Air cooling device and cold plate structure

Abstract

The utility model provides an air cooling device and a cold plate structure. The air cooling device provided by the utility model is arranged in the battery pack so as to cool an output pole of a battery cell in the battery pack, and comprises a gas conveying section which is arranged in an area where the output pole of the battery cell is located; the interior of the gas conveying section is hollow to form a gas flow channel; the air blowing device acts on the air conveying section so as to increase the flow speed of the air flow in the air flow channel; and the plurality of gas outlets are formed in the gas conveying section so as to guide the gas in the gas flow channel to the battery cell output electrode. According to the air cooling device disclosed by the utility model, through the arrangement of the gas conveying section and the blowing device, the blowing device guides the gas in the gas conveying section to the output pole of the battery cell through the gas outlet, so that the gas takes away the heat of the output pole and dissipates the heat of the output pole of the battery cell, thereby improving the performance and the safety of the battery pack and further improving the use quality of the battery pack.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of battery packs, and in particular to an air cooling device. The utility model also relates to a cold plate structure provided with the air cooling device. Background Art

[0002] With the development of electric vehicles, the thermal safety of electric vehicle power batteries has become one of the important performance indicators of electric vehicles. In power batteries, the battery pack shell is equipped with multiple cells arranged in a certain arrangement. When the power battery is working, since each cell is arranged in a relatively small shell, heat will accumulate and cause the temperature in the battery pack to exceed its normal operating temperature. If the heat cannot be dissipated in time, it will cause the battery performance to decay faster, reduce the service life and even cause the battery to catch fire. Therefore, it is particularly important to dissipate the heat of the cells in the battery pack.

[0003] When the battery cell outputs electric energy to the outside, the heat generated by the battery cell mainly comes from the battery cell body and the output electrode area of ​​the battery cell. The electrochemical reaction inside the battery cell will cause the battery cell body to heat up, and the output electrode includes structures such as battery poles and bus bars connecting the poles. Since the current output by the battery cell is large, the large current passes through the output electrode, causing the output electrode to increase in temperature due to Joule heat.

[0004] In the prior art, there are related literatures reporting on technical solutions for cooling battery cells, such as providing a liquid cooling plate that fits the surface of the battery cell, and using heat conduction between the battery cell and the liquid cooling plate to allow the coolant in the liquid cooling plate to take away the heat of the battery cell, thereby cooling the battery cell. However, since the output pole includes structures such as poles and buses, and the output pole itself is charged, it is difficult for the liquid cooling plate to fit the output pole. Therefore, this form of cooling can only cool the battery cell body, but cannot effectively cool the output pole of the battery cell, resulting in a decrease in the performance and safety of the battery pack, which is not conducive to improving the quality of the battery pack. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of this, the utility model aims to provide an air cooling device for cooling the output pole of the battery cell, thereby improving the performance and safety of the battery pack and thus enhancing the use quality of the battery pack.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the technical solution of the utility model is implemented as follows:

[0007] A wind cooling device is arranged in a battery pack to cool the output pole of the battery cell in the battery pack, and the wind cooling device includes a gas delivery section arranged in the area where the output pole of the battery cell is located; the gas delivery section is hollow inside to form an air flow channel; a blowing device acts on the gas delivery section to increase the flow rate of the air flow in the air flow channel; and multiple air outlets are formed on the gas delivery section to guide the gas in the air flow channel to the output pole of the battery cell.

[0008] Furthermore, the air outlet is configured in a horseshoe shape.

[0009] Furthermore, the air blowing device adopts a centrifugal fan.

[0010] Furthermore, each of the gas outlets is provided with a guide piece connected to the gas delivery section, and each of the guide pieces can be folded in an operable manner to guide the outlet angle of the gas discharged from the gas outlet.

[0011] Furthermore, when the plane where the guide piece is located is flush with the surface of the gas outlet, a gap is set between the edge of the guide piece and the gas delivery section constituting the contour of the gas outlet.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the utility model has the following advantages:

[0013] The air cooling device described in the utility model, through the arrangement of a gas delivery section and an air blowing device, the air blowing device guides the gas in the gas delivery section to the output electrode of the battery cell through the air outlet, so that the gas takes away the heat of the output electrode, and dissipates the heat at the output electrode of the battery cell, so as to improve the performance and safety of the battery pack, and further enhance the use quality of the battery pack.

[0014] The air outlet is constructed in a horseshoe shape, which has a simple structure and is convenient for design implementation.

