Liquid cooling system control method, controller and energy storage device

Abstract

The invention discloses a liquid cooling system control method, a controller and an energy storage device, a liquid cooling system comprises a plurality of liquid cooling devices corresponding to a plurality of areas in the energy storage device, and the method comprises the steps that when the energy storage device is in a discharge mode, sampling information is acquired, and the sampling information comprises a plurality of temperature values corresponding to the areas; and opening the corresponding liquid cooling device according to the sampling information. The energy utilization rate is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to a liquid cooling system control method, controller, and energy storage device. Background Technology

[0002] With the continued expansion of the new energy vehicle market, the thermal management of power battery systems has received increasing attention. Power batteries generate a large amount of heat during charging and discharging; if this heat is not dissipated in time, the cell temperature will rise, affecting the battery's charging and discharging efficiency, cycle life, and safety. Currently, the mainstream battery cooling solutions include liquid cooling and air cooling. Liquid cooling, due to its high heat exchange efficiency and good temperature control accuracy, has become the primary choice for mainstream new energy vehicles.

[0003] However, existing liquid cooling systems generally employ a centralized control approach, using a unified cooling circuit and control logic to dissipate heat from the entire battery pack. Due to differences in structure, environment, or load conditions among the various cells within a power battery pack, there are often temperature variations between different cells. In a uniformly controlled liquid cooling system, the cooling strategy cannot be precisely adjusted based on the temperature differences of each cell, resulting in energy waste. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a liquid cooling system control method, controller, and energy storage device, which improves energy utilization.

[0005] The technical solution adopted in this application is as follows.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a liquid cooling system control method, the liquid cooling system including multiple liquid cooling devices corresponding to multiple regions inside an energy storage device, the method including: When the energy storage device is in discharge mode, sampling information is acquired, which includes multiple temperature values ​​corresponding to multiple regions. The corresponding liquid cooling device is activated based on the sampling information.

[0007] In practical applications, this liquid cooling system control method sets up multiple liquid cooling devices corresponding to different areas within the energy storage device. When the energy storage device is in discharge mode, it acquires temperature values ​​for these areas as sampling information, thereby achieving area-level temperature sensing and thermal management. By activating the corresponding liquid cooling devices based on the sampling information, the cooling function of the appropriate area can be activated on demand, making the thermal management strategy targeted and differentiated. This avoids the energy waste and uneven cooling problems associated with traditional uniform liquid cooling control methods. Through precise local temperature response, this solution effectively improves the dynamics and efficiency of the system's thermal management, reduces the risk of thermal runaway due to local overheating, and enhances the safety and stability of the energy storage system during discharge.

[0008] Furthermore, through zoned and refined control, the temperature in each area can reach uniformity more quickly, effectively improving the temperature consistency between cells and reducing the performance degradation of cells caused by uneven thermal stress. This improves the cycle life and operational safety of the entire battery pack, significantly enhancing thermal management accuracy and energy efficiency. It is especially suitable for the low-energy consumption operation requirements of large-capacity power battery packs under complex load conditions.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the corresponding liquid cooling device is activated based on the sampling information, including: Obtain the temperature difference between each temperature value and every other temperature value; When the first condition is met, the liquid cooling system is controlled to enter the global liquid cooling mode. In the global liquid cooling mode, the liquid cooling devices corresponding to all areas are turned on. When the second condition is met, the liquid cooling system is controlled to enter the local liquid cooling mode. In the local liquid cooling mode, the liquid cooling device corresponding to some areas is in the open state. The first condition includes a temperature difference value less than or equal to a temperature difference threshold, and the second condition includes a temperature difference value greater than a temperature difference threshold.

[0010] In practical applications, by comparing the temperature differences between different regions and setting a temperature difference threshold, the liquid cooling system is divided into a global liquid cooling mode and a local liquid cooling mode to reasonably match the actual temperature distribution characteristics of the battery pack. When the temperature difference is small (the temperature difference value is less than or equal to the threshold), it indicates that the temperature of each region tends to be uniform. The global liquid cooling mode is adopted, that is, all liquid cooling devices are turned on at the same time, which can quickly and evenly reduce the overall temperature, avoid local overheating, ensure the overall temperature stability of the battery pack, and improve the system cooling efficiency. When the temperature difference is large (the temperature difference value is greater than the threshold), it indicates that the temperature of some regions is abnormally high. The local liquid cooling mode is adopted, which selectively turns on the liquid cooling devices in the high-temperature areas, precisely adjusts the temperature difference, avoids unnecessary cooling of the low-temperature areas, saves energy, and prevents resource waste.

