A phase change liquid cooling plate for thermal management of battery modules

Abstract

The utility model discloses a phase change liquid cold plate for thermal management of battery modules, comprising a first cover plate, a second cover plate and a sandwich plate, wherein the sandwich plate is arranged between the first cover plate and the second cover plate, a coolant flow channel is formed between the sandwich plate and the first cover plate, and PCM material is installed between the sandwich plate and the second cover plate. The utility model is provided with a sandwich plate, a first cover plate and a second cover plate, a coolant flow channel is provided between the first cover plate and the sandwich plate, and PCM material is embedded between the sandwich plate and the second cover plate, which can reduce the amount of metal material used for the cold plate, and reduce the weight and cost of the cold plate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of new energy, and in particular to a phase change liquid cooling plate for thermal management of a battery module. Background Art

[0002] The more mature liquid cooling solution currently is phase-change-free liquid cooling. The coolant in the cold plate does not undergo phase change. During the battery cell charging and discharging process, the liquid cooler runs in cooling or heating mode to perform thermal management on the battery cells in the cabinet. During the battery cell charging and discharging period, the liquid cooler needs to work continuously to ensure that the battery cells are in a safe and efficient operating temperature range. The thermal management system has high energy consumption; long-term, high-load operation will reduce the service life of components such as the compressor in the liquid cooler.

[0003] In phase change liquid cooling, the refrigerant of the refrigeration equipment directly enters the cold plate, and the battery cell is thermally managed through the phase change of the refrigerant. Usually, an additional battery cell heating system is required. Therefore, the refrigerant undergoes phase change in the cold plate to absorb heat and control the temperature rise of the battery cell. In application scenarios where the battery cabinet is in cold environments such as winter, when the battery cell temperature is low, an additional heating system is required to make the battery cell work in a safe and efficient temperature range, which increases system cost and complexity.

[0004] Solid PCM heat dissipation technology puts solid PCM in direct contact with the battery cell. Due to the poor thermal conductivity of PCM material, it needs to be combined with porous and high thermal conductivity materials to effectively manage the heat of the battery cell. It is also necessary to consider the overall weight of the module, the PCM filling method, etc.

[0005] The existing thermal management technologies require additional fire-fighting equipment to prevent the battery cells from thermal runaway and spread, causing fires. The system is more complex and costly. Utility Model Content

[0006] In order to solve the deficiencies of the above technical solutions, an object of the present utility model is to provide a phase change liquid cooling plate for thermal management of battery modules.

[0007] The purpose of the utility model is achieved through the following technical solutions.

[0008] A phase change liquid cooling plate for thermal management of a battery module comprises a first cover plate, a second cover plate and a sandwich plate, wherein the sandwich plate is arranged between the first cover plate and the second cover plate, a cooling liquid flow channel is formed between the sandwich plate and the first cover plate, and PCM material is installed between the sandwich plate and the second cover plate.

[0009] In the above technical solution, multiple rows of outwardly protruding grooves are arranged on the sandwich plate, the openings of the outwardly protruding grooves face the second cover plate, the PCM material is embedded in the outwardly protruding grooves, and the groove backs of the outwardly protruding grooves are in contact with the first cover plate.

[0010] In the above technical solution, the gaps between the outwardly protruding grooves and the gaps between the outwardly protruding grooves and the outer edge are connected to each other to form the coolant flow channel, and the coolant flow channel is connected to the liquid cooler.

[0011] In the above technical solution, the sandwich plate is provided with an outer edge, and the outer edge is in contact with the first cover plate.

[0012] In the above technical solution, a cooling liquid nozzle is arranged on the outer edge of the upper part of the sandwich plate, the cooling liquid nozzle is communicated with the cooling liquid flow channel, and a valve is installed on each cooling liquid nozzle.

[0013] In the above technical solution, the first cover plate is a rectangular plate, and a groove body is respectively arranged at two short sides of the first cover plate. The groove body opens toward the sandwich plate and is connected to the coolant flow channel.

[0014] In the above technical solution, a coolant inlet is opened on one trough body, and a coolant outlet is opened on the other trough body. The coolant inlet and the coolant outlet are both connected to the coolant flow channel, and the coolant flow channel is connected to the liquid cooler through the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet.

[0015] In the above technical solution, ribs are arranged on the outwardly protruding groove, and the shape of the outwardly protruding groove is polygonal or circular.