[0015] The air blowing device adopts a centrifugal fan, which can drive the gas in the gas delivery section to move, and the centrifugal fan is small in size, which can reduce the space it occupies in the battery pack and improve the space utilization of the battery pack.

[0016] A guide plate connected to the gas delivery section is provided in each gas outlet, and each guide plate can be folded to guide the outlet angle of the gas discharged from the gas outlet, so that the airflow is aligned with the output electrode of the battery cell, which is beneficial to improving the heat dissipation effect of the output electrode of the battery cell.

[0017] When the plane where the guide sheet is located is flush with the surface of the air outlet, a gap is set between the edge of the guide sheet and the gas delivery section that constitutes the outline of the air outlet. The angle between the guide sheet and the surface of the air outlet determines the opening size of the air outlet, so that the size of the air outlet can be adjusted according to the actual working conditions of the battery pack, which is beneficial to improving the use quality of the battery pack.

[0018] Another object of the present invention is to provide a cold plate structure, comprising a cold plate body, on which the above-mentioned air cooling device is integrated.

[0019] Furthermore, the flow channel on the cold plate body is adjacent to the gas delivery section to form heat exchange between the cold plate body and the gas delivery section.

[0020] Furthermore, the air cooling device is fixedly bonded to the cold plate body by means of heat-conducting adhesive.

[0021] Furthermore, the cold plate structure is integrated on a shell top cover or a shell bottom plate of the battery pack.

[0022] Furthermore, an inspection port for inspecting the air blowing device is provided on the other side of the cold plate body away from the side where the air blowing device is located, and a cover plate is detachably mounted on the inspection port.

[0023] The cold plate structure of the utility model can further improve the cooling effect on the battery core by setting the air cooling device, thereby improving the use quality of the battery pack.

[0024] The flow channel on the cold plate body is adjacent to the gas delivery section to form heat exchange between the cold plate body and the gas delivery section, so that the flow channel can cool the gas in the gas delivery section and improve the cooling effect on the output pole of the battery cell.

[0025] The air cooling device is fixedly bonded to the cold plate body by means of a heat conductive adhesive to improve the heat conductivity between the cold plate body and the air cooling device.

[0026] The cold plate structure is integrated on the housing top cover or housing bottom plate of the battery pack to reduce the space occupied by the cold plate structure and the air cooling device in the battery pack, thereby improving the space utilization rate of the battery pack and the compactness of the battery pack.

[0027] An inspection port for inspecting the air blowing device is provided on the other side of the cold plate body away from the side where the air blowing device is located. A cover plate is detachably installed on the inspection port to facilitate maintenance of the centrifugal fan through the inspection port. At the same time, the setting of the cover plate ensures the sealing of the inspection port. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The accompanying drawings constituting a part of the present invention are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The illustrative embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation on the present invention. In the accompanying drawings:

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the air cooling device according to the first embodiment of the utility model;

[0030] Figure 2For the utility model Figure 1 A magnified view of the position shown in A;

[0031] Figure 3 For the utility model Figure 1 A cross-sectional view at the position indicated by BB;

[0032] Figure 4 This is a schematic structural diagram of the air cooling device according to the first embodiment of the present utility model being loaded in a battery pack;

[0033] Figure 5 For the utility model Figure 4 A magnified view of the position shown in A;

[0034] Figure 6 This is a schematic structural diagram of the cold plate structure described in Embodiment 2 of the present utility model;

[0035] Figure 7 This is a structural schematic diagram of the cold plate structure according to the second embodiment of the present utility model from another perspective;

[0036] Figure 8 For the utility model Figure 7 A cross-sectional view at the position indicated by AA;

[0037] Fig. 9 For the utility model Figure 8 A magnified view of the position shown in A;

[0038] Description of reference numerals:

[0039] 1. Gas delivery section; 1a. Mounting substrate; 2. Air blowing device; 3. Air outlet; 4. Guide plate; 5. Cold plate body; 6. Battery cell; 6a. Battery cell output stage;

[0040] 21. Fan housing; 22. Fan blades; 23. Air inlet;

[0041] 51. Flow channel; 52. Inspection port; 53. Cover plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0043] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that if there are terms such as "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer" and the like indicating orientation or positional relationship, they are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, if there are terms such as "first" and "second", they are also used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0044] In addition, in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, the terms "installation", "connection", "connection" and "connector" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood in combination with specific circumstances.

[0045] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with embodiments.

