes a low central protrusion 116 and a high central protrusion 118. Furthermore, in this embodiment, multiple low central protrusions 116 and multiple high central protrusions 118 are arranged alternately in the longitudinal direction of the flow path. Furthermore, the protrusion 122 of this embodiment is composed of two convex portions 124, 124 separated from each other in the center portion in the flow path width direction. Therefore, the low protrusion 112 of the low central protrusion 116 and the high protrusion 114 of the high central protrusion 118, located toward the center in the flow path width direction, are provided on the two convex portions 124, 124, respectively.

[0158] The inner fin 120 having the structure according to the present embodiment can also achieve the same effects as the inner fin 100 of the fifth embodiment. Furthermore, since the protrusion 122 is provided only on the inclined plate portion 74 and not on the top portion 76, it can be expected that the protrusion 122 can be formed more easily by press working.

[0159] Figure 17 A portion of an inner fin 130 constituting a cooling heat exchanger according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention is shown. In the inner fin 130, a plurality of protrusions 102 arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction of the flow path have varying protrusion heights and intervals.

[0160] In more detail, the plurality of protrusions 102 move downstream ( Figure 17 The protrusion height increases as the distance between adjacent protrusions 102 and protrusions 102 decreases as the flow path length direction moves downstream. Furthermore, the rate of change in the protrusion height of protrusions 102 and the rate of change in the distance between protrusions 102 and protrusions 102 can vary; in this embodiment, these rates of change are set constant. The protrusion height of protrusions 102 varies across the width of the flow path. When comparing low protrusions 112 and / or high protrusions 114, the protrusion height increases toward the downstream side.

[0161] Thus, by setting the protrusion 102 height dimension to increase as it moves downstream, the stirring effect of the protrusion 102 is more effectively exerted on the downstream side, where the temperature difference between the upper and lower heat mediums tends to increase due to heat exchange, and cooling performance can be maintained further downstream. Furthermore, by setting the spacing between the protrusions 102 and 102 to become narrower as it moves downstream, the stirring effect of the protrusion 102 can also be more effectively exerted on the downstream side, and cooling performance can be maintained further downstream.

[0162] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, but the present invention is not limited to the specific descriptions thereof. For example, the specific shape of the inner fin is not limited to the shapes shown in the first to fourth embodiments. As long as the cooling flow path 28 is divided into two parts in the opposing directions of a pair of cooling wall portions 30, 30 to achieve a double-sided cooling structure, there is no particular limitation. In addition, it is preferable that the inner fin also divides the cooling flow path 28 in the flow path width direction, but the division in the flow path width direction is not necessary, and only two flow path areas can be divided: the cooling wall portion 30 side of the first component 14 and the cooling wall portion 30 side of the second component 16.

[0163] The outer wall member is not limited to a structure in which the first member 14 and the second member 16 overlap. For example, a structure in which a pair of covers, each having a supply hole and an exhaust hole, are attached to the ends of a cylindrical outer wall body integrally provided with a pair of cooling staves can be employed. In this structure, for example, before attaching the covers to the outer wall body, the inner fins can be inserted axially into the inner circumference of the outer wall body, thereby accommodating the inner fins within the inner region of the outer wall member. Furthermore, the cylindrical outer wall body can be easily manufactured, for example, by extrusion or drawing of a metal material.

[0164] The inner fins may not have elastic deformation portions and may be formed as a rigid body as a whole. In this case, the inner fins can also be expected to function as reinforcement members, thereby achieving improved deformation rigidity and load resistance of the cooling heat exchanger.

[0165] The protrusions are not limited to V-shaped protrusions; for example, they may be hemispherical, columnar, or stepped. Furthermore, the protrusions may be formed as protrusions extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the flow direction of the heat medium. Furthermore, the V-shaped protrusions are not limited to a strict V-shape; as long as the entire inner fin surface is formed in a V-shape, bends, partial cuts, or differences in the inclination angle relative to the flow direction between the widthwise portions are permitted. Furthermore, the protrusions may be formed, for example, in a V-shape that narrows toward the downstream side, which is the opposite of the above-described embodiments.