[0011] This zoned control strategy can optimize the allocation of cooling resources while ensuring the uniformity of cell temperature, reduce overall energy consumption, improve cooling response speed, and enhance the intelligence level of battery pack thermal management, thereby significantly improving the safety, cycle life, and energy efficiency of the battery pack.

[0012] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the liquid cooling device corresponding to certain areas is in an open state, including: Some areas include the region corresponding to the highest temperature value.

[0013] In practical applications, the localized liquid cooling system activates only the liquid cooling device corresponding to the area with the highest temperature, achieving targeted cooling of localized high-temperature areas and avoiding unnecessary cooling of the entire area. This saves energy and improves cooling efficiency. Simultaneously, this cooling strategy can rapidly reduce the temperature of the highest temperature zone, promoting a more even temperature distribution throughout the energy storage device, reducing temperature differences between cells, and improving the temperature consistency and operational safety of the battery pack. The temperature difference threshold setting distinguishes between global and localized liquid cooling modes, ensuring that the system activates global liquid cooling to quickly equalize the temperature when the temperature difference is small, while using localized liquid cooling for fine-tuning when the temperature difference is large, achieving more energy-efficient and precise thermal management.

[0014] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, the sampling information also includes the electrical quantity of the energy storage device; When the first condition is met, the liquid cooling system enters global liquid cooling mode, where: The first condition also includes: the battery level is greater than the battery threshold; When the second condition is met, the liquid cooling system is controlled to enter local liquid cooling mode, wherein: The second condition also includes: the battery level is less than or equal to the battery threshold.

[0015] By introducing the energy storage device's charge level as a switching condition for the liquid cooling control mode, further optimization of the liquid cooling system's operation mode is achieved. When the charge level is greater than a threshold, the liquid cooling system enters a global liquid cooling mode to ensure that the heat dissipation needs of all areas are fully met during high charge periods. Conversely, when the charge level is less than or equal to the threshold, the system enters a local liquid cooling mode, prioritizing heat dissipation in critical areas when the charge level is insufficient, thereby reducing overall energy consumption and extending discharge time. This approach enables dynamic allocation of liquid cooling resources, allowing the liquid cooling control strategy to ensure heat dissipation while also considering energy consumption control, thus improving the intelligence of system operation and the overall economic efficiency of the energy storage device.

[0016] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, when the first condition is met, the liquid cooling system is controlled to enter a global liquid cooling mode, wherein: The first condition also includes: when the energy storage device initially enters the discharge mode, the maximum temperature value is greater than the first temperature threshold. When the second condition is met, the liquid cooling system is controlled to enter local liquid cooling mode, wherein: The second condition also includes: when the energy storage device initially enters the discharge mode, the maximum temperature value is greater than the first temperature threshold.

[0017] By adding the condition that "the maximum temperature value is greater than the first temperature threshold when the energy storage device initially enters the discharge mode" to the first condition, the liquid cooling system is only triggered to enter the global liquid cooling mode when there is a significant risk of overheating at the beginning of the energy storage device's discharge. This ensures that the system can quickly and comprehensively cool down under high-risk initial conditions, preventing local overheating from spreading to the entire energy storage system and improving the timeliness and effectiveness of the overall heat dissipation response. When the maximum temperature value does not exceed the first temperature threshold, even if other first conditions are met, the system will not rashly enter the global liquid cooling mode, helping to avoid resource waste and unnecessary energy consumption, balancing safety and energy efficiency control. In addition, the same maximum temperature value judgment logic is introduced into the second condition, ensuring that the activation of the local liquid cooling mode has a necessary judgment basis, thereby enhancing the adaptability and controllability of the entire liquid cooling strategy.

[0018] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, activating the corresponding liquid cooling device based on the sampling information further includes: When the third condition is met, the liquid cooling system is controlled to enter the natural cooling mode. In the natural cooling mode, the liquid cooling devices in all areas are turned off. The third condition includes: when the energy storage device initially enters the discharge mode, the maximum temperature value is less than or equal to the first temperature threshold.

[0019] By introducing a strategy to control the liquid cooling system to enter natural cooling mode, further optimized management of the liquid cooling system's start-up and shutdown states is achieved. When the third condition is met—that is, the energy storage device initially enters discharge mode and the maximum temperature value is less than or equal to the first temperature threshold—the system controls all corresponding liquid cooling devices in all areas to be shut down, thereby allowing the entire liquid cooling system to enter natural cooling mode. This setup has the following technical effects: First, by determining whether the maximum temperature during the initial discharge phase of the energy storage device is within an acceptable range, the liquid cooling device can be avoided from activating under low-temperature conditions where cooling is unnecessary, thus reducing system energy consumption and improving the energy efficiency ratio. Second, the introduction of a natural cooling mode ensures that the system only activates active liquid cooling in the initial stage when the temperature actually exceeds the threshold, improving the intelligence and responsiveness of the temperature control strategy. Finally, this approach reduces unnecessary start-up and shutdown frequencies of the liquid cooling equipment, helping to extend the service life of the liquid cooling system and reduce maintenance costs. Therefore, this application achieves a more energy-efficient, more durable, and more responsive liquid cooling control strategy by setting a third condition and a natural cooling mode.

