Liquid cooling structure and battery module

Abstract

The utility model discloses a liquid cooling structure and a battery module, and belongs to the technical field of battery modules. The liquid cooling structure comprises a heat insulation piece and a heat conduction piece; wherein the heat insulation piece is made of an elastic heat insulation material; the two opposite sides of the heat insulation part are each provided with at least one heat conduction part, each heat conduction part comprises a heat conduction base material and a plurality of liquid cooling pipelines extending along the X axis, the heat conduction base materials are made of elastic heat conduction materials, the liquid cooling pipelines are connected to the heat conduction base materials, and the heat conduction base materials can abut against the battery cells. The liquid cooling structure disclosed by the utility model is simple in structure and relatively thin in thickness, and the energy density of the battery cell is improved; and the heat conduction piece abutting against the battery cell can directly absorb the expansion effect generated in the use process of the battery cell, so that the buffer effect of the whole liquid cooling structure is good.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of battery modules, in particular to a liquid cooling structure and a battery module. Background Art

[0002] At present, a liquid cooling structure is filled between two adjacent battery cells in a battery module. The liquid cooling structure includes an aerogel layer, a silicone foam layer respectively arranged on opposite sides of the aerogel layer, a glass fiber layer respectively arranged on opposite sides of the silicone foam layer, and a thermal conductive layer respectively arranged on opposite sides of the glass fiber layer; the thermal conductive layer is a thermal conductive metal plate, which is used to abut the battery cells so as to dissipate heat for the battery cells; the aerogel layer, silicone foam layer and glass fiber layer located in the middle are used to provide buffering and heat insulation, so that the entire liquid cooling structure has liquid cooling and heat dissipation and buffering and heat insulation functions.

[0003] However, since the three-layer structure of the aerogel layer, the silicone foam layer and the glass fiber layer is used to provide buffering and heat insulation, the thickness of the entire liquid cooling structure is relatively thick, which reduces the energy density of the battery core; and, although the aerogel layer, the silicone foam layer and the glass fiber layer can provide a certain buffering effect, since the thermal conductive layer abutting the battery core is a thermally conductive metal plate, it cannot directly absorb the expansion effect generated during the use of the battery core, resulting in poor buffering effect of the entire liquid cooling structure. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of the utility model is to propose a liquid cooling structure and a battery module, which can make the thickness of the entire liquid cooling structure thinner, thereby improving the energy density of the battery cell, and can enable the heat conductive member abutting the battery cell to directly absorb the expansion effect generated during the use of the battery cell, so that the buffering effect of the entire liquid cooling structure is good.

[0005] To achieve this purpose, the utility model adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] A liquid cooling structure, comprising:

[0007] A heat insulating member, wherein the heat insulating member is made of elastic heat insulating material;

[0008] A heat-conducting member, at least one of which is disposed on opposite sides of the heat-insulating member, the heat-conducting member comprising a heat-conducting substrate and a plurality of liquid-cooling pipes extending along the X-axis, the heat-conducting substrate being made of an elastic heat-conducting material, the liquid-cooling pipes being connected to the heat-conducting substrate, and the heat-conducting substrate being capable of abutting against the battery core.

[0009] As an optional solution, the diameter of the liquid cooling pipe matches the heating power of the battery core.

[0010] As an optional solution, the thermal insulation element is thermal insulation foam or aerogel.

[0011] As an optional solution, the thermally conductive substrate is thermally conductive silicone.

[0012] As an optional solution, a plurality of installation channels are provided in the heat-conductive substrate, and the installation channels extend along the X-axis, and one installation channel is used for installing one of the liquid cooling pipes.

[0013] As an optional solution, a plurality of mounting grooves are provided on the surface of the heat-conducting substrate, and the mounting grooves extend along the X-axis, and one mounting groove is used for mounting one of the liquid-cooling pipes.

[0014] As an optional solution, the liquid cooling structure further includes:

[0015] The current collector is connected to the opposite ends of the heat conductive member along the X-axis, the liquid cooling pipe extends outside the heat conductive substrate and is plugged into the current collecting space in the current collector, the current collector has a liquid inlet for the coolant to flow in and a liquid outlet for the coolant to flow out, and the current collecting space is connected to the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet, respectively.

