Multi-runner configuration liquid cooling plate

Abstract

The utility model provides a liquid cooling plate with a multi-flow-channel structure, which is characterized in that an inlet flow channel is adjacent to an outlet flow channel for heat exchange, then is divided into a plurality of inlet secondary flow channels, is continuously collected, then is divided into outlet secondary flow channels and is collected to an outlet flow channel, and meanwhile, the cross sections of at least part of the flow channels are designed to be polygonal; therefore, a good temperature equalizing effect can be provided, the pressure loss of the flow channel is reduced, and the heat dissipation capability of the whole liquid cooling plate is further improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a liquid cooling plate, in particular to a liquid cooling plate with multiple flow channels and a non-circular cross section of the flow channels. Background Art

[0002] In response to the booming new energy vehicle market, power batteries are one of the three core technologies of new energy electric vehicles, and the efficiency of thermal management will directly affect the performance and stability of the overall power battery; currently, the most common method is to use liquid cooling plates as the heat dissipation medium.

[0003] The most common liquid cooling plate is the buried tube liquid cooling plate, which uses a copper tube with a circular cross-section that is bent and buried in a heat dissipation metal plate. The liquid cooling plate formed in this way is low in cost and easy to mass produce; however, because a circular copper tube is used, the contact area is small (under the same section area, the circle is the shape with the shortest circumference), and the heat dissipation effect is also poor. Moreover, because a single pipe is used, there will be severe pressure loss at the end of the pipe, which greatly reduces the heat dissipation capacity and makes the overall temperature uniformity poor.

[0004] Another common method is to use a multi-channel setting, which uses a heat dissipation metal plate to directly form a multi-channel system. After the coolant enters, it is directly divided into multiple channels. After the multiple channels are configured in a winding manner, they are gathered into a single channel at the outlet to flow out. Compared with the aforementioned buried tube liquid cooling plate, it will have better temperature uniformity and lower pressure loss; however, the overall heat dissipation capacity will be greatly reduced because it is limited by the location of the high-temperature area of ​​the heat source and cannot be fully matched with the channel configuration.

[0005] Based on the above deficiencies of the prior art, the utility model proposes a multi-channel configuration liquid cooling plate to effectively solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0006] The main purpose of the utility model is to provide a multi-channel configuration liquid cooling plate, which utilizes a special multi-channel design and a flow channel with a non-circular cross-section to significantly reduce the flow channel pressure loss and improve the heat dissipation capacity and temperature uniformity effect.

[0007] The utility model provides a multi-channel liquid cooling plate, comprising:

[0008] a liquid cooling plate body; and

[0009] At least one flow channel is disposed on the liquid cooling plate body and has a flow channel inlet and a flow channel outlet, and the flow channel includes:

[0010] an inlet flow channel, a terminal end of which is connected to the flow channel inlet;

[0011] an inlet flow splitting area connected to the inlet flow channel and splitting the flow into a plurality of inlet sub-flow channels;

[0012] An intermediate flow channel connected to the inlet flow distribution area to gather the inlet sub-flow channels;

[0013] an outlet flow splitting area connected to the middle flow channel and splitting the flow into a plurality of outlet sub-flow channels; and

[0014] An outlet flow channel is connected to the outlet flow branching area, the outlet sub-flow channels are collected, and the outlet flow channel end is connected to the flow channel outlet;

[0015] At least a portion of the flow channel has a polygonal cross section.

[0016] Preferably, the inlet flow channel is adjacent to the outlet flow channel so as to be capable of heat exchange.

[0017] Preferably, the inlet sub-flow channels are parallel to each other, and the outlet sub-flow channels are parallel to each other.

[0018] Preferably, the spacing between the inlet sub-flow channels is greater than the spacing between the outlet sub-flow channels.

[0019] Preferably, the ratio of the spacing between the inlet sub-flow channels to the spacing between the outlet sub-flow channels is 1.1:1 to 3:1.

[0020] Preferably, the area occupied by the inlet diversion zone is larger than the area occupied by the outlet diversion zone.

[0021] Preferably, the flow channel with a polygonal cross section has a rectangular or hexagonal cross section.

[0022] Preferably, the inlet flow channel, the inlet sub-flow channels, the intermediate flow channel, the outlet sub-flow channels and the outlet flow channel have the same cross section.

[0023] Preferably, the inlet flow channel, the inlet sub-flow channels, the intermediate flow channel, the outlet sub-flow channels and the outlet flow channel have different cross sections.

