Liquid storage type separator and heat exchange device

Abstract

The utility model discloses a liquid storage type separator and a heat exchange device. The liquid storage type separator comprises a storage tank, wherein a containing cavity is formed in the storage tank; the first end of the liquid supply pipe is located outside the storage tank, and the second end of the liquid supply pipe extends into the containing cavity; the liquid speed reduction structure is connected to the second end of the liquid supply pipe; the communicating pipe is communicated with the accommodating cavity at the bottom of the storage tank; and the exhaust pipe is communicated with the accommodating cavity at the top of the storage tank. According to the liquid storage type separator and the heat exchange device provided by the embodiment of the invention, the consistency of the temperature of each part of the power battery can be effectively improved on the premise of basically not influencing the layout of the whole vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of heat exchange technology, and in particular relates to a liquid storage separator and a heat exchange device. Background Art

[0002] As the capacity and power of power batteries continue to increase, the heat load during the operation of power batteries is also gradually increasing. The existing thermal management system of power batteries often includes multiple parallel flow channels and a liquid storage tank for storing refrigerant. The power battery is cooled by injecting the refrigerant in the liquid storage tank into each flow channel.

[0003] However, it was found during use that the refrigerant in the liquid storage tank is a gas-liquid two-phase flow (i.e. a fluid formed by a mixture of gas and liquid), which makes the proportion of the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant in the process of flowing into each flow channel uneven, resulting in poor temperature consistency in various parts of the power battery; if a separator is provided separately, although it can alleviate the problem of poor temperature consistency in various parts of the power battery, the layout of the separator requires additional space, affecting the overall layout of the vehicle. Utility Model Content

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a liquid storage separator and a heat exchange device, which can effectively improve the temperature consistency of various parts of the power battery without substantially affecting the layout of the entire vehicle.

[0005] The embodiment of the present application provides a liquid storage separator, wherein the liquid storage separator comprises:

[0006] A storage tank having a receiving cavity formed therein;

[0007] a liquid supply pipe, a first end of which is located outside the storage tank and a second end of which extends into the accommodating cavity;

[0008] a liquid deceleration structure connected to the second end of the liquid supply pipe;

[0009] A connecting pipe connected to the containing chamber at the bottom of the storage tank;

[0010] An exhaust pipe is connected to the accommodating chamber at the top of the storage tank.

[0011] In the liquid storage separator as described above, the first end of the liquid supply pipe forms an inlet, the second end of the liquid supply pipe forms an outlet, and the liquid supply pipe is bent inside the accommodating cavity so that the outlet faces upward.

[0012] As described above, the liquid storage separator, wherein the liquid deceleration structure is gradually expanded from bottom to top, the flow area of ​​the upper end of the liquid deceleration structure is larger than the flow area of ​​the lower end of the liquid deceleration structure, and the lower end of the liquid deceleration structure is connected to the outlet.

[0013] The liquid storage separator as described above, wherein a low level scale line is provided on the storage tank, and the low level scale line is higher than the outlet.

[0014] The liquid storage type separator as described above, wherein the liquid storage type separator further comprises a drain pipe, a portion of which passes through the top of the storage tank, extends into the accommodating cavity and extends to the bottom of the accommodating cavity.

[0015] In the liquid storage separator as described above, a first valve is provided on the liquid supply pipe, and a second valve is provided on the liquid discharge pipe.

[0016] The liquid storage type separator as described above, wherein the storage tank comprises a tank body and a tank cover, the top of the tank body has an opening, the tank cover is detachably covered on the opening, and the tank cover seals the opening, the liquid supply pipe, the exhaust pipe and the liquid discharge pipe all pass through the tank cover and are connected to the accommodating cavity.

[0017] As described above, the liquid storage separator, wherein the bottom of the storage tank is tapered from top to bottom, and the connecting pipe is at the lowest point of the bottom of the storage tank.