[0046] Embodiment 1

[0047] The present embodiment relates to an air cooling device for cooling the output pole of the battery cell 6 to improve the performance and safety of the battery pack, thereby improving the use quality of the battery pack.

[0048] In terms of overall structure, combined Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the air cooling device of this embodiment is arranged in the battery pack to cool the battery cell output pole 6a in the battery pack, and the air cooling device includes: a gas delivery section 1, arranged in the area where the battery cell output pole 6a is located; the gas delivery section 1 is hollow inside to form an air flow channel; a blowing device 2, acting on the gas delivery section 1 to increase the flow rate of the air flow in the air flow channel; a plurality of air outlets 3, formed on the gas delivery section 1, to guide the gas in the air flow channel to the battery cell output pole 6a.

[0049] As shown in the above structure, the air cooling device described in this embodiment, through the arrangement of the gas delivery section 1 and the blowing device 2, the blowing device 2 guides the gas in the gas delivery section 1 to the battery cell output pole 6a through the gas outlet 3, so that the gas takes away the heat of the output pole, and dissipates the heat of the battery cell output pole 6a, so as to improve the performance and safety of the battery pack, thereby improving the use quality of the battery pack.

[0050] Based on the above overall introduction, specifically, combined with Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the air cooling device of this embodiment is arranged in the battery pack, and can guide the gas in the battery pack to the battery cell output pole 6a, so as to dissipate the heat of the battery cell output pole 6a through heat exchange between the gas and the battery cell output pole 6a. The battery cell output pole 6a includes a pole and a bus.

[0051] Specifically, Figure 1 As shown, the gas delivery segment 1 of the present embodiment may be composed of a pipeline, or the gas delivery segment 1 of the present embodiment may include a mounting substrate 1a, and a U-shaped wall body arranged on the mounting substrate 1a, and the mounting substrate 1a and the wall body form the gas delivery segment 1 of the present embodiment, wherein the mounting substrate 1a may be a part of the battery pack shell or other plate-like structures in the battery pack.

[0052] And, if Figure 2 As shown, there are a plurality of gas outlets 3 arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the gas conveying section 1, and each gas outlet 3 is arranged on the wall.

[0053] In the specific implementation, the gas delivery section 1 of this embodiment has a rectangular cross section, which ensures that the gas delivery section 1 has a certain gas flow area to allow the gas to flow smoothly while reducing the space occupied by the gas delivery section 1 in the battery pack. Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, the gas delivery section 1 may preferably extend along the length direction of the battery pack, and a plurality of battery cells 6 are arranged on both sides of the gas delivery section 1, and the battery cell output pole 6a of each battery cell 6 is facing the direction of the gas delivery section 1, so that the gas discharged from the gas outlet 3 can blow the battery cell output pole 6a to dissipate the heat of the battery cell output pole 6a.

[0054] In addition, two exhaust ports 3 are provided on the gas delivery section 1 to facilitate heat dissipation of the battery cells 6 on both sides of the gas delivery section 1. The wall body can be preferably made of aluminum alloy material, which has good structural strength and light weight, can reduce the increase in the overall weight of the battery pack, and improve the usability of the battery pack.

[0055] In addition, if Figure 2 As shown, the gas outlet 3 is configured in a horseshoe shape, which has a simple structure and can ensure smooth discharge of gas through the gas outlet 3 while being easy to process and implement.

[0056] In order to accurately blow the gas discharged through the gas outlet 3 to the output electrode 6a of the battery cell, Figure 4 , Figure 5As shown, each gas outlet 3 in this embodiment is provided with a guide piece 4 connected to the gas delivery section 1, and each guide piece 4 can be folded to guide the outlet angle of the gas discharged from the gas outlet 3. The discharged gas can be blown toward the output pole 6a of the battery cell, so that the gas takes away the heat of the output pole 6a of the battery cell. In specific implementation, since the gas outlet 3 is configured in a horseshoe shape, the guide piece 4 can be preferably connected to the straight line segment of the horseshoe-shaped contour of the gas outlet 3, and the straight line segment can be used as the folding edge of the guide piece 4, thereby improving the structural strength between the guide piece 4 and the gas outlet 3 and facilitating the folding of the guide piece 4.

