Cold plate assembly and battery pack

Abstract

The utility model discloses a cold plate assembly and a battery pack, a cooling flow channel extending circuitously is formed in the cold plate assembly, the cold plate assembly comprises a cold plate body, first connecting parts are formed at the two ends of the cold plate body, and second connecting parts are formed at the two ends of the cold plate body; the first end plate is arranged at one end of the cold plate body; the first end plate is arranged at one end of the cold plate body, the second end plate is arranged at the other end of the cold plate body, second connecting parts are formed on the first end plate and the second end plate, and the first connecting parts and the second connecting parts are matched so that the first end plate and the second end plate can be connected with the cold plate body in a sealed mode. According to the cold plate assembly, the first connecting part and the second connecting part are arranged, so that the first end plate and the second end plate can be tightly connected with the cold plate body, a reliable sealing structure is formed, refrigerant leakage is prevented, the requirements for stability and safety of the cold plate assembly are met, and the cold plate assembly is simple in overall structure and convenient to assemble and maintain.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of battery manufacturing, in particular to a cold plate assembly and a battery pack. Background Art

[0002] Relevant technologies point out that the current industrial and commercial energy storage and container energy storage fields have shown that after the development and promotion in recent years, lithium battery chemical energy storage has achieved breakthrough developments in lithium battery materials, battery cell technology, pack integrated structure, etc., and has also put forward higher requirements for application products, especially for safety, cost, energy density and cycle life. The safety of the battery system mainly comes from the intrinsic safety, active safety and passive safety of the battery. The safety of the battery system mainly comes from short circuit, overcharge, over discharge and high and low temperature. The final appearance is shown in the form of temperature, but the process is different.

[0003] Temperature has a significant impact on the capacity, power and safety performance of lithium batteries in electrochemical energy storage boxes. Since the energy storage system gathers a large number of densely packed batteries, during charge and discharge operation, the charge and discharge rate and battery layout may easily cause the battery working environment temperature to rise, resulting in uneven temperature distribution and increased battery temperature difference, leading to poor battery consistency, which in turn affects the battery's charge and discharge performance and shortens its life, thus affecting the performance of the entire energy storage system. In severe cases, it may cause thermal runaway and lead to safety accidents.

[0004] In order to control the cost and energy density of the battery system, large single-cell batteries are basically adopted, combined with the gradually improved battery grouping technology, to improve the space utilization of the battery compartment and increase the battery volume energy density, so as to pack more electricity into the original space of the same volume, so as to achieve the purpose of reducing the watt-hour cost.

[0005] Because the space required for increasing the amount of electricity in the same volume space must rely on battery grouping technology to reduce redundant components in the battery grouping, increase the energy level of the battery pack, and use this space to configure more batteries. As the number of batteries increases, the battery arrangement density also increases;

[0006] In addition, the increase in the capacity of single cells and the charge and discharge rate makes it difficult to dissipate heat from the battery. The temperature difference between cells and the temperature of the cell itself continue to increase, posing a serious threat to battery safety. In order to solve the battery working environment temperature, battery temperature difference and battery cell temperature, air cooling and liquid cooling thermal management systems are currently basically used. Due to the increase in the power and charge and discharge power requirements of energy storage products, the air cooling system can no longer meet the heat dissipation requirements of large-energy battery systems.

[0007] Looking at the many energy storage thermal management systems currently available, they basically include: air cooling system, traditional liquid cooling system, heat pipe cooling system, phase change cooling and other main cooling systems. From the analysis of these energy storage cooling systems:

[0008] Air cooling has cost advantages, but the space utilization rate is low, and the heat dissipation effect cannot meet the heat dissipation requirements of current large energy-intensive arrangements;

[0009] Liquid cooling systems mainly use upper and lower plate welded cold plates, and basically adopt a single-plate structure layout with bottom heat dissipation. The battery needs to be supported by the battery pack shell, which is only suitable for single-layer battery pack systems. It is not suitable for large-energy multi-layer stacked battery systems, and cannot meet the functions of rapid cooling of battery stacks, supporting the weight of battery packs, and protecting batteries.

[0010] The heat pipe cooling system has high thermal conductivity and can achieve isothermal and constant temperature control, but this technology is still in the laboratory stage and is not mature.