[0018] An embodiment of the present application also provides a heat exchange device, wherein the heat exchange device includes the liquid storage separator as described above.

[0019] The heat exchange device as described above, wherein the heat exchange device also includes a heat exchange plate, wherein at least one heat exchange channel is provided inside the heat exchange plate, and the heat exchange plate is provided with a first connecting port, one end of each of the heat exchange channels is connected to the first connecting port, and the first connecting port is connected to the connecting pipe of the liquid storage separator, and a second connecting port is formed at the other end of each of the heat exchange channels.

[0020] The liquid storage separator and heat exchange device provided in the embodiment of the present application can introduce refrigerant or other gas-liquid two-phase flow fluid into the interior of the storage tank by setting a liquid supply pipe to connect the inner and outer sides of the storage tank. The gas phase and liquid phase in the fluid are separated in a bumpy and vibrating environment. The gas phase rises to the top of the tank body and can be discharged through the exhaust pipe, and the liquid at the bottom of the tank body can be discharged through the connecting pipe. When applied to cooling the power battery, the proportion of gas flowing into the flow channel with the liquid can be effectively reduced, thereby improving the uniformity of the refrigerant flowing in each flow channel. There is no need to set up a separator separately, and the temperature consistency of each part of the power battery can be effectively improved without basically affecting the layout of the entire vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the liquid storage type separator of the embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the heat exchange plate of the heat exchange device of the embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the usage state of the heat exchange device of the embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 4 It is another schematic diagram of the usage state of the heat exchange device of the embodiment of the present application.

[0026] Explanation of the reference numerals in the drawings:

[0027] 100, liquid storage type separator; 1, storage tank; 11, accommodation cavity; 12, low-level scale line; 13, tank body; 14, tank cover; 2, liquid supply pipe; 21, inlet; 22, outlet; 3, connecting pipe; 4, exhaust pipe; 5, drain pipe; 6, liquid deceleration structure; 200, heat exchange plate; 210, heat exchange channel; 220, first communication port; 230, second communication port; 300, power battery. Detailed implementation manners

[0028] The features and exemplary embodiments of various aspects of the present application will be described in detail below. To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present application clearer, the following further describes the present application in detail in combination with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only intended to explain the present application, rather than limiting the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application can be implemented without some of these specific details. It should be noted that unless otherwise specified, the technical terms or scientific terms used in the embodiments of the present application should be the common meanings understood by those skilled in the art to which the embodiments of the present application belong. The following description of the embodiments is only to provide a better understanding of the present application by showing examples of the present application.

[0029] As Figure 1 shown, the embodiment of the present application provides a liquid storage type separator 100. Among them, the liquid storage type separator 100 includes a storage tank 1, a liquid supply pipe 2, a connecting pipe 3, an exhaust pipe 4, and a liquid deceleration structure 6. The storage tank 1 is used to store refrigerant, the liquid supply pipe 2 is used to supplement refrigerant into the storage tank 1, the connecting pipe 3 is used to allow liquid refrigerant to flow in or out from the bottom of the storage tank 1, and the exhaust pipe 4 is used to allow gaseous refrigerant to flow out from the top of the storage tank 1.

[0030] An accommodation chamber 11 is formed inside the storage tank 1, and the refrigerant is stored in the accommodation chamber 11. The accommodation chamber 11 is a sealed chamber to prevent refrigerant leakage.

[0031] The liquid supply pipe 2 penetrates through the storage tank 1. Its first end is located outside the storage tank 1, and its second end extends into the accommodation chamber 11, so that the refrigerant located outside the storage tank 1 can flow into the accommodation chamber 11 through the liquid supply pipe 2.

[0032] The liquid deceleration structure 6 is connected to the second end of the liquid supply pipe 2. The liquid deceleration structure 6 is used to slow down the flow rate of the refrigerant when the refrigerant flows into the storage tank 1, reduce the contact between the refrigerant in the gas-liquid two-phase flow and the gaseous refrigerant in the upper part of the storage tank 1, so as to reduce the situation that the gaseous refrigerant is mixed with the refrigerant in the gas-liquid two-phase flow and flows out of the storage tank 1 through the communication pipe 3 at the bottom.