[0020] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, activating the corresponding liquid cooling device based on the sampling information further includes: When the fourth condition is met, the liquid cooling system is controlled to enter the natural cooling mode. In the natural cooling mode, the liquid cooling devices in all areas are turned off. The fourth condition includes: the liquid cooling system is in global liquid cooling mode, and the maximum temperature value is less than the second temperature threshold.

[0021] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation, activating the corresponding liquid cooling device based on the sampling information further includes: When the fifth condition is met, the liquid cooling system is controlled to enter the natural cooling mode. In the natural cooling mode, the liquid cooling devices in all areas are turned off. The fifth condition includes: the liquid cooling system is in local liquid cooling mode, and the maximum temperature value is less than the second temperature threshold.

[0022] By setting fourth and fifth conditions and introducing a natural cooling mode, the liquid cooling system can actively exit liquid cooling mode and switch to natural cooling mode when it is in global liquid cooling mode and the maximum temperature value in all areas is below the second temperature threshold. In natural cooling mode, the liquid cooling devices in all areas are turned off, thus avoiding unnecessary energy consumption when the system heat load is low, and realizing intelligent allocation of cooling resources and optimization of system power consumption. In addition, using "maximum temperature value less than the second temperature threshold" as the judgment criterion ensures that the liquid cooling devices are not turned off only after the thermal risk in any area has been eliminated, thereby ensuring system safety and temperature control stability while saving energy.

[0023] Secondly, this application also provides a controller, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store computer instructions; and the processor, when executing the computer instructions, is used to perform any of the methods described above.

[0024] Thirdly, this application also provides an energy storage device, including: a liquid cooling system and the aforementioned controller, wherein the liquid cooling system includes a plurality of liquid cooling devices corresponding to multiple areas inside the energy storage device, and the liquid cooling devices are used to cool the corresponding areas of the energy storage device.

[0025] Other advantages, objectives and features of this application will be partly apparent from the description below, and partly understood by those skilled in the art through study and practice of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments or related technologies of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or related technologies will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0027] Figure 1 This is one of the flowcharts illustrating a liquid cooling system control method in an exemplary embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a second flowchart illustrating a liquid cooling system control method in an exemplary embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is the third flowchart of a liquid cooling system control method illustrated in an exemplary embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is the fourth flowchart of a liquid cooling system control method shown in one embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the energy storage device.

[0028] Explanation of icon numbers: 501. Liquid cooling system; 502. Controller; 503. Liquid cooling device. Detailed Implementation

[0029] It should be noted that, in this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is being described as an example, illustration, or illustration. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design solutions. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0030] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. The terms "first," "second," and other ordinal numbers used in this application may be used to describe various constituent elements, but these constituent elements are not limited by these terms. The purpose of using these terms is solely to distinguish one constituent element from others and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. For example, without departing from the scope of this application, a first constituent element may be named a second constituent element, and similarly, a second constituent element may be named a first constituent element.

[0031] Before introducing the embodiments of this application, the technical terms and background technology involved in this application will be introduced first.

[0032] Discharge mode: This refers to the operating state in which the energy storage device outputs the stored electrical energy to an external load or power grid. In this mode, the internal components of the energy storage device, such as battery cells, modules, and electrical components, are in a continuous working state, which can easily generate high heat.

[0033] Energy storage devices refer to electrical equipment used to store and release electrical energy. They generally include multiple battery cell modules, a battery management system (BMS), an energy conversion module (such as a PCS), and a cooling system.

[0034] Liquid cooling system 501: refers to a cooling system used to control the temperature of various areas inside an energy storage device.

[0035] Liquid cooling unit 503: refers to the cooling unit in the liquid cooling system 501 that directly works with the heat source in a specific area inside the energy storage device. An energy storage device can be equipped with multiple liquid cooling units 503, each covering different areas and supporting independent cooling control for each zone.

