Liquid cooling plate and battery pack

Abstract

The utility model provides a liquid cooling plate and a battery pack, and the liquid cooling plate comprises a structure part which is made of a plastic material and is provided with a hollow flow channel hole; the two sealing parts are respectively connected to the two sides of the structural part in a sealing manner so as to seal the flow channel hole to form a liquid cooling flow channel; and at least one sealing part is made of a metal material. According to the liquid cooling plate disclosed by the utility model, a complete liquid cooling runner can be formed by arranging the plastic structural part and the sealing parts connected to the two sides of the structural part in a sealing manner, and when a single surface of the liquid cooling plate is in contact with the battery cell, the sealing part on one side in contact with the battery cell is a metal plate, so that heat can be well conducted; when the two faces of the liquid cooling plate make contact with the battery cells respectively, the two sealing parts are both metal plates, the structural part is made of plastic materials, the mass is lighter, the light-weight design of the liquid cooling plate is facilitated, and meanwhile the manufacturing cost is reduced; and secondly, the structural part made of the plastic material is adopted to form a part of the liquid cooling flow channel, so that the insulating property of the liquid cooling plate can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of battery cooling, in particular to a liquid cooling plate. The utility model also relates to a battery pack equipped with the above liquid cooling plate. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous improvement of the market requirements for the safety, performance and cycle life of battery systems, the liquid cooling thermal management system has gradually replaced air cooling and natural cooling and become the mainstream power and energy storage battery thermal management system. The conventional liquid cooling system mainly consists of a liquid cooling plate, a pipeline assembly, a coolant and a refrigeration unit. As the core heat exchange component in the liquid cooling system, the design and selection of the liquid cooling plate are crucial and have a great impact on the comprehensive cost and performance of the thermal management system.

[0003] There are two common liquid cooling plate structures. One is the stamping and brazing liquid cooling plate, which uses three-series aluminum. The flow channel plate, flat plate and water nozzle are hermetically fixed by brazing. The flow channel plate is formed by stamping and laser cutting processes, the flat plate is formed by laser cutting, and the water nozzle is formed by machining, and the flow channel design is flexible. The other is the liquid cooling plate with an extrusion profile and friction stir welding process, which uses six-series aluminum. The cold plate is mainly hermetically connected by friction stir welding, and the cold plate has high load-bearing capacity.

[0004] Although the above two liquid cooling plate structures have high reliability and relatively mature processes, with the continuous development of battery technology, in order to obtain a higher energy density of the battery pack, the liquid cooling plate also needs to be designed for lightweight. The above two liquid cooling plate structures both have the problem of large weight, which is not conducive to the lightweight design of the liquid cooling plate. Summary of the Utility Model

[0005] In view of this, the utility model aims to propose a liquid cooling plate to achieve the lightweight design of the liquid cooling plate.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the technical solution of the utility model is realized as follows:

[0007] A liquid cooling plate, comprising:

[0008] A structural part, made of plastic material, with flow channel holes formed by hollowing;

[0009] Two sealing parts, respectively hermetically connected to both sides of the structural part to close the flow channel holes to form a liquid cooling flow channel;

[0010] At least one of the sealing parts is made of metal material.

[0011] Further, the structural part includes a main body frame and a plurality of mutually parallel guiding plates arranged in the main body frame, forming a serpentine path of the liquid cooling flow channel.

[0012] Further, a partition plate is disposed in parallel between adjacent guiding plates, and the partition plate constitutes a flow splitting of the liquid in the liquid cooling channel.

[0013] Further, the structural part includes a connecting part, and the connecting part is fixedly connected between the main body frame and the partition plate.

[0014] Further, a support block is formed by convexity on the connecting part, and the support block abuts against the sealing part.

[0015] Further, reinforcing ribs are fixedly connected between adjacent guiding plates and the partition plate and / or between adjacent partition plates.

[0016] Further, one of the sealing parts is made of the same material as the structural part and is fixedly connected.

[0017] Further, a water inlet nozzle and a water outlet nozzle communicating with the flow channel hole are integrally formed on the structural part.