[0033] The communication pipe 3 communicates with the accommodation chamber 11 at the bottom of the storage tank 1; the exhaust pipe 4 communicates with the accommodation chamber 11 at the top of the storage tank 1. The refrigerant is in a gas-liquid two-phase flow. The gas phase and the liquid phase in the fluid are separated in a bumpy and vibrating environment. The gas phase rises to the top of the storage tank 1 and can be discharged through the exhaust pipe 4, and the liquid is located at the bottom of the storage tank 1 and can be discharged through the communication pipe 3. When applied to the cooling of the power battery 300, the proportion of gas flowing into the flow channel with the liquid can be effectively reduced, so as to improve the uniformity of the refrigerant flowing in each flow channel. Without additionally setting a separator, the consistency of the temperature of each part of the power battery 300 can be effectively improved on the premise of basically not affecting the vehicle layout.

[0034] When applied to the thermal management of the vehicle power battery 300, the end of the exhaust pipe 4 far from the storage tank 1 can be directly connected to the air make-up port of the vehicle air make-up and enthalpy-increasing compressor or to the gas-liquid separator set in front of the compressor.

[0035] As Figure 1 shown, for the liquid storage type separator 100 provided in the present application, an inlet 21 is formed at the first end of the liquid supply pipe 2, and an outlet 22 is formed at the second end of the liquid supply pipe 2. The liquid supply pipe 2 is bent inside the accommodation chamber 11 so that the outlet 22 faces upward, that is, the orientation of the outlet 22 is opposite to the direction of gravity. When the refrigerant in the gas-liquid two-phase flow flows out of the outlet 22 into the inside of the storage tank 1, the flow rate of the refrigerant in the gas-liquid two-phase flow can be slowed down, and the contact between the refrigerant in the gas-liquid two-phase flow and the gaseous refrigerant in the upper part of the storage tank 1 can be reduced, so as to reduce the situation that the gaseous refrigerant is mixed with the refrigerant in the gas-liquid two-phase flow and flows out of the storage tank 1 through the communication pipe 3 at the bottom.

[0036] As Figure 1As shown, the liquid storage type separator 100 provided by the present application, wherein the liquid deceleration structure 6 is gradually expanding from bottom to top, and the flow area at the upper end of the liquid deceleration structure 6 is larger than the flow area at the lower end of the liquid deceleration structure 6, that is, the liquid deceleration structure 6 is in the shape of a conical cylinder with a gradually expanding diameter from bottom to top. In this way, the flow rate of the refrigerant in the gas-liquid two-phase flow can be further slowed down, and the contact and mixing between the refrigerant flowing into the storage tank 1 from the liquid supply pipe 2 and the gaseous refrigerant can be further reduced.

[0037] Optionally, the liquid deceleration structure 6 can also be a spoiler. One side surface of the spoiler is arranged opposite to the outlet 22. After the refrigerant flows out from the outlet 22 of the liquid supply pipe 2 and reaches the spoiler, the flow rate of the refrigerant is slowed down by the spoiler.

[0038] As Figure 1 shown, the liquid storage type separator 100 provided by the present application, wherein the storage tank 1 is provided with a low-level scale line 12, and the low-level scale line 12 is higher than the outlet 22. The liquid level height of the liquid refrigerant in the storage tank 1 needs to be ensured to be higher than the low-level scale line 12 so that the liquid level height of the liquid refrigerant in the storage tank 1 is higher than the outlet 22. In this way, it can be ensured that the refrigerant in the gas-liquid two-phase flow flowing into the storage tank 1 from the liquid supply pipe 2 will directly flow into the liquid refrigerant, and the contact and mixing between the refrigerant in the gas-liquid two-phase flow flowing into the storage tank 1 from the liquid supply pipe 2 and the gaseous refrigerant can be reduced to the greatest extent.