[0036] In related technologies, liquid cooling systems 501 generally adopt a centralized and unified control method, that is, heat dissipation of the entire battery pack is achieved through a unified cooling circuit and control logic. Due to differences in structure, environment, or load conditions among the multiple cells in a power battery pack, there are often certain temperature deviations between different cells. In a unified control liquid cooling system 501, the cooling strategy cannot be finely adjusted according to the temperature differences of each cell, resulting in energy waste. To solve the above problems, this application provides a liquid cooling system control method that activates the liquid cooling device 503 in the corresponding area as needed, thereby enabling targeted and differentiated thermal management strategies and avoiding the energy waste and uneven cooling problems caused by the traditional unified liquid cooling control method for the entire battery pack.

[0037] The following first describes one or more exemplary operating environments to facilitate a clearer understanding of the functions and intentions of the various implementation methods in the embodiments of this application. For example... Figure 5 The energy storage device shown can serve as the implementation environment for the liquid cooling system control method provided in this application embodiment. The implementation environment includes a liquid cooling system 501 and a controller 502. The liquid cooling system 501 includes multiple liquid cooling devices 503 corresponding to multiple areas inside the energy storage device. The liquid cooling devices 503 are used to cool the corresponding areas of the energy storage device. The method of this embodiment is executed based on the sampling information. That is, the liquid cooling system 501 can serve as the execution subject of the method embodiment of the application, thereby solving the problem that the cooling strategy in the uniformly controlled liquid cooling system 501 cannot be finely adjusted according to the temperature difference of each cell, resulting in energy waste.

[0038] Several embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the following embodiments can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0039] refer to Figure 1 In a first aspect, this application provides a liquid cooling system control method, comprising: S102: When the energy storage device is in discharge mode, acquire sampling information, which includes multiple temperature values ​​corresponding to multiple regions; S104: Open the corresponding liquid cooling device 503 according to the sampling information.

[0040] In practical applications, this liquid cooling system control method sets up multiple liquid cooling devices 503 corresponding to multiple areas within the energy storage device. When the energy storage device is in discharge mode, it acquires temperature values ​​corresponding to these multiple areas as sampling information, thereby achieving area-level temperature sensing and thermal management. By activating the corresponding liquid cooling device 503 based on the sampling information, the cooling function of the appropriate area can be activated on demand, making the thermal management strategy targeted and differentiated. This avoids the energy waste and uneven cooling problems caused by traditional uniform liquid cooling control methods. This solution effectively improves the dynamics and efficiency of system thermal management through precise local temperature response, reduces the risk of thermal runaway due to local overheating, and enhances the safety and stability of the energy storage system during discharge.

[0041] Furthermore, through zoned and refined control, the temperature in each area can reach uniformity more quickly, effectively improving the temperature consistency between cells and reducing the performance degradation of cells caused by uneven thermal stress. This improves the cycle life and operational safety of the entire battery pack, significantly enhancing thermal management accuracy and energy efficiency. It is especially suitable for the low-energy consumption operation requirements of large-capacity power battery packs under complex load conditions.

[0042] The following combination Figure 1-4 The steps in steps S102 to S104, as well as other optional steps, are described in detail.

[0043] Regarding S102: When the energy storage device is in discharge mode, sampling information is acquired, which includes multiple temperature values ​​corresponding to multiple regions; Discharge mode: This refers to the operating state in which the energy storage device outputs the stored electrical energy to an external load or power grid. In this mode, the internal components of the energy storage device, such as battery cells, modules, and electrical components, are in a continuous working state, which can easily generate high heat.

[0044] Multiple temperature values ​​corresponding to multiple regions: Inside the energy storage device, at least one module is installed, and each module includes multiple individual battery cells. Based on the distribution of these individual cells or the concentration of heat sources, the entire energy storage device is divided into several regions. Since the operating conditions, heat dissipation conditions, and heat loads of each region may differ, the temperature variations within each region will also differ. To accurately grasp the overall thermal distribution of the energy storage device, this application deploys temperature sensors in these different regions to collect their respective temperature values. In this way, the system can obtain a set of "multiple temperature values," and these temperature values ​​correspond one-to-one with "multiple regions," enabling precise monitoring and differentiated management of the multi-point temperature status of the energy storage device.

[0045] Regarding S104: Open the corresponding liquid cooling device 503 according to the sampling information; The sampling information includes multiple temperature values ​​corresponding to multiple regions. By activating the corresponding liquid cooling device 503 based on these temperature values, the cooling function of the appropriate region can be activated on demand, making the thermal management strategy more targeted and differentiated. Therefore, refer to... Figure 2 In some implementations, the method further includes: S202: Obtain the temperature difference between each temperature value and every other temperature value; By calculating the temperature difference between each temperature value and every other temperature value, the temperature distribution differences between various regions of the energy storage device can be comprehensively assessed, thus reflecting the uniformity of the cooling effect of the current liquid cooling system 501. Compared to simply analyzing extreme or average temperature values, this method can more accurately identify whether there are local overheating or insufficient cooling problems. This helps to determine whether the liquid cooling control strategy needs to be adjusted based on the temperature difference results, thereby improving the pertinence and intelligence of temperature control response, and ultimately achieving the goal of a more uniform temperature field distribution and safer and more stable equipment operation.