[0057] At the same time, when the plane where the guide sheet 4 is located is flush with the surface of the gas outlet 3, a gap is set between the edge of the guide sheet 4 and the gas delivery section 1 that constitutes the outline of the gas outlet 3. It can be understood that when the plane where the guide sheet 4 is located is flush with the surface of the gas outlet 3, the gap between the guide sheet 4 and the gas outlet 3 is set so that the aperture of the gas outlet 3 is minimized. When the guide sheet 4 is folded, that is, the guide sheet 4 forms a certain angle with the gas outlet 3, the gap between the guide sheet 4 and the gas outlet 3 becomes larger, and the aperture of the gas outlet 3 becomes larger. Therefore, the size of the gas outlet 3 can be adjusted by adjusting the folding angle of the guide sheet 4, which is used to determine the most suitable size of the gas outlet 3 according to the actual use of the battery cell 6 and the battery pack.

[0058] In addition, the blowing device 2 uses a centrifugal fan, which can drive the gas in the gas delivery section 1 to move, and the centrifugal fan is small in size, which can reduce the space it occupies in the battery pack and improve the space utilization of the battery pack. Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the centrifugal fan has a housing disposed on the mounting substrate 1a and connected to the gas delivery section 1, a fan housing 21 is provided with a fan blade 22 driven to rotate by a motor, and a fan housing 21 is provided with an air inlet 23 on one side facing the battery pack. When the fan blade 22 rotates, gas can enter the fan housing 21 through the air inlet 23 and be driven by the fan blade 22 to move toward the gas delivery section 1.

[0059] In summary, the air cooling device described in this embodiment, through the setting of the gas delivery section 1 and the blowing device 2, adopts a centrifugal fan to discharge the gas in the gas delivery section 1 through the outlet 3, and is guided to the battery cell output pole 6a by the guide plate 4, so that the gas takes away the heat of the output pole and dissipates the heat of the battery cell output pole 6a, so as to improve the performance and safety of the battery pack, and further improve the use quality of the battery pack.

[0060] Embodiment 2

[0061] This embodiment relates to a cold plate structure for cooling the battery cells 6 in a battery pack.

[0062] In terms of overall structure, Figure 6As shown, the cold plate structure of this embodiment includes a cold plate body 5, and an air cooling device as described in Example 1 is integrated on the cold plate body 5. The provision of the air cooling device can dissipate heat from the output pole 6a of the battery cell to improve the use quality of the battery pack. Specifically, the cold plate body 5 of this embodiment can be used as the mounting substrate 1a described in Example 1, which is formed with the wall body described in Example 1 to form a gas conveying section 1. And a side of the air cooling device is provided on the cold plate body 5 of this embodiment, which fits with the side of each battery cell 6 in the battery pack, so that the cold plate body 5 dissipates heat from the battery cell 6. Moreover, the provision of the air cooling device can improve the structural strength of the cold plate body 5 to a certain extent, and prevent the cold plate body 5 from bending due to force.

[0063] In a specific implementation, an insulating layer is provided between the cold plate body 5 and each battery cell 6, and the insulating layer is provided on the cold plate body 5 to ensure the insulation of the battery cell 6 attached to the cold plate body 5, which is beneficial to improve the safety of the battery pack. Specifically, the insulating layer can be an insulating coating sprayed on the cold plate body 5, or an insulating film attached to the cold plate body 5, which is well known to those skilled in the art, as long as the insulation between the battery cell 6 and the cold plate body 5 is ensured.

[0064] In addition, combined Figure 7 As shown, in order to improve the heat dissipation and cooling effect of the air cooling device on the battery cell output electrode 6a, the flow channel 51 on the cold plate body 5 of this embodiment may preferably be adjacent to the gas delivery section 1 to constitute a heat exchange between the cold plate body 5 and the gas delivery section 1, so that the coolant in the flow channel 51 can cool the gas delivery section 1 while cooling the cold plate body 5, thereby reducing the temperature of the gas in the gas delivery section 1 and further improving the cooling effect on the battery cell output electrode 6a.

[0065] In a specific implementation, the flow channel 51 may be preferably arranged on a side of the cold plate body 5 away from the battery cell 6 , and at least a portion of the flow channel 51 may preferably be coiled in a U-shaped manner in the area of ​​the cold plate body 5 corresponding to each battery cell 6 to improve the cooling effect on the battery cell 6 .

[0066] In order to further improve the cooling effect on the cell output pole 6a, the air cooling device of this embodiment can be preferably fixedly bonded to the cold plate body 5 by thermal conductive adhesive. It can be understood that since the cold plate body 5 is cooled by the coolant in the flow channel 51, and the air cooling device provided on the cold plate body 5 can also be cooled by the coolant due to the heat exchange effect, the air cooling device is bonded to the cold plate body 5 by thermal conductive adhesive, so that the gas and the gas conveying section 1 have a larger low-temperature contact area, and the temperature of the gas in the gas conveying section 1 is further reduced, so that the temperature of the gas discharged through the gas outlet 3 is lower, thereby improving the cooling effect on the cell output pole 6a. And the connection method of thermal conductive adhesive bonding can also facilitate maintenance personnel to maintain the air cooling device.