[0018] Further, the water inlet nozzle and the water outlet nozzle are arranged on the same side of the structural part.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the present utility model has the following advantages:

[0020] For the liquid cooling plate of the present utility model, by providing a plastic structural part and sealing parts sealed and connected on both sides of the structural part, a complete liquid cooling channel can be formed. When one side of the liquid cooling plate contacts the battery cell, the sealing part on the side contacting the battery cell is a metal plate, which can conduct heat well; when both sides of the liquid cooling plate contact the battery cells respectively, both sealing parts are metal plates, and the structural part made of plastic material is lighter in weight, which is beneficial to the lightweight design of the liquid cooling plate and reduces the manufacturing cost at the same time; secondly, using the plastic structural part to form part of the liquid cooling channel can also improve the insulation performance of the liquid cooling plate.

[0021] The main body frame is the main body of the structural part. By arranging guiding plates in the main body frame, a serpentine flow channel hole can be formed between the main body frame and the guiding plates, which serves as the structural basis of the liquid cooling channel. The serpentine flow channel can make better use of the space inside the structural part and improve the heat exchange effect.

[0022] The partition plate can split the liquid flow in the liquid cooling channel, so that when the cooling liquid flows in the liquid cooling channel, it can contact the sealing part more evenly, improving the heat exchange effect.

[0023] The connecting part can connect the partition plate and the main body frame, providing a connection basis for the partition plate.

[0024] The support block abutting against the sealing part can support the sealing part, making the sealing part not easily dented and deformed at the connecting part, and making the strength of the liquid cooling channel higher.

[0025] The reinforcing ribs can connect and restrain adjacent guiding plates and partition plates, as well as adjacent partition plates. When the guiding plates or partition plates are relatively long, they are not prone to deformation, the shape of the liquid cooling channel is not easily damaged, and the overall structural strength of the structural part can also be enhanced.

[0026] Setting a sealing part and the structural part to be integrally connected with the same material can be used when the liquid cooling plate is required to cool the battery cells on one side. The integral molding of the sealing part and the structural part can reduce the production cost and is also convenient for the assembly of the liquid cooling plate; secondly, the integral molding of the sealing part and the structural part can also improve the insulation performance of the structural part.

[0027] The water inlet nozzle and the water outlet nozzle are integrally formed on the structural part, which can make the connection strength between the water inlet nozzle and the water outlet nozzle and the structural part higher, have better sealing performance and insulation performance, and can also reduce the production cost.

[0028] Setting the water inlet nozzle and the water outlet nozzle on the same side of the structural part can facilitate the supply and reception of the refrigerant in the liquid cooling plate and is convenient for accessing the circulation line of the refrigerant.

[0029] Another object of the present utility model is to provide a battery pack equipped with the above-mentioned liquid cooling plate.

[0030] The battery pack described in the present utility model has the same beneficial effects as the above-mentioned liquid cooling plate compared with the prior art, and will not be elaborated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The drawings forming a part of the present utility model are used to provide a further understanding of the present utility model. The schematic embodiments and descriptions thereof of the present utility model are used to explain the present utility model and do not constitute an improper limitation to the present utility model. In the drawings:

[0032] Figure 1 is an exploded view of the first liquid cooling plate according to Embodiment 1 of the present utility model;

[0033] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of the structural part according to Embodiment 1 of the present utility model;

[0034] Figure 3 is an exploded view of the second liquid cooling plate according to Embodiment 1 of the present utility model.

[0035] Description of the reference numerals:

[0036] 1, structural part;

[0037] 1a, flow channel hole; 101, main body frame; 102, guiding plate; 103, partition plate; 104, connecting part; 105, support block; 106, reinforcing rib;

[0038] 2, sealing part;

[0039] 3. Water inlet nozzle;

[0040] 4. Water outlet nozzle. Specific implementation manner

[0041] It should be noted that, without conflict, the embodiments in the present utility model and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0042] In the description of the present utility model, it should be noted that if terms indicating orientation or positional relationship such as "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", etc. appear, they are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present utility model 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 should not be construed as a limitation to the present utility model. In addition, if terms such as "first", "second", etc. appear, they are also only for descriptive purposes and cannot be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0043] In addition, in the description of the present utility model, unless otherwise clearly defined, the terms "installation", "connection", "connection", "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 directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present utility model can be understood in combination with specific situations.