[0166] Figure 11 The upstream inclined portion 108 has an inclination angle of 20 to 70 degrees, and the protrusion 102 can also be used. Figure 18 The protrusion 140 shown. That is, Figure 18The curvature radius of the protrusion top 142 of the protrusion 140 is formed to be large, and the upstream inclined portion 144 as the side surface on the upstream side and the downstream inclined portion 146 as the side surface on the downstream side are both composed of curved surfaces, and the connection is set so that the protrusion top 142 and the inclined plate portion 74 have no corners and are smoothly continuous in the cross section in the flow path length direction. Therefore, the entire cross-sectional shape of the protrusion 140 in the flow path length direction is formed into a continuous curved shape. Figure 18 The curvature radius R of the arc-shaped protrusion top 142 in the cross section of the protrusion 140 in the flow path length direction is preferably set to 0.7 times or more, and more preferably to 1 times or more, relative to the length L of the protrusion base 148. Figure 18 In the cross section of the flow path length direction shown in FIG, the inclination angle α of the upstream inclined portion 144 of this embodiment relative to the bottom surface of the flow path portion 56 is set to be less than 25°, and the inclination angle β of the downstream inclined portion 146 of this embodiment relative to the bottom surface of the flow path portion 56 is set to be less than 25°. In short, compared with Figure 11 In contrast to the protrusion 102 shown, the protrusion 140 of this embodiment is formed into a flat shape with a small ratio of the protruding height dimension of the cross section in the flow path length direction to the length dimension L of the protrusion base 148. This reduces the rate of change in the flow path cross-sectional area due to the protrusion 140. This protrusion 140 suppresses pressure loss caused by the heat medium flowing over the protrusion 140, thereby enabling the heat medium to be circulated using a relatively low-performance, inexpensive pump.

[0167] The protrusions do not need to be continuously provided across the entire width of the flow path portion. Preferably, the width of the protrusions in the flow path width direction is set to be at least 50%, and more preferably at least 70%, of the flow path width of the flow path portion. This restricts flow that bypasses the protrusions and facilitates flow that passes over them, effectively enabling the protrusions to disrupt the flow of the heat medium. Furthermore, in cases where the flow path width of the flow path portion varies in the depth direction of the flow path, such as when serrated inner fins are employed, the width of the protrusions is preferably set to be at least 50%, and more preferably at least 70%, of the maximum width of the flow path portion (the width between the tops of serrated inner fins). Furthermore, in cases where the flow path width of the flow path portion varies in the length direction of the flow path, the width of the protrusions is preferably set within the above-mentioned range relative to the flow path width at the location where the protrusions are provided.

[0168] The first and second members 14, 16 may be made of a synthetic resin. In this case, to ensure high thermal conductivity, the first and second members 14, 16 are formed from a thermally conductive synthetic resin, such as a synthetic resin material such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyamide, polypropylene, or polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), mixed with a thermally conductive filler such as aluminum oxide (alumina), silicon dioxide, or silicon carbide.

[0169] exist Figure 6 In the state where the battery pack 62 is assembled with respect to the cooling heat exchanger 10, the upper surface of the battery pack 62 overlapping the upper cooling surface 32 may overlap the lower cooling surface 32 of another cooling heat exchanger 10, thereby cooling the battery pack 62 from both the upper and lower sides. Figure 6 The lower surface of the battery pack 62 that overlaps the lower cooling surface 32 overlaps the upper cooling surface 32 of another cooling heat exchanger 10. In short, by arranging the cooling heat exchangers 10 and the battery packs 62 in a stacked manner by alternatingly overlapping them in the vertical direction, multiple battery packs 62 can be cooled from both the upper and lower sides.

[0170] Furthermore, when multiple cooling heat exchangers 10 are stacked, for example, supply holes and discharge holes may be formed at the left and right ends of the second member 16, so that the supply holes 20 and discharge holes 22 of the first member 14 of one cooling heat exchanger 10 adjacent to each other in the vertical direction are connected to the supply holes and discharge holes of the second member 16 of the other cooling heat exchanger 10. This allows each cooling flow path 28 of the multiple stacked cooling heat exchangers 10 to be connected to a single external flow path, allowing heat medium to be supplied and discharged collectively to and from these cooling flow paths 28.

[0171] The cooling target is not limited to batteries for electric vehicles; for example, it may also be a stationary type battery such as an industrial battery. Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, a case where multiple battery packs 62 are arranged on the cooling surface 32 of a single cooling heat exchanger 10 is illustrated. However, for example, a single battery pack 62 may be arranged on the cooling surface 32 of a single cooling heat exchanger 10. Furthermore, for example, a single battery pack 62 may be arranged across multiple cooling heat exchangers 10.