[0046] For example, the temperature difference value can be the difference between the maximum temperature value and the minimum temperature value.

[0047] If the temperature difference is taken as the difference between the maximum and minimum temperature values, the calculation process is simplified, and a single numerical value can intuitively reflect the extreme differences in temperature distribution inside the energy storage device. When the range is small, it can be determined that the temperature in each area is relatively uniform, without the need for complex local adjustments; when the range is large, a significant temperature difference can be quickly identified, requiring targeted cooling measures. This reduces the computational load of the control algorithm, improves response speed, and avoids overcooling while maintaining judgment accuracy, thereby improving energy utilization efficiency and system stability.

[0048] S204: When the first condition is met, the control liquid cooling system 501 enters the global liquid cooling mode. In the global liquid cooling mode, the liquid cooling devices 503 corresponding to all areas are in the open state. The first condition includes the temperature difference value being less than or equal to the temperature difference threshold. When the temperature difference between different regions is less than or equal to the temperature difference threshold, it indicates that the temperature distribution in each region is relatively balanced, with no obvious local overheating areas. At this point, activating the global liquid cooling mode allows all liquid cooling units 503 to operate simultaneously. This simplifies the control logic while ensuring overall cooling efficiency, enabling a rapid reduction in the overall temperature of the entire energy storage device. Furthermore, since there are no significant local differences in the temperature-balanced state, global cooling avoids resource waste or insufficient local cooling. It improves heat dissipation efficiency while ensuring safety, avoiding complex local scheduling processes and making the system operate more efficiently and stably in this state.

[0049] Furthermore, the energy storage device's charge level affects its discharge duration. In global cooling mode, all liquid cooling devices 503 corresponding to all areas are in the on state, thus increasing power consumption. To prevent the energy storage device from entering global cooling mode when the charge level is too low, resulting in excessive power consumption, the charge level can be incorporated into the first condition. Therefore, in one possible implementation, the sampling information also includes the energy storage device's charge level; the first condition also includes: the charge level is greater than a charge threshold.

[0050] By incorporating the battery charge level into the decision-making process and setting a charge level exceeding a threshold as one of the primary conditions, the operating mode of the liquid cooling system 501 can be intelligently adjusted based on the actual remaining charge of the energy storage device. When the charge level is high, the battery pack is typically in a high-power discharge state, generating significant heat. Using a global liquid cooling mode can more effectively control the temperature, ensuring battery safety and performance stability. Furthermore, incorporating the charge level into the decision-making process avoids unnecessary activation of global cooling when the charge level is low and heat generation is minimal, thereby saving energy, extending battery life, and achieving energy-saving and efficient coordinated operation of the cooling system.

[0051] If the battery temperature is already high when it first starts discharging, the energy storage device also needs to be cooled down in time. To this end, in one possible implementation, the first condition also includes: when the energy storage device initially enters the discharge mode, the maximum temperature value is greater than a first temperature threshold.

[0052] By incorporating a condition that the maximum temperature exceeds a first temperature threshold when the energy storage device initially enters discharge mode, the system can ensure that if the battery temperature is already high at the start of discharge, the system promptly activates global liquid cooling to rapidly cool the entire battery pack, preventing further temperature increases that could lead to safety risks or performance degradation. This limitation effectively improves the response speed to the initial thermal state of the battery pack, ensuring the timeliness and reliability of thermal management, thereby enhancing the safety and operational stability of the entire energy storage system.

[0053] In addition, to limit the conditions for exiting global liquid cooling mode, therefore, refer to Figure 2 In one possible implementation, the method includes: S302: when the fourth condition is met, the liquid cooling system 501 is controlled to enter the natural cooling mode. In the natural cooling mode, the liquid cooling devices 503 corresponding to all areas are in the off state. The fourth condition includes: the liquid cooling system 501 is in the global liquid cooling mode and the maximum temperature value is less than the second temperature threshold.

[0054] When the liquid cooling system 501 is in global liquid cooling mode, it indicates that the temperature difference between multiple areas is already small, and the system's main goal is to reduce the overall average temperature. If the maximum temperature value drops below the second temperature threshold at this time, it means that the overall temperature is within a safe and acceptable range, and even if there are slight fluctuations in some areas, it will not affect battery performance or safety. Therefore, exiting global liquid cooling mode and entering natural cooling mode at this time can avoid energy waste caused by continuing to drive all liquid cooling devices 503.

