Refrigeration-free composite battery thermal management system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a refrigeration-free composite battery thermal management system which comprises a battery pack, a liquid cooling plate arranged on the battery pack, an air cooler communicated with the liquid cooling plate and an expansion water tank communicated with the air cooler, and cooling liquid circularly flows in the liquid cooling plate, the air cooler and the expansion water tank; a fan is arranged on the air cooler and blows cooling air towards the battery pack, and the flow direction of cooling liquid in the liquid cooling plate is opposite to that of the cooling air. Cooling air blown out by a fan of the air cooler is directly blown to the battery pack, the cooling air is reutilized, meanwhile, the cooling air and an original liquid cooling plate act together to better dissipate heat of the battery pack, when the heat dissipation load is not too large, only the cooling air blown out by the fan is used for cooling the battery pack, and when the heat dissipation load is large, the cooling air is used for cooling the battery pack. Cooling air blown out by the fan and the liquid cooling plate act together to cool the battery pack, so that the cost is saved, and the cooling effect of the battery pack is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the field of energy storage batteries and relates to a composite battery thermal management system without refrigeration. Background Art

[0002] A liquid cooling thermal management system without refrigeration generally consists of a liquid cooling plate, a pump, and an air cooler (and a radiator fan), and is applicable to battery packs with limited heat generation. In a compression refrigeration cycle, the outlet air temperature of the radiator fan is relatively high and cannot be used for secondary heat dissipation of the battery. In a liquid cooling system without refrigeration, the air blown out by the air cooler is significantly lower than the temperature of the battery pack. However, in a traditional battery liquid cooling thermal management design, the fan of the liquid cooling cycle radiator is usually only used to cool the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant, resulting in the remaining air pressure not being fully utilized and causing waste.

[0003] Meanwhile, only using a liquid cooling plate to dissipate heat from the battery is only applicable to battery packs with limited heat generation. If the cooling effect needs to be increased, additional heat dissipation devices need to be added, increasing additional cost investment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the utility model is to propose a composite battery thermal management system without refrigeration for the existing problems in the current technology.

[0005] A composite battery thermal management system without refrigeration includes a battery pack, a liquid cooling plate arranged on the battery pack, an air cooler communicated with the liquid cooling plate, and an expansion tank communicated with the air cooler. The coolant circulates in the liquid cooling plate, the air cooler, and the expansion tank; a fan is arranged on the air cooler, and the fan blows cooling air towards the battery pack, and the flow direction of the coolant in the liquid cooling plate is opposite to the wind direction of the cooling air.

[0006] More specifically, a battery housing is sleeved outside the battery pack, and a housing air inlet and a housing air outlet are arranged on the battery housing, and the cooling air formed by the fan enters the battery housing from the housing air inlet.

[0007] More specifically, the housing air outlet is arranged opposite to the housing air inlet.

[0008] More specifically, the housing air inlet and the housing air outlet are arranged at the diagonals of the battery housing.

[0009] More specifically, a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet are arranged on the liquid cooling plate, the liquid inlet is connected to the expansion tank, and the liquid outlet is connected to the air cooler.

[0010] More specifically, the housing air inlet and the liquid outlet are arranged on the same side of the battery housing.

[0011] More specifically, the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are arranged on the same side of the liquid cooling plate.

[0012] More specifically, a circulating water pipe is arranged inside the liquid cooling plate. One end of the circulating water pipe is connected to the liquid inlet, and the other end is connected to the liquid outlet.

[0013] More specifically, a protective housing is arranged on one side of the battery housing. An air inlet is formed on the protective housing, and the water pump, the expansion tank, and the air cooler are all arranged inside the protective housing.

[0014] More specifically, a first cavity for placing the air cooler and a second cavity for placing the water pump and the expansion tank are formed inside the protective housing. The air inlet is arranged on the first cavity.

