Heat management unit with dehumidification function and energy storage system

Abstract

The utility model provides a heat management unit with a dehumidification function and an energy storage system. The heat management unit is used for heat dissipation of a battery pack. The heat management unit comprises a waterway module, a refrigeration system module and a dehumidification heat exchange module; the water path module is used for driving water flow circulating in the battery pack cold plate to circulate, performing heat exchange by using the refrigeration system module and providing cooling water flow for the energy storage cabinet; the refrigeration system module achieves heat transfer of water flow driven by the water path module through circulation of refrigerants and transfers heat to the dehumidification heat exchange module through an exhaust loop. The dehumidification heat exchange module comprises a dehumidification rotating wheel and a sensible heat exchanger, the dehumidification rotating wheel receives exhaust air transmitted by the exhaust loop and circulating air in the energy storage cabinet, and the sensible heat exchanger is used for conducting heat exchange on the exhaust air treated by the dehumidification rotating wheel and the circulating air treated by the dehumidification rotating wheel. Waste heat of exhaust air is used for dehumidifying circulating air, and the total energy consumption of the heat management unit is reduced. The rotating wheel dehumidification mode can greatly reduce the humidity of the circulating air, and the effect is improved well.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of energy storage systems, and in particular, relates to a thermal management unit with a dehumidification function and an energy storage system. Background Art

[0002] Energy storage technology is a key technology to promote new energy. Among them, the battery pack and supporting electrical equipment are integrated into the container body through the energy storage container, which can achieve high integration. However, the energy storage container will generate a lot of heat during operation, so heat management is required through the thermal management unit. Since the cold plate of the thermal management unit is 15-20 degrees Celsius cold water, if the dew point of the air is higher than the water supply temperature, condensation will occur, posing a risk to electrical safety. The cooling water in the chiller can be used to separate a branch for dehumidification. However, the cooling water of the chiller is high-temperature cooling water, and the dehumidification effect is limited. This is because dehumidification requires the consumption of cooling water, resulting in a reduction in coolant to the cold plate of the battery pack, which in turn results in insufficient cooling to cool the battery.

[0003] Based on this, the present application provides a thermal management unit and energy storage system with dehumidification function to improve related technologies. Utility Model Content

[0004] The present application provides a thermal management unit and energy storage system with dehumidification function, which can use the dehumidification wheel to dehumidify the circulating air with the waste heat of the exhaust air, thereby solving the defect that the dehumidification effect of the cooling water of the refrigerator is limited, resulting in insufficient cooling capacity to cool the battery.

[0005] The present application proposes a thermal management unit with a dehumidification function, which is used for heat dissipation of a battery pack; the thermal management unit includes a water circuit module, a refrigeration system module and a dehumidification heat exchange module;

[0006] The water circuit module is used to drive the circulation of water flow circulating in the battery pack cold plate, and uses the refrigeration system module to perform heat exchange to provide cooling water flow for the energy storage cabinet; the refrigeration system module realizes the heat transfer of the water flow driven by the water circuit module by circulating the refrigerant, and transfers the heat to the dehumidification heat exchange module through the exhaust air circuit; the dehumidification heat exchange module includes a dehumidification wheel and a sensible heat exchanger, the dehumidification wheel respectively receives the exhaust air transmitted by the exhaust air circuit and the circulating air inside the energy storage cabinet, and the sensible heat exchanger is used to perform heat exchange between the exhaust air and the circulating air processed by the dehumidification wheel.

[0007] Preferably, the refrigeration system module comprises a condenser, a compressor, a throttling device and an evaporator which are cyclically connected in sequence;

[0008] The compressor serves as the starting point of the refrigerant circulation; the condenser is used to condense the refrigerant flowing out of the compressor and dissipate heat; the throttling device is used for liquid throttling of the condensed refrigerant; the evaporator is used to transfer the heat of the water flow driven by the water circuit module through the refrigerant throttled by the throttling device, and circulate the refrigerant after heat conversion into the compressor.

[0009] Preferably, the throttling device is an expansion valve or a throttling capillary tube.