Claims

1. A cooling heat exchanger (10, 70, 80) having a cooling flow path (28) formed therein for a heat medium for cooling to flow, for cooling a cooling object (62) overlapping a cooling surface (32) provided on the surface, wherein: The cooling heat exchanger (10, 70, 80) is provided with a hollow outer wall member (12) having the cooling flow path (28) therein, and a pair of cooling wall portions (30) having the cooling surface (32) on the surface thereof are provided at mutually opposing portions of the outer wall member (12). The inner region of the outer wall member (12) is provided with plate-shaped inner fins (34, 72, 82, 90, 100, 120, 130) that divide the inner region into two parts in the opposing direction of the pair of cooling wall portions (30). The inner fins (34, 72, 82, 90, 100, 120, 130) are integrally formed with first protrusions (48a, 78a, 84a, 102a, 122a) and second protrusions (48b, 78b, 84b, 102b, 122b) protruding from one surface of each.

2. The cooling heat exchanger (10, 70, 80) according to claim 1, wherein: The cooling flow path (28) includes a parallel flow path portion (58) composed of a plurality of flow path portions (56) that are divided by the inner fins (34, 72, 82, 90, 100, 120, 130) in the flow path width direction and extend adjacently in parallel. The heat medium in the plurality of flow path sections (56) constituting the parallel flow path section (58) flows in the same direction.

3. The cooling heat exchanger (10, 70, 80) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The outer wall member (12) is formed into a structure in which a first member (14) constituting one of the cooling wall portions (30) and a second member (16) constituting the other of the cooling wall portions (30) overlap with each other in the opposing direction of the pair of cooling wall portions (30). The inner fins (34, 72, 82, 90, 100, 120, 130) are arranged between the opposing surfaces of the first component (14) and the second component (16).

4. The cooling heat exchanger (70, 80) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The inner fins (72, 82, 100, 120) have a cross section that is folded back in a zigzag or wavy shape in the opposing directions of the pair of cooling wall portions (30). The first protrusion (78a, 84a, 102a, 122a) and the second protrusion (78b, 84b, 102b, 122b) are formed between adjacent folded tops (76) in the inner fin (72, 82, 100, 120).

5. The cooling heat exchanger (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The inner fins (34, 90) are provided with an intermediate partition (38), which is arranged separately from both sides of the pair of cooling wall portions (30) in the outer wall member (12) and divides the opposing surfaces of the pair of cooling wall portions (30) into two parts in the opposing direction of the pair of cooling wall portions (30). The first protrusion (48a) and the second protrusion (48b) are formed on the middle partition (38). The inner fin (34, 90) has a partition portion (42) protruding from the middle partition portion (38) toward the pair of cooling wall portions (30) on both sides, and the inner area of ​​the outer wall member (12) is divided into a plurality of flow path portions (56) in the flow path width direction of the cooling flow path (28) through the partition portion (42).

6. The cooling heat exchanger (10, 70, 80) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first protrusion (48a, 78a, 84a, 102a, 122a) and the second protrusion (48b, 78b, 84b, 102b, 122b) are formed in a V-shape on the surface of the inner fin (34, 72, 82, 100, 120) and are formed to become narrower toward the upstream side of the cooling flow path (28).

7. The cooling heat exchanger (10, 70, 80) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The inner fins (34, 72, 82, 90, 100, 120, 130) are locally arranged in the flow path length direction of the cooling flow path (28).

8. The cooling heat exchanger (10, 70, 80) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: In the cooling flow path (28), regions having different effects of disturbing the flow of the heat medium by at least one of the plurality of first protrusions (48a, 78a, 84a, 102a, 122a) and the second protrusions (48b, 78b, 84b, 102b, 122b) are set.

9. The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 8, wherein: The regions having different effects of disturbing the flow of the heat medium are set at different positions in the cooling flow path (28) in the flow direction of the heat medium.

10. The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 9, wherein The regions having different effects on disturbing the flow of the heat medium and being located at different positions in the flow direction of the heat medium in the cooling flow path (28) are set such that the effect of disturbing the flow of the heat medium is stronger the further downstream the region is.

11. The cooling heat exchanger (10) according to claim 8, wherein: The cooling flow path (28) includes a parallel flow path portion (58) composed of a plurality of flow path portions (56) divided by the inner fins (34) and extending adjacently in parallel. The heat medium in the plurality of flow path sections (56) constituting the parallel flow path section (58) has the same flow direction. At least one set of adjacent flow path portions (56) in the parallel flow path portion (58) is provided with regions having different effects on disturbing the flow of the heat medium.

