Heat exchange structure and battery pack shell

Abstract

The utility model provides a heat exchange structure and a battery pack shell. The heat exchange structure comprises a plate body, a runner plate and a runner cavity, wherein the plate body is provided with a cavity; the runner plates are arranged in the cavity, and the cavity is divided into runner cavities which are distributed in a winding manner by the runner plates; the plate body is provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet which are respectively communicated with the flow channel cavity, and a heat exchange working medium enters the flow channel cavity from the liquid inlet and flows out of the flow channel cavity from the liquid outlet; the plate body is bent upwards and extends to form a protruding part, and the section of the protruding part is in an n shape and is perpendicular to the plane where the plate body is located. The LED lamp has the advantages of being low in manufacturing cost and good in heat dissipation effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of battery packs, in particular to a heat exchange structure. The utility model also relates to a battery pack housing including the above heat exchange structure. Background Art

[0002] A battery pack is a core component for storing electric energy in electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). It consists of multiple battery cells (electric cores), and usually also includes a battery management system (BMS), a thermal management system, electrical connectors, structural components, etc. The design and performance of the battery pack directly affect the driving range, power performance, safety and service life of electric vehicles, and it is an important part of electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles.

[0003] The cold plate of the battery pack is one of the core components in the thermal management system of the battery pack, and plays an important role in ensuring the safe and stable operation of the battery pack. Currently, the common cold plate of the battery pack is a plate made of aluminum alloy or copper alloy with good thermal conductivity. By directly contacting the battery cell module, the heat generated during the charging and discharging process of the battery cell module is quickly transferred out to maintain the internal temperature of the battery pack within a suitable range. However, with the increase of the charging and discharging power of the battery pack, it is increasingly difficult for the heat dissipation efficiency of the traditional cold plate structure to meet the requirements.

[0004] In the prior art, there are related literatures reporting technical solutions for improving the heat dissipation efficiency of the cold plate structure by adding components or using a cold plate with a cavity of a complex structure. However, this makes the processing technology of the cold plate complex, resulting in difficult control of the manufacturing costs of the cold plate and the overall battery pack. Summary of the Utility Model

[0005] In view of this, the utility model aims to propose a heat exchange structure that can improve the heat dissipation efficiency of the thermal management system of the battery pack without significantly increasing the production and manufacturing costs.

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

[0007] A heat exchange structure of the utility model includes a plate body having a cavity;

[0008] A flow channel plate, configured to be multiple and disposed in the cavity, and the cavity is divided into a meandering flow channel cavity by the flow channel plate;

[0009] The plate body is provided with an inlet and an outlet, which are respectively communicated with the flow channel cavity. The heat exchange working medium enters the flow channel cavity from the inlet and flows out of the flow channel cavity from the outlet;

[0010] The plate body bends upward and extends to form a convex part. The cross-section of the convex part is in a "Ji" shape and is perpendicular to the plane where the plate body is located.

[0011] Furthermore, the convex parts are configured to be multiple and arranged at equal intervals and parallel to each other.

[0012] Furthermore, the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are respectively arranged at both ends of the flow channel cavity.

[0013] Furthermore, the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are arranged on the same side of the plate body.

[0014] Furthermore, the heat exchange working medium is a liquid working medium, or,

[0015] the heat exchange working medium is a gaseous working medium.

[0016] Furthermore, there is a gap between the two parts of the convex part perpendicular to the plane where the plate body is located.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present utility model has the following advantages:

[0018] For the heat exchange structure and the battery pack housing of the present utility model, the flow channel cavity formed by the plate body and the flow channel plate plays a guiding role in the directional flow of the heat exchange working medium. The liquid inlet and the liquid outlet arranged on the plate body can respectively serve as channels for the heat exchange working medium to enter and flow out of the flow channel cavity. During the process of the heat exchange working medium flowing directionally along the flow channel cavity from the liquid inlet to the liquid outlet, heat exchange with the external environment is realized, and the basic function of temperature maintenance is achieved. By bending the plate body upward to form a convex part, the contact area between the plate body and the external environment is increased, thereby improving the heat dissipation efficiency. Compared with the cold plate structure using additional components or complex-shaped cavities, it has better performance in cost control and economy.