[0024] Preferably, the ratio of the square of the perimeter of the cross section of the flow channel to the cross-sectional area is greater than 4*π.

[0025] The specially configured multi-channel design can significantly improve the channel pressure loss problem, and with the non-circular cross-section, a larger heat dissipation contact area is obtained to provide heat dissipation capacity; at the same time, the inlet channel and the outlet channel can be further heat exchanged to achieve better temperature uniformity.

[0026] The following detailed description is made through specific embodiments, so that the purpose, technical content, characteristics and effects achieved by the present invention can be more easily understood. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1A ,1B It is a schematic diagram of the multi-channel configuration liquid cooling plate of the utility model.

[0028] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the flow direction of the flow channels of the multi-channel configuration liquid cooling plate of the utility model.

[0029] Figures 3A-3C It is a schematic diagram of the flow channel cross section of the multi-flow channel configuration liquid cooling plate of the utility model.

[0030] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of a hybrid embodiment of the multi-channel configuration liquid cooling plate of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the hybrid type of the multi-channel configuration liquid cooling plate of the present invention.

[0032] Reference numerals

[0033] 10 Liquid cooling plate body

[0034] 11 board

[0035] 111 Groove

[0036] 12 Lower plate

[0037] 121 Groove

[0038] 21 Flow channel inlet

[0039] 22 Flow channel outlet

[0040] 30 Runner

[0041] 31 Inlet channel

[0042] 32 Inlet diversion area

[0043] 321 Entrance secondary channel

[0044] 33 Middle flow channel

[0045] 34 Exit diversion area

[0046] 341 outlet secondary channel

[0047] 35 outlet channel

[0048] D1 first spacing

[0049] D2 Second spacing DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] In order to make the advantages, spirit and features of the present invention easier to understand, the following will be described and discussed in detail with reference to the embodiments and drawings. It should be stated that these embodiments are only representative embodiments of the present invention, and the implementation and protection scope of the present invention are not limited to these embodiments. The purpose of providing these embodiments is only to make the disclosure of the present invention more thorough and easy to understand.

[0051] The terms used in the various embodiments disclosed in the present invention are only used for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the various embodiments disclosed in the present invention. Unless otherwise clearly indicated, the singular form used also includes the plural form. Unless otherwise specified, all terms (including technical terms and scientific terms) used in this specification have the same meanings as those commonly understood by ordinary technicians in the field to which the various embodiments disclosed in the present invention belong. The above terms (such as those defined in a generally used dictionary) will be interpreted as having the same meaning as the contextual meaning in the same technical field, and will not be interpreted as having an idealized meaning or an overly formal meaning, unless clearly defined in the various embodiments disclosed in the present invention.

[0052] In the description of this specification, the reference to the terms "an embodiment", "a specific embodiment", etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment are included in at least one embodiment of the utility model. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments in a suitable manner.

[0053] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified or limited, it should be noted that the terms "coupling", "connection" and "setting" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection, or it can be the internal connection of two components, it can be a direct connection, or it can be connected through an intermediate medium. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0054] The multi-channel liquid cooling plate disclosed in the present invention can be found in Figure 1A , 1BThe multi-channel liquid cooling plate includes a liquid cooling plate body 10 and at least one channel 30 disposed on the liquid cooling plate body 10. The channel 30 has a channel inlet 21 at the front end and a channel outlet 22 at the end, and the channel 30 includes an inlet channel 31, an inlet flow splitter area 32, an intermediate channel 33, an outlet flow splitter area 34, and an outlet channel 35. As shown in the figure, the liquid cooling plate body 10 is rectangular, but it is only for illustration, and the utility model is not particularly limited to this. Furthermore, the liquid cooling plate body 10 is made of a material with high thermal conductivity. At the same time, it needs to meet the requirements of lightness when applied to the battery cell, so aluminum is the preferred material (but not limited).

[0055] The liquid cooling plate body 10 is composed of an upper plate 11 and a lower plate 12. Figure 1B As shown, the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12 have grooves 111 and 121 respectively, and the grooves 111 of the upper plate 11 and the grooves 121 of the lower plate 12 correspond to each other, and the flow channel 30 can be formed when the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12 are combined; of course, it is also possible to have grooves on only one side (for example, only the upper plate 11 has the groove 111 or only the lower plate 12 has the groove 121), or the grooves 111 and 121 on both sides have different shapes or depths, or even include a third or more plate materials to be combined, as long as they can be combined to form the flow channel 30, they do not depart from the scope of the present invention.

