Cooling system for battery pack, design method and battery pack

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of battery pack cooling systems, in particular to a cooling system for a battery pack, a design method and the battery pack, the structure of the cooling system for the battery pack comprises a liquid cooling plate main body and a module assembly installed on the battery pack, the liquid cooling plate main body comprises a harmonica-shaped tube, the arrangement position of the harmonica-shaped tube corresponds to the position of a pole of the module assembly; the flow collecting pipe is arranged at the end part of the harmonica-shaped pipe, and the harmonica-shaped pipe is communicated with the flow collecting pipe; and the heat conduction structural adhesive is arranged between the harmonica-shaped tube and the module assembly. According to the cooling system for the battery pack, the design method and the battery pack, the problem that cooling is difficult when a pole region of a battery cell generates a large amount of heat within a short time can be solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of battery pack cooling systems, and in particular to a cooling system, design method, and battery pack for a battery pack. Background Art

[0002] With the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, demands for faster charging and longer driving range are increasing. Battery cells release significant heat during charging and discharging, with the highest heat release occurring in the terminal area. Therefore, failure to promptly cool the terminal can negatively impact the performance and lifespan of the battery cells.

[0003] Currently, the mainstream cooling methods for power battery systems include bottom cooling and side cooling. Bottom cooling, due to its small contact area with the outer surface of the battery cell, has limited cooling efficiency and cannot provide ideal cooling effects. While side cooling has higher cooling efficiency, it still cannot absorb the large amounts of heat generated in the battery cell pole area in a short period of time. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of the present application is to provide a cooling system, design method and battery pack for a battery pack, so as to solve the problem that the pole area of ​​the battery cell is difficult to cool when a large amount of heat is generated in a short period of time.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a cooling system for a battery pack is provided, wherein the cooling system for the battery pack includes: a liquid cooling plate body, which is installed on the module assembly of the battery pack, and the liquid cooling plate body includes: a harmonica tube, the setting position of the harmonica tube corresponds to the position of the pole of the module assembly; and a collecting pipe, the collecting pipe is arranged at the end of the harmonica tube, and the harmonica tube is connected to the collecting pipe; and a thermally conductive structural adhesive is arranged between the harmonica tube and the module assembly.

[0006] Preferably, the cooling system for the battery pack further includes a rubber limiting strip, which is arranged between the thermally conductive structural adhesive and the harmonica tube, and the rubber limiting strip can limit the thickness of the thermally conductive structural adhesive.

[0007] Preferably, the module assembly includes a plurality of battery cells, the ends of each two battery cells in the length direction are arranged opposite to each other and arranged into a battery group along the first direction, and the plurality of battery groups are arranged at intervals along the second direction. The number of the collecting tubes is two, and the two collecting tubes are respectively arranged at the two ends of the module assembly in the first direction.

[0008] Preferably, there are multiple harmonica tubes, both ends of which are respectively connected to two current collecting pipes, and the multiple harmonica tubes are arranged at intervals in the second direction, and the multiple harmonica tubes correspond one-to-one to the positions of the multiple poles of the battery pack.

[0009] Preferably, the thermally conductive structural adhesive is bonded to the surface of the pole of the battery pack.

[0010] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method for designing a cooling system for a battery pack is provided, wherein the cooling system for the battery pack is the cooling system for the battery pack described above, and the method for designing the cooling system for the battery pack comprises: measuring the layout space of the module assembly, the size of the battery cells, and the width of the terminal; determining the number of battery packs to be arranged and the number of battery cells in the module assembly in the first direction and the second direction based on the layout space of the module assembly, the size of the battery cells, the series-parallel connection method, and the stacking method of the battery cells; determining the length of the harmonica tube based on the number of battery cells in the module assembly in the first direction; determining the width of the harmonica tube based on the width of the terminal of the battery cell; and determining the number of harmonica tubes based on the number of battery cells in the module assembly in the second direction; determining the size of the liquid cooling plate body based on the flow resistance requirement of the liquid cooling plate body and the processing formability of the base material used for the liquid cooling plate body; determining the internal structure of the harmonica tube based on the size of the harmonica tube; verifying the structural strength of the cooling system for the battery pack; and verifying the flow resistance of the cooling system for the battery pack.

