Thermal management structure and battery pack

Abstract

The application relates to a heat management structure and a battery pack, and belongs to the field of power batteries, wherein the heat management structure comprises a plurality of heat exchange coils, the inner side of the heat exchange coil is configured as a hollow structure to accommodate an object to be heat managed, and the hollow structures of the inner sides of each two adjacent heat exchange coils are in contact and communication. The heat management structure of the application utilizes the heat exchange coil to wrap the battery, realizes three-dimensional heat exchange of the battery, and significantly improves the overall heat exchange efficiency of the battery through the multidirectional heat conduction path. Moreover, the design of the plurality of heat exchange coils can divide the battery into a plurality of independent heat management areas, one heat exchange coil independently regulates one area, the battery is finely heat managed through the plurality of heat exchange coils, the temperature difference between different positions of the battery is effectively reduced, the temperature uniformity of the battery is improved, the temperature control precision of the battery is improved, and the overall performance and safety of the battery are ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of power batteries, and in particular to a thermal management structure and battery pack. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of new energy vehicles and energy storage systems, the energy density of power batteries is constantly increasing, and batteries generate a large amount of heat during charging and discharging. When the battery temperature is too high, it will lead to accelerated battery capacity decay, reduced cycle life, and in severe cases, even safety issues such as thermal runaway. Conversely, in low-temperature environments, the electrochemical reaction rate of the battery decreases, and the internal resistance of the battery increases, resulting in a decrease in battery output power and charging efficiency. Therefore, effective thermal management of power batteries has become one of the key issues in the design of power battery systems.

[0003] Currently, the common thermal management methods used in power batteries include air cooling, liquid cooling, and electric heating. Among them, liquid cooling is widely used in power battery systems due to its high heat exchange efficiency. However, existing liquid cooling systems typically use a single-layer liquid cooling plate or a serpentine liquid cooling pipe structure. Their heat exchange structure is mainly concentrated at the bottom of the battery or on a single plane, resulting in a long heat transfer path and easily leading to uneven temperature distribution in different parts of the battery.

[0004] Furthermore, in low-temperature environments, existing technologies typically heat the battery using a single heating element, lacking precise temperature control for different areas. Simultaneously, as battery capacity and the number of batteries increase, traditional two-dimensional planar thermal management structures struggle to simultaneously achieve efficient heat exchange, uniform temperature control, and strong localized thermal management capabilities, easily leading to localized overheating or undercooling, thus affecting overall battery performance and safety. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To improve the temperature control uniformity of the battery, this application provides a thermal management structure and a battery pack.

[0006] In one aspect of this disclosure, a thermal management structure is proposed, comprising a plurality of heat exchange coils, the inner side of which is constructed as a hollow structure to accommodate the object to be thermally managed, wherein the hollow structures on the inner sides of every two adjacent heat exchange coils are in contact and connected.

[0007] By adopting the above technical solution, the battery is surrounded by heat exchange coils, achieving three-dimensional heat exchange and significantly improving the overall heat exchange efficiency of the battery through multi-directional heat conduction paths. Furthermore, the design of multiple heat exchange coils divides the battery into multiple independent thermal management zones, with each coil independently controlling one zone. This zoned, refined thermal management effectively reduces temperature differences between different locations within the battery, improves temperature uniformity, enhances temperature control accuracy, and ensures overall battery performance and safety. In addition, the zoned thermal management structure can be specifically adjusted according to the actual temperature state of different areas of the battery, avoiding unnecessary heating or cooling of the entire battery, thereby reducing system energy consumption. This is particularly suitable for high-energy-density battery structures, achieving improved space utilization while maintaining thermal management performance.

[0008] Preferably, the central axes of the multiple heat exchange coils are parallel or coincident.

[0009] By adopting the above technical solution, the hollow structures inside each pair of adjacent heat exchange coils are in contact and connected without overlapping areas, thereby maximizing the volume of the hollow structure with a fixed number of heat exchange coils, so as to accommodate larger capacity batteries.

