Liquid cooling base and battery pack

Abstract

The utility model discloses a liquid cooling base and a battery pack, the liquid cooling base comprises a shell and a support plate, the support plate and the shell are matched to form a plurality of battery cell accommodating cavities, the support plate is provided with a first area, a second area and a third area which are separated from each other along a first direction, a first flow channel is formed between the first area and the second area, and a second flow channel is formed between the second area and the third area. A third flow channel is formed between the second area and the third area; the first end of the first flow channel is communicated with the water inlet hole, and the first end of the third flow channel is communicated with the water outlet hole; a second flow channel is arranged in the shell between the first flow channel and the third flow channel in the first direction, and the second flow channel is communicated with the first flow channel and the third flow channel to form a cooling flow channel. Compared with the prior art, the liquid cooling effect of the battery module is ensured, an independent liquid cooling plate is omitted, and the number of pipe joints is reduced, so that the safety of the battery pack is improved, and meanwhile, the production and manufacturing cost is also reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of batteries, in particular to a liquid cooling base and a battery pack. Background Art

[0002] In new energy storage cabinets or prefabricated energy storage cabins, battery packs, as basic energy storage units, need to be within a reasonable temperature range to achieve optimal performance. Battery packs contain cells, and currently, bottom liquid cooling plates or side liquid cooling plates are usually used to dissipate heat from the cells in the battery packs.

[0003] However, since the thermal conductivity of most energy storage cells in the vertical direction (Y-axis direction) is one order of magnitude lower than that in the horizontal direction (X and Z-axis directions), the effect of using a bottom liquid cooling plate to dissipate heat is not ideal. At the same time, although the existing side liquid cooling has a better heat dissipation effect, the increase in the number of liquid cooling plates and pipe joints increases the difficulty, cost and leakage risk of the battery pack installation. Utility Model Content

[0004] The main purpose of the utility model is to provide a safe, simple and low-cost liquid cooling base and battery pack.

[0005] The liquid cooling base proposed by the utility model comprises:

[0006] A shell, wherein the shell is formed with a module accommodating cavity with an upper end opening, and a water inlet hole and a water outlet hole are opened on one side of the shell;

[0007] A support plate is arranged in the module accommodating cavity, the support plate cooperates with the shell to form a plurality of cell accommodating cavities suitable for accommodating the cells, the support plate is formed with a first region, a second region and a third region spaced apart from each other along a first direction, a first flow channel is formed between the first region and the second region, and a third flow channel is formed between the second region and the third region;

[0008] The first end of the first flow channel is communicated with the water inlet, and the first end of the third flow channel is communicated with the water outlet;

[0009] A second flow channel is provided inside the shell between the first flow channel and the third flow channel along the first direction, a first end of the second flow channel is communicated with a second end of the first flow channel, and a second end of the second flow channel is communicated with a second end of the third flow channel.

[0010] Optionally, the liquid cooling base further includes a first transition flow channel and a second transition flow channel, the first flow channel is connected to the water inlet through the first transition flow channel, and the third flow channel is connected to the water outlet through the second transition flow channel.

[0011] Optionally, the first transition flow channel is gradually narrowed from the first flow channel to the water inlet, and the second transition flow channel is gradually narrowed from the third flow channel to the water outlet.

[0012] Optionally, a tail flow channel is formed on the support plate near the water outlet along the first direction, and the third flow channel is connected to the second transition flow channel through the tail flow channel.

[0013] Optionally, the length of the tail flow channel is 30mm-100mm.

[0014] Optionally, the shell is provided with an empty groove between the second flow channel and the battery cell accommodating cavity adjacent to the second flow channel.

[0015] Optionally, the width of the empty slot is 2mm-15mm.

[0016] Optionally, the shell and the support plate are made of at least one of PPS, PPA and PTFE.

[0017] Optionally, the liquid cooling base is formed by integral injection molding.