[0011] Preferably, the width dimension of the battery cell is D1, the dimension of the arrangement space of the module assembly in the first direction is X1, and the maximum total number of the battery cells that can be arranged in the module assembly in the first direction is nx, nx = X1 / D1; the length dimension of the battery cell is L1, the dimension of the arrangement space of the module assembly in the second direction is Y1, and the maximum total number of the battery cells that can be arranged in the module assembly in the second direction is ny, ny = Y1 / L1.

[0012] Preferably, the length of the harmonica tube is L2, L2 = nx × D1 + 10 mm.

[0013] Preferably, the width of the pole is D2, the width of the harmonica tube is D3, D3=(D2+5mm)×1.05; the number of the harmonica tubes is n, n=ny×2.

[0014] According to a third aspect of the present invention, a battery pack is provided, wherein the battery pack includes a module assembly and a cooling system for the battery pack as described above.

[0015] The cooling system, design method and battery pack for the battery pack of the embodiment of the present invention, wherein the liquid cooling plate body is installed on the module assembly of the battery pack. The liquid cooling plate body includes a harmonica tube and a collecting pipe. The setting position of the harmonica tube corresponds to the position of the pole of the module assembly. The collecting pipe is arranged at the end of the harmonica tube, and the harmonica tube is connected to the collecting pipe. The thermal conductive structural adhesive is arranged between the harmonica tube and the module assembly. Such arrangement enables the cooling system for the battery pack to directly dissipate heat from the pole of the module assembly, and reasonably utilizes the thickness variability of the thermal conductive structural adhesive to absorb the height difference of the pole when the battery cells are grouped. This can effectively solve the problem that the pole area of ​​the battery cell is difficult to cool when a large amount of heat is generated in a short period of time.

[0016] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, preferred embodiments are given below and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present application and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0018] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a cooling system and module assembly for a battery pack according to the present invention.

[0019] Figure numerals: 1-liquid cooling plate body; 2-collector; 3-harmonica tube; 4-thermal conductive structural adhesive; 5-limiting adhesive strip; 6-module assembly; 60-battery pack; 600-battery cell. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The following detailed description is provided to help the reader gain a comprehensive understanding of the methods, devices, and / or systems described herein. However, various changes, modifications, and equivalents of the methods, devices, and / or systems described herein will be apparent upon understanding the disclosure of this application. For example, the order of operations described herein is merely illustrative and is not limited to the order set forth herein. Rather, except for operations that must occur in a particular order, changes may be made that will be apparent upon understanding the disclosure of this application. Furthermore, descriptions of features known in the art may be omitted for clarity and brevity.

[0021] The features described herein may be implemented in different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the examples described herein. Rather, the examples described herein have been provided merely to illustrate some of the many possible ways to implement the methods, devices, and / or systems described herein that will be apparent upon understanding the disclosure of this application.

[0022] Throughout the specification, when an element (such as a layer, region, or substrate) is described as being “on,” “connected to,” “coupled to,” “over,” or “overlaying” another element, it may be directly “on,” “connected to,” “coupled to,” “over,” or “overlaying” another element, or one or more other elements may be present between them. In contrast, when an element is described as being “directly on,” “directly connected to,” “directly coupled to,” “directly over,” or “directly covering” another element, there may be no other elements present between them.

[0023] As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any one of the associated listed items and any combination of any two or more items.

[0024] Although terms such as "first," "second," and "third" may be used herein to describe various members, components, regions, layers, or portions, these members, components, regions, layers, or portions are not limited by these terms. Rather, these terms are used only to distinguish one member, component, region, layer, or portion from another member, component, region, layer, or portion. Thus, a first member, component, region, layer, or portion in the examples described herein may also be referred to as a second member, component, region, layer, or portion without departing from the teachings of the examples.