[0019] In addition, by increasing the number of convex parts on the plate body, in addition to increasing the contact area between the plate body and the battery cell module and further improving the heat dissipation efficiency, it can also increase the structural strength and load-bearing capacity of the plate body, making it not easily bent or damaged structurally. In addition, multiple convex parts arranged at equal intervals and in parallel play a limiting role on the battery cell module, making it not easy for the battery cell module after encapsulation to have relative displacement with the plate body, and improving the stability of the battery cell module.

[0020] Secondly, by respectively arranging the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet at both ends of the flow channel cavity, when the heat exchange working medium enters the flow channel cavity from the liquid inlet and flows out of the flow channel cavity from the liquid outlet, it can cover all parts of the flow channel cavity, thereby achieving the effects of improving the heat dissipation efficiency and enhancing the uniformity of the heat dissipation effect.

[0021] Furthermore, by integrating the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet on the same side of the plate body, the assembly and connection process of the liquid inlet, the liquid outlet and the external heat exchange medium circulation system can be facilitated, and it has advantages in reducing the space occupied in the battery pack. By selecting heat exchange mediums in different physical states, the heat dissipation requirements in different usage scenarios can be met, thereby achieving the purpose of increasing the applicability of the heat exchange structure. By setting a gap between the two parts perpendicular to the plate body used to form the protrusion, it can reserve deformation space for the compression deformation of the plate body after the battery module heats up and expands, thereby reducing the problems caused by the expansion of the battery module and improving the electrical safety of the battery pack.

[0022] In addition, the utility model also proposes a battery pack housing provided with the above-mentioned heat exchange structure.

[0023] A battery pack housing, comprising a set of heat exchange structures symmetrically arranged up and down, adopting the heat exchange structure as described above;

[0024] The side plate covers the outer side of the heat exchange structure and together with the upper and lower heat exchange structures form an internal space.

[0025] Furthermore, a support member is provided between the side plate and the heat exchange structure located at the upper portion, and the support member is circumferentially arranged along the edge of the upper surface of the side plate.

[0026] Furthermore, the support member is a supporting foam.

[0027] Furthermore, the raised portion located at the upper part abuts against the raised portion located at the lower part which is symmetrical thereto.

[0028] The battery pack shell described in the present invention has the same beneficial effects as the heat exchange structure described above relative to the prior art, and will not be described in detail here.

[0029] In addition, by integrating the two heat exchange structures with the side plates into a shell structure, the upper heat exchange structure replaces the upper cover of the battery pack shell, and the lower heat exchange structure replaces the bottom plate of the battery pack, which simplifies the processing technology, reduces production costs, and makes the installation process easier. In addition, the heat exchange structure with a raised portion has a limiting effect on the battery module, replacing the role of the longitudinal beam in the battery pack shell in the prior art, making the overall structure more compact and the space utilization rate inside the battery pack higher.

[0030] Secondly, by providing a support between the side plate and the heat exchange structure located above, a buffering effect can be achieved between the heat exchange structure and the side plate, and the sealing performance of the connection between the heat exchange structure and the side plate can be improved. The support is constructed as a rectangular annular foam distributed along the circumferential edge of the upper surface of the side plate, which can achieve sealing at various locations of the connection between the side plate and the upper heat exchange structure.

[0031] Furthermore, by forming a direct contact ground connection structure between the protruding parts of the upper and lower heat exchange structures, the two protruding parts can form a support structure in the vertical direction of the battery pack housing, effectively improving the load-bearing capacity of the battery pack housing in the vertical direction and making it not easy to collapse and deform when the battery pack housing bears the load in the vertical direction. Description of the Drawings

[0032] The drawings forming a part of the present invention are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The schematic embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation to the present invention. In the drawings:

[0033] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the heat exchange structure in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 is an exploded structural diagram of the battery pack housing in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Description of the Reference Numerals:

[0036] 1, plate body; 101, liquid inlet; 102, liquid outlet; 103, protruding part; 104, gap; 2, flow channel plate; 3, flow channel cavity; 4, side plate; 5, support member. Detailed Embodiments

[0037] It should be noted that, without conflict, the embodiments in the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings and other embodiments can be obtained.