[0018] The utility model also provides a battery pack, which includes a battery cell module, an upper cover and the above-mentioned liquid cooling base;

[0019] The battery cell module includes a plurality of battery cells, and the battery cells are arranged one by one in the battery cell accommodating cavity;

[0020] The upper cover and the liquid cooling base cooperate to fix the battery core module in the module accommodating cavity.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0022] The cooling channel is formed by the support plate and the shell of the liquid cooling base. A part of the support plate directly constitutes the side wall of the first channel and the third channel. The bottom shell constitutes the bottom of the first cooling channel and the third cooling channel. The second cooling channel is directly opened in the shell. Therefore, the liquid cooling plate and various pipe joints required for installing the liquid cooling plate are eliminated, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost, avoiding the risk of leakage, and improving the safety of the battery pack. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the utility model or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the utility model. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying creative work.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of an embodiment of the liquid cooling base of the utility model;

[0025] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A top view of the liquid cooling base is shown;

[0026] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The structural diagram of the cooling channel shown;

[0027] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the local structure of the tail flow channel is shown;

[0028] Figure 5 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a partial structure of the second flow channel shown;

[0029] Figure 6 It is an assembly diagram of an embodiment of a battery pack of the utility model;

[0030] Figure 7 It is a three-dimensional structural diagram of an embodiment of a battery pack of the present utility model.

[0031] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0032] Label name Label name 1 Liquid cooling base 2 Battery module 3 Upper cover 101 case 102 Water inlet 103 Water outlet 104 Empty slot 110 Support plate 121 First runner 122 Second flow channel 123 The third flow channel 124 First transition channel 125 Second transition channel 126 Tail flow channel

[0033] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of the utility model will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the utility model to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the utility model, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the utility model, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the utility model.

[0035] The descriptions of "first", "second", etc. in the present utility model are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but they must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in the field to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present utility model.

[0036] The battery pack contains battery cells. Currently, a bottom liquid cooling plate or a side liquid cooling plate is usually used to dissipate heat from the battery cells in the battery pack. The effect of using a bottom liquid cooling plate to dissipate heat is not ideal. At the same time, although the existing side liquid cooling has a better heat dissipation effect, the increase in the number of liquid cooling plates and pipe joints increases the difficulty, cost and leakage risk of the battery pack installation.

[0037] The utility model provides a liquid cooling base, aiming to solve the above problems.

[0038] See also Figure 1 In one embodiment, the liquid cooling base 1 provided by the present invention comprises:

[0039] A housing 101, wherein the housing 101 is formed with a module accommodating cavity with an upper end opening, and a water inlet hole 102 and a water outlet hole 103 are formed on one side of the housing 101;

[0040] A support plate 110 is disposed in the module accommodating cavity. The support plate 110 cooperates with the housing 101 to form a plurality of cell accommodating cavities suitable for accommodating cells. The support plate 110 is formed with a first region, a second region, and a third region spaced apart from each other along a first direction. A first flow channel 121 is formed between the first region and the second region, and a third flow channel 123 is formed between the second region and the third region.

[0041] The first end of the first flow channel 121 is communicated with the water inlet 102, and the first end of the third flow channel 123 is communicated with the water outlet 103;

[0042] A second flow channel 122 is provided inside the shell 101 between the first flow channel 121 and the third flow channel 123 along the first direction, and a first end of the second flow channel 122 is connected to a second end of the first flow channel 121 , and a second end of the second flow channel 122 is connected to a second end of the third flow channel 123 .

[0043] Specifically, the water inlet, the first flow channel 121, the second flow channel 122, the third flow channel 123 and the water outlet are connected in sequence to form a cooling flow channel of the liquid cooling base 1. The cooling medium circulates in the cooling flow channel to take away the heat generated by the battery cell during the charging and discharging process, thereby achieving a good cooling effect and ensuring the safe operation of the battery pack.

[0044] Optionally, the cooling medium is a liquid. Pure water can be used as the cooling medium; an aqueous solution with antifreeze (such as ethylene glycol or propylene glycol) can also be used to lower its freezing point to prevent freezing in a low temperature environment, while also raising the boiling point, which is suitable for a wider temperature range; professional coolants, such as hydrocarbon and organosilicon compound cooling media, can also be used to ensure good electrical insulation and stable thermodynamic properties, and safely and effectively transfer a large amount of heat.

[0045] It is understandable that the liquid cooling base 1 proposed in the utility model adopts a side liquid cooling method, and the cooling channel is located on the side of the battery cell accommodating cavity. Optionally, the height of the cooling channel is consistent with the height of the battery cell accommodating cavity, and the entire side of the battery cell close to the cooling channel can be cooled to achieve a better cooling effect. Optionally, the support plate 110 is designed as a grid type so that the battery cell accommodating cavity is arranged neatly and compactly, and is used to accommodate square energy storage batteries, which reduces the manufacturing difficulty. When the support plate 110 is a grid type, the first cooling channel and the third cooling channel are respectively located between two rows of battery cell accommodating cavities, the first cooling channel is a channel between the first area and the second area of ​​the support plate 110, and the third cooling channel is a channel between the second area and the third area of ​​the support plate 110, and it is ensured that one side of any battery cell accommodating cavity is in contact with the cooling medium in the cooling channel. Optionally, the first channel 121 and the third channel 123 are arranged in parallel, and the first direction is a direction perpendicular to the direction of the first channel 121 to simplify the design and reduce the manufacturing difficulty.