[0016] As an optional solution, the current collector is sealed and connected to the thermally conductive substrate.

[0017] As an optional solution, at least one thermal insulation member is provided, and a plurality of thermal insulation members are stacked and arranged in sequence along the Z axis.

[0018] A battery module comprises a plurality of battery cells and the liquid cooling structure as described above, wherein the plurality of battery cells are arranged in an array, and the liquid cooling structure is provided between two adjacent battery cells.

[0019] The beneficial effects of the utility model are:

[0020] By setting the heat insulating member made of elastic heat insulating material, the heat between two adjacent battery cells can be isolated when thermal runaway occurs in the battery cell, that is, the heat insulating member can play the role of heat barrier, preventing the heat from being transferred to the adjacent battery cells through the liquid cooling structure and causing heat diffusion, thereby ensuring the safety during thermal runaway; at the same time, at least one heat conducting member is respectively arranged on the opposite sides of the heat insulating member, and the heat conducting member includes a heat conducting substrate and a plurality of liquid cooling pipes extending along the X-axis, the material of the heat conducting substrate is an elastic heat conducting material, the liquid cooling pipes are connected to the heat conducting substrate, and the heat conducting substrate can abut against the battery cell, so that the heat of the battery cell can be transferred out through the heat conducting substrate and the liquid cooling pipes thereon, thereby realizing liquid cooling of the battery cell; because the heat insulating member has The liquid cooling structure has a certain buffering effect due to its elasticity, so that it can absorb the expansion force generated by the battery cells during use, prevent the battery cells from expanding and damaging the liquid cooling structure, so as to increase the service life of the liquid cooling structure; and, since the heat conductive member directly abutting the battery cells is also elastic, the expansion effect generated by the battery cells during use can be directly absorbed by the heat conductive member, so that the buffering effect of the entire liquid cooling structure is better, so as to further increase the service life of the liquid cooling structure; moreover, the entire liquid cooling structure achieves the buffering and heat insulating effect only through a layer of heat insulating member and the elastic effect of the heat conductive member itself, and the structure is simple, so that the thickness of the entire liquid cooling structure is thin, thereby increasing the energy density of the battery cells. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a liquid cooling structure provided by the utility model (one of the current collectors is not installed on the heat conductive substrate);

[0022] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the liquid cooling structure provided by the utility model;

[0023] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of the heat-conducting substrate provided by the utility model.

[0024] Description of reference numerals:

[0025] 1- heat insulating member; 2- heat conducting member; 21- heat conducting substrate; 211- installation channel; 22- liquid cooling pipe; 3- current collector; 31- liquid inlet; 32- liquid outlet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] All features disclosed in this specification, or steps in all methods or processes disclosed, except mutually exclusive features and / or steps, can be combined in any manner.

[0027] Any feature disclosed in this specification, unless otherwise stated, may be replaced by other equivalent or alternative features having similar purposes. That is, unless otherwise stated, each feature is only an example of a series of equivalent or similar features. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals indicate the same elements.

[0028] In order to make the technical problems solved by the present invention, the technical solutions adopted and the technical effects achieved more clearly, the technical solutions of the present invention are further explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings and through specific implementation methods.

[0029] In this embodiment, a liquid cooling structure and a battery module including the liquid cooling structure are proposed. The battery module also includes a plurality of battery cells, which are arranged in an array. A liquid cooling structure is arranged between two adjacent battery cells. The liquid cooling structure can achieve liquid cooling heat dissipation, elastic buffering and heat insulation functions for the battery cells, thereby ensuring the heat dissipation effect, long service life and heat insulation effect of the battery module. The battery module in this embodiment can specifically be a lithium battery module, and the specific type of the battery module is not limited here.

[0030] It is worth mentioning that the liquid cooling structure in this embodiment can achieve heat dissipation, buffering and heat insulation of the battery cell. There is no need to separately set a liquid cooling plate, buffer pad and insulation pad between two adjacent battery cells, which saves the installation space between two adjacent battery cells and improves the energy density of the battery cell.