[0056] Continue back to Figure 1A , the flow channel inlet 21 is located on one side of the liquid cooling plate body 10, the front end of the inlet flow channel 31 is connected to the flow channel inlet 21, and can receive the coolant guided into the flow channel inlet 21, and the flow channel outlet 22 is set on the other side of the liquid cooling plate body 10, and the end of the outlet flow channel 35 is connected to the flow channel outlet 22, and can guide the internal coolant to be discharged from the flow channel outlet 22. The inlet flow channel 31 is extended along the edge of the liquid cooling plate body 10, and then bends near the outlet flow channel 35, and extends in a direction roughly parallel to the outlet flow channel 35. The inlet flow branch area 32 includes a plurality of inlet sub-flow channels 321 parallel to each other. When the inlet flow channel 31 is continuously connected to the inlet flow branch area 32, it is divided into a plurality of inlet sub-flow channels 321 parallel to each other. The inlet sub-flow channels 321 extend to one side of the liquid cooling plate body 10 in a roughly parallel configuration and then converge into the middle flow channel 33. The outlet flow splitting area 34 includes a plurality of mutually parallel outlet sub-flow channels 341. The intermediate flow channel 33 extends along the side of the liquid cooling plate body 10 to the edge, and then connects to the outlet flow splitting area 34, and then splits into a plurality of mutually parallel outlet sub-flow channels 341. The outlet sub-flow channels 341 extend to the other side of the liquid cooling plate body 10 in a roughly parallel configuration and then converge into the outlet flow channel 35, and the outlet flow channel 35 continues to extend to the flow channel outlet 22.

[0057] Please refer to Figure 2, compared with the single flow channel design of the prior art, the pressure loss can be effectively reduced by configuring the multi-section flow diversion and convergence of the aforementioned flow channel 30. On the other hand, the inlet flow channel 31 is arranged adjacent to the outlet flow channel 35, which can make them perform heat exchange, so that the coolant with the lowest temperature just entering the liquid cooling plate body 10 can perform heat exchange with the coolant with the highest temperature about to leave the liquid cooling plate body 10 (that is, the outlet flow channel 35), effectively improving the temperature uniformity effect of the entire liquid cooling plate body 10. Furthermore, the coolant temperature in the inlet sub-channel 321 will also be lower than that in the outlet sub-channel 341. Therefore, the first spacing D1 between the inlet sub-channels 321 is designed to be larger than the second spacing D2 between the outlet sub-channels 341, so that the inlet diversion area 32 is responsible for heat dissipation in a relatively large area, and the outlet diversion area 34 is responsible for heat dissipation in a relatively small area because the coolant temperature is relatively high. In this way, the overall temperature uniformity effect can be further improved, wherein the ratio of the first spacing D1 of the inlet sub-channel 321 to the second spacing D2 of the outlet sub-channel 341 can be 1.1:1 to 3:1.

[0058] Based on the same principle as mentioned above, the inlet sub-channel 321 of the inlet diversion area 32 and the outlet sub-channel 341 of the outlet diversion area 34 may also be arranged in a non-parallel manner, or their spacings may be non-identical (that is, the first spacing D1 between the inlet sub-channels 321 or the second spacing D2 between the outlet sub-channels 341 are not equidistant), as long as the area occupied by the inlet diversion area 32 is larger than the area occupied by the outlet diversion area 34.

[0059] On the other hand, see Figure 3A Generally, the flow channel 30 has a circular cross section. However, under the same cross-sectional area, the circumference of a circle is the shortest, and the ratio of the square of the circumference to the cross-sectional area is about 4*π (about 12.566). Therefore, the utility model designs the cross section of the flow channel 30 to be mainly a non-circular polygon, that is, the ratio of the square of the circumference to the cross-sectional area needs to be greater than 4*π (about 12.566). For example, the cross section of the flow channel 30 can be a rectangle (see Figure 3B ), for example, based on Figure 3B The ratio of the square of the perimeter to the cross-sectional area is 21.195, or a hexagon (see Figure 3C ), for example, based on Figure 3C In the embodiment, the ratio of the square of the perimeter to the cross-sectional area is 23.54 to achieve the best heat dissipation effect.