[0046] Compared with the prior art, the cooling channel of the utility model is formed by the support plate 110 and the shell 101 of the liquid cooling base 1. A part of the support plate 110 directly constitutes the side wall of the first channel 121 and the third channel 123. The bottom shell 101 constitutes the bottom of the first cooling channel and the third cooling channel. The second cooling channel is directly opened in the shell 101, thereby eliminating the liquid cooling plate and the various pipe joints required for installing the liquid cooling plate, reducing the manufacturing cost, avoiding the risk of leakage, and improving the safety of the battery pack. At the same time, since there is only one layer of support plate 110 (i.e., the side wall of the first cooling channel and the third cooling channel) between the cooling medium in the cooling channel and the battery cell in the battery cell accommodating cavity, the heat conduction path is short, ensuring a good cooling effect.

[0047] Based on the above embodiment, further, the liquid cooling base 1 also includes a first transition flow channel 124 and a second transition flow channel 125, the first flow channel 121 is connected to the water inlet 102 through the first transition flow channel 124, and the third flow channel 123 is connected to the water outlet 103 through the second transition flow channel 125.

[0048] The first transition channel 124 is gradually narrowed from the first channel 121 to the water inlet 102 , and the second transition channel 125 is gradually narrowed from the third channel 123 to the water outlet 103 .

[0049] Specifically, Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown, since the height of the first cooling channel and the third cooling channel is set to be consistent with the height of the battery cell accommodating cavity, and the water inlet hole 102 and the water outlet hole 103 are generally small-sized circular apertures, a first transition channel 124 with a tapered design is set between the water inlet hole 102 and the first channel 121, and a second transition channel 125 with a tapered design is set between the water outlet hole 103 and the third channel 123, so as to achieve connectivity among the water inlet hole 102, the water outlet hole 103 and the cooling channel.

[0050] Since the transition cooling channel is of a tapered design, its size is inconsistent with the first channel 121 and the third channel 123 , and therefore no battery cell accommodating cavity is provided in the area where the transition cooling channel is located to avoid excessive temperature difference between battery cells.

[0051] Further, see Figure 1-4 In one embodiment, a tail channel 126 is formed on the support plate 110 along the first direction near the water outlet 103 , and the third channel 123 and the second transition channel 125 are connected and communicated through the tail channel 126 .

[0052] Specifically, in actual working conditions, the temperature of the cooling medium in the cooling channel increases from the water inlet 102 to the water outlet 103, so the temperature of the battery cell near the water outlet 103 will be higher than that of the battery cell near the water inlet 102. Therefore, a section of tail channel 126 is designed next to the battery cell accommodating cavity near the water outlet 103, which can increase the contact area between the battery cell near the water outlet 103 and the cooling channel, so as to effectively reduce the temperature difference between the battery cells. The tail channel 126 is arranged along the first direction close to the last battery cell accommodating cavity through which the third channel 123 flows, and forms an "L" shape with the third channel 123.

[0053] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the length L1 of the tail channel 126 is 30 mm-100 mm. The long side and wide side of the square battery cell used for energy storage are usually several hundred millimeters. In this embodiment, the length L1 of the tail channel 126 can be set according to the actual cooling effect, and 30 mm-100 mm is a more reasonable distribution range of the length L1 of the tail channel 126 in actual working conditions.

[0054] Further, in one embodiment, if Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, the housing 101 is provided with an empty groove 104 between the second flow channel 122 and the battery cell accommodating cavity adjacent to the second flow channel 122 .

[0055] Optionally, the width L2 of the slot 104 is 2 mm-15 mm.

[0056] Specifically, since the battery cell near the second flow channel 122 has two sides in contact with the cooling flow channel, the contact area with the cooling flow channel is too large, which may cause the temperature of the battery cell at that location to be low, thereby increasing the temperature difference between the batteries. Therefore, an empty slot 104 is set in the housing 101 between the second flow channel 122 and the battery cell at that location, and the height of the empty slot 104 can be designed to be consistent with the height of the cooling flow channel. Due to the existence of the empty slot 104, the battery cell at that location is separated from the second flow channel 122 by air, and the thermal conductivity of the air is only about 0.25w / (m·K), which can significantly reduce the heat exchange between the cooling medium in the second flow channel 122 and the nearby battery cells, ensuring that the temperature difference between the battery cells is not too large.