[0025] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "above," "upper," "below," and "lower" may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element to another element as shown in the accompanying drawings. Such spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation, in addition to the orientation depicted in the accompanying drawings. For example, if the device in the accompanying drawings is turned over, an element described as being "above" or "upper" relative to another element would subsequently be located "below" or "lower" relative to the other element. Thus, the term "above" encompasses both the orientations of "above" and "below," depending on the spatial orientation of the device. The device may also be positioned in other ways (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative terms used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0026] The terms used herein are intended to describe various examples only and are not intended to limit the examples. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is intended to include the plural form. The terms "include," "comprising," and "having" list the presence of stated features, quantities, operations, components, elements, and / or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, quantities, operations, components, elements, and / or combinations thereof.

[0027] Due to manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances, variations in the shapes shown in the drawings may occur. Therefore, the examples described herein are not limited to the specific shapes shown in the drawings but include changes in shapes that occur during manufacturing.

[0028] The features of the examples described herein can be combined in various ways that will be apparent after understanding the disclosure of the present application. In addition, although the examples described herein have various configurations, other configurations are possible as will be apparent after understanding the disclosure of the present application.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a cooling system for a battery pack is provided. The cooling system for the battery pack includes a liquid cooling plate body 1 and a thermal conductive structural adhesive 4.

[0030] In the following description, reference will be made to Figure 1 The specific structure of the above components of the cooling system for the battery pack and the connection relationship of the above components are described in detail.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, in an embodiment, the liquid cooling plate body 1 is installed on the module assembly 6 of the battery pack to cool the module assembly 6. The liquid cooling plate body 1 may include a harmonica tube 3 and a collecting pipe 2. In the liquid cooling plate body 1, the setting position of the harmonica tube 3 may correspond to the position of the pole of the module assembly 6 to cool the pole of the module assembly 6 in time. The collecting pipe 2 may be provided at the end of the harmonica tube 3, and the harmonica tube 3 may be connected to the collecting pipe 2. A thermal conductive structural adhesive 4 may be provided between the harmonica tube 3 and the module assembly 6 to bond the liquid cooling plate body 1 to the module assembly 6, and at the same time to accelerate the heat conduction between the cooling system for the battery pack and the module assembly 6. Such an arrangement enables the cooling system for the battery pack to directly dissipate heat from the poles of the module assembly 6, and rationally utilizes the thickness variability of the thermally conductive structural adhesive 4 to absorb the height difference of the poles when the battery cells 600 are grouped, thereby effectively solving the problem of difficulty in cooling the pole area of ​​the battery cell when a large amount of heat is generated in a short period of time.

[0032] Preferably, Figure 1As shown, in the embodiment, the cooling system for the battery pack may further include a glue limiting strip 5. The glue limiting strip 5 may be installed on the liquid cooling plate body 1. Specifically, the number of the glue limiting strips 5 may be multiple, and the multiple glue limiting strips 5 may be set at the position where the heat conductive structural adhesive 4 is coated on the liquid cooling plate body 1, that is, between the heat conductive structural adhesive 4 and the harmonica tube 3. The glue limiting strip 5 can be in the third direction (i.e., as shown in FIG. Figure 1 The thermally conductive adhesive 4 is limited in position (in the thickness direction shown) to prevent excessive thickness and ensure uniform thickness at all locations, thereby ensuring consistent cooling. Preferably, the thermally conductive adhesive 4 can be directly bonded to the terminal post to enhance the cooling effect of the battery pack cooling system.

[0033] Preferably, Figure 1 As shown, in the embodiment, the module assembly 6 may include a plurality of battery cells 600, and the plurality of battery cells 600 may be arranged in an array. Specifically, the ends of each two battery cells 600 in the length direction are arranged opposite to each other, and along the first direction (which may be as shown in FIG. Figure 1 The plurality of battery packs 60 may be stacked and arranged in a second direction (as shown in the longitudinal direction of the module assembly 6) to form a battery pack 60. Figure 1 The module assembly 6 shown is arranged at intervals (in the width direction).