[0010] Preferably, the water circuit module includes a water pump, the input end of the water pump is connected to the battery pack cold plate, the output end of the water pump is connected to the water flow input end of the evaporator, and the water flow output end of the evaporator is connected to the battery pack cold plate, so that the water flow of the battery pack cold plate flows through the water pump and the evaporator in sequence and then flows back to the battery pack cold plate.

[0011] Preferably, the water circuit module also includes a pre-cooling water tray plate, the water flow output end of the evaporator is also connected to the first end of the pre-cooling water tray plate, and the second end of the pre-cooling water tray plate is connected to the input end of the water pump; the pre-cooling water tray plate is arranged on the air path where the dehumidification wheel receives the circulating air.

[0012] Preferably, the water circuit module further includes an adjustable two-way valve, and the adjustable two-way valve is arranged on the pipeline between the second end of the pre-cooling water tray and the input end of the water pump.

[0013] Preferably, the adjustable two-way valve is an adjustable ball valve or an adjustable butterfly valve.

[0014] The present application also proposes an energy storage system, comprising the thermal management unit described in any one of the above items and an energy storage container, wherein the energy storage container comprises a plurality of battery packs.

[0015] The present application provides a thermal management unit and energy storage system with dehumidification function, and the beneficial effects are:

[0016] The waste heat of exhaust air is used to dehumidify the circulating air, reducing the total energy consumption of the thermal management unit. The rotary dehumidification method will greatly reduce the humidity of the circulating air, and the effect is improved. Sensible heat exchange is used to recover cold energy, and the secondary energy-saving design can ensure that the temperature in the cabinet is not too high, avoiding increasing the load of the thermal management unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The accompanying drawings are only used to illustrate specific embodiments and are not considered to limit the present application. In the entire drawings, the same reference symbols represent the same components. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in the embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a thermal management unit and a battery pack cold plate provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0019] Figure 2 A structural block diagram of a thermal management unit provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] In order to make those skilled in the art better understand the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the technical solutions of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments. It should be understood that these descriptions are exemplary only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application. Based on the embodiments of the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without making creative work should belong to the scope of protection of this application. In addition, in the following description, the description of known structures and technologies is omitted to avoid unnecessary confusion of the concepts disclosed in the present application.

[0021] The following is a brief description of the relevant technologies in the technical field of the embodiments of the present application.

[0022] A dehumidification wheel, also known as a rotary dehumidifier or dehumidification wheel, is a device used to control air humidity. It is mainly composed of a honeycomb wheel. The wheel is usually made of special hygroscopic materials and can efficiently absorb moisture from the air passing through it, reducing the moisture content in the air by physical adsorption.

[0023] In the related art, dehumidification can also be achieved by setting up a dedicated dehumidifier. However, using a separate dehumidifier requires the investment of new equipment, which increases the space occupied and the evaporation temperature of the energy storage container during operation is low, that is, setting up a dedicated dehumidifier results in high energy consumption and low efficiency.

[0024] This application proposes a thermal management unit and energy storage system with dehumidification function, which uses the waste heat of exhaust air to dehumidify the circulating air and reduce the total energy consumption of the thermal management unit. The rotary dehumidification method will greatly reduce the humidity of the circulating air, and the effect is improved. Sensible heat exchange is used to recover cold energy, and the secondary energy-saving design can ensure that the temperature in the cabinet is not too high, avoiding increasing the load of the thermal management unit.

[0025] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods to specifically describe in detail the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application and how the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application solve the above-mentioned technical problems. It should be noted that the embodiments described below or the technical features can be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments. The description order of the following embodiments is not intended to limit the preferred order of the embodiments. The same or similar concepts or processes may not be repeated in some embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of them.

[0026] Embodiment 1.

[0027] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 , this embodiment provides a thermal management unit with a dehumidification function.