[0044] The present utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings and in combination with embodiments.

[0045] Embodiment 1

[0046] This embodiment relates to a liquid cooling plate to optimize the structural form of the liquid cooling plate, reduce the overall weight of the liquid cooling plate, and achieve the lightweight design of the liquid cooling plate.

[0047] In terms of the overall structure, referring to Figures 1 to 3 as shown, a liquid cooling plate in this embodiment includes a structural part 1 and two sealing parts 2. The structural part 1 is made of plastic material and is formed with a hollow flow channel hole 1a by hollowing. The two sealing parts 2 are respectively sealed and connected to both sides of the structural part 1 to close the flow channel hole 1a to form a liquid cooling flow channel. At least one of the sealing parts 2 is made of metal material.

[0048] With the above settings, for the liquid cooling plate described in this embodiment, by providing the plastic structural part 1 and the sealing parts 2 hermetically connected to both sides of the structural part 1, a complete liquid cooling flow channel can be formed. When one side of the liquid cooling plate contacts the battery cell, the sealing part 2 on the side contacting the battery cell is a metal plate, which can conduct heat well. When both sides of the liquid cooling plate contact the battery cells respectively, both sealing parts 2 are metal plates, and the structural part 1 made of plastic material is lighter in weight, which is beneficial to the lightweight design of the liquid cooling plate and reduces the manufacturing cost at the same time. Secondly, using the plastic structural part 1 to form part of the liquid cooling flow channel can also improve the insulation performance of the liquid cooling plate.

[0049] Based on the above overall introduction, specifically, the flow channel holes 1a penetrate in the vertical direction to facilitate the formation of a complete liquid cooling flow channel after the structural part 1 and the sealing part 2 are connected. The liquid cooling plate in this embodiment is divided into two types. Refer to Figure 1 As shown, the first type of liquid cooling plate has both sealing parts 2 made of metal material. The two metal sealing parts 2 enable efficient heat exchange on both sides of the liquid cooling plate, which is suitable for the case where different groups of battery cells are cooled on the upper and lower sides of the liquid cooling plate, and can absorb the heat of the battery cells in time and transfer it to the coolant to achieve the cooling of the upper and lower layers of battery cells.

[0050] The form of the second type of liquid cooling plate is referred to Figure 3 As shown, for the second type of liquid cooling plate, one sealing part 2 is made of metal material, and the other sealing part 2 is made of the same material as the structural part 1, that is, plastic material, and is integrally formed with the structural part 1, which is suitable for the case where the liquid cooling plate cools the battery cell on one side. The side of the metal material sealing part 2 of the second type of liquid cooling plate is used to contact the battery cell, absorb the heat of the battery cell, and continue to transfer the heat to the coolant to achieve efficient heat exchange. The plastic sealing part 2 can be directly fixed on the structural part 1 through the plastic overmold secondary forming process, with reliable connection and improved insulation performance of the liquid cooling plate. The plastic sealing part 2 can also further reduce the overall weight of the liquid cooling plate, realizing both the lightweight design of the liquid cooling plate and reducing the production cost of the liquid cooling plate.

[0051] Regarding the specific materials of the structural part 1 and the sealing part 2, in this embodiment, the structural part 1 is made of PA66 (polyhexamethylene adipamide, nylon-66). PA66 is a thermoplastic resin, generally prepared by polycondensation of adipic acid and hexamethylenediamine, with very high mechanical strength and hardness and great rigidity, meeting the requirements for the material of the structural part 1 in this embodiment. Of course, PA6 material can also be used to make the structural part 1 or the sealing part 2. The chemical and physical properties of PA6 (polyamide 6, nylon-6) are very similar to those of nylon 66. However, it has a lower melting point and a wide process temperature range. Its impact resistance and solubility resistance are better than those of nylon 66 plastic, but it also has stronger hygroscopicity. The material selection can be made according to actual needs. The sealing part 2 made of metal material is made of three-series aluminum or six-series aluminum, and is connected to the structural part 1 by hot pressing. Three-series aluminum and six-series aluminum have the advantages of low density, high strength, and good heat conduction performance, and are excellent heat transfer materials suitable for contacting the battery cell.