[0031] Specifically, Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the liquid cooling structure includes a heat insulating member 1 and a heat conducting member 2; wherein the heat insulating member 1 is made of an elastic heat insulating material; at least one heat conducting member 2 is respectively arranged on the opposite sides of the heat insulating member 1 along the Z axis, and the heat conducting member 2 includes a heat conducting substrate 21 and a plurality of liquid cooling pipes 22 extending along the X axis, and the heat conducting substrate 21 is made of an elastic heat conducting material, and the liquid cooling pipes 22 are connected to the heat conducting substrate 21, and the heat conducting substrate 21 can abut against the battery cell. In this embodiment, a heat conducting member 2 is respectively arranged on the opposite sides of the heat insulating member 1 along the Z axis. In other embodiments, two or three heat conducting members 2 can also be respectively arranged on the opposite sides of the heat insulating member 1 along the Z axis, so that the heat conducting member 2 has a better liquid cooling and heat dissipation effect on the battery cell. The specific number of heat conducting members 2 is not limited here.

[0032] Compared with the prior art, the liquid cooling structure in this embodiment has changed the specific structural arrangement of the liquid cooling structure and the material of the heat-conducting member 2; the heat-insulating member 1 is set to be an elastic heat-insulating material, so as to isolate the heat between two adjacent battery cells when thermal runaway occurs in the battery cell, that is, the heat-insulating member 1 can play a role of thermal barrier, prevent the heat from being transferred to the adjacent battery cells through the liquid cooling structure and causing heat diffusion, thereby ensuring the safety during thermal runaway; at the same time, at least one heat-conducting member 2 is respectively arranged on the opposite sides of the heat-insulating member 1, and the heat-conducting member 2 includes a heat-conducting substrate 21 and a plurality of liquid-cooling pipes 22 extending along the X-axis, the material of the heat-conducting substrate 21 is an elastic heat-conducting material, the liquid-cooling pipes 22 are connected to the heat-conducting substrate 21, and the heat-conducting substrate 21 can abut against the battery cell so as to be able to pass the heat-conducting substrate 21 and the liquid thereon The cold pipe 22 transfers the heat of the battery cell to achieve liquid cooling of the battery cell; since the thermal insulation 1 is elastic, the liquid cooling structure has a certain buffering effect, so that it can absorb the expansion force generated by the battery cell during use, prevent the battery cell from expanding and squeezing the liquid cooling structure, so as to increase the service life of the liquid cooling structure; and, since the heat conductive member 2 directly abutting the battery cell is also elastic, the expansion effect generated by the battery cell during use can be directly absorbed by the heat conductive member 2, so that the buffering effect of the entire liquid cooling structure is better, so as to further increase the service life of the liquid cooling structure; moreover, the entire liquid cooling structure only achieves the buffering and heat insulation effect through a layer of the thermal insulation 1 combined with the elastic effect of the thermal conductive member 2 itself, and the structure is simple, so that the thickness of the entire liquid cooling structure is thin, thereby improving the energy density of the battery cell.

[0033] It is worth noting that since the thermally conductive substrate 21 is in direct contact with the large surface of the battery cell, the heat of the battery cell can be conducted to the thermally conductive substrate 21 to a greater extent, so that the thermally conductive substrate 21 transfers the heat to the liquid cooling pipe 22, thereby ensuring a better liquid cooling heat dissipation effect on the battery cell.

[0034] Furthermore, the diameter of the liquid cooling pipe 22 matches the heating power of the battery cell, that is, the diameter of the liquid cooling pipe 22 is positively correlated with the heating power of the battery cell, that is, the diameter of the liquid cooling pipe 22 can be increased at the position where the heating power of the battery cell is larger to ensure the heat dissipation effect of the battery cell; the diameter of the liquid cooling pipe 22 can be reduced at the position where the heating power of the battery cell is smaller to avoid waste of resources; that is, the size of the liquid cooling pipe 22 can be adjusted according to the different heating power of the battery cell, so that the entire battery cell can achieve a uniform temperature effect and avoid excessive temperature difference at various positions of the battery cell.