[0015] A non-refrigerating composite battery thermal management system of the present utility model can achieve the following technical effects:

[0016] The cooling air blown out by the fan of the air cooler is directly blown onto the battery pack, and the cooling air is reused to cool the battery pack. At the same time, in cooperation with the original liquid cooling plate, the battery pack is cooled better. When the heat dissipation load is not too large, the battery pack can be cooled only by the cooling air blown out by the fan. When the heat dissipation load is relatively large, the cooling air blown out by the fan and the liquid cooling plate can be used together to cool the battery pack, saving costs while ensuring the cooling effect of the battery pack. Description of the Drawings

[0017] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the present utility model;

[0018] Figure 2 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the present utility model without the bottom plate of the battery housing;

[0019] Figure 3 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram inside the battery housing of the present utility model;

[0020] Figure 4 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the air cooler of the present utility model;

[0021] Figure 5 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the liquid cooling plate of the present utility model;

[0022] In the figure: 1. Battery pack; 2. Battery housing; 21. Housing air inlet; 22. Housing air outlet; 3. Liquid cooling plate; 31. Liquid inlet; 32. Liquid outlet; 4. Air cooler; 41. Fan; 5. Water pump; 6. Expansion tank; 7. Protective housing. Detailed Embodiments

[0023] To make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present utility model clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present utility model will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present utility model. In the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The described embodiments are some, but not all, of the embodiments of the present utility model. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to explain the present utility model and should not be construed as limiting the present utility model. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present utility model without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0024] In the description of the present utility model, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is 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 limiting the protection scope of the present utility model. The embodiments of the present utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] A non-refrigerated composite battery thermal management system, as Figures 1 - 5 shown, includes a battery pack 1, a liquid cooling plate 3 provided on the battery pack 1, an air cooler 4 communicated with the liquid cooling plate 3, an expansion tank 6 communicated with the air cooler 4, and a water pump 5 for controlling the coolant to enter the expansion tank 6 from the air cooler 4. The coolant circulates in the liquid cooling plate 3, the air cooler 4 and the expansion tank 6. That is, the coolant flows into the liquid cooling plate 3, flows through the liquid cooling plate 3 and cools the battery pack 1, exchanges heat with the heat generated by the battery pack 1 and then becomes hot and flows to the air cooler 4, exchanges heat in the air cooler 4, cools the hot liquid and then flows to the expansion tank 6 for storage, and the cold coolant in the expansion tank 6 flows to the liquid cooling plate 3 again to cool the battery pack 1. A fan 41 is provided on the air cooler 4, and the fan 41 blows air towards the battery pack 1, and the flow direction of the liquid in the liquid cooling plate 3 is opposite to the wind direction.

[0026] To protect other devices, a protective housing 7 is provided on one side of the battery housing 2. The water pump 5, expansion tank 6, and air cooler 4 are all arranged within the protective housing 7. Two cavities are formed within the protective housing 7, namely a first cavity for placing the air cooler 4 and a second cavity for placing the water pump 5 and expansion tank 6. A communication hole is provided on the baffle between the first cavity and the second cavity for arranging the connecting pipeline between the air cooler 4 and the expansion tank 6. To facilitate air intake, an air inlet is provided on the protective housing, and the air inlet is arranged on the first cavity. Preferably, the air inlet is arranged opposite to the air cooler 4.

[0027] The composite battery thermal management system is provided with an air cooling cycle and a liquid cooling cycle. The liquid cooling cycle is completed by the provided liquid cooling plate 3, air cooler 4, expansion tank 6, and water pump 5, and the air cooling cycle is completed by the air cooler 4. This solution sets two cooling methods without adding new equipment or generating additional costs.

[0028] The liquid cooling cycle mode of the composite battery thermal management system is as follows:

[0029] A liquid cooling plate 3 is arranged below the battery pack 1. The liquid cooling plate 3 is in close contact with the battery pack 1 and exchanges heat with the battery pack 1. An inlet 31 and an outlet 32 are provided on the liquid cooling plate 3. The inlet 31 and the outlet 32 can be arranged on opposite sides or adjacent sides, as long as it is ensured that the coolant can exchange heat with the entire battery pack 1. In this solution, the inlet 31 and the outlet 32 are arranged on the same side of the liquid cooling plate 3. A circulating water channel is arranged within the liquid cooling plate 3. The two ends of the circulating water channel are respectively communicated with the inlet 31 and the outlet 32. The circulating water channel is laid within the entire liquid cooling plate 3 to exchange heat with the battery pack 1 with the largest area. The laying method of the circulating water channel can be set in various ways, including but not limited to S-shaped, W-shaped, serpentine, and U-shaped.