[0057] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the shell 101 and the support plate 110 are made of at least one of PPS, PPA and PTFE.

[0058] In this embodiment, the liquid cooling base 1 is formed by integral injection molding.

[0059] Specifically, the material of the shell 101 and the support plate 110 is the plastic mentioned above, and can be integrally injection molded. Compared with the metal structure of a traditional battery pack, it is easier to produce and install and has lower cost.

[0060] In an optional embodiment, the cooling channel includes a plurality of interconnected first cooling channels, second cooling channels and third cooling channels, which can realize cooling of a larger-scale battery cell module 2.

[0061] See also Figure 6 and Figure 7 The utility model also provides a battery pack, which includes a battery cell module 2, an upper cover 3 and a liquid cooling base 1 as described in any of the above embodiments;

[0062] The battery cell module 2 includes a plurality of battery cells, and the battery cells are arranged one by one in the battery cell accommodating cavity;

[0063] The upper cover 3 and the liquid cooling base 1 cooperate to fix the battery cell module 2 in the module accommodating cavity.

[0064] In summary, the utility model proposes a liquid cooling base and a battery pack. The liquid cooling base is used to fix and cool the battery cells. The support plate and shell of the liquid cooling base can be integrally injection molded. The support plate and the shell cooperate to form a cooling channel. The cooling channel is integrated in the liquid cooling base and injection molded together, which greatly improves the space utilization inside the battery pack and enhances the stability of the overall structure of the battery pack. At the same time, it eliminates the use of liquid cooling plates and related accessories, reduces the cost of the battery pack, reduces the risk of battery pack leakage, and is easy to install.

[0065] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the utility model, and does not limit the patent scope of the utility model. All equivalent structures or equivalent process changes made by using the contents of the utility model specification and drawings under the utility model concept, or directly or indirectly used in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the utility model.

Claims

1. A liquid cooling base for fixing and cooling a battery cell, characterized in that: The liquid cooling base comprises: A shell, wherein the shell is formed with a module accommodating cavity with an upper end opening, and a water inlet hole and a water outlet hole are opened on one side of the shell; A support plate is arranged in the module accommodating cavity, the support plate cooperates with the shell to form a plurality of cell accommodating cavities suitable for accommodating the cells, the support plate is formed with a first region, a second region and a third region spaced apart from each other along a first direction, a first flow channel is formed between the first region and the second region, and a third flow channel is formed between the second region and the third region; The first end of the first flow channel is communicated with the water inlet, and the first end of the third flow channel is communicated with the water outlet; A second flow channel is provided inside the shell between the first flow channel and the third flow channel along the first direction, a first end of the second flow channel is communicated with a second end of the first flow channel, and a second end of the second flow channel is communicated with a second end of the third flow channel.

2. The liquid cooling base according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid cooling base further includes a first transition flow channel and a second transition flow channel, the first flow channel is connected to the water inlet through the first transition flow channel, and the third flow channel is connected to the water outlet through the second transition flow channel.

3. The liquid cooling base according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first transition flow channel is gradually narrowed from the first flow channel to the water inlet, and the second transition flow channel is gradually narrowed from the third flow channel to the water outlet.

4. The liquid cooling base according to claim 3, characterized in that: The support plate is formed with a tail flow channel along the first direction near the water outlet, and the third flow channel and the second transition flow channel are connected and communicated through the tail flow channel.

5. The liquid cooling base according to claim 4, characterized in that: The length of the tail flow channel is 30mm-100mm.

6. The liquid cooling base according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shell is provided with an empty groove between the second flow channel and the battery cell accommodating cavity adjacent to the second flow channel.

7. The liquid cooling base according to claim 6, characterized in that: The width of the empty slot is 2mm-15mm.

8. The liquid cooling base according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The shell and the support plate are made of at least one of PPS, PPA and PTFE.

9. The liquid cooling base according to claim 8, characterized in that: The liquid cooling base is formed by integral injection molding.

10. A battery pack, characterized in that: The battery pack comprises a battery cell module, an upper cover and a liquid cooling base as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9; The battery cell module includes a plurality of battery cells, and the battery cells are arranged one by one in the battery cell accommodating cavity; The upper cover and the liquid cooling base cooperate to fix the battery core module in the module accommodating cavity.

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