A battery for an electric vehicle

Abstract

The application belongs to the technical field of batteries, and particularly relates to a battery for an electric vehicle, which comprises a first shell, a second shell, a battery pack, a liquid cooling assembly, a first liquid cooling plate and a second liquid cooling plate. The first shell and the second shell are oppositely arranged and slidably connected. The liquid cooling assembly comprises a cylinder, a piston and a rod. The cylinder is arranged at one end of the battery pack along the length direction. One end of the piston is slidably arranged in the interior of the cylinder and separates the interior of the cylinder into a first chamber and a second chamber. One end of the rod is connected with the piston, and the other end of the rod is connected with the first shell through the cylinder. The first liquid cooling plate is in communication with the first chamber, and the second liquid cooling plate is in communication with the second chamber. The problem of wear and tear of the heat dissipation interface and increase of the contact thermal resistance caused by relative displacement is avoided, and stable heat dissipation efficiency can be maintained during long-term use.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of battery technology, and specifically relates to a battery for electric vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing popularity of electric vehicles, the energy density, heat dissipation performance, and environmental adaptability of electric vehicle batteries have become key factors affecting their safety and lifespan. Electric vehicles inevitably experience complex conditions such as road bumps, vibrations, and impacts during operation, which places higher demands on the structural stability and thermal management capabilities of battery modules.

[0003] In existing technologies, electric vehicle batteries mostly employ liquid cooling, where heat is dissipated through contact between the liquid cooling plate and the battery cells. However, this approach has a significant problem: to buffer the impact of vibrations on the battery cells, independent damping elements (such as rubber pads or springs) are typically placed between the battery pack and the casing. These damping elements allow for slight displacement of the battery pack relative to the casing, while the liquid cooling plate is often fixed to the casing or battery pack. This causes wear or gap changes at the contact interface between the battery cells and the liquid cooling plate due to relative movement. Over long-term use, this increases contact thermal resistance, reduces heat dissipation efficiency, and may even lead to localized overheating. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings of existing technologies by providing a battery for electric vehicles. This solution addresses the problem in existing electric vehicle batteries where independent damping elements designed to buffer vibrations cause relative displacement between the battery pack and the liquid cooling plate, disrupting the stability of the heat dissipation interface, increasing contact thermal resistance, reducing heat dissipation efficiency, and even leading to localized overheating.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: This invention provides a battery for electric vehicles, comprising a first housing, a second housing, a battery pack, a liquid cooling assembly, a first liquid cooling plate, and a second liquid cooling plate. The first housing and the second housing are disposed opposite to each other and are slidably connected. A cavity is formed between the first housing and the second housing. The battery pack and the liquid cooling assembly are both disposed within the cavity. The battery pack includes multiple battery cells arranged sequentially along its length. The liquid cooling assembly includes a cylinder, a piston, and a rod. The cylinder is disposed at one end of the battery pack along its length. One end of the piston is slidably disposed inside the cylinder, dividing the interior of the cylinder into a first chamber and a second chamber. Both the first chamber and the second chamber are filled with coolant. One end of the rod is connected to the piston, and the other end of the rod passes through the cylinder and is connected to the first housing. The first liquid cooling plate and the second liquid cooling plate are disposed opposite to each other on both sides of the battery pack along its width. The first liquid cooling plate communicates with the first chamber, and the second liquid cooling plate communicates with the second chamber.

[0006] In some embodiments, two liquid cooling components are provided, and the two liquid cooling components are disposed at both ends of the battery pack along the length direction.

[0007] In some embodiments, an elastic element is sleeved on the rod body, one end of the elastic element abuts against the first housing, and the other end of the elastic element abuts against the upper end face of the cylinder body.

[0008] In some embodiments, the cylinder body and the first housing are integrally formed structures; Alternatively, the cylinder body and the second housing are integrally formed.

[0009] In some embodiments, a separator is also included, the separator being disposed between two adjacent battery cells; And / or, the separator is disposed between the battery cell and the cylinder.

[0010] In some embodiments, the isolation member is provided with a cavity structure, the cavity structure having a first opening at the upper end of the isolation member communicating with the accommodating cavity, and the cavity structure having a second opening at the lower end of the isolation member communicating with the accommodating cavity.

[0011] In some embodiments, the cavity structure includes a plurality of flow channels, which are spaced apart along the width direction.