[0067] In a specific implementation, the wall body constituting the gas delivery section 1 and the fan housing 21 of the air blowing device 2 are fixedly connected to the cold plate body 5 by means of a thermally conductive adhesive. The thermally conductive adhesive described in this embodiment adopts a structural adhesive with good thermal conductivity as known to those skilled in the art, and can stably bond the air cooling device to the cold plate body 5. In addition, the air cooling device can also be connected to the cold plate body 5 by welding, and it is sufficient to ensure that there is a certain thermal conductivity between the air cooling device and the cold plate body 5.

[0068] Since the air cooling device is located in the battery pack and the cold plate body 5 is in contact with the battery cells 6 in the battery pack, in order to improve the compactness of the battery pack, the cold plate structure of the present embodiment is integrated on the top cover or bottom plate of the battery pack shell, so that the cold plate body 5 is a part of the battery pack shell, that is, the cold plate body 5 is connected to the side basket of the battery pack, so that the cold plate body 5 and the battery pack side beams constitute the upper shell or lower shell of the battery pack, so as to improve the utilization rate of the space in the battery pack and reduce the overall volume of the battery pack to a certain extent.

[0069] In addition, in order to facilitate the maintenance of the blowing device 2 in the air cooling device, Figure 8 and Fig. 9 As shown, it is preferred that an inspection port 52 for inspecting the air blowing device 2 is provided on the other side of the cold plate body 5 away from the side where the air blowing device 2 is located, and a cover plate 53 is detachably mounted on the inspection port 52. The cover plate 53 is arranged on the outside of the battery pack shell. When inspecting and maintaining the air blowing device 2, it is not necessary to disassemble the entire battery pack. The air blowing device 2 can be inspected and maintained through the inspection port 52 by simply opening the cover plate 53, which is convenient for maintenance personnel.

[0070] In a specific implementation, the inspection port 52 is connected to the fan housing 21, and the centrifugal fan can be maintained through the inspection port 52. At the same time, the cover plate 53 can preferably be detachably installed at the inspection port 52 by a conventional detachable installation method well known to those skilled in the art, such as by snap-fitting, bolting, or structural adhesive bonding.

[0071] In summary, the cold plate structure of this embodiment, by providing an air cooling device on the cold plate body 5, cools and dissipates the heat of the battery cell 6 and further dissipates the heat of the battery cell output electrode 6a, thereby improving the use quality of the battery pack.

[0072] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An air cooling device, arranged in a battery pack to cool the output pole of the battery cell in the battery pack, characterized in that: The air cooling device comprises: A gas delivery section is arranged in the area where the output pole of the battery cell is located; the gas delivery section is hollow inside to form an air flow channel; A blowing device, acting on the gas delivery section to increase the flow rate of the gas flow in the gas flow channel; A plurality of gas outlets are formed on the gas delivery section to guide the gas in the gas flow channel to the battery cell output electrode.

2. The air cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air outlet is configured in a horseshoe shape.

3. The air cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air blowing device adopts a centrifugal fan.

4. The air cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: A guide piece connected to the gas delivery section is arranged in each of the gas outlets, and each of the guide pieces can be folded in an operable manner to guide the outlet angle of the gas discharged from the gas outlet.

5. The air cooling device according to claim 4, characterized in that: When the plane where the guide piece is located is flush with the surface of the gas outlet, a gap is set between the edge of the guide piece and the gas delivery section forming the contour of the gas outlet.

6. A cold plate structure, comprising a cold plate body, characterized in that: An air cooling device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 is integrated on the cold plate body.

7. The cold plate structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The flow channel on the cold plate body is adjacent to the gas delivery section to form heat exchange between the cold plate body and the gas delivery section.

8. The cold plate structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The air cooling device is fixedly bonded to the cold plate body by means of heat-conducting adhesive.

9. The cold plate structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The cold plate structure is integrated on a housing top cover or a housing bottom plate of the battery pack.

10. The cold plate structure according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that: An inspection port for inspecting the air blowing device is provided on the other side of the cold plate body away from the side where the air blowing device is located, and a cover plate is detachably mounted on the inspection port.

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