[0030] The inlet 31 receives the coolant from the expansion tank 6. The coolant flows into the circulating water channel, flows through the entire circulating water channel, exchanges heat with the battery pack 1, and the high-temperature coolant after exchanging heat with the battery pack 1 flows out from the outlet 32 and flows towards the air cooler 4. After the high-temperature coolant undergoes heat exchange in the air cooler 4 to become low-temperature coolant, it flows into the expansion tank 6.

[0031] A water pump 5 is provided between the air cooler 4 and the expansion tank 6. By controlling whether the water pump 5 is turned on or off, the cooling method for the battery pack 1 can be changed. Of course, the water pump 5 can be set at any position. When the water pump 5 is turned on, the cooling method for the battery pack 1 is a composite cycle mode that combines air-cooled circulation and liquid-cooled circulation. When the water pump 5 is turned off, the cooling method for the battery pack 1 is only the air-cooled circulation mode. By controlling the opening degree of the water pump 5, the flow rate of the coolant can be controlled, so as to control the speed at which the coolant flows out of the air cooler 4, control the time for the coolant to conduct heat exchange, ensure that the coolant can enter the expansion tank 6 at a lower temperature and conduct heat exchange with the battery pack 1 again. At the same time, the time of the low-temperature coolant in the liquid-cooled plate 3 can also be controlled to ensure heat exchange with the battery pack 1 and better cool the battery pack 1.

[0032] The liquid-cooled circulation can only be used in some scenarios with not too large heat dissipation loads. If the heat dissipation load increases, only using the liquid-cooled circulation cannot effectively dissipate heat from the battery pack 1. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the energy efficiency of the liquid-cooled circulation or add other heat dissipation devices. However, no matter which method is used, equipment needs to be added, thus increasing additional costs. Therefore, this solution perfectly avoids the problems of adding equipment and increasing additional costs.

[0033] During the liquid-cooled circulation process, it is necessary to set an air cooler 4 to cool the coolant to keep it at a lower temperature for better cooling of the battery pack 1. In the non-refrigerant liquid-cooled structure involved in this solution, the air blown by the fan 41 of the air cooler 4 is significantly lower than the temperature of the battery pack 1. Therefore, it can be reused to cool the battery pack 1, avoiding the addition of other equipment and saving costs. However, if a compression refrigeration structure is used, the outlet air temperature of the liquid-cooled circulation radiator is relatively high and cannot be reused.

[0034] A battery housing 2 is sleeved outside the battery pack 1. The liquid-cooled plate 3 and the battery pack 1 are placed together in the battery housing 2. Setting the battery housing 2 can protect the battery pack 1. At the same time, when the cooling air blows towards the battery pack 1, an air-cooled circulation can be formed in the battery housing 2 to conduct heat exchange with the heat dissipated by the battery pack 1 for better cooling of the battery pack 1. A fan 41 is provided on the air cooler 4, and the air outlet of the fan 41 faces the battery housing 2. A housing air inlet 21 and a housing air outlet 22 are provided on the battery housing 2. The fan 41 blows air towards the housing air inlet 21 of the battery housing 2, and the cooling air enters the battery housing 2 and flows out from the housing air outlet 22 after heat exchange, so that the cold air blown by the fan 41 can be reused.

[0035] To better effect heat exchange between the cooling air and the battery pack 1, the air inlet 21 of the housing and the air outlet 22 of the housing shall not be arranged on the same side of the battery housing 2 and shall be arranged away from each other. Specifically, when the air inlet 21 of the housing is arranged in front of the battery housing 2, the air outlet 22 of the housing is arranged behind, above, on the left or on the right of the battery housing 2, and shall be arranged as close as possible to the rear position of the battery housing 2. Of course, when the air inlet 21 of the housing is arranged at other positions, the air outlet 22 of the housing shall also be arranged away from the air inlet 21 of the housing. The specific situation is the same as described above and will not be elaborated here.