[0028] The thermal management unit is used to dissipate heat from the battery pack. The battery pack is generally arranged in a battery cabinet. The thermal management unit includes a water circuit module, a refrigeration system module and a dehumidification heat exchange module;

[0029] The water circuit module is used to drive the circulation of water flow circulating in the battery pack cold plate, and uses the refrigeration system module to perform heat exchange to provide cooling water flow for the energy storage cabinet; the refrigeration system module realizes the heat transfer of the water flow driven by the water circuit module by circulating the refrigerant, and transfers the heat to the dehumidification heat exchange module through the exhaust air circuit; the dehumidification heat exchange module includes a dehumidification wheel and a sensible heat exchanger, the dehumidification wheel respectively receives the exhaust air transmitted by the exhaust air circuit and the circulating air inside the energy storage cabinet, and the sensible heat exchanger is used to perform heat exchange between the exhaust air and the circulating air processed by the dehumidification wheel.

[0030] Among them, the core function of the water circuit module is to drive the water flow through the battery pack cold plate to achieve heat dissipation of the battery pack. The refrigeration system module realizes heat transfer through the circulation of refrigerant. The dehumidification heat exchange module includes a dehumidification wheel and a sensible heat exchanger. The dehumidification wheel receives the high-temperature and low-humidity exhaust air transmitted by the exhaust circuit and the circulating air (high humidity) inside the energy storage cabinet. After passing through the dehumidification wheel, the moisture content of the output circulating air decreases, the temperature increases, the exhaust air temperature decreases, and the humidity increases. The sensible heat exchanger exchanges heat between the exhaust air and the circulating air after treatment by the dehumidification wheel. It can be considered that it can recover cold energy to avoid the temperature in the battery cabinet being too high, which will increase the load of the thermal management unit.

[0031] Therefore, the technical solution provided in this embodiment can utilize the waste heat of the exhaust air to dehumidify the circulating air and reduce the total energy consumption of the thermal management unit. The rotary dehumidification method will greatly reduce the humidity of the circulating air, with good effect improvement and high efficiency. Sensible heat exchange is used to recover cold energy, and the secondary energy-saving design can ensure that the temperature in the cabinet is not too high, avoiding increasing the load of the thermal management unit. In summary, the defect that the cooling water dehumidification effect of the chiller is limited, resulting in insufficient cold energy to cool the battery, is fundamentally solved.

[0032] In an exemplary embodiment, the refrigeration system module includes a condenser, a compressor, a throttling device and an evaporator which are cyclically connected in sequence;

[0033] The compressor serves as the starting point of the refrigerant circulation; the condenser is used to condense the refrigerant flowing out of the compressor and dissipate heat; the throttling device is used for liquid throttling of the condensed refrigerant; the evaporator is used to transfer the heat of the water flow driven by the water circuit module through the refrigerant throttled by the throttling device, and circulate the refrigerant after heat conversion into the compressor. The connection mentioned in this application can be achieved by connecting the two through a connecting pipeline to allow gas or liquid to flow from one device to another. Among them, the throttling device is an expansion valve or a throttling capillary.

[0034] As the starting point of the refrigerant cycle, the compressor compresses the refrigerant vapor into high-pressure hot steam to provide power for the refrigeration cycle. The high-pressure hot steam discharged by the compressor enters the condenser, where it releases heat, and the refrigerant is transformed from a gas to a high-pressure liquid, and the heat is taken away by the exhaust circuit. The condensed high-pressure liquid refrigerant flows through a throttling device (such as an expansion valve or a capillary tube) to throttle and reduce the pressure, turning into a low-pressure liquid. The low-pressure refrigerant enters the evaporator, where it absorbs the heat of the water flow in the water circuit module to cool the water flow, and at the same time the refrigerant evaporates into a gas, completing the heat transfer. The evaporated low-pressure gaseous refrigerant returns to the compressor and starts the next cycle again.

[0035] Therefore, through the efficient heat exchange between the condenser and the evaporator, heat can be quickly transferred to improve the cooling efficiency. The throttling device accurately controls the flow and pressure of the refrigerant to ensure stable operation and optimize energy efficiency. The exhaust air circuit takes away the heat in the condenser and can be used for the dehumidification module or other purposes to achieve comprehensive energy utilization.

[0036] In an exemplary embodiment, the water circuit module includes a water pump, an input end of the water pump is connected to the battery pack cold plate, an output end of the water pump is connected to the water flow input end of the evaporator, and a water flow output end of the evaporator is connected to the battery pack cold plate, so that the water flow of the battery pack cold plate flows through the water pump and the evaporator in sequence and then flows back to the battery pack cold plate.