[0060] Based on the above three different cross sections, the simulation test results are as follows. First, the flow channel pressure loss is shown in Table 1:

[0061] Round rectangle Hexagon Pressure loss(Kpa) 9.4 12.5 13.1

[0062] Table 1

[0063] The overall temperature performance is shown in Table 2:

[0064] Round rectangle Hexagon Maximum temperature (℃) 88.2 85.7 85.3 Average temperature(℃) 70.2 67.6 67.1 Maximum temperature difference (℃) 54.8 52.5 52.1 Temperature standard deviation 0.7799 0.7763 0.7764

[0065] Table 2

[0066] Among them, the maximum temperature difference and the temperature standard deviation can be regarded as important indicators of the temperature equalization effect. Therefore, it can be seen from Tables 1 and 2 above that the flow channel 30 adopts a non-circular (rectangular, hexagonal) cross-section, which can greatly improve the temperature equalization effect of the entire liquid cooling plate within the controllable range of pressure loss.

[0067] On the other hand, in addition to the aforementioned flow channel 30 (including the inlet flow channel 31, the inlet flow distribution area 32, the middle flow channel 33, the outlet flow distribution area 34 and the outlet flow channel 35, etc., please refer to Figure 1A ) all have the same cross-section, the cross-section can also be changed to a different cross-section, for example, a mixed state of polygon and circle, see Figure 4 , considering that the temperature of the inlet secondary flow channel 321 of the inlet flow splitting area 32 is relatively low, its cross section can be designed to be circular to reduce the pressure loss, while the outlet secondary flow channel 341 of the outlet flow splitting area 34 of the rear section has a higher temperature and requires a better heat dissipation effect, so it is designed to be a hexagonal cross section; in addition, based on the same concept, please refer to Figure 5 The cross-section of some outlet sub-channels 341 of the outlet diversion area 34 may also be designed to be rectangular, and the cross-section of some outlet sub-channels 341 may be designed to be hexagonal.

[0068] In summary, the utility model proposes a multi-channel configuration liquid cooling plate, which controls and reduces the pressure loss of the flow channel through a multi-channel configuration of multi-section flow diversion, convergence, diversion, and convergence. At the same time, the cross-section of at least part of the flow channel is polygonal, such as rectangular or hexagonal, to increase the contact area of ​​the flow channel, thereby improving its heat dissipation capacity and achieving optimized temperature uniformity.

[0069] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the utility model and is not intended to limit the scope of implementation of the utility model. The protection scope of the utility model is defined by the claims. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications or equivalent substitutions to the utility model within the essence and protection scope of the utility model, and such modifications or equivalent substitutions should also be deemed to fall within the protection scope of the utility model.

Claims

1. A multi-channel liquid cooling plate, characterized in that: Contains: a liquid cooling plate body; and At least one flow channel is disposed on the liquid cooling plate body and has a flow channel inlet and a flow channel outlet, and the flow channel includes: an inlet flow channel, a terminal end of which is connected to the flow channel inlet; an inlet flow splitting area connected to the inlet flow channel and splitting the flow into a plurality of inlet sub-flow channels; An intermediate flow channel connected to the inlet flow distribution area to gather the inlet sub-flow channels; an outlet flow splitting area connected to the middle flow channel and splitting the flow into a plurality of outlet sub-flow channels; and An outlet flow channel is connected to the outlet flow branching area, the outlet sub-flow channels are collected, and the outlet flow channel end is connected to the flow channel outlet; At least a portion of the flow channel has a polygonal cross section.

2. The multi-channel liquid cooling plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inlet flow channel is adjacent to the outlet flow channel for heat exchange.

3. The multi-channel liquid cooling plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inlet sub-flow channels are parallel to each other, and the outlet sub-flow channels are parallel to each other.

4. The multi-channel liquid cooling plate according to claim 3, characterized in that: The spacing between the inlet sub-flow channels is greater than the spacing between the outlet sub-flow channels.

5. The multi-channel liquid cooling plate according to claim 4, characterized in that: The ratio of the spacing between the inlet sub-flow channels to the spacing between the outlet sub-flow channels is 1.1:1 to 3:

1.

6. The multi-channel liquid cooling plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The area occupied by the inlet diversion area is larger than the area occupied by the outlet diversion area.

7. The multi-channel liquid cooling plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flow channel with a polygonal cross section has a rectangular or hexagonal cross section.

8. The multi-channel liquid cooling plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inlet flow channel, the inlet sub-flow channels, the middle flow channel, the outlet sub-flow channels and the outlet flow channel have the same cross section.

9. The multi-channel liquid cooling plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inlet flow channel, the inlet sub-flow channels, the middle flow channel, the outlet sub-flow channels and the outlet flow channel have different cross sections.

10. The multi-channel liquid cooling plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ratio of the square of the perimeter of the cross section of the flow channel to the cross-sectional area is greater than 4*π.

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