[0034] Further, preferably, Figure 1 As shown, in an embodiment, the liquid cooling plate body 1 may include two current collecting tubes 2 and a plurality of harmonica tubes 3. The two current collecting tubes 2 may be respectively arranged at both ends of the module assembly 6 in the first direction. The current collecting tubes 2 may be arranged parallel to the length direction of the battery cell 600. The two ends of the plurality of harmonica tubes 3 may be connected to the two current collecting tubes 2 respectively, and the current collecting tubes 2 may be integrally formed with the harmonica tubes 3. The harmonica tubes 3 may be arranged perpendicular to the length direction of the battery cell 600. The plurality of harmonica tubes 3 may be arranged at intervals in the second direction to reduce the weight of the liquid cooling plate body 1. The setting position of the harmonica tubes 3 corresponds to the position of the poles of the battery pack 60, that is, each battery pack 60 may correspond to four harmonica tubes 3, of which two harmonica tubes 3 are arranged in the middle of the battery pack 60 in the second direction, and the other two harmonica tubes 3 are respectively arranged at both ends of the battery pack 60 in the second direction.

[0035] During use, the battery pack cooling system provides cooling water channels in the pole region of the module assembly 6, allowing direct heat dissipation from each pole of the module assembly 6. This effectively improves cooling efficiency and is capable of handling large amounts of heat generated in a short period of time in the pole region of the battery cell. Furthermore, the battery pack cooling system utilizes the thickness variability of the thermally conductive structural adhesive 4 to absorb the height differences of the poles when the battery cells 600 are grouped, thereby maximizing cooling capacity. Furthermore, the structural design of the liquid cooling plate body 1 improves the overall rigidity of the module assembly 6, thereby providing the battery pack with a higher modality and resolving the issue of insufficient clamping force between the battery cells 600.

[0036] Furthermore, according to a second aspect of the present invention, a method for designing a cooling system for a battery pack is provided. The cooling system for the battery pack is the cooling system for the battery pack described above. The method for designing a cooling system for the battery pack includes: Measure the layout space of the module assembly 6, the size of the battery cell 600, and the width of the terminal; Determine the number of battery packs 60 to be arranged and the number of battery cells 600 in the first direction and the second direction in the module assembly 6 according to the arrangement space of the module assembly 6, the size and series-parallel connection mode of the battery cells 600, and the stacking mode of the battery cells 600; Determine the length of the harmonica tube 3 according to the number of battery cells 600 of the module assembly 6 in the first direction; The width of the harmonica tube 3 is determined according to the width of the terminal of the battery cell 600; Determine the number of harmonica tubes 3 according to the number of battery cells 600 of the module assembly 6 in the second direction; The size of the liquid cooling plate body 1 is determined according to the flow resistance requirements of the liquid cooling plate body 1 and the processing feasibility and formability of the base material used for the liquid cooling plate body 1; Determine the internal structure of the harmonica pipe 3 according to the size of the harmonica pipe 3; Checking the structural strength of the cooling system for the battery pack; The flow resistance of the cooling system for the battery pack is calibrated.

[0037] Specifically, such as Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, measuring the layout space of the module assembly 6, the size of the battery cell 600, and the width of the terminal includes measuring the length dimension of the battery cell 600 as L1, the width dimension of the battery cell 600 as D1, and the width of the terminal as D2, and using L1, D1, D2, and the layout space dimensions of the module assembly 6 as design inputs. The width dimension D1 of the battery cell 600 refers to the dimension of the battery cell 600 in the first direction.