[0037] The water pump acts as the power source for water circulation in the water circuit module, responsible for driving the water flow to circulate in the system. The water flow absorbs the heat generated by the battery at the battery pack cold plate, and then enters the evaporator. In the evaporator, the heat is transferred to the refrigerant through heat exchange with the evaporated refrigerant, thereby reducing the water temperature. The cooled water flow flows through the battery pack cold plate again to continue to absorb heat, completing the cycle.

[0038] As a result, the heat generated by the battery pack is continuously removed by the circulating water flow, effectively preventing the battery from overheating and improving the working efficiency and service life of the battery. The closed water circulation system ensures continuous heat exchange and provides a stable cooling effect for the battery pack.

[0039] In an exemplary embodiment, the water circuit module further includes a precooling water tray and an adjustable two-way valve, the water flow output end of the evaporator is also connected to the first end of the precooling water tray, and the second end of the precooling water tray is connected to the input end of the water pump; the precooling water tray is arranged on the air path where the dehumidification wheel receives the circulating air. The water circuit module further includes an adjustable two-way valve, which is arranged on the pipeline between the second end of the precooling water tray and the input end of the water pump. The adjustable two-way valve is an adjustable ball valve or an adjustable butterfly valve.

[0040] The precooling water tray is placed on the air path where the dehumidifier wheel receives the circulating air. Its function is to precool the circulating air. The water flow output end of the evaporator is connected to the first end of the precooling water tray, so that the water flow cooled by the evaporator first flows into the precooling water tray. The second end of the precooling water tray is connected to the input end of the water pump to complete the water circulation loop. The adjustable two-way valve is installed on the water path to adjust the amount of water flowing through the precooling water tray, thereby controlling the cooling capacity of the precooling water tray. Before the circulating air passes through the dehumidifier wheel, it first flows through the precooling water tray to exchange heat with the cold water flowing through the tray to reduce the humidity of the air.

[0041] Thus, the circulating air is precooled by the precooling water tray, the dew point temperature of the air is reduced, and the dehumidification efficiency of the dehumidification wheel is improved.

[0042] In an exemplary embodiment, the sensible heat exchanger is used to exchange heat between the exhaust air and the circulating air after being processed by the dehumidification wheel, and is used for dehumidified air supply and outdoor exhaust. Figure 1 The cold air in the dehumidification wheel realizes the heat exchange between the exhaust air and the circulating air after being treated by the dehumidification wheel, and finally the hot air is discharged through the outdoor exhaust.

[0043] As an example, a thermal management unit with a dehumidification function is provided, including a refrigeration system module, a water circuit module and a dehumidification heat exchange module.

[0044] The refrigeration system module includes the following components: a compressor, which serves as the compression and circulation starting point of the refrigerant; a condenser, which is used to condense the refrigerant and dissipate heat, which is taken away by the exhaust air circuit; an expansion valve, through which the refrigerant liquid is throttled; and an evaporator, in which the refrigerant passing through the expansion valve exchanges heat with water, absorbing heat to lower the water temperature.

[0045] The connection between the components of the refrigeration system module is that the refrigerant enters the condenser after coming out of the compressor. The refrigerant in the condenser releases heat and then becomes a high-pressure liquid. The high-pressure liquid refrigerant is throttled to a low-pressure liquid through the expansion valve. The low-pressure liquid refrigerant enters the evaporator, absorbs heat from the water, lowers the water temperature, and at the same time, the refrigerant evaporates into a gaseous state. The gaseous refrigerant returns to the compressor to complete the cycle.

[0046] The water circuit module includes the following components: a water pump and a precooling water plate. The water pump drives the water to circulate, and the water passes through the evaporator to exchange heat with the refrigerant to reduce the water temperature. The reduced water temperature is divided into two paths, one for pre-treating the air in the energy storage cabinet using the precooling water plate, and the other for entering the battery pack cold plate to absorb the heat generated by the battery. The two water flows meet at the water inlet of the water pump.

[0047] The dehumidification heat exchange module includes the following components: a dehumidification wheel and a sensible heat exchanger.