[0012] In some embodiments, the bottom of the first housing is provided with a first vent hole corresponding to the first opening position, and the bottom of the second housing is provided with a second vent hole corresponding to the second opening position.

[0013] In some embodiments, a sliding guide structure is provided between the first housing and the second housing. The sliding guide structure includes a slide rail and a sliding block. The sliding block is slidably disposed on the slide rail. The slide rail is disposed on one of the first housing and the second housing, and the sliding block is disposed on the other of the first housing and the second housing.

[0014] In some embodiments, a mesh support plate is provided between the bottom of the second housing and the battery pack.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects achieved by the present invention are as follows: The electric vehicle battery of this invention features a first and second housing that can slide relative to each other. A piston rod in the liquid cooling assembly is connected to the first housing. When the vehicle vibrates during driving, the first and second housings slide relative to each other, causing the piston to reciprocate within the cylinder. This drives the coolant in the first and second chambers to exchange fluid with the first and second liquid cooling plates, effectively converting the mechanical energy of road vibration into the kinetic energy of coolant circulation and efficiently converting vibration energy into heat energy for dissipation. Furthermore, since the relative movement of the first and second housings directly drives the coolant flow, there is no need for independent damping components between the battery pack and the liquid cooling plates. This avoids wear on the heat dissipation interface and increased contact thermal resistance caused by relative displacement, maintaining stable heat dissipation efficiency even after long-term use.

[0016] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the battery for electric vehicles according to the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is one of the cross-sectional views of the battery for electric vehicles according to the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A magnified structural diagram of point A in the middle.

[0021] Figure 4This is the second schematic diagram of the structure of the battery for electric vehicles according to the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A magnified structural diagram at point B in the middle.

[0023] Figure 6 This is the second cross-sectional view of the battery for electric vehicles according to the present invention.

[0024] The reference numerals in the attached figures are explained as follows: 100. Electric vehicle batteries; 101. Containing cavity; 10. First housing; 11. First vent hole; 20. Second housing; 21. Second vent hole; 30. Battery pack; 31. Individual battery cell; 40. Liquid cooling assembly; 41. Cylinder block; 411. First chamber; 412. Second chamber; 42. Piston; 43. Rod; 44. Elastic element; 50. First liquid cooling plate; 60. Second liquid cooling plate; 70. Isolation component; 71. Cavity structure; 711. Flow channel; 72. First opening; 73. Second opening; 80. Sliding guide structure; 81. Slide rail; 82. Sliding block; 90. Grid support plate; a. Length direction; b. Width direction. Detailed Implementation

[0025] If certain terms are used in the specification and claims to refer to specific components, those skilled in the art will understand that hardware manufacturers may use different names to refer to the same component. This specification and claims do not distinguish components based on differences in name, but rather on differences in function. The term "comprising" as used throughout the specification and claims is an open-ended term and should be interpreted as "comprising but not limited to." "Approximately" means that within an acceptable margin of error, those skilled in the art can solve the technical problem and substantially achieve the technical effect within a certain margin of error.

[0026] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be interpreted as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0027] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0028] The following will be combined with the appendix Figures 1-6 The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention have been clearly and completely described. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] Please see Figures 1-6 The electric vehicle battery 100 of this embodiment includes a first housing 10, a second housing 20, a battery pack 30, a liquid cooling assembly 40, a first liquid cooling plate 50, and a second liquid cooling plate 60. The first housing 10 and the second housing 20 are disposed opposite to each other and are slidably connected. A receiving cavity 101 is formed between the first housing 10 and the second housing 20. The battery pack 30 and the liquid cooling assembly 40 are both disposed in the receiving cavity 101. The battery pack 30 includes a plurality of battery cells 31 arranged sequentially along the length direction a. The liquid cooling assembly 40 includes a cylinder 41, a piston 42, and a rod 43. A cylinder 41 is disposed at one end of the battery pack 30 along the length direction a. One end of a piston 42 is slidably disposed inside the cylinder 41, dividing the interior of the cylinder 41 into a first chamber 411 and a second chamber 412. Both the first chamber 411 and the second chamber 412 are filled with coolant. One end of a rod 43 is connected to the piston 42, and the other end of the rod 43 passes through the cylinder 41 and is connected to the first housing 10. A first liquid cooling plate 50 and a second liquid cooling plate 60 are disposed opposite each other on both sides of the battery pack 30 along the width direction b. The first liquid cooling plate 50 communicates with the first chamber 411, and the second liquid cooling plate 60 communicates with the second chamber 412.