[0052] Specifically, taking the first liquid cooling plate as an example, refer to Figure 2 As shown, the structural part 1 includes a main frame 101 and a plurality of mutually parallel guiding plates 102 arranged in the main frame 101, forming a serpentine path of the liquid cooling channel. The main frame 101 is the main body of the structural part 1. By arranging the guiding plates 102 in the main frame 101, a serpentine flow channel hole 1a can be formed between the main frame 101 and the guiding plates 102, serving as the structural basis of the liquid cooling channel. The height of the guiding plates 102 is the same as the height of the liquid cooling channel. The serpentine flow channel can make better use of the space inside the structural part 1 and improve the heat exchange effect.

[0053] In this embodiment, there are three guiding plates 102, which make the path of the flow channel hole turn back three times, with a total of four paths, which can extend the flow path length of the coolant in the liquid cooling channel, increase the heat exchange contact area between the coolant and the sealing part 2, and improve the heat exchange effect and efficiency. The cross-sectional areas of the two paths at both ends of the liquid cooling channel are smaller than those of the two middle paths, which can slow down the flow velocity of the coolant in the middle of the liquid cooling channel and make it stay longer to contact and exchange heat with the middle part of the battery cell group more, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency of the liquid cooling plate. Each guiding plate 102 is arranged parallel to each other, which can make the flow velocity of the coolant in the liquid cooling channel uniform and stabilize the heat exchange effect.

[0054] In order to improve the heat exchange efficiency of the liquid cooling plate, a partition plate 103 is provided in parallel between adjacent guiding plates 102, and the partition plate 103 constitutes a diversion of the liquid in the liquid cooling channel. The partition plate 103 can divide the liquid cooling channel between each section of the guiding plate 102 into multiple parallel branches. The partition plate 103 can guide the flow direction of the coolant in the cooling channel, enabling the coolant to flow more along the direction of the liquid cooling channel, making the coolant flow more smoothly and enhancing the heat exchange effect with the sealing part 2. Specifically, in this embodiment, there are intervals between adjacent guiding plates 102 and between the guiding plate 102 and the main body frame 101.

[0055] As a structural support for the partition plate 103, the structural part 1 includes a connecting part 104, and the connecting part 104 is fixedly connected between the main body frame 101 and the partition plate 103. The connecting part 104 is integrally formed with the main body frame 101 and is used to provide a connection foundation for the partition plate 103. The partition plate 103 is integrally formed with the connecting part 104, making the integrity of the partition plate 103 on the structural part 1 better and the connection strength higher. In this embodiment, the connecting part 104 is plate-shaped and its thickness is less than that of the main body frame 101 to ensure the normal flow of the coolant.

[0056] In order to enhance the support of the structural part 1 for the sealing part 2, a support block 105 is formed by protruding on the connecting part 104, and the support block 105 abuts against the sealing part 2. Since there is a gap between the connecting part 104 and the sealing part 2, setting the support block 105 on the connecting part 104 to abut against the sealing part 2 can play a supporting role for the sealing part 2, making it difficult for the sealing part 2 to produce a concave deformation at the connecting part 104, making the strength of the liquid cooling channel higher and maintaining better structural stability.

[0057] For the purpose of enhancing the structural strength of the structural part 1, a reinforcing rib 106 is fixedly connected between adjacent guiding plates 102 and the partition plate 103 and / or between adjacent partition plates 103. Both the guiding plate 102 and the partition plate 103 are slender strip-shaped plate structures, so their bending strength in the middle is relatively low and they are prone to deformation, affecting the flow of the coolant. Setting the reinforcing rib 106 can connect and restrain adjacent guiding plates 102 and the partition plate 103, and adjacent partition plates 103. Even when the guiding plate 102 or the partition plate 103 is relatively long, it is not easy to produce deformation, making it difficult to damage the shape of the liquid cooling channel and also enhancing the overall structural strength of the structural part 1. A plurality of reinforcing ribs 106 are evenly spaced along the length direction of the guiding plate 102, and the height of the reinforcing rib 106 is lower than the height of the main body frame 101 to enable the coolant to flow normally from the reinforcing rib 106. As a preferred implementation form, the height of the reinforcing rib 106 is one-third of the liquid cooling channel.