[0010] Preferably, a heat insulation sleeve is provided on the outside of the heat exchange coil, and the end of the heat exchange coil passes through the heat insulation sleeve.

[0011] By adopting the above technical solution, the heat insulation jacket can isolate heat or cold, preventing the ineffective loss of heat or cold emitted by the heat exchange coil, improving the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchange coil, and reducing heat exchange costs. The heat insulation jacket passes through the end of the heat exchange coil, facilitating the flow of the medium in the heat exchange coil into and out of the heat management structure.

[0012] Preferably, at least one end of the heat insulation sleeve is open and a heat insulation plate is detachably and fixedly installed thereon, the heat insulation plate being made of the same material as the heat insulation sleeve.

[0013] By adopting the above technical solution, on the one hand, it is convenient to install the heat exchange coil into the insulation jacket, and on the other hand, the insulation plate is used to block the ineffective loss of heat or cold emitted by the heat exchange coil, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchange coil and reducing the heat exchange cost.

[0014] Preferably, the thermal management structure further includes an outer shell and a cover detachably installed at the open end of the outer shell, the heat insulation sleeve and heat insulation plate are fixed inside the outer shell, and the end of the heat exchange coil extends out of the outer shell.

[0015] By adopting the above technical solution, the heat insulation sleeve and heat insulation plate are protected by the outer shell, so as to avoid the heat insulation sleeve and heat insulation plate being damaged by impact or collision of external objects and losing their heat insulation effect. The end of the heat exchange coil extends out of the outer shell to facilitate the flow of the medium in the heat exchange coil into and out of the heat management structure.

[0016] Preferably, the outer shell and cover are formed using quartz fiber and / or glass fiber weaving.

[0017] By adopting the above technical solutions, the outer shell and cover have advantages such as high strength, light weight, impact resistance, pressure resistance, puncture resistance, insulation and non-conductivity, corrosion resistance, rust prevention, and greater safety in the event of thermal runaway, effectively improving the overall performance and safety of the battery.

[0018] Preferably, the heat exchange coil is embedded in the inner wall of the insulation sleeve.

[0019] By adopting the above technical solution, the heat exchange coil and the insulation sleeve can be quickly fixed and connected, and the heat exchange coil and the insulation sleeve can be easily disassembled and separated later.

[0020] Preferably, a heat-spreading sleeve is tightly attached to the inner side of the heat exchange coil, and the heat-spreading sleeve is located at the edge of the hollow structure.

[0021] By adopting the above technical solution, the heat or cold energy emitted by the heat exchange coil is evenly transferred to all parts of the battery surface using the heat exchange jacket, thereby further reducing the temperature difference between different parts of the battery and further improving the temperature control uniformity of the battery.

[0022] In another aspect of this disclosure, a battery pack is provided, including a battery and the aforementioned thermal management structure, wherein the battery is in close contact with the inner side of a heat exchange coil or a heat spreader.

[0023] By adopting the above technical solution, the battery is surrounded by heat exchange coils, achieving three-dimensional heat exchange and significantly improving the overall heat exchange efficiency of the battery through multi-directional heat conduction paths. Furthermore, the design of multiple heat exchange coils divides the battery into multiple independent thermal management zones, with each coil independently controlling one zone. This zoned, refined thermal management effectively reduces temperature differences between different locations within the battery, improves temperature uniformity, enhances temperature control accuracy, and ensures overall battery performance and safety. In addition, the zoned thermal management structure can be specifically adjusted according to the actual temperature state of different areas of the battery, avoiding unnecessary heating or cooling of the entire battery, thereby reducing system energy consumption. This is particularly suitable for high-energy-density battery structures, achieving improved space utilization while maintaining thermal management performance.

[0024] Preferably, the battery is cylindrical.

[0025] Beneficial technical effects: 1. The thermal management structure of this application surrounds the battery, realizing three-dimensional heat exchange of the battery, and the multi-directional heat conduction path significantly improves the overall heat exchange efficiency of the battery.