[0030] Compared with the prior art, the electric vehicle battery 100 of the present invention, by setting a first housing 10 and a second housing 20 that can slide relative to each other, and connecting the piston 42 rod 43 in the liquid cooling assembly 40 to the first housing 10, when the vehicle vibrates, the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 slide relative to each other, driving the piston 42 to reciprocate in the cylinder 41, thereby driving the coolant in the first chamber 411 and the second chamber 412 to exchange liquid with the first liquid cooling plate 50 and the second liquid cooling plate 60 respectively, effectively converting the mechanical energy of road vibration into the kinetic energy of coolant circulation, and efficiently converting vibration energy into heat energy and carrying it away. At the same time, since the relative movement of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 directly drives the coolant flow, there is no need to set an independent shock absorption element between the battery pack 30 and the liquid cooling plate, avoiding the problem of heat dissipation interface wear and increased contact thermal resistance caused by relative displacement, and maintaining stable heat dissipation efficiency even after long-term use.

[0031] Understandably, when the electric vehicle travels on a bumpy road, the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 will slide back and forth due to vibration. Since the rod 43 is fixedly connected to the first housing 10, and the cylinder 41 is relatively fixed to the second housing 20, the sliding of the first housing 10 will drive the piston 42 to reciprocate within the cylinder 41.

[0032] When piston 42 slides into cylinder 41, the volume of the first chamber 411 decreases and the pressure increases, driving the coolant inside to flow towards the first liquid cooling plate 50 connected to it. Simultaneously, the volume of the second chamber 412 increases and the pressure decreases, drawing coolant from the second liquid cooling plate 60 connected to it. When piston 42 slides in the opposite direction, the flow direction of the coolant also reverses. Thus, the vibrational mechanical energy is directly converted into the pulsating kinetic energy of the coolant, forming an alternating cycle between the two sets of liquid cooling plates, continuously carrying away the heat generated by the battery pack 30.

[0033] Understandably, in order to ensure the sealing of the first chamber 411 and the second chamber 412 and prevent coolant leakage, at least one piston 42 sealing ring (such as an O-ring or a Y-ring) is embedded on the outer circumferential surface of the piston 42 to form a sliding seal with the inner wall of the cylinder 41.

[0034] Similarly, a rod sealing assembly is provided at the end cap where the rod 43 passes through the cylinder 41. The rod sealing assembly includes a dust seal and a pressure seal to prevent external contaminants from entering and to block coolant leakage.

[0035] In addition, at the connection interfaces between the first liquid cooling plate 50, the second liquid cooling plate 60 and the first chamber 411 and the second chamber 412, a flat sealing gasket or a conical sealing structure is provided to ensure the long-term reliability of the pipeline connection points under vibration environment.

[0036] In some embodiments, two liquid cooling components 40 are provided, and the two liquid cooling components 40 are disposed at both ends of the battery pack 30 along the length direction a. By providing one liquid cooling component 40 at each end of the battery pack 30 along the length direction a, the two liquid cooling components 40 work synchronously, so that the piston 42 can drive the coolant to flow from both sides of the battery pack 30 simultaneously during vibration. This not only increases the circulating driving force of the coolant, but also makes the coolant flow at both ends of the first liquid cooling plate 50 and the second liquid cooling plate 60 more uniform, avoiding the uneven flow problem that may be caused by unilateral driving, and further improving the overall temperature uniformity of the battery pack 30.

[0037] In some embodiments, an elastic element 44 is sleeved on the rod 43, with one end of the elastic element 44 abutting against the first housing 10 and the other end abutting against the upper end face of the cylinder 41. By sleeved on the rod 43 with the elastic element 44 abutting between the first housing 10 and the upper end face of the cylinder 41, on the one hand, a restoring force is provided for the piston 42, ensuring that the piston 42 can return to its initial position during vibration intervals, maintaining continuous circulation of coolant; on the other hand, the elastic element can absorb some of the vibration impact energy, reducing hard collisions between the piston 42 and the end of the cylinder 41, and extending the service life of the liquid cooling assembly 40. In addition, by selecting elastic elements with different elastic coefficients, the response sensitivity of the liquid cooling assembly 40 to vibrations of different frequencies can be adjusted to adapt to the operating conditions of different vehicle models.