[0011] The phase change cooling system has a simple structure, high space utilization, no additional power consumption, and good temperature uniformity of the battery pack; however, its thermal conductivity is low and its thermal conductivity is poor, so it cannot be used in high heat generation conditions of the battery and is still in the laboratory stage. Utility Model Content

[0012] The utility model aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the utility model proposes a cold plate assembly, which has a simple structure and is easy to assemble and maintain.

[0013] The utility model also provides a battery pack having the cold plate assembly.

[0014] According to the cold plate assembly of the first aspect of the utility model, a cooling flow channel extending in a circuitous manner is formed in the cold plate assembly, and the cold plate assembly includes: a cold plate body, both ends of the cold plate body are formed with a first connecting portion; a first end plate, the first end plate is arranged at one end of the cold plate body; a second end plate, the second end plate is arranged at the other end of the cold plate body, wherein the first end plate and the second end plate are both formed with a second connecting portion, and the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion cooperate so that the first end plate and the second end plate are both sealed and connected to the cold plate body.

[0015] According to the cold plate assembly of the utility model, by setting the first connecting part and the second connecting part, it is ensured that the first end plate and the second end plate can be tightly connected to the cold plate body to form a reliable sealing structure to prevent refrigerant leakage, thereby meeting the stability and safety requirements of the cold plate assembly, and the overall structure is simple and easy to assemble and maintain.

[0016] In some embodiments, one of the first connection portion and the second connection portion is formed as a connection protrusion, and the other of the first connection portion and the second connection portion is formed as a connection groove, and the connection protrusion and the connection groove cooperate to be sealed and connected.

[0017] In some embodiments, the cooling channel has a straight section and a curved section, the straight section is formed in the cold plate body, the curved section is formed in the first end plate and the second end plate, and the curved section is connected to both ends of the straight section and communicates with the straight section.

[0018] In some embodiments, one of the first end plate and the second end plate is formed with a water inlet and a water outlet, or the first end plate and the second end plate are respectively provided with a water inlet and a water outlet, and both ends of the cooling channel are respectively connected to the water inlet and the water outlet, and the cooling channel is connected to both the water inlet and the water outlet.

[0019] In some embodiments, the cold plate assembly further includes: a reinforcing beam, wherein the reinforcing beam is disposed on both sides of the cold plate body and connected to the cold plate body.

[0020] In some embodiments, the reinforcing beam forms a limiting rib, and the limiting rib extends along the length direction of the reinforcing beam.

[0021] In some embodiments, the cold plate assembly further includes: a sealing member disposed between the connecting protrusion and the connecting groove.

[0022] In some embodiments, the first end plate and the second end plate are both connected to the cold plate body and fixed by fasteners.

[0023] In some embodiments, the cold plate body, the first end plate, and the second end plate are all formed as aluminum parts, and at least one of the cold plate body, the first end plate, and the second end plate is an integrally formed part.

[0024] A battery pack according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises a cold plate assembly according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0025] According to the battery pack of the utility model, by providing the cold plate assembly of the first aspect, the overall performance of the battery pack is improved, the safety and stability of the battery pack is enhanced, the cooling performance of the battery pack is optimized, and the difficulty of assembling the battery pack is reduced.

[0026] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be given in part in the following description, and in part will become apparent from the following description, or will be learned through the practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a cold plate assembly according to an embodiment of the utility model;

[0028] Figure 2 yes Figure 1An exploded schematic diagram of the cold plate assembly shown in;

[0029] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of cooling channels within a cold plate assembly shown in FIG.

[0030] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A side view of the cold plate body shown in ;

[0031] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the cold plate assembly shown in FIG.

[0032] Reference numerals:

[0033] 100. cold plate assembly; 1. cold plate body; 12. connecting groove;

[0034] 2. First end plate; 21. Water inlet; 22. Water outlet;

[0035] 3. Second end plate; 4. Connecting protrusion;

[0036] 5. Strengthening beam; 51. Limiting convex rib;

[0037] 6. Fastener; 7. Cooling channel; 71. Straight section; 72. Bend section. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to be used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0039] Reference below Figure 1-Figure 5 A cold plate assembly 100 according to an embodiment of a first aspect of the present invention is described.