[0026] 2. The thermal management structure of this application divides the battery into multiple independent thermal management zones, with one heat exchange coil independently controlling one zone. By using multiple heat exchange coils to perform zoned and refined thermal management of the battery, the temperature difference between different locations of the battery is effectively reduced, the temperature uniformity of the battery is improved, the temperature control accuracy of the battery is enhanced, and the overall performance and safety of the battery are guaranteed. In addition, the zoned thermal management structure can be adjusted according to the actual temperature state of different areas of the battery, avoiding unnecessary heating or cooling of the entire battery, thereby reducing system energy consumption. It is particularly suitable for high energy density battery structures, and can improve the space utilization of the battery structure while ensuring thermal management performance. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the battery pack structure of this application.

[0028] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A diagram showing the product after removing the outer shell and cover.

[0029] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram after the insulation board has been removed.

[0030] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Internal structure diagram.

[0031] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Outer shell; 2. Cover; 3. Liquid outlet branch pipe; 4. Liquid inlet pipe; 5. Liquid outlet pipe; 6. Liquid inlet branch pipe; 7. Heat insulation sleeve; 8. Heat insulation plate; 9. Mounting hole; 10. Heat distribution sleeve; 11. Battery; 12. Heat exchange coil. Detailed Implementation

[0032] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and therefore detailed descriptions of them will be omitted. Furthermore, the drawings are merely illustrative of this disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0033] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figures 1-4 This application will be described in further detail.

[0034] In one aspect of this disclosure, a thermal management structure is proposed, which includes at least a plurality of heat exchange coils 12. The inner side of each heat exchange coil 12 is constructed as a hollow structure to accommodate the object to be thermally managed. For example, when the object to be thermally managed is a battery 11, the thermal management structure of this embodiment can be used to perform thermal management on the battery 11.

[0035] In this embodiment, the hollow structures inside every two adjacent heat exchange coils 12 are in contact and connected. This design allows multiple heat exchange coils 12 to thermally manage the same object, for example... Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, three heat exchange coils 12 surround the battery 11, and the battery 11 is thermally managed through the three heat exchange coils 12.

[0036] The thermal management structure of this embodiment uses multiple heat exchange coils 12 to surround the battery 11, which can realize three-dimensional heat exchange of the battery 11. The multi-directional heat conduction path significantly improves the overall heat exchange efficiency of the battery 11.

[0037] Furthermore, the design of multiple heat exchange coils 12 can divide the battery 11 into multiple independent thermal management zones. Each heat exchange coil 12 can independently control one zone. By using multiple heat exchange coils 12 to perform zoned and refined thermal management of the battery 11, the temperature difference between different locations of the battery 11 can be effectively reduced, the temperature uniformity of the battery 11 can be improved, the temperature control accuracy of the battery 11 can be increased, and the overall performance and safety of the battery 11 can be guaranteed.

[0038] In addition, the zoned thermal management structure can be adjusted according to the actual temperature state of different areas of the battery 11, avoiding unnecessary heating or cooling of the entire battery 11, thereby reducing system energy consumption. It is particularly suitable for high energy density battery 11 structures, and can improve the space utilization of the battery 11 structure while ensuring thermal management performance.

[0039] Of course, in other embodiments, the object to be thermally managed may also be other items that require thermal management besides battery 11.

[0040] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the central axes of the plurality of heat exchange coils 12 are parallel or coincident, preferably coincident, such as... Figure 4 As shown, this design ensures that the hollow structures inside each pair of adjacent heat exchange coils 12 are in contact and connected without overlapping areas. This maximizes the volume of the hollow structure with a fixed number of heat exchange coils 12, so as to accommodate a larger capacity battery 11 and improve the heat exchange efficiency of the thermal management structure.

[0041] In the embodiments disclosed herein, such as Figures 2-4As shown, a heat insulation sleeve 7 is provided on the outside of the heat exchange coil 12, and the end of the heat exchange coil 12 passes through the heat insulation sleeve 7. The heat insulation sleeve 7 can prevent heat or cold from flowing outward away from the battery 11, avoid the ineffective loss of heat or cold emitted by the heat exchange coil 12, improve the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchange coil 12, and reduce heat exchange costs.