[0038] In some embodiments, the cylinder body 41 and the first housing 10 are integrally formed; or, the cylinder body 41 and the second housing 20 are integrally formed. By designing the cylinder body 41 and the first housing 10 or the second housing 20 as an integrally formed structure, the connecting parts and sealing structure between the cylinder body 41 and the housing are eliminated, the number of parts is reduced, the assembly process is simplified, and the sealing reliability of the liquid cooling assembly 40 is improved, avoiding the risk of coolant loss due to leakage at the connection, and reducing maintenance costs during long-term use.

[0039] In some embodiments, both the first liquid cooling plate 50 and the second liquid cooling plate 60 are provided with multiple parallel or series microchannels 711. This microchannel structure can greatly increase the contact area between the coolant and the wall of the liquid cooling plate, improve the heat exchange efficiency, and enable the liquid cooling plate to absorb more heat in a limited space.

[0040] In some embodiments, the electric vehicle battery 100 further includes a separator 70 disposed between two adjacent battery cells 31; and / or, the separator 70 is disposed between the battery cell 31 and the cylinder 41. By providing separators 70 between adjacent battery cells 31 and between the battery cell 31 and the cylinder 41, on the one hand, it is possible to prevent collisions or friction between battery cells 31 and between the battery cell 31 and the cylinder 41 due to vibration, thereby improving the structural stability of the battery pack 30; on the other hand, the separators 70 separate multiple battery cells 31, avoiding heat transfer between multiple battery cells 31 and reducing concentrated heat transfer.

[0041] In some embodiments, the separator 70 is provided with a cavity structure 71. The cavity structure 71 has a first opening 72 at its upper end, communicating with the accommodating cavity 101, and a second opening 73 at its lower end, also communicating with the accommodating cavity 101. By configuring the separator 70 with the cavity structure 71 and openings at both ends, an airflow channel is formed inside the separator 70. When the battery pack 30 is operating, the heat generated causes the air inside the cavity to rise, forming natural convection. This dissipates the heat between the battery cells 31 through the first opening 72, while cool air is introduced through the second opening 73, achieving an auxiliary cooling effect. This structure works in conjunction with the liquid cooling system to avoid heat transfer between multiple battery cells 31, further improving heat dissipation efficiency.

[0042] In some embodiments, the cavity structure 71 includes a plurality of flow channels 711, which are spaced apart along the width direction b. By making the cavity structure 71 of the separator 70 a plurality of flow channels 711 spaced apart along the width direction b, the contact area between the air and the inner wall of the separator 70 is increased, improving the heat exchange efficiency. At the same time, the arrangement of multiple flow channels 711 makes the airflow distribution more uniform, avoiding the airflow short-circuiting phenomenon that may occur in a single large cavity, ensuring that the sidewall of each battery cell 31 can obtain effective air cooling, and further reducing the temperature difference between battery cells 31.

[0043] In some embodiments, the bottom of the first housing 10 is provided with a first vent 11 corresponding to the position of the first opening 72, and the bottom of the second housing 20 is provided with a second vent 21 corresponding to the position of the second opening 73. By providing the first vent 11 and the second vent 21 at the bottom of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 respectively, and the first vent 11 and the second vent 21 corresponding to the positions of the first opening 72 and the second opening 73 of the separator 70 respectively, external cold air can directly enter the cavity structure 71 of the separator 70 from one of the first vent 11 and the second vent 21, and after being heated, it can be discharged from the other of the first vent 11 and the second vent 21, forming a complete external air circulation path. This effectively avoids the problem of limited air circulation inside the housing, significantly improves the air cooling efficiency, and at the same time, the arrangement of the first vent 11 and the second vent 21 does not occupy additional internal space, maintaining the compactness of the battery module.

[0044] In some embodiments, a sliding guide structure 80 is provided between the first housing 10 and the second housing 20. The sliding guide structure 80 includes a slide rail 81 and a sliding block 82. The sliding block 82 is slidably disposed on the slide rail 81, which is disposed on one of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20. By providing the sliding guide structure 80 between the first housing 10 and the second housing 20, including the slide rail 81 and the sliding block 82 slidably connected to the slide rail 81, the motion accuracy and stability of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 during relative sliding are ensured, avoiding bending or jamming of the piston 42 rod due to sliding offset, and improving the operational reliability of the liquid cooling assembly 40. At the same time, the sliding guide structure 80 can withstand a certain lateral load, enhancing the overall structural strength of the battery module in complex vibration environments.