[0058] In order to further reduce the production cost of the liquid cooling plate, a water inlet nozzle 3 and a water outlet nozzle 4 communicating with the flow channel hole 1a are integrally formed on the structural part 1. The traditional water inlet nozzle 3 and water outlet nozzle 4 are arranged on the heat exchange surface of the liquid cooling plate and are processed and formed by machining. Generally, they are made of metal materials, which not only have a relatively large weight, but also have a general sealing effect and a relatively high manufacturing cost. In this embodiment, the water inlet nozzle 3 and the water outlet nozzle 4 are integrally formed on the structural part 1 and are also made of plastic materials. This not only makes the connection strength between the water inlet nozzle 3 and the water outlet nozzle 4 and the structural part 1 higher, but also enables the water inlet nozzle 3 and the water outlet nozzle 4 to have better sealing performance and insulation performance. Integrally forming the water inlet nozzle 3 and the water outlet nozzle 4 on the structural part 1 can also reduce the production cost of the liquid cooling plate.

[0059] For the purpose of facilitating the management of the water inlet nozzle 3 and the water outlet nozzle 4, the water inlet nozzle 3 and the water outlet nozzle 4 are arranged on the same side of the structural part 1. Arranging the water inlet nozzle 3 and the water outlet nozzle 4 on the same side of the structural part 1 can facilitate the supply and reception of the refrigerant in the liquid cooling plate and facilitate connecting the liquid cooling plate to the refrigerant circulation line.

[0060] Embodiment 2

[0061] This embodiment relates to a battery pack, and the liquid cooling plate described in Embodiment 1 is assembled on the battery pack.

[0062] By arranging the liquid cooling plate described in Embodiment 1 on the battery pack, part of the structure of the liquid cooling plate is made of plastic material, which can ultimately make the whole package lighter in weight, is beneficial to the lightweight design of the battery pack, and at the same time reduces the manufacturing cost. Secondly, using plastic material to form part of the liquid cooling flow channel can also improve the insulation performance of the liquid cooling plate, making the battery pack have better use safety performance.

[0063] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A liquid cooling plate, characterized in that: include: The structural part is made of plastic material and is hollowed out to have flow channel holes; Two sealing parts are respectively sealed and connected to two sides of the structural part to close the flow channel hole to form a liquid cooling flow channel; At least one of the sealing parts is made of metal.

2. The liquid cooling plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The structural part includes a main frame and a plurality of mutually parallel guide plates arranged in the main frame, forming a serpentine path of the liquid cooling channel.

3. The liquid cooling plate according to claim 2, characterized in that: A partition plate is arranged in parallel between adjacent guide plates, and the partition plate is used to divert the liquid in the liquid-cooling channel.

4. The liquid cooling plate according to claim 3, characterized in that: The structural part includes a connecting part, and the connecting part is fixedly connected between the main frame and the partition plate.

5. The liquid cooling plate according to claim 4, characterized in that: A support block is formed on the connection portion and abuts against the sealing portion.

6. The liquid cooling plate according to claim 3, characterized in that: Reinforcing ribs are fixedly connected between adjacent guide plates and partition plates and / or between adjacent partition plates.

7. The liquid cooling plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: One of the sealing parts is made of the same material as the structural part and is fixedly connected.

8. The liquid cooling plate according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: A water inlet and a water outlet connected to the flow channel hole are integrally formed on the structural part.

9. The liquid cooling plate according to claim 8, characterized in that: The water inlet and the water outlet are arranged on the same side of the structural part.

10. A battery pack, characterized in that: The battery pack is equipped with a liquid cooling plate as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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