[0038] In the description of the present invention, 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 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 should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention. 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.

[0039] Taking a heat exchange structure and a battery pack housing described in the present utility model as an example, the orientation terms such as "upper, lower, left, right, front, and rear" used in the embodiments are defined based on the up-down direction (also known as the height direction or the vehicle's Z-direction), left-right direction (also known as the width direction or the vehicle's Y-direction), and front-rear direction (also known as the length direction or the vehicle's X-direction) of the vehicle. "Inner and outer" are defined based on the contour of the corresponding component. For example, the "inner" and "outer" defined based on the vehicle contour, the side closer to the middle of the vehicle is "inner", and vice versa is "outer".

[0040] In addition, in the description of the present utility model, 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 directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two components. 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.

[0041] The following will refer to the attached Figure 1 to the attached Figure 2 and in combination with the embodiments to elaborate on the present utility model in detail.

[0042] Embodiment 1

[0043] This embodiment relates to a heat exchange structure, which forms a convex portion perpendicular to its own plane on the cold plate by using an integral molding method, and increases the contact area between the cold plate and the battery cell module through the convex portion to achieve the effect of improving the heat dissipation efficiency of the cold plate. Compared with the prior art technical solutions that require additional components or use cold plates with complex cavities, the cold plate supported by integral bending molding used in this embodiment has obvious advantages in terms of the processing difficulty and cost control, thus achieving the invention purpose of improving the heat dissipation efficiency of the battery pack thermal management system without significantly increasing the production and manufacturing costs.

[0044] In terms of the overall structure, referring to Figure 1, the heat exchange structure of this embodiment includes a plate body 1, a flow channel plate 2, and a flow channel cavity 3. Among them, the plate body 1 can be a rectangular metal plate with a cavity. The plate body 1 can be made of materials with good thermal conductivity such as aluminum alloy or copper alloy. The flow channel plate 2 is fixedly installed inside the cavity of the plate body 1. The number of the flow channel plates 2 is set to be multiple. The multiple flow channel plates 2 are arranged staggeredly, dividing the cavity of the plate body 1 into a long strip-shaped and meandering flow channel cavity 3. An inlet 101 and an outlet 102 are respectively arranged on the plate body 1. Both the inlet 101 and the outlet 102 are communicated with the inside of the flow channel cavity 3. The heat exchange working medium flows into the flow channel cavity 3 through the inlet 101 and flows along the flow channel cavity 3 towards the direction of the outlet 102. During this process, heat exchange occurs with the outside world, and finally flows out of the flow channel cavity 3 through the outlet 102. The plate body 1 is formed with a convex portion 103 by bending and integrally molding. The cross-section of the convex portion 103 is in a "ji" shape. The convex portion 103 extends along a direction perpendicular to the plane where the plate body 1 is located.

[0045] With the above settings, the flow channel cavity 3 formed by the plate body 1 and the flow channel plate 2 plays a guiding role in the directional flow of the heat exchange working medium. The inlet 101 and the outlet 102 arranged on the plate body 1 can respectively serve as channels for the heat exchange working medium to enter and exit the flow channel cavity 3. During the process of the heat exchange working medium flowing directionally along the flow channel cavity 3 from the inlet 101 to the outlet 102, heat exchange is achieved with the external environment, realizing the basic function of temperature maintenance. By bending the plate body 1 upwards to form the convex portion 103, the contact area between the plate body 1 and the external environment is increased, thereby improving the heat dissipation efficiency. Compared with the cold plate structure using additional components or complex-shaped cavities, it has better performance in cost control and economy.