[0055] Meanwhile, due to the thermal inertia of the battery pack, the temperature will not rise instantly after exiting the global liquid cooling mode, but will remain stable for a relatively long time, allowing natural cooling to meet thermal management requirements. Through this control strategy, a balance between energy consumption and safety is achieved: after the temperature drops to a reasonable control point of the second temperature threshold, it enters the natural cooling mode, which avoids the increase in energy consumption caused by excessive cooling, and ensures that the battery system will not suffer from the risk of thermal runaway due to premature shutdown.

[0056] S206: When the second condition is met, the control liquid cooling system 501 enters the local liquid cooling mode. In the local liquid cooling mode, the liquid cooling device 503 corresponding to a certain area is in the open state. The second condition includes: the temperature difference value is greater than the temperature difference threshold.

[0057] By determining that the temperature difference exceeds a certain threshold, the system can identify areas of significant temperature unevenness within the energy storage device. It then activates only the liquid cooling unit 503 in those specific areas, achieving localized liquid cooling. This method avoids the energy waste associated with full-pack cooling, enabling precise cooling of high-temperature areas, effectively reducing energy consumption, improving the targeting and efficiency of thermal management, ensuring uniform cell temperature distribution, and extending the battery pack's lifespan and safety performance.

[0058] For example, a portion of the area includes the region corresponding to the highest temperature value.

[0059] This technical solution achieves precise cooling of the hottest areas by prioritizing the activation of the liquid cooling device 503 in the region with the highest temperature. This rapidly reduces the temperature in these areas, preventing localized overheating, minimizing thermal stress concentration, and improving the overall temperature uniformity and safety of the battery pack. Simultaneously, this method avoids unnecessary cooling energy consumption, improving the system's energy efficiency.

[0060] In other embodiments of this application, a portion of the region may include the region corresponding to the first few temperature values ​​after being sorted from high to low.

[0061] When multiple areas experience simultaneously high temperatures, liquid cooling is applied not only to the area with the highest temperature but also to several other high-temperature areas simultaneously. This prevents other high-temperature areas from continuing to heat up due to cooling only the highest-temperature area. While maintaining the energy-saving advantages of localized liquid cooling, this further improves the coverage and cooling efficiency of high-temperature areas, causing the temperatures of multiple high-temperature areas to drop rapidly, improving overall temperature consistency, and avoiding performance degradation or safety risks caused by localized hotspots.

[0062] For example, the second condition also includes: the battery level is less than or equal to the battery threshold.

[0063] Limiting the second condition to a battery level less than or equal to a threshold avoids the extra energy consumption of maintaining global liquid cooling when the battery is low. Instead, it switches to local liquid cooling, targeting only high-temperature areas. This ensures heat dissipation for critical areas while reducing the overall power consumption of the cooling system under low battery conditions, extending the usable runtime of the energy storage device, and reducing the risk of cooling failure due to insufficient battery power. This improves the system's operational reliability and energy efficiency under low battery conditions.

[0064] For example, the second condition also includes: when the energy storage device initially enters the discharge mode, the maximum temperature value is greater than the first temperature threshold.

[0065] When the energy storage device first enters discharge mode, if the highest temperature detected exceeds the first temperature threshold, the system will prioritize triggering local liquid cooling mode to immediately cool the area with the highest temperature. This can quickly suppress further temperature rise of hot spots in the early stages of discharge, avoid temperature overshoot, reduce unnecessary global liquid cooling activations, lower energy consumption, and improve local heat dissipation efficiency at critical moments, thereby protecting cell safety and maintaining the overall thermal management response speed.

[0066] In addition, to limit the conditions for exiting the local liquid cooling mode, therefore, refer to Figure 2 In one possible implementation, the method includes: S304: when the fifth condition is met, the liquid cooling system 501 is controlled to enter the natural cooling mode. In the natural cooling mode, the liquid cooling devices 503 corresponding to all areas are in the off state. The fifth condition includes: the liquid cooling system 501 is in the local liquid cooling mode, and the maximum temperature value is less than the second temperature threshold.

[0067] When the liquid cooling system 501 is in local liquid cooling mode, it indicates that there was a large temperature difference between the different areas, so only the high-temperature area is cooled separately. When the maximum temperature value is detected to drop below the second temperature threshold, it indicates that the temperature of the high-temperature area has fallen back to a safe range and the overall temperature is becoming more balanced, so there is no longer a need for continued local cooling. At this time, according to the fifth condition, the local liquid cooling mode is exited and the system enters natural cooling mode, which can promptly shut down the local liquid cooling device 503 and avoid the additional energy consumption caused by continuing cooling after the temperature has reached the target.