12. The cooling heat exchanger (10, 70, 80) according to claim 8, wherein: The regions having different effects of disturbing the flow of the heat medium are set by at least one of a difference in distance between the plurality of first protrusions (48a, 78a, 84a, 102a, 122a) and a difference in distance between the plurality of second protrusions (48b, 78b, 84b, 102b, 122b) in the flow direction of the heat medium.

13. The cooling heat exchanger (10, 70, 80) according to claim 8, wherein: The regions having different effects of disturbing the flow of the heat medium are set by at least one of a difference in height between the plurality of first protrusions (48a, 78a, 84a, 102a, 122a) and a difference in height between the plurality of second protrusions (48b, 78b, 84b, 102b, 122b).

14. The cooling heat exchanger (10, 70, 80) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The cooling object (62) is a battery.

15. The cooling heat exchanger (10, 70) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The inner fins (34, 72) are provided with elastic deformation portions that allow the pair of cooling wall portions (30) to deform toward each other through elastic deformation.

16. The cooling heat exchanger (10, 80) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first protrusion (48a, 84a) and the second protrusion (48b, 84b) respectively extend over the entire width of the cooling flow path (28) and are continuous with the side wall portion of the cooling flow path (28) at both ends.

17. The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The protrusion height of at least one of the first protrusion (102a, 122a) and the second protrusion (102b, 122b) varies in the flow path width direction of the cooling flow path (28), and any one of the low protrusion (112) with a low protrusion height and the high protrusion (114) with a high protrusion height is located in the central part of the flow path width direction, and any other one of the low protrusion (112) and the high protrusion (114) is located at the two end parts of the first protrusion (102a, 122a) and the second protrusion (102b, 122b) in the flow path width direction.

18. The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 17, wherein At least one of the plurality of first protrusions (102a, 122a) and second protrusions (102b, 122b) arranged along the flow path length direction of the cooling flow path (28) is configured such that a central low protrusion (116) having the low protrusion (112) set in the central portion in the flow path width direction of the cooling flow path (28) and the high protrusion (114) set at both end portions, and a central high protrusion (118) having the high protrusion (114) set in the central portion in the flow path width direction of the cooling flow path (28) and the low protrusion (112) set at both end portions are alternately arranged in the flow path length direction of the cooling flow path (28).

19. The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: At least one of the first protrusion (102a, 122a) and the second protrusion (102b, 122b) is formed into a cross-sectional shape in which the front end becomes thinner toward the protruding front end in the cross-sectional shape in the flow path length direction of the cooling flow path (28), and the arc-shaped protrusion top (104, 142), the upstream inclined portion (108, 144) extending obliquely from the protrusion top (104, 142) toward the bottom surface side of the cooling flow path (28), that is, the protrusion base (106, 148) toward the upstream side of the cooling flow path (28), and the downstream inclined portion (110, 146) extending obliquely from the protrusion top (104, 142) toward the protrusion base (106, 148) toward the downstream side have no corners and are smoothly and continuously arranged.

20. The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 19, wherein In a cross section of the cooling flow path (28) in the flow path length direction, the curvature radius (R) of the protrusion top (104) is within a range of 0.05 to 1.5 times the length dimension (L) of the protrusion base (106), Furthermore, in a cross section of the cooling flow path (28) in the flow path length direction, the inclination angle of the upstream inclined portion (108) relative to the bottom surface of the cooling flow path (28) is within a range of 20° to 70°.

21. The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 19, wherein In a cross section of the cooling flow path (28) in the flow path length direction, the upstream inclined portion (144) has an inclination angle of 25° or less relative to the bottom surface of the cooling flow path (28).

22. The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: In the cooling flow path (28), a protrusion height of at least one of the first protrusion (102a) and the second protrusion (102b) arranged along the flow path length direction increases toward the downstream.

23. The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: In at least one of the first protrusions (48a) and the second protrusions (48b) arranged along the longitudinal direction of the cooling flow path (28), the interval in the longitudinal direction of the cooling flow path (28) becomes narrower toward the downstream.

24. The cooling heat exchanger according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: In at least one of the first protrusion (48a) and the second protrusion (48b) arranged along the length direction of the cooling flow path (28), the protrusion height increases toward the downstream, and the interval in the length direction of the cooling flow path (28) narrows toward the downstream.

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