[0039] In the above-described embodiment, the refrigerant enters the storage tank 1 from the liquid supply pipe 2, and the liquid refrigerant is discharged from the storage tank 1 through the communication pipe 3. This usage mode can be applied to the direct cooling usage mode of the power battery 300. In addition to the above usage mode, the liquid storage type separator 100 provided by the embodiments of the present application can also be applied to the heat pump heating mode of the power battery 300. In the heat pump heating mode, the liquid or gas-liquid two-phase flow refrigerant enters the interior of the storage tank 1 through the communication pipe 3.

[0040] As Figure 1 shown, the liquid storage type separator 100 provided by the present application, wherein the liquid storage type separator 100 further includes a drain pipe 5. A part of the drain pipe 5 penetrates through the top of the storage tank 1 and extends into the accommodation cavity 11 and extends to the bottom of the accommodation cavity 11. In the heat pump heating mode, as the liquid or gas-liquid two-phase flow refrigerant continuously flows into the storage tank 1 through the communication pipe 3, the liquid refrigerant in the storage tank 1 can be discharged to the outside of the storage tank 1 through the drain pipe 5.

[0041] Optionally, the liquid storage separator 100 provided in the present application, wherein a first valve is provided on the liquid supply pipe 2, and when the first valve is opened, the fluid can flow into the accommodating chamber 11; a second valve is provided on the liquid discharge pipe 5, and when the second valve is opened, the fluid can flow out of the accommodating chamber 11. In the heat pump heating mode, closing the first valve and opening the second valve can prevent the liquid refrigerant from flowing back along the liquid supply pipe 2 to the outside of the storage tank 1, while ensuring that the liquid refrigerant can be smoothly discharged to the outside of the storage tank 1 through the liquid discharge pipe 5. In the battery direct cooling mode, opening the first valve and closing the second valve can effectively prevent the liquid refrigerant from being discharged to the outside of the storage tank 1 along the liquid discharge pipe 5.

[0042] Optionally, the first valve may be a one-way valve, and the second valve may be a one-way valve that can be opened and closed.

[0043] like Figure 1 As shown, the liquid storage separator 100 provided by the present application, wherein the storage tank 1 comprises a tank body 13 and a tank cover 14, the top of the tank body 13 has an opening, the tank cover 14 is detachably covered on the opening, and the tank cover 14 seals the opening to ensure the sealing of the storage tank 1. When necessary, the tank cover 14 can be separated from the tank body 13, and a tool can be inserted into the interior of the tank body 13 through the opening to clean it.

[0044] The liquid supply pipe 2, the exhaust pipe 4 and the drain pipe 5 all penetrate the tank cover 14 and communicate with the accommodating chamber 11. When the tank cover 14 is removed, the liquid supply pipe 2, the exhaust pipe 4 and the drain pipe 5 can be removed at the same time to prevent the liquid supply pipe 2, the exhaust pipe 4 and the drain pipe 5 from obstructing the cleaning of the tank body 13. At the same time, the liquid supply pipe 2, the exhaust pipe 4 and the drain pipe 5 all penetrate the tank cover 14 and communicate with the accommodating chamber 11, which can effectively reduce the number of openings on the tank body 13 and ensure the structural strength and sealing performance of the tank body 13.

[0045] like Figure 1 As shown, the liquid storage separator 100 provided by the present application, wherein the bottom of the storage tank 1 is tapered from top to bottom, which is beneficial to guiding the liquid refrigerant to flow toward the lowest point of the bottom of the storage tank 1, and the connecting pipe 3 is at the lowest point of the bottom of the storage tank 1. When the liquid refrigerant inside the storage tank 1 needs to be discharged, it can ensure that the liquid refrigerant is completely emptied.