[0016] The advantages and beneficial effects of the utility model are:

[0017] 1. The utility model is provided with a sandwich plate, a first cover plate and a second cover plate, a coolant flow channel is provided between the first cover plate and the sandwich plate, and PCM material is embedded between the sandwich plate and the second cover plate, which can reduce the amount of metal material used for the cold plate, and reduce the weight and cost of the cold plate.

[0018] 2. After the battery cell is charged and discharged, the PCM material releases the phase change latent heat stored inside it, which can effectively slow down the rate of temperature drop of the battery cell.

[0019] 3. The utility model is newly provided with a coolant nozzle on the sandwich plate which is connected with the coolant flow channel. When thermal runaway occurs, the valve melts and the coolant nozzle sprays coolant to prevent the thermal runaway of the battery cell from spreading, which can replace the fire-fighting device.

[0020] 4. The outwardly protruding grooves of the utility model are independent of each other, so that the filling area of ​​the PCM material is independent, which is convenient for the maintenance and replacement of solid PCM filling and after aging. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1It is an exploded view of the overall structure of the utility model.

[0022] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the sandwich panel of the present utility model.

[0023] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of the sandwich panel of the present utility model.

[0024] Figure 4 It is an application schematic diagram of the utility model.

[0025] Among them, 1: first cover plate, 2: second cover plate, 3: sandwich plate, 4: coolant flow channel, 5: outer edge, 6: groove protruding outward, 7: PCM material, 8: coolant inlet, 9: coolant outlet, 10: valve, 11: battery cell, 12: tank body, 13: coolant nozzle, 14: rib. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The technical solution of the present utility model is further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0027] Example 1

[0028] like Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, a phase change liquid cooling plate for thermal management of a battery module comprises a first cover plate 1, a second cover plate 2 and a sandwich plate 3, wherein the sandwich plate 3 is arranged between the first cover plate 1 and the second cover plate 2, and a cooling liquid flow channel 4 (such as Figure 1 As shown, the reference numeral 4 in the figure indicates a channel for the flow of coolant and does not represent an actual plate), a PCM material 7 is installed between the sandwich plate 3 and the second cover plate 2, the coolant flow channel 4 is connected to the liquid cooler, a plurality of rows of outwardly protruding grooves 6 are arranged at intervals on the sandwich plate 3, the PCM material 7 is embedded in the outwardly protruding grooves 6, the openings of the outwardly protruding grooves 6 face the second cover plate 2, the groove backs of the outwardly protruding grooves 6 are in contact with the inner surface of the first cover plate 1, the sandwich plate 3 is provided with a circle of outer edges 5, the outer edges 5 are in contact with the inner surface of the first cover plate 1, the groove thickness of the outwardly protruding grooves 6 is the same as the thickness of the outer edges 5, the gaps between the outwardly protruding grooves 6, and the gaps between the outwardly protruding grooves 6 and the outer edges 5 are connected to each other to form the coolant flow channel 4, and the coolant flow channel 4 is connected to the liquid cooler.

[0029] A coolant nozzle 13 is provided on the upper outer edge 5 of the sandwich plate 3. Preferably, the coolant nozzle is located on the upper outer edge between the two outwardly protruding grooves 6. The coolant nozzle 13 is connected to the coolant flow channel 4. A valve 10 is installed on each coolant nozzle 13. The material used for the valve 10 is a low-melting-point metal or a low-melting-point non-metallic material. In the present embodiment, the valve 10 is a trapezoidal block, which is plugged into the coolant nozzle 13 to provide better pressure-bearing and sealing effects.

[0030] When thermal runaway occurs in the battery cell 11, the valve is melted and coolant is sprayed out from the coolant nozzle to prevent the thermal runaway and spread of the battery cell 11; the materials used for the first cover plate 1, the second cover plate 2 and the sandwich plate 3 are aluminum alloy, pure copper or copper-aluminum alloy, the PCM material 7 is an inorganic phase change material, an organic phase change material or a composite phase change material, and the coolant is an ethylene glycol-water mixture or a fluorinated liquid.

[0031] Furthermore, the first cover plate 1 is a rectangular plate, and a groove body 12 is respectively arranged at the two short sides of the first cover plate 1, and the groove body 12 opens inward, that is, the opening of the groove body 12 faces the sandwich plate 3, and is connected to the coolant flow channel, a coolant inlet 8 is opened on one groove body 12, and a coolant outlet 9 is opened on the other groove body 12, and the coolant inlet 8 and the coolant outlet 9 are both connected to the coolant flow channel 4, and the coolant flow channel is connected to the liquid cooler through the coolant inlet 8 and the coolant outlet 9, and the coolant inlet 8 and the coolant outlet 9 are diagonally arranged to increase the coolant flow path and improve the heat exchange effect of the coolant in the cold plate.