[0046] Based on the above design concept, specifically, in this embodiment, referring to Figure 1 , in order to further improve the heat dissipation efficiency of the heat exchange structure, in this embodiment, a plurality of convex portions 103 are provided. The plurality of convex portions 103 are arranged parallel to each other and evenly distributed.

[0047] By increasing the number of the convex portions 103 on the plate body 1, in addition to increasing the contact area between the plate body 1 and the battery cell module and further improving the heat dissipation efficiency, it can also increase the structural strength and load-bearing capacity of the plate body 1, making it not easily damaged structurally such as being bent. In addition, the plurality of convex portions 103 arranged in parallel at equal distances play a limiting role on the battery cell module, making it not easy for the battery cell module after encapsulation to have relative displacement with the plate body 1, improving the stability of the battery cell module.

[0048] In order to further improve the heat dissipation efficiency of the heat exchange structure, in this embodiment, referring to Figure 1, the liquid inlet 101 and the liquid outlet 102 provided on the plate body 1 are respectively opened at both ends of the flow channel cavity 3. By respectively arranging the liquid inlet 101 and the liquid outlet 102 at both ends of the flow channel cavity 3, when the heat exchange working medium enters the flow channel cavity 3 from the liquid inlet 101 and flows out of the flow channel cavity 3 from the liquid outlet 102, it can cover all parts of the flow channel cavity 3, thereby achieving the effect of improving the heat dissipation efficiency and enhancing the uniformity of the heat dissipation effect.

[0049] In order to improve the integration degree of the heat exchange structure and reduce the space occupation of the heat exchange structure in the battery pack, the liquid inlet 101 and the liquid outlet 102 can be arranged on the same side of the plate body 1. By integrating the liquid inlet 101 and the liquid outlet 102 on the same side of the plate body 1, it is convenient to operate the assembly connection process between the liquid inlet 101 and the liquid outlet 102 and the external heat exchange working medium circulation system, and it has advantages in reducing the space occupation in the battery pack.

[0050] Based on the purpose of further expanding the applicable range of the heat exchange structure in this embodiment, in this embodiment, the heat exchange working medium can be a liquid working medium or a gaseous working medium. By selecting heat exchange working media with different physical states, the heat dissipation requirements in different usage scenarios can be met, thereby achieving the purpose of expanding the applicable range of the heat exchange structure.

[0051] During the use of the battery cell module, it may expand due to abnormal conditions such as overcharge, over-discharge, or too high ambient temperature. After the battery cell module expands, it will cause extrusion to the battery pack housing. In order to reduce a series of problems caused by the expansion of the battery cell module, such as battery cell rupture and leakage, fire, etc., in this embodiment, referring to Figure 1 , a gap 104 is provided between two parts of the convex portion 103 perpendicular to the plane where the plate body 1 is located. The cross-section of the convex portion 103 is in a "ji" shape. By providing the gap 104 between two parts of the convex portion 103 perpendicular to the plate body 1, it can reserve a deformation space for the compression deformation of the plate body 1 after the battery cell module expands and heats up, thereby reducing the problems caused by the expansion of the battery cell module and improving the electrical safety of the battery pack.

[0052] Embodiment 2

[0053] This embodiment relates to a battery pack housing, referring to Figure 2 , including a set of heat exchange structures symmetrically distributed up and down as described in Embodiment 1 and side plates 4. Among them, the number of heat exchange structures is two, and they are installed in a symmetrically arranged manner up and down, serving as the top plate and the bottom plate of the battery pack housing. The convex portion 103 of the heat exchange structure located above is arranged downward, and the convex portion 103 of the heat exchange structure located below is arranged upward. The side plates 4 are fixedly connected to the upper and lower heat exchange structures, and the side plates 4 and the upper and lower heat exchange structures jointly enclose an internal space.