[0038] Preferably, Figure 1 As shown, in an embodiment, the number of battery cells 60 arranged in the battery pack 60 and the number of battery cells 600 in the first and second directions of the module assembly 6 are determined based on the layout space of the module assembly 6, the size and series-parallel connection of the battery cells 600, and the stacking method of the battery cells 600. Specifically, the width of the battery cell 600 is D1, the dimension of the layout space of the module assembly 6 in the first direction is X1, and the maximum total number of battery cells 600 that can be arranged in the module assembly 6 in the first direction is nx, where nx = X1 / D1. The length of the battery cell 600 is L1, the dimension of the layout space of the module assembly 6 in the second direction is Y1, and the maximum total number of battery cells 600 that can be arranged in the module assembly 6 in the second direction is ny, where ny = Y1 / L1.

[0039] Preferably, Figure 1 As shown, in the embodiment, the length of the harmonica tube 3 is determined according to the number of battery cells 600 in the first direction of the module assembly 6. Specifically, the length of the harmonica tube 3 is L2, where L2=nx×D1+10mm.

[0040] Preferably, Figure 1 As shown, in the embodiment, the width of the harmonica tube 3 is determined according to the width of the terminal of the battery cell 600. Specifically, the width of the terminal is D2, and the width of the harmonica tube 3 is D3, where D3 = (D2 + 5 mm) × 1.05.

[0041] Preferably, Figure 1 As shown, in the embodiment, the number of harmonica tubes 3 is determined according to the number of battery cells 600 in the second direction of the module assembly 6. Specifically, the number of harmonica tubes 3 is n, where n=ny×2.

[0042] Preferably, Figure 1 As shown, in the embodiment, the dimensions of the liquid cooling plate body 1 are determined based on the required flow resistance of the liquid cooling plate body 1 and the processability of the base material used for the liquid cooling plate body 1. Specifically, flow resistance directly affects the cooling efficiency of the battery pack cooling system. If the flow resistance is too large, the coolant flow rate will decrease, and the cooling efficiency will subsequently decrease. On the other hand, to ensure that the coolant flow rate does not decrease, the flow rate provided by the vehicle water pump to the battery cooling plate must be increased, which will significantly increase the cost of the parts. Therefore, the manifold 2 and harmonica tube 3 in the liquid cooling plate body 1 must be of balanced size to ensure the lowest flow resistance. The base material used for the liquid cooling plate body 1 is generally aluminum in the industry and is extruded. The part wall thickness generally needs to be ≥0.35mm; otherwise, problems such as molding difficulties and outer wall collapse will occur. In actual product design, the thinnest thickness should be selected while considering weight reduction and cost reduction while meeting structural strength requirements.

[0043] Preferably, Figure 1 As shown, in the embodiment, the internal structure of the harmonica tube 3 is determined according to the size of the harmonica tube 3. Specifically, since the internal cross-section of the harmonica tube 3 should be divided into a plurality of branch flow channels, and their sizes and spacings should be balanced to ensure that the flow rate is basically consistent.

[0044] Preferably, in an embodiment, the structural strength of the cooling system for the battery pack is checked. Specifically, the cooling system for the battery pack needs to pass a structural strength check for static pressure resistance, that is, the simulated stress value needs to be less than the yield strength of the material itself.

[0045] In this embodiment, the battery pack cooling system design method, through calculation of the dimensions of the liquid cooling plate body 1, the dimensions of the internal ribs of the harmonica tube 3, and the total thickness, is adaptable to assembly with battery packs 60 of any size and quantity, demonstrating high versatility. Furthermore, by rationally utilizing the thickness variability of the thermally conductive structural adhesive 4, the height differences of the battery cells 600 when grouped can be accommodated, thereby maximizing the cooling capacity of the liquid cooling plate.

[0046] Furthermore, according to a third aspect of the present invention, a battery pack is provided. The battery pack includes a module assembly 6 and the cooling system for the battery pack described above. The cooling system for the battery pack is mounted to the side of the module assembly 6 in the third direction via a thermally conductive structural adhesive 4. The battery pack has the same beneficial effects as the cooling system for the battery pack, and will not be further described here.