[0068] Meanwhile, since the temperature in the high-temperature area has returned to normal, maintaining local liquid cooling no longer provides additional safety or performance improvements; instead, it leads to unnecessary system power consumption. This strategy prioritizes safety when the temperature is too high, and immediately switches to natural cooling once the temperature recovers, balancing energy optimization and safety assurance, thus improving the overall efficiency and intelligence of the thermal management system.

[0069] An energy-saving control strategy for low-temperature conditions is introduced during the initial discharge phase to avoid premature activation of the liquid cooling system 501 when heat dissipation is not required, thereby reducing energy consumption and system operating load. For this purpose, refer to... Figure 3 In some possible implementations, the method includes: S402: When the third condition is met, the liquid cooling system 501 is controlled to enter the natural cooling mode. In the natural cooling mode, the liquid cooling devices 503 corresponding to all areas are in the off state. The third condition includes: the energy storage device initially enters the discharge mode, and the maximum temperature value is less than or equal to the first temperature threshold.

[0070] When the energy storage device initially enters discharge mode and the highest temperature is below or equal to the first temperature threshold, the liquid cooling system 501 is switched to natural cooling mode, keeping the liquid cooling devices 503 in all areas off. This design avoids unnecessary liquid cooling operations when the cell temperature is within a safe low-temperature range, reducing the number of operations of components such as cooling pumps and valves, thereby reducing system energy consumption and mechanical wear. Simultaneously, the natural cooling mode utilizes ambient convection or radiation to maintain stable cell temperature, achieving energy-saving operation without compromising thermal safety, and reserving energy for active cooling when temperatures rise subsequently.

[0071] Reference Figure 4 In this embodiment, the temperature difference threshold can be set to 8°C, the power threshold can be set to 50%, the first temperature threshold can be set to 35°C, and the second temperature threshold can be set to the optimal discharge temperature of the battery, which is set to 30°C in this embodiment. These thresholds can be adjusted according to the specific type of energy storage device and the application environment.

[0072] In discharge mode, the energy storage device first acquires the temperature (T) of each region and the overall state of charge (SOC). At the start of the process, if the energy storage device has just entered discharge mode and the maximum temperature (Tmax) in all regions is less than or equal to the first temperature threshold of 35°C, the liquid cooling system 501 enters natural cooling mode, meaning all liquid cooling devices 503 remain off, and natural heat dissipation is sufficient to meet thermal management requirements and achieve energy saving. When the maximum temperature (Tmax) exceeds 35°C, the system further compares the temperature values ​​of each region, calculates the temperature difference (ΔT) between the maximum and minimum temperature values, and compares it with the temperature difference threshold of 8°C. If ΔT is less than or equal to 8°C, it indicates that the temperature distribution in each region is uniform. The system then further determines whether the state of charge (SOC) is higher than the threshold. If the SOC is sufficient, the liquid cooling system 501 enters global liquid cooling mode, and all liquid cooling devices 503 in all zones are activated for rapid overall cooling, ensuring the safe operation of the energy storage system. When the system is in global liquid cooling mode, if the maximum temperature (Tmax) drops below the second temperature threshold of 30°C, the system will automatically switch back to natural cooling mode and shut down all liquid cooling devices 503 to save energy. Conversely, if ΔT is greater than 8°C, indicating the existence of localized high-temperature areas, the system will prioritize entering localized liquid cooling mode. In this mode, only the liquid cooling devices 503 corresponding to the high-temperature areas will be activated to focus on cooling the hot spots, while the liquid cooling devices 503 in other areas will remain off, achieving precise allocation of cooling resources and energy efficiency optimization. In localized liquid cooling mode, if the maximum temperature (Tmax) also drops below 30°C, the system will also exit localized liquid cooling and switch to natural cooling mode. The entire process demonstrates the coordinated switching of the three modes: natural cooling mode is suitable for stages with low overall temperature or when hot spots are eliminated; global liquid cooling mode is suitable for stages with high overall temperature and uniform distribution, and sufficient state of charge (SOC); and localized liquid cooling mode is for emergency management of hot spots when there is localized overheating or insufficient power. Through such multi-mode dynamic scheduling, the liquid cooling system 501 can not only significantly improve energy utilization, but also effectively enhance the safety and lifespan of energy storage devices, fully realizing the technical goals of zoned precise thermal management and intelligent energy consumption control.