[0054] By integrating the two heat exchange structures with the side plate 4 into a shell structure, the heat exchange structure located at the top replaces the upper cover of the battery pack shell, and the heat exchange structure located at the bottom replaces the bottom plate of the battery pack, which simplifies the processing technology, reduces the production cost, and makes the installation process easier. In addition, the heat exchange structure with the protrusion 103 plays a limiting role on the battery module, replacing the role of the longitudinal beam in the battery pack shell in the prior art, the overall structure is more compact, and the space utilization rate inside the battery pack is higher.

[0055] In order to improve the stability of the side plate 4 supporting the heat exchange structure and the sealing of the connection parts, refer to Figure 2 A support member 5 is provided between the side plate 4 and the heat exchange structure located at the upper portion. The support member 5 is provided along the circumference of the upper surface edge of the side plate 4. The support member 5 is constructed as a rectangular annular structure of a foam material.

[0056] By providing the support member 5 between the side plate 4 and the heat exchange structure located above, a buffering effect can be achieved between the heat exchange structure and the side plate 4, and the sealing performance of the connection between the heat exchange structure and the side plate 4 can be improved. The support member 5 is constructed as a rectangular annular foam distributed along the circumferential direction of the upper surface edge of the side plate 4, and can achieve sealing at various locations of the connection between the side plate 4 and the upper heat exchange structure.

[0057] Based on the purpose of improving the load-bearing capacity of the battery pack housing in the vertical direction, in this embodiment, referring to Figure 2 The raised portion 103 of the heat exchange structure located at the upper part abuts against the raised portion 103 of the heat exchange structure located at the lower part. The lower surface of the raised portion 103 of the heat exchange structure located at the upper part directly contacts the upper surface of the raised portion 103 of the heat exchange structure located at the lower part.

[0058] By forming a grounding structure with direct contact between the raised portions 103 of the upper and lower heat exchange structures, the two raised portions 103 can constitute a supporting structure for the battery pack shell in the vertical direction, thereby effectively improving the bearing capacity of the battery pack shell in the vertical direction, making it less likely for the battery pack shell to collapse and deform when subjected to loads in the vertical direction.

[0059] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the utility model rather than to limit it. Although the utility model is described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, ordinary technicians in the field should understand that the technical solution of the utility model can be modified or replaced by equivalents without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solution of the utility model, which should be included in the scope of the claims of the utility model.

Claims

1. A heat exchange structure, characterized in that: It includes a plate body with a cavity; Flow channel plates, which are configured to be multiple and arranged in the cavity, and the cavity is separated by the flow channel plates into flow channel cavities arranged in a meandering manner; The plate body is provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, which are respectively communicated with the flow channel cavities. The heat exchange working medium enters the flow channel cavities from the liquid inlet and flows out of the flow channel cavities from the liquid outlet; The plate body is bent upward and extended to form a convex part, and the cross-section of the convex part is in a "ji" shape and is perpendicular to the plane where the plate body is located.

2. The heat exchange structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The convex parts are configured to be multiple and arranged at equal intervals and parallel to each other.

3. The heat exchange structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are respectively arranged at both ends of the flow channel cavity.

4. The heat exchange structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are arranged on the same side of the plate body.

5. The heat exchange structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat exchange working medium is a liquid working medium, or The heat exchange working medium is a gaseous working medium.

6. The heat exchange structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: A gap is provided between the two parts of the convex part perpendicular to the plane where the plate body is located.

7. A battery pack housing, characterized in that: It includes a group of heat exchange structures symmetrically arranged up and down, and the heat exchange structure as described in claim 6 is adopted; Side plates, covering the outside of the heat exchange structure, and jointly enclosing an internal space with the two heat exchange structures above and below.

8. The battery pack housing according to claim 7, characterized in that: A support member is provided between the side plate and the heat exchange structure located in the upper part, and the support member is circumferentially arranged along the upper surface edge of the side plate.

9. The battery pack housing according to claim 8, characterized in that: The support member is a support foam.

10. The battery pack housing according to claim 7, characterized in that: The convex part located in the upper part abuts against the convex part located in the lower part that is symmetrical to it.

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