[0048] The exhaust air circuit of the outdoor unit absorbs the heat of the condenser, the air temperature rises, and the relative humidity decreases. The circulating air inside the energy storage cabinet is pre-treated by the pre-treatment coil. The pre-treated circulating air enters the rotor, the moisture content decreases, and the temperature increases. The exhaust air temperature decreases and the humidity increases after passing through the dehumidification rotor. At the same time, the two air passes through the sensible heat exchanger, the circulating air temperature decreases, and the exhaust air temperature increases, and then they are respectively used as dehumidified air supply air (circulation) and outdoor exhaust air (exhausted to the outdoors).

[0049] The above modules, through their respective circulation and interaction, together constitute a thermal management unit with dehumidification function. The thermal management and dehumidification functions of the unit are realized through the connection relationship between the modules.

[0050] Embodiment 2.

[0051] This embodiment provides an energy storage system, and its specific implementation method is consistent with the implementation method and technical effects recorded in the above embodiment 1, and some contents are not repeated. The energy storage system includes the thermal management unit and energy storage container described in any one of the embodiments 1, and the energy storage container includes multiple battery packs.

[0052] It is understandable that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application is described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, a person of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments can still be modified, or some of the technical features can be replaced by equivalents; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application. Any changes or replacements that can be easily thought of by a person of ordinary skill in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be covered within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A thermal management unit with dehumidification function, characterized in that: The thermal management unit is used for heat dissipation of the battery pack; the thermal management unit includes a water circuit module, a refrigeration system module and a dehumidification heat exchange module; The water circuit module is used to drive the circulation of water flow circulating in the battery pack cold plate, and uses the refrigeration system module to perform heat exchange to provide cooling water flow for the energy storage cabinet; the refrigeration system module realizes the heat transfer of the water flow driven by the water circuit module by circulating the refrigerant, and transfers the heat to the dehumidification heat exchange module through the exhaust air circuit; the dehumidification heat exchange module includes a dehumidification wheel and a sensible heat exchanger, the dehumidification wheel respectively receives the exhaust air transmitted by the exhaust air circuit and the circulating air inside the energy storage cabinet, and the sensible heat exchanger is used to perform heat exchange between the exhaust air and the circulating air processed by the dehumidification wheel.

2. The thermal management unit with dehumidification function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The refrigeration system module comprises a condenser, a compressor, a throttling device and an evaporator which are cyclically connected in sequence; The compressor is used as the starting point of the refrigerant circulation; the condenser is used to condense the refrigerant flowing out of the compressor and dissipate heat; the throttling device is used to throttle the liquid of the condensed refrigerant; The evaporator is used to transfer the heat of the water flow driven by the water circuit module by the refrigerant throttled by the throttling device, and circulate the refrigerant after heat conversion into the compressor.

3. The thermal management unit with dehumidification function according to claim 2, characterized in that: The throttling device is an expansion valve or a throttling capillary tube.

4. The thermal management unit with dehumidification function according to claim 2, characterized in that: The water circuit module includes a water pump, the input end of the water pump is connected to the battery pack cold plate, the output end of the water pump is connected to the water flow input end of the evaporator, and the water flow output end of the evaporator is connected to the battery pack cold plate, so that the water flow of the battery pack cold plate flows through the water pump and the evaporator in sequence and then flows back to the battery pack cold plate.

5. The thermal management unit with dehumidification function according to claim 4, characterized in that: The water circuit module also includes a pre-cooling water tray plate, the water flow output end of the evaporator is also connected to the first end of the pre-cooling water tray plate, and the second end of the pre-cooling water tray plate is connected to the input end of the water pump; the pre-cooling water tray plate is arranged on the air path where the dehumidification wheel receives the circulating air.

6. The thermal management unit with dehumidification function according to claim 5, characterized in that: The water circuit module further includes an adjustable two-way valve, which is disposed on a pipeline between the second end of the pre-cooling water tray and the input end of the water pump.

7. The thermal management unit with dehumidification function according to claim 6, characterized in that: The adjustable two-way valve is an adjustable ball valve or an adjustable butterfly valve.

8. An energy storage system, characterized in that: It comprises the thermal management unit and energy storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the energy storage container comprises a plurality of battery packs.

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