[0035] It is worth noting that the specific diameter of the liquid cooling pipe 22 is not limited here, and needs to be determined according to the actual heating power of the battery cell, that is, the diameters of the liquid cooling pipes 22 can be the same or different, and the liquid cooling pipes 22 can be of constant diameter or variable diameter.

[0036] Furthermore, the thermal insulation element 1 can be specifically made of thermal insulation foam or aerogel, which can improve the thermal insulation effect of the thermal insulation element 1 on the one hand, thereby ensuring higher safety during thermal runaway; on the other hand, the thermal insulation element 1 has a better buffering effect, thereby improving the buffering effect of the entire liquid cooling structure. In other embodiments, the thermal insulation element 1 can also be other structures with elastic thermal insulation, which are not specifically limited here.

[0037] Specifically, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, at least one heat insulating member 1 is provided, and multiple heat insulating members 1 are stacked and arranged in sequence along the Z axis, so that the heat insulating effect and buffering effect of the multiple heat insulating members 1 can be better. In this embodiment, the heat insulating member 1 is specifically provided with one, so that the thickness of the entire liquid cooling structure can be thinner while ensuring the heat insulating effect and buffering effect.

[0038] Specifically, the thermally conductive substrate 21 can be thermally conductive silica gel, which has high thermal conductivity and can effectively conduct heat from the battery cell; and the stability and durability of the thermally conductive silica gel enable the thermally conductive substrate 21 to maintain heat dissipation performance for a long time, so as to improve the heat dissipation reliability and service life of the thermally conductive substrate 21. In other embodiments, the thermally conductive substrate 21 can also be other elastic thermally conductive structures, which are not specifically limited here.

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if Figures 1 to 3 As shown, a plurality of installation channels 211 are provided inside the thermally conductive substrate 21, and the installation channels 211 extend along the X-axis. One installation channel 211 is used to install a liquid cooling pipe 22, so that the liquid cooling pipe 22 and the thermally conductive substrate 21 are integrated into an integral structure, which is beneficial for the subsequent installation of the entire liquid cooling structure between two adjacent battery cells; and, the liquid cooling pipe 22 is arranged inside the thermally conductive substrate 21, so that the thermally conductive substrate 21 can cover the liquid cooling pipe 22 to provide protection for the liquid cooling pipe 22, and because the thermally conductive substrate 21 has high thermal conductivity, it can ensure that the thermally conductive substrate 21 transfers heat to the liquid cooling pipe 22 inside it, that is, the liquid cooling heat dissipation effect of the liquid cooling pipe 22 can be ensured.

[0040] In other embodiments, a plurality of mounting grooves may be provided on the surface of the heat-conductive substrate 21, and the mounting grooves extend along the X-axis. One mounting groove is used to install a liquid cooling pipe 22, so that the liquid cooling pipe 22 can directly abut the battery cell, so that the liquid cooling pipe 22 has a better liquid cooling heat dissipation effect on the battery cell.

[0041] Furthermore, if Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the liquid cooling structure also includes two current collectors 3, and the opposite ends of the heat conducting member 2 along the X axis are respectively connected to a current collector 3, and the liquid cooling pipe 22 extends outside the heat conducting substrate 21 and is plugged into the current collecting space in the current collector 3. The current collector 3 has a liquid inlet 31 for the coolant to flow in and a liquid outlet 32 ​​for the coolant to flow out. The current collecting space is connected to the liquid inlet 31 and the liquid outlet 32 ​​respectively, so as to form a flow path through the current collector 3 and the liquid cooling pipe 22, so as to ensure that the coolant can flow in the liquid cooling pipe 22. The current collector 3 in this embodiment is a common current collecting structure in the existing liquid cooling plate, and the specific working principle of the current collector 3 is not described in detail here.

[0042] Specifically, the current collector 3 is sealed and connected to the thermally conductive substrate 21 to ensure the sealing effect between the current collector 3 and the thermally conductive substrate 21, thereby preventing the coolant from overflowing from the gap between the current collector 3 and the thermally conductive substrate 21, and ensuring the cooling effect of the coolant. A sealing gasket may be provided between the current collector 3 and the thermally conductive substrate 21.