[0040] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the cold plate assembly 100 according to the first embodiment of the present utility model comprises: a cold plate body 1 , a first end plate 2 and a second end plate 3 .

[0041] Specifically, both ends of the cold plate body 1 are formed with a first connection portion, the first end plate 2 is provided at one end of the cold plate body 1, and the second end plate 3 is provided at the other end of the cold plate body 1, wherein the first end plate 2 and the second end plate 3 are both formed with a second connection portion, and the first connection portion and the second connection portion cooperate to make the first end plate 2 and the second end plate 3 sealedly connected to the cold plate body 1. Therefore, the cold plate assembly 100 has a simple structure and an ingenious design.

[0042] According to the cold plate assembly 100 of the embodiment of the utility model, by setting the first connecting part and the second connecting part, it is ensured that the first end plate 2 and the second end plate 3 can be tightly connected to the cold plate body 1 to form a reliable sealing structure to prevent refrigerant leakage, thereby meeting the stability and safety requirements of the cold plate assembly 100, and the overall structure is simple, which is easy to assemble and maintain.

[0043] In some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 2 As shown, one of the first connection part and the second connection part is formed as a connection protrusion 4, and the other of the first connection part and the second connection part is formed as a connection groove 12, and the connection protrusion 4 and the connection groove 12 cooperate to be sealed and connected. In other words, the first connection part can be formed as the connection protrusion 4, and the second connection part can be formed as the connection groove 12, or the first connection part can be formed as the connection groove 12, and the second connection part can be formed as the connection protrusion 4. As a result, the assembly process is more intuitive, and the connection protrusion 4 can be embedded in the connection groove 12, which reduces the difficulty of assembly, improves the assembly efficiency, and can effectively prevent refrigerant leakage.

[0044] In some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 3 As shown, the cooling channel 7 has a straight section 71 and a curved section 72, the straight section 71 is formed in the cold plate body 1, the curved section 72 is formed in the first end plate 2 and the second end plate 3, and the curved section 72 is connected to both ends of the straight section 71 and communicates with the straight section 71. Therefore, the cooling channel 7 has a simple structure and an ingenious design, which extends the length of the cooling channel 7 in a limited space, improves the heat exchange efficiency, and reduces energy consumption.

[0045] In addition, the segmented design can meet different assembly requirements of the cold plate assembly 100 , and the overall length of the cold plate assembly 100 can be extended or shortened according to different requirements by replacing the cold plate body 1 with different lengths.

[0046] In some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, one of the first end plate 2 and the second end plate 3 is formed with a water inlet 21 and a water outlet 22, or the first end plate 2 and the second end plate 3 are respectively provided with a water inlet 21 and a water outlet 22, and both ends of the cooling channel 7 are respectively connected to the water inlet 21 and the water outlet 22, and the cooling channel 7 is connected to both the water inlet 21 and the water outlet 22. Therefore, the water inlet 21 and the water outlet 22 are both provided on the same end plate, simplifying the structure of the cold plate assembly 100, and the refrigerant enters the cooling channel 7 from the water inlet 21, and flows out from the water outlet 22 after heat exchange, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency and ensuring the stability and reliability of the cold plate assembly 100.

[0047] In some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the cold plate assembly 100 also includes: reinforcing beams 5, which are arranged on both sides of the cold plate body 1 and connected to the cold plate body 1. When the cold plate assembly 100 performs heat exchange, the temperature change of the refrigerant or the pressure change in the cooling channel 7 or the external load may cause deformation. The reinforcing beams 5 can effectively resist these forces, reduce deformation, maintain the stability of the structure of the cold plate assembly 100, and prevent deformation caused by stacking the cold plate assembly 100 or lengthening the cold plate body 1, thereby avoiding affecting the thermal conductivity of the cold plate assembly 100. In addition, the reinforcement beams 5 are provided to facilitate hoisting and connection with other components.

[0048] In some embodiments of the present invention, the reinforcing beam 5 forms a limiting rib 51, and the limiting rib 51 extends along the length direction of the reinforcing beam 5. Therefore, the limiting rib 51 and the middle column constitute a connection support for limiting and connecting the upper and lower cold plate bodies 1, preventing the middle column from falling, achieving the gravity layering and equal distribution of the battery module, and avoiding the battery module from being subjected to pressure due to stacking.