[0032] The temperature control principle of the utility model is:

[0033] Under high-temperature working conditions, the solid PCM material 7 melts and absorbs heat, slowing down the temperature rise rate of the battery cell 11 during the charging and discharging process. When the temperature of the battery cell 11 exceeds the cooling temperature threshold of the liquid cooler, the liquid cooler starts to run in the cooling mode at a high load, and the coolant flows in the coolant flow channel to take away the heat generated by the battery cell 11. After the charging and discharging of the battery cell 11 is completed, the liquid cooler runs in the cooling mode at a low load, and the coolant flows to take away the phase change latent heat stored in the liquid PCM material 7, thereby solidifying the liquid PCM material 7 and transforming it into a solid PCM material 7. This process reduces the high-load operation time of the liquid cooler.

[0034] Under low temperature working conditions, after the battery cell has just completed charging and discharging, the overall temperature of the battery cell is relatively high, and the liquid PCM material 7 solidifies and releases heat, slowing down the rate of temperature drop of the battery cell. When the temperature of the battery cell drops below the heating temperature threshold, the liquid cooler turns on the heating mode to keep the battery cell in a safe and efficient temperature range. This process can delay the time for the liquid cooler to start the heating mode.

[0035] Example 2

[0036] In this embodiment, fins 14 are provided on the outwardly protruding groove 6 to improve the heat transfer effect of the PCM area. The shape of the outwardly protruding groove 6 is polygonal or circular.

[0037] For ease of explanation, spatial relative terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and the like are used in the embodiments to illustrate the relationship of one element or feature shown in the figure relative to another element or feature. It should be understood that, in addition to the orientation shown in the figure, the spatial terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation. For example, if the device in the figure is inverted, the element described as being "under" other elements or features will be positioned "on" other elements or features. Therefore, the exemplary term "under" can include both upper and lower orientations. The device can be positioned in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used here can be interpreted accordingly.

[0038] Furthermore, relational terms such as “first” and “second” and the like are merely used to distinguish one component from another having the same name, but do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these components.

[0039] The above is an exemplary description of the present invention. It should be noted that, without departing from the core of the present invention, any simple deformation, modification or other equivalent replacement that can be done by other technical personnel in this field without expending creative labor falls within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A phase change liquid cooling plate for thermal management of battery modules, characterized in that: The invention comprises a first cover plate, a second cover plate and an interlayer plate, wherein the interlayer plate is arranged between the first cover plate and the second cover plate, a cooling liquid flow channel is formed between the interlayer plate and the first cover plate, and PCM material is installed between the interlayer plate and the second cover plate.

2. The phase change liquid cooling plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of rows of outwardly protruding grooves are arranged on the sandwich plate, the openings of the outwardly protruding grooves face the second cover plate, the PCM material is embedded in the outwardly protruding grooves, and the groove backs of the outwardly protruding grooves are in contact with the first cover plate.

3. The phase change liquid cooling plate according to claim 2, characterized in that: The sandwich plate is provided with an outer edge, and the outer edge is in contact with the first cover plate.

4. The phase change liquid cooling plate according to claim 3, characterized in that: The gaps between the outwardly protruding grooves and the gaps between the outwardly protruding grooves and the outer edge are connected to each other to form the coolant flow channel, and the coolant flow channel is connected to the liquid cooler.

5. The phase change liquid cooling plate according to claim 3, characterized in that: A cooling liquid nozzle is arranged on the outer edge of the upper part of the sandwich plate, the cooling liquid nozzle is communicated with the cooling liquid flow channel, and a valve is installed on each cooling liquid nozzle.

6. The phase change liquid cooling plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first cover plate is a rectangular plate. A groove body is respectively arranged at two short sides of the first cover plate. The groove body opens toward the sandwich plate and is communicated with the coolant flow channel.

7. The phase change liquid cooling plate according to claim 4, characterized in that: A coolant inlet is provided on one tank body, and a coolant outlet is provided on the other tank body. The coolant inlet and the coolant outlet are both connected to the coolant flow channel, and the coolant flow channel is connected to the liquid cooler through the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet.

8. The phase change liquid cooling plate according to claim 2, characterized in that: A rib is arranged on the outwardly protruding groove, and the shape of the outwardly protruding groove is polygonal or circular.

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