[0073] It should be noted that this specification provides method operation steps as shown in the embodiments or flowcharts, but based on conventional or non-inventive labor, more or fewer operation steps may be included. The order of steps listed in the embodiments is merely one possible execution order among many steps and does not represent the only execution order. In practice, when the method program is executed, it can be executed in the order shown in the embodiments or drawings or in parallel (e.g., in a parallel processor or multi-threaded processing environment).

[0074] Secondly, based on the same technical concept, and referring to... Figure 5This application also provides a controller 502, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is used to store computer instructions; when the processor executes the computer instructions, it is used to execute the method in the first aspect or any optional implementation of the first aspect.

[0075] Thirdly, based on the same technical concept, this application also provides an energy storage device, referencing... Figure 5 The liquid cooling system 501 and the controller 502 in the second aspect, the liquid cooling system 501 includes a plurality of liquid cooling devices 503 corresponding to a plurality of regions inside the energy storage device, the liquid cooling devices 503 being used to cool the corresponding regions of the energy storage device.

[0076] The beneficial effects of the second and third aspects described above can be referenced to the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof, and will not be elaborated upon here. Based on the implementations provided in the above aspects, this application can also be further combined to provide more implementations.

[0077] It should be noted that the order in which the embodiments are described in this application is not intended to limit the priority of the embodiments. The reference to "embodiment" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a mutually exclusive, independent, or alternative embodiment. Those skilled in the art will explicitly and implicitly understand that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0078] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in this application and in its specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application.

[0079] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many forms under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of protection of the claims. All equivalent transformations made under the inventive concept of this application using the content of this application's specification and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A control method for a liquid cooling system, characterized in that, The liquid cooling system includes multiple liquid cooling devices corresponding to multiple regions inside the energy storage device, and the method includes: When the energy storage device is in discharge mode, sampling information is acquired, and the sampling information includes multiple temperature values ​​corresponding to the multiple regions; The corresponding liquid cooling device is activated based on the sampling information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of activating the corresponding liquid cooling device based on the sampling information includes: Obtain the temperature difference between each of the temperature values ​​and each of the other temperature values; When the first condition is met, the liquid cooling system is controlled to enter the global liquid cooling mode. In the global liquid cooling mode, the liquid cooling devices corresponding to all areas are in the open state. When the second condition is met, the liquid cooling system is controlled to enter the local liquid cooling mode. In the local liquid cooling mode, the liquid cooling device corresponding to a certain area is in the open state. Wherein: the first condition includes the temperature difference value being less than or equal to the temperature difference threshold, and the second condition includes the temperature difference value being greater than the temperature difference threshold.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The specified region includes the area corresponding to the highest temperature value.

4. The method according to any one of claims 2-3, characterized in that, The sampling information also includes the power value of the energy storage device; The first condition also includes: the power level is greater than the power threshold; The second condition also includes: the power value is less than or equal to the power threshold.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that, The first condition further includes: when the energy storage device initially enters the discharge mode, the maximum temperature value is greater than the first temperature threshold. The second condition also includes: when the energy storage device initially enters the discharge mode, the maximum temperature value is greater than the first temperature threshold.

6. The method according to any one of claims 2-5, characterized in that, The step of activating the corresponding liquid cooling device based on the sampling information further includes: When the third condition is met, the liquid cooling system is controlled to enter the natural cooling mode, in which the liquid cooling device corresponding to all areas is in the off state; The third condition includes: when the energy storage device initially enters the discharge mode, the maximum temperature value is less than or equal to the first temperature threshold.

7. The method according to any one of claims 2-6, characterized in that, The step of opening the corresponding liquid cooling device based on the sampling information further includes: When the fourth condition is met, the liquid cooling system is controlled to enter the natural cooling mode. In the natural cooling mode, the liquid cooling devices corresponding to all areas are in the off state. The fourth condition includes: the liquid cooling system is in global liquid cooling mode, and the maximum temperature value is less than the second temperature threshold.

8. The method according to any one of claims 2-7, characterized in that, The step of opening the corresponding liquid cooling device based on the sampling information further includes: When the fifth condition is met, the liquid cooling system is controlled to enter the natural cooling mode. In the natural cooling mode, the liquid cooling device corresponding to all areas is in the off state. The fifth condition includes: the liquid cooling system is in local liquid cooling mode, and the maximum temperature value is less than the second temperature threshold.

9. A controller, characterized in that, It includes a memory and a processor, the memory being used to store computer instructions; when the processor executes the computer instructions, it is used to perform the method of any one of claims 1-8.

10. An energy storage device, characterized in that, include: The liquid cooling system and the controller as described in claim 9, wherein the liquid cooling system includes a plurality of liquid cooling devices corresponding to a plurality of regions inside the energy storage device, the liquid cooling devices being used to cool the corresponding regions of the energy storage device.

Images