[0046] The embodiment of the present application further provides a heat exchange device, wherein the heat exchange device includes the above-mentioned liquid storage separator 100. The liquid storage separator 100 can effectively improve the uniformity of the refrigerant flowing in the heat exchange device and improve the consistency of the heat exchange effect at various locations of the heat exchange device.

[0047] like Figures 2 to 4As shown in the figure, the heat exchange device provided by the present application further includes a heat exchange plate 200. At least one heat exchange channel 210 is provided inside the heat exchange plate 200. The heat exchange plate 200 is provided with a first communication port 220. One end of each heat exchange channel 210 is communicated with the first communication port 220, and the first communication port 220 is communicated with the connecting pipe 3 of the liquid storage separator 100. The other end of each heat exchange channel 210 is formed with a second communication port 230. In the direct battery cooling mode, the liquid refrigerant inside the storage tank 1 flows synchronously into each heat exchange channel 210 from the first communication port 220 through the connecting pipe 3, and flows along each heat exchange channel 210 towards the second communication port 230. During the flow along the heat exchange channel 210, it exchanges heat with the power battery 300 arranged on the heat exchange plate 200 to realize the cooling of the power battery 300. During the heat exchange process, the dryness of the liquid refrigerant gradually increases and can be completely vaporized when reaching near the second communication port 230, and it can be introduced into other structures that need to introduce gaseous refrigerant for reuse; in the heat pump heating mode, the high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant flows synchronously into each heat exchange channel 210 from each second communication port 230, and flows along each heat exchange channel 210 towards the first communication port 220. During the flow along the heat exchange channel 210, it exchanges heat with the power battery 300 arranged on the heat exchange plate 200 to heat the power battery 300. During the heat exchange process, the gaseous refrigerant condenses into a liquid and can be completely cooled into a liquid when reaching near the first communication port 220, and enters the inside of the storage tank 1 through the first communication port 220 and the connecting pipe 3.

[0048] Figure 3 The heat exchange plate 200 in is a stamping type battery heat exchange plate 200. Taking two heat exchange channels 210 as an example for illustration, pipelines can be connected at the second communication port 230 of each heat exchange channel 210 to realize communication with other structures. And according to the layout mode of the heat exchange plate 200, if there is a height difference in the vertical direction of the heat exchange channel 210, the inner diameter of the pipelines connected to the second communication ports 230 can be adjusted to adjust the fluid pressure inside each heat exchange channel 210, ensure that the fluid pressures inside each heat exchange channel 210 are basically the same, and the pressure differences between the second communication port 230 and the first communication port 220 of each heat exchange channel 210 are similar.

[0049] Figure 4The heat exchange plate 200 therein is a microchannel type battery heat exchange plate 200. This type of heat exchange plate 200 is provided with at least two first communication ports 220. The connecting pipe 3 is respectively communicated with each first communication port 220 through branch pipelines, so that the liquid refrigerant flows into each first communication port 220 simultaneously and synchronously. If there is gaseous refrigerant in the liquid refrigerant, gas-liquid separation is likely to occur at the bending positions of the branch pipelines, resulting in uneven distribution of the refrigerant when it enters each first communication port 220. As a result, there is more gaseous refrigerant in the heat exchange channels 210 at higher positions inside the heat exchange plate 200, the temperatures at various parts of the heat exchange plate 200 are uneven, and the cooling effect uniformity of the power battery 300 is poor. By using the liquid storage type separator 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application, it can be ensured that the refrigerant entering each heat exchange channel 210 is pure liquid. Cooperating with the uniformly arranged heat exchange channels 210, it can effectively ensure the uniform distribution of the refrigerant in the heat exchange plate 200, thereby ensuring the temperature consistency of the power battery 300.