[0043] The liquid cooling structure in the present embodiment is only provided with a heat conductive part 2 and a heat insulating part 1 for liquid cooling, heat insulation and elastic buffering, and has a simple structure, so that the thickness of the entire liquid cooling structure is relatively thin, thereby improving the energy density of the battery cell; and it can simultaneously realize the functions of liquid cooling, heat insulation and elastic buffering, thereby making the entire liquid cooling structure multifunctional; and the liquid cooling pipe 22 and the heat conductive substrate 21 are integrated to form a structure of the heat conductive part 2, thereby making the installation of the entire liquid cooling structure relatively simple and convenient, and being able to further reduce the thickness of the liquid cooling structure, thereby better improving the energy density of the battery cell; and the heat conductive substrate 21 directly abutting the battery cell is elastic, so that the heat conductive substrate 21 can directly absorb the expansion effect generated during the use of the battery cell, thereby making the elastic buffering effect of the entire liquid cooling structure better.

[0044] The battery module in this embodiment has the above-mentioned liquid cooling structure provided between two adjacent battery cells, that is, the heat conductor 2 is in contact with the large surface of the battery cell, and the current collector 3 is located at the end of the battery cell, thereby ensuring that the current collector 3 does not interfere with the battery cells; thus, the liquid cooling heat dissipation effect of the battery module is better, the service life is longer, and the thermal barrier effect can be guaranteed when the battery cell is thermally runaway, thereby ensuring the higher safety of the battery module.

[0045] The above contents are only preferred embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, according to the concept of the present invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scopes. The contents of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

Claims

1. A liquid cooling structure, characterized in that: include: A heat insulating member (1), wherein the heat insulating member (1) is made of an elastic heat insulating material; A heat conducting member (2), at least one of the heat conducting members (2) is disposed on opposite sides of the heat insulating member (1), the heat conducting member (2) comprises a heat conducting substrate (21) and a plurality of liquid cooling pipes (22) extending along the X-axis, the heat conducting substrate (21) is made of an elastic heat conducting material, the liquid cooling pipes (22) are connected to the heat conducting substrate (21), and the heat conducting substrate (21) is capable of abutting against a battery cell.

2. The liquid cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The diameter of the liquid cooling pipe (22) matches the heating power of the battery core.

3. The liquid cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thermal insulation component (1) is thermal insulation foam or aerogel.

4. The liquid cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat-conductive substrate (21) is heat-conductive silica gel.

5. The liquid cooling structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: A plurality of installation channels (211) are provided in the heat-conducting substrate (21), wherein the installation channels (211) extend along the X-axis, and one installation channel (211) is used to install one liquid cooling pipe (22).

6. The liquid cooling structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: A plurality of mounting grooves are provided on the surface of the heat-conducting substrate (21), wherein the mounting grooves extend along the X-axis, and one mounting groove is used to mount one of the liquid cooling pipes (22).

7. The liquid cooling structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The liquid cooling structure also includes: The current collector (3) is connected to the opposite ends of the heat-conducting member (2) along the X-axis, respectively. The liquid cooling pipe (22) extends outside the heat-conducting substrate (21) and is plugged into a current collecting space in the current collector (3). The current collector (3) has a liquid inlet (31) for the coolant to flow in and a liquid outlet (32) for the coolant to flow out. The current collecting space is connected to the liquid inlet (31) and the liquid outlet (32) respectively.

8. The liquid cooling structure according to claim 7, characterized in that: The current collector (3) is sealed and connected to the thermally conductive substrate (21).

9. The liquid cooling structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The thermal insulation component (1) is at least one, and a plurality of the thermal insulation components (1) are stacked and arranged in sequence along the Z axis.

10. A battery module, characterized in that: It comprises a plurality of battery cells and a liquid cooling structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the plurality of battery cells are arranged in an array, and the liquid cooling structure is provided between two adjacent battery cells.

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