[0047] Finally, it should be noted that the above-described embodiments are only specific implementation methods of the present application, which are used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. The scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the above-described embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that any person skilled in the art can modify or easily conceive of changes to the technical solutions described in the above-described embodiments within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, or perform equivalent replacements for some of the technical features thereof. These modifications, changes, or replacements do not deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and should be included in the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application shall be subject to the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A cooling system for a battery pack, provided in the battery pack, characterized in that: The cooling system for the battery pack includes: The liquid cooling plate body is installed in the module assembly of the battery pack, and the liquid cooling plate body includes: A harmonica tube, the harmonica tube being arranged at a position corresponding to the position of the pole of the module assembly; and a collecting pipe, the collecting pipe being provided at the end of the harmonica pipe, the harmonica pipe being connected to the collecting pipe; and The heat-conducting structural adhesive is arranged between the harmonica tube and the module assembly.

2. The cooling system for a battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cooling system for the battery pack further includes a rubber limiting strip, which is arranged between the thermally conductive structural adhesive and the harmonica tube, and the rubber limiting strip can limit the thickness of the thermally conductive structural adhesive.

3. The cooling system for a battery pack according to claim 2, characterized in that: The module assembly includes multiple battery cells, the ends of each two battery cells in the length direction are arranged opposite to each other and arranged into a battery group along the first direction, and the multiple battery groups are arranged at intervals along the second direction. The number of the collecting tubes is two, and the two collecting tubes are respectively arranged at the two ends of the module assembly in the first direction.

4. The cooling system for a battery pack according to claim 3, wherein: There are multiple harmonica tubes, both ends of which are connected to two current collecting pipes respectively. The multiple harmonica tubes are arranged at intervals in the second direction, and the positions of the multiple harmonica tubes and the multiple poles of the battery pack correspond one to one.

5. The cooling system for a battery pack according to claim 3, wherein: The thermally conductive structural adhesive is bonded to the surface of the pole of the battery pack.

6. A method for designing a cooling system for a battery pack, characterized in that: The cooling system for the battery pack is a cooling system for the battery pack according to any one of claims 3 to 5, and a design method for the cooling system for the battery pack includes: Measuring the layout space of the module assembly, the size of the battery cell, and the width of the electrode; Determining the number of battery packs to be arranged and the number of battery cells in the module assembly in the first direction and the second direction according to the arrangement space of the module assembly, the size and series-parallel connection mode of the battery cells, and the stacking mode of the battery cells; determining the length of the harmonica tube according to the number of battery cells of the module assembly in the first direction; Determining the width of the harmonica tube according to the width of the pole of the battery cell; Determining the number of the harmonica tubes according to the number of battery cells of the module assembly in the second direction; Determining the size of the liquid cooling plate body according to the flow resistance requirement of the liquid cooling plate body and the processing feasibility and formability of the base material used for the liquid cooling plate body; Determining the internal structure of the harmonica pipe according to the size of the harmonica pipe; Checking the structural strength of the cooling system for the battery pack; The flow resistance of the cooling system for the battery pack is calibrated.

7. The method for designing a cooling system for a battery pack according to claim 6, wherein: The width of the battery cell is D1, the size of the arrangement space of the module assembly in the first direction is X1, and the maximum total number of battery cells that can be arranged in the module assembly in the first direction is nx, where nx=X1 / D1; The length dimension of the battery cell is L1, the dimension of the arrangement space of the module assembly in the second direction is Y1, and the maximum total number of the battery cells that can be arranged in the module assembly in the second direction is ny, ny=Y1 / L1.

8. The method for designing a cooling system for a battery pack according to claim 7, wherein: The length of the harmonica tube is L2, L2=nx×D1+10mm.

9. The method for designing a cooling system for a battery pack according to claim 7, wherein: The width of the pole is D2, the width of the harmonica tube is D3, D3=(D2+5mm)×1.05; the number of the harmonica tubes is n, n=ny×2.

10. A battery pack, characterized in that: The battery pack includes a module assembly and a cooling system for the battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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