[0050] For the heat exchange device provided in the embodiment of the present application, the liquid storage type separator 100 can communicate the inside and outside of the storage tank 1 by setting the liquid supply pipe 2, and can introduce refrigerant or other fluid of gas-liquid two-phase flow into the inside of the storage tank 1. The gas phase and the liquid phase in the fluid are separated in a bumpy and vibrating environment. The gas phase rises to the top of the tank body 13 and can be discharged through the exhaust pipe 4, and the liquid is located at the bottom of the tank body 13 and can be discharged through the connecting pipe 3. When applied to the cooling and temperature reduction of the power battery 300, it can effectively reduce the proportion of gas flowing into the flow channels along with the liquid, thereby improving the uniformity of the refrigerant flowing in each flow channel. Without additionally setting a separator, it can effectively improve the temperature consistency of various parts of the power battery 300 on the premise of basically not affecting the layout of the whole vehicle.

[0051] It should be noted that in this article, relational terms such as first and second are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or sequence between these entities or operations. Moreover, the term "including", "comprising" or any other variant thereof is intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements not only includes those elements, but also includes other elements not expressly listed, or further includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. Without further limitation, the elements defined by the statement "including..." do not exclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the said elements.

Claims

1. A liquid storage separator (100), characterized in that: The liquid storage separator (100) comprises: A storage tank (1) having a receiving chamber (11) formed therein; a liquid supply pipe (2), a first end of which is located outside the storage tank (1) and a second end of which extends into the accommodating cavity (11); A liquid deceleration structure (6) connected to the second end of the liquid supply pipe (2); A connecting pipe (3) connected to the containing chamber (11) at the bottom of the storage tank (1); An exhaust pipe (4) is connected to the accommodating chamber (11) at the top of the storage tank (1).

2. The liquid storage separator (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first end of the liquid supply pipe (2) forms an inlet (21), the second end of the liquid supply pipe (2) forms an outlet (22), and the liquid supply pipe (2) is bent inside the accommodating chamber (11) so that the outlet (22) faces upward.

3. The liquid storage separator (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that: The liquid deceleration structure (6) is gradually expanded from bottom to top, the flow area of ​​the upper end of the liquid deceleration structure (6) is larger than the flow area of ​​the lower end of the liquid deceleration structure (6), and the lower end of the liquid deceleration structure (6) is connected to the outlet (22).

4. The liquid storage separator (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that: The storage tank (1) is provided with a low-level scale line (12), and the low-level scale line (12) is higher than the outlet (22).

5. The liquid storage separator (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid storage separator (100) further comprises a liquid discharge pipe (5), a portion of which passes through the top of the storage tank (1), extends into the accommodating chamber (11), and extends to the bottom of the accommodating chamber (11).

6. The liquid storage separator (100) according to claim 5, characterized in that: The liquid supply pipe (2) is provided with a first valve; the liquid discharge pipe (5) is provided with a second valve.

7. The liquid storage separator (100) according to claim 5, characterized in that: The storage tank (1) comprises a tank body (13) and a tank cover (14); the top of the tank body (13) has an opening; the tank cover (14) is detachably mounted on the opening and seals the opening; the liquid supply pipe (2), the exhaust pipe (4) and the liquid discharge pipe (5) all pass through the tank cover (14) and are in communication with the accommodating chamber (11).

8. The liquid storage separator (100) according to claim 7, characterized in that: The bottom of the storage tank (1) is tapered from top to bottom, and the connecting pipe (3) is located at the lowest point of the bottom of the storage tank (1).

9. A heat exchange device, characterized in that: The heat exchange device comprises a liquid storage separator (100) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The heat exchange device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The heat exchange device further comprises a heat exchange plate (200), wherein at least one heat exchange channel (210) is provided inside the heat exchange plate (200), and the heat exchange plate (200) is provided with a first connecting port (220), one end of each of the heat exchange channels (210) is connected to the first connecting port (220), and the first connecting port (220) is connected to the connecting pipe (3) of the liquid storage separator (100), and the other end of each of the heat exchange channels (210) is formed with a second connecting port (230).

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