[0045] In some embodiments, a mesh support plate 90 is provided between the bottom of the second housing 20 and the battery pack 30. By providing the mesh support plate 90 between the bottom of the second housing 20 and the battery pack 30, the battery pack 30 receives uniform bottom support, preventing it from sinking or tilting during vibration. Furthermore, the mesh structure creates a gap between the bottom of the battery pack 30 and the housing, facilitating airflow and heat dissipation while reducing the weight of the support structure, meeting the lightweight design requirements of electric vehicles. In addition, the mesh support plate 90 can absorb vibration energy to a certain extent, acting as an auxiliary buffer.

[0046] Furthermore, the grid shape of the grid support plate 90 can be rectangular, rhomboid, or hexagonal honeycomb.

[0047] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, it is intended that all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims be included within the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery for electric vehicles, characterized in that: The system includes a first housing (10), a second housing (20), a battery pack (30), a liquid cooling assembly (40), a first liquid cooling plate (50), and a second liquid cooling plate (60). The first housing (10) and the second housing (20) are arranged opposite to each other and are slidably connected. A receiving cavity (101) is formed between the first housing (10) and the second housing (20). The battery pack (30) and the liquid cooling assembly (40) are both disposed in the receiving cavity (101). The battery pack (30) includes multiple battery cells (31) arranged sequentially along the length direction (a). The liquid cooling assembly (40) includes a cylinder (41), a piston (42), and a rod (43). The cylinder (41) is arranged sequentially along the length direction (a). a) The piston (42) is slidably disposed at one end of the battery pack (30) and the cylinder (41) is divided into a first chamber (411) and a second chamber (412). The first chamber (411) and the second chamber (412) are filled with coolant. One end of the rod (43) is connected to the piston (42), and the other end of the rod (43) passes through the cylinder (41) and is connected to the first housing (10). The first liquid cooling plate (50) and the second liquid cooling plate (60) are disposed opposite to each other on both sides of the battery pack (30) along the width direction (b). The first liquid cooling plate (50) communicates with the first chamber (411), and the second liquid cooling plate (60) communicates with the second chamber (412).

2. The battery for electric vehicles as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Two liquid cooling components (40) are provided, and the two liquid cooling components (40) are disposed at both ends of the battery pack (30) along the length direction (a).

3. The battery for electric vehicles as described in claim 1, characterized in that: An elastic element (44) is sleeved on the rod (43). One end of the elastic element (44) abuts against the first housing (10), and the other end of the elastic element (44) abuts against the upper end face of the cylinder (41).

4. The battery for electric vehicles as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The cylinder body (41) and the first housing (10) are integrally formed; Alternatively, the cylinder (41) and the second housing (20) may be integrally formed.

5. The battery for electric vehicles as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a separator (70) disposed between two adjacent battery cells (31); And / or, the separator (70) is disposed between the battery cell (31) and the cylinder (41).

6. The battery for electric vehicles as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The isolation member (70) is provided with a cavity structure (71), the cavity structure (71) having a first opening (72) at the upper end of the isolation member (70) communicating with the accommodating cavity (101), and the cavity structure (71) having a second opening (73) at the lower end of the isolation member (70) communicating with the accommodating cavity (101).

7. The battery for electric vehicles as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The cavity structure (71) includes multiple flow channels (711) which are spaced apart along the width direction (b).

8. The battery for electric vehicles as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The bottom of the first housing (10) is provided with a first vent hole (11) corresponding to the position of the first opening (72), and the bottom of the second housing (20) is provided with a second vent hole (21) corresponding to the position of the second opening (73).

9. The battery for electric vehicles as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A sliding guide structure (80) is provided between the first housing (10) and the second housing (20). The sliding guide structure (80) includes a slide rail (81) and a sliding block (82). The sliding block (82) is slidably disposed on the slide rail (81). The slide rail (81) is disposed on one of the first housing (10) and the second housing (20), and the sliding block (82) is disposed on the other of the first housing (10) and the second housing (20).

10. The battery for electric vehicles as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A mesh support plate (90) is provided between the bottom of the second housing (20) and the battery pack (30).

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