[0042] Furthermore, the end of the heat exchange coil 12 passes through the insulation sleeve 7 to facilitate the flow of the medium in the heat exchange coil 12 into and out of the heat management structure. For example... Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the heat insulation sleeve 7 is provided with a mounting hole 9, which is a through hole. The end of the heat exchange coil 12 extends out of the heat insulation sleeve 7 after passing through the mounting hole 9, so that the external medium source can be connected to the heat exchange coil 12 and the medium can flow freely in and out of the heat management structure.

[0043] In specific implementation, such as Figure 1 As shown, each heat exchange coil 12 has an inlet branch pipe 6 and an outlet branch pipe 3 connected to its two ends, respectively. The inlet branch pipes 6 of multiple heat exchange coils 12 are connected to the inlet pipe 4, and the outlet branch pipes 3 of multiple heat exchange coils 12 are connected to the outlet pipe 5. The medium enters each heat exchange coil 12 through the inlet pipe 4 and the inlet branch pipe 6, and the medium in the heat exchange coil 12 flows away through the outlet branch pipe 3 and the outlet pipe 5.

[0044] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one end of the heat insulation sleeve 7 is open and a heat insulation plate 8 is detachably and fixedly installed. This design facilitates the installation of the heat exchange coil 12 into the heat insulation sleeve 7, and the heat insulation plate 8 prevents the ineffective loss of heat or cold emitted by the heat exchange coil 12, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchange coil 12 and reducing the heat exchange cost.

[0045] Optional, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the upper and lower ends of the heat insulation sleeve 7 are open, which further facilitates the installation of the heat exchange coil 12 into the heat insulation sleeve 7.

[0046] As an example, the material of the heat insulation board 8 can be the same as that of the heat insulation sleeve 7. For example, both can be made of PMI foam plastic.

[0047] Preferably, the heat exchange coil 12 is embedded in the inner wall of the insulation sleeve 7. This design allows for quick and easy connection between the heat exchange coil 12 and the insulation sleeve 7, and also facilitates the subsequent disassembly and separation of the heat exchange coil 12 and the insulation sleeve 7.

[0048] In the embodiments disclosed herein, such as Figure 1As shown, the thermal management structure also includes an outer shell 1 and a cover 2 that is detachably installed at the open end of the outer shell 1. The heat insulation sleeve 7 and the heat insulation plate 8 are fixed inside the outer shell 1. The outer shell 1 protects the heat insulation sleeve 7 and the heat insulation plate 8 from being damaged by impacts or collisions from external objects, thus preventing them from losing their heat insulation effect.

[0049] Accordingly, the end of the heat exchange coil 12 needs to extend out of the outer shell 1 and connect with the liquid inlet pipe 4 and the liquid outlet pipe 5.

[0050] Preferably, the outer shell 1 and the cover 2 are woven from quartz fiber and / or glass fiber. This design gives the outer shell 1 and the cover 2 advantages such as high strength, light weight, impact resistance, pressure resistance, puncture resistance, insulation and non-conductivity, corrosion resistance, and rust resistance. Moreover, in the event of thermal runaway, they do not conduct heat as quickly as metals, nor do they melt and drip like plastics, making them safer during thermal runaway and effectively improving the overall performance and safety of the battery 11.

[0051] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, a heat exchanger sleeve 10 is tightly attached to the inner side of the heat exchanger coil 12, and the heat exchanger sleeve 10 is located at the edge of the hollow structure.

[0052] By adopting the above technical solution, the heat or cold energy emitted by the heat exchange coil 12 is evenly transferred to all parts of the surface of the battery 11 using the heat spreader 10, thereby further reducing the temperature difference between different parts of the battery 11 and further improving the temperature control uniformity of the battery 11.