[0049] Specifically, the cold plate assembly 100 can be seamlessly stacked and conduct heat on both sides, and can also support the stacking of battery modules, with good heat dissipation effect. Simulation data shows that the system temperature difference and battery body temperature difference control of the double liquid cold plate are reduced by 24% and 36.3% respectively compared with the single liquid cold plate, which can effectively solve the working environment temperature of the large energy battery system and solve the battery thermal balance problem, and play a positive and effective role in ensuring the consistency of the battery system and improving the cycle life of the battery system, providing practical and effective protection for the safety of the battery system.

[0050] In some embodiments of the present invention, the cold plate assembly 100 further includes: a sealing member, which is disposed between the connecting protrusion 4 and the connecting groove 12. Thus, the sealing effect between the end plate and the cold plate assembly 100 is further ensured. Preferably, the sealing member can be a thermally conductive silicone ring.

[0051] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first end plate 2 and the second end plate 3 are both connected to the cold plate body 1 and fixed by fasteners 6. Thus, the connection reliability and sealing between the end plate and the cold plate body 1 are ensured, a good sealing effect can be achieved, assembly and disassembly are convenient, and the production cost is low.

[0052] Since aluminum has good thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, processability, and low density, aluminum can quickly absorb and dissipate heat, which helps to improve cooling efficiency, while reducing overall weight and facilitating installation and transportation, the cold plate body 1, the first end plate 2, and the second end plate 3 are all formed as aluminum parts. In order to reduce the number of parts and assembly steps without sacrificing structural strength, at least one of the cold plate body 1, the first end plate 2, and the second end plate 3 is an integrally formed part.

[0053] The battery pack according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes the cold plate assembly 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] According to the battery pack of the embodiment of the utility model, by providing the cold plate assembly 100 of the first embodiment, the overall performance of the battery pack is improved, the safety and stability of the battery pack is enhanced, the cooling performance of the battery pack is optimized, and the assembly difficulty of the battery pack is reduced.

[0055] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0056] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying 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 one or more of the features. In the description of the present utility model, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0057] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "install", "connect", "connect", "fix" and the like 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, an electrical connection, or a communication; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0058] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the utility model. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples, without contradiction.

[0059] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A cold plate assembly, characterized in that: A cooling channel extending in a circuitous manner is formed in the cold plate assembly, and the cold plate assembly comprises: A cold plate body, wherein both ends of the cold plate body are formed with a first connecting portion; a first end plate, the first end plate being arranged at one end of the cold plate body; a second end plate, the second end plate being arranged at the other end of the cold plate body, The first end plate and the second end plate are both formed with a second connection portion, and the first connection portion and the second connection portion cooperate to ensure that the first end plate and the second end plate are both sealed and connected to the cold plate body.

2. The cold plate assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that One of the first connection portion and the second connection portion is formed as a connection protrusion, and the other of the first connection portion and the second connection portion is formed as a connection groove, and the connection protrusion and the connection groove are cooperated and sealed.

3. The cold plate assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that The cooling channel has a straight section and a curved section, wherein the straight section is formed in the cold plate body, the curved section is formed in the first end plate and the second end plate, and the curved section is connected to both ends of the straight section and communicates with the straight section.

4. The cold plate assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that One of the first end plate and the second end plate is formed with a water inlet and a water outlet, or the first end plate and the second end plate are respectively provided with a water inlet and a water outlet, the two ends of the cooling channel are respectively connected to the water inlet and the water outlet, and the cooling channel is connected to both the water inlet and the water outlet.

5. The cold plate assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that Also includes: A reinforcing beam is arranged on both sides of the cold plate body and connected to the cold plate body.

6. The cold plate assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that The reinforcing beam is formed with a limiting convex rib, and the limiting convex rib extends along the length direction of the reinforcing beam.

7. The cold plate assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that Also includes: A sealing member is disposed between the connecting protrusion and the connecting groove.

8. The cold plate assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that The first end plate and the second end plate are both connected to the cold plate body and fixed by fasteners.

9. The cold plate assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The cold plate body, the first end plate, and the second end plate are all formed as aluminum parts, and at least one of the cold plate body, the first end plate, and the second end plate is an integrally formed part.

10. A battery pack, characterized in that: The cold plate assembly comprises the cold plate assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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