[0053] The heat spreader 10 is made of any one of ceramic-based materials, carbon materials, and metal materials. The ceramic-based materials are preferably any one of alumina, aluminum nitride, and magnesium oxide. The carbon materials are preferably graphite. The metal materials are preferably any one of aluminum and copper.

[0054] In another aspect of the embodiments of this disclosure, a battery pack is provided, such as Figures 1-4 As shown, the battery pack includes a battery 11 and the aforementioned thermal management structure. The battery 11 is in close contact with the inner side of the heat exchange coil 12 or the heat spreader 10. That is, when the thermal management structure does not have a heat spreader 10, the outer wall of the battery 11 is in close contact with the inner wall of the heat exchange coil 12; when the thermal management structure has a heat spreader 10, the outer wall of the battery 11 is in close contact with the inner wall of the heat spreader 10.

[0055] As can be seen, the battery pack in this embodiment utilizes heat exchange coils 12 to surround the battery 11, achieving three-dimensional heat exchange for the battery 11. The multi-directional heat conduction paths significantly improve the overall heat exchange efficiency of the battery 11. Furthermore, the design of multiple heat exchange coils 12 divides the battery 11 into multiple independent thermal management zones. Each heat exchange coil 12 independently controls one zone, enabling refined zoned thermal management of the battery 11. This effectively reduces temperature differences between different locations within the battery 11, improves temperature uniformity, enhances temperature control accuracy, and ensures the overall performance and safety of the battery 11. In addition, the zoned thermal management structure can be specifically adjusted according to the actual temperature state of different areas of the battery 11, avoiding unnecessary heating or cooling of the entire battery 11, thereby reducing system energy consumption. This is particularly suitable for high-energy-density battery 11 structures, achieving improved space utilization of the battery 11 structure while ensuring thermal management performance.

[0056] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the battery 11 is columnar, such as a prism or cylinder. The prism includes triangular prisms, quadrangular prisms, etc., and the triangular prism includes cuboids, cubes, etc.

[0057] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this application shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. The terms "first," "second," "third," and similar terms used in this application specification and claims do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. The terms "an" or "a" and similar terms do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. The terms "comprising" or "including" and similar terms mean that the elements or objects preceding "comprising" or "including" encompass the elements or objects listed following "comprising" or "including" and their equivalents, and do not exclude other elements or objects. "Above," "below," "left," "right," etc., are used only to indicate relative positional relationships; when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0058] The above are all preferred embodiments of this application, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, all equivalent changes made in accordance with the structure, shape and principle of this application should be covered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A thermal management structure, characterized in that, It includes multiple heat exchange coils, the inner side of which is hollow to accommodate the object being heat-managed, and the hollow structures on the inner sides of every two adjacent heat exchange coils are in contact and connected.

2. The thermal management structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The central axes of multiple heat exchange coils are parallel or coincident.

3. The thermal management structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: A heat insulation sleeve is provided on the outside of the heat exchange coil, and the end of the heat exchange coil passes through the heat insulation sleeve.

4. The thermal management structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The heat insulation sleeve has an open end and a heat insulation plate is detachably and fixedly installed thereon. The heat insulation plate is made of the same material as the heat insulation sleeve.

5. The thermal management structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes an outer shell and a cover that is detachably installed at the open end of the outer shell, the heat insulation sleeve and heat insulation plate are fixed inside the outer shell, and the end of the heat exchange coil extends out of the outer shell.

6. The thermal management structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The outer shell and cover are formed using quartz fiber and / or glass fiber weaving.

7. The thermal management structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The heat exchange coil is embedded in the inner wall of the insulation jacket.

8. The thermal management structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: A heat-spreading jacket is tightly fitted inside the heat exchange coil, and the heat-spreading jacket is located at the edge of the hollow structure. The heat spreader can be made of any one of ceramic-based materials, carbon materials, or metallic materials.

9. A battery pack, characterized in that: It includes a battery and a thermal management structure according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the battery is in close contact with the inner side of a heat exchange coil or a heat spreader.

10. The battery pack according to claim 9, characterized in that: The battery is cylindrical.

Images