[0036] Further, the air outlet 22 of the housing is arranged opposite to the air inlet 21 of the housing. Optimally, the air outlet 22 of the housing and the air inlet 21 of the housing are arranged at the diagonals of the battery housing 2. That is, if the air inlet 21 of the housing is arranged on the left front of the battery housing 2, the air outlet 22 of the housing is arranged on the right rear of the battery housing 2; if the air inlet 21 of the housing is arranged at the left front end of the battery housing 2, the air outlet 22 of the housing is arranged at the right rear end of the battery housing 2, etc.

[0037] In this solution, to better cool the battery pack 1, the air inlet 21 of the battery housing 2 and the liquid outlet 32 of the liquid cooling plate 3 are arranged on the same side, so that the direction of the cooling air is opposite to the flow direction of the coolant in the liquid cooling plate 3, in order to reduce the temperature difference for cooling the battery pack 1. At the same time, to better utilize the cooling air blown by the fan 41, the air cooler 4 is arranged close to the air inlet 21 of the housing. Based on the characteristic that the air outlet temperature of the air cooler 4 with a non-refrigerating liquid cooling structure is relatively low, the air outlet air pressure of the fan 41 is fully utilized, and an additional air cooling cycle is established without adding system equipment, which is combined with the non-refrigerating liquid cooling cycle to enhance the heat dissipation effect. At the same time, the air cooling cycle and the liquid cooling cycle cooperate with each other to reduce the temperature difference of the battery pack 1.

[0038] To better cool the battery pack 1 and ensure the temperature difference of the battery pack 1, the flow direction of the coolant in the liquid cooling plate 3 is opposite to the direction of the cooling air. That is, the air inlet of the fan 41 and the liquid outlet 32 of the liquid cooling plate 3 are arranged on the same side of the battery housing 2. The air cooling cycle and the liquid cooling cycle are in opposite directions, and the two can complement each other to balance the temperature difference of the battery pack 1 and avoid the situation where one side of the battery pack 1 is hot and the other side is cold.

[0039] This solution includes two cooling methods, one is the air cooling cycle mode, and the other is the composite cycle mode in which the air cooling cycle and the liquid cooling cycle cooperate. Since the air cooler 4 must be turned on during the liquid cooling cycle, a separate liquid cooling cycle mode is not set. Setting two cooling methods in this solution can not only save costs but also meet the cooling requirements.

[0040] Under the structure involved in this solution, when the heat dissipation load of the battery pack 1 is normal, only the cooling air blown by the fan 41 can be used to dissipate heat from the battery pack 1; when the heat dissipation load of the battery pack 1 increases, with the air cooler 4 running continuously, the water pump 5 is turned on, so that the coolant starts to circulate in the liquid cooling plate 3, the air cooler 4 and the expansion tank 6 to cool the battery pack 1, and the cooling air and the coolant are used simultaneously to better cool the battery pack 1.

[0041] In summary, this solution has the following technical effects: The cooling air blown by the fan 41 of the air cooler 4 is directly blown onto the battery pack 1, making full use of the existing equipment to cool the battery pack 1. At the same time, it acts together with the original liquid cooling plate 3 to cool the battery pack 1 for the second time, ensuring better cooling of the battery pack 1. When the heat dissipation load is not too large, only the cooling air blown by the fan 41 can be used to dissipate heat from the battery pack 1. When the heat dissipation load is large, the cooling air blown by the fan 41 and the liquid cooling plate 3 can act together to cool the battery pack 1, saving costs while ensuring the cooling effect of the battery pack 1. The air-cooling cycle and the liquid-cooling cycle are in opposite directions, and the two can complement each other to balance the temperature difference of the battery pack 1 and avoid the situation where one side of the battery pack 1 is hot and the other side is cold.

[0042] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific details in the above embodiments. Within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention, and these simple modifications all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0043] In addition, it should be noted that, in the case of no contradiction, the various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments can be combined in any appropriate way. To avoid unnecessary repetition, the present invention will not separately describe various possible combination methods.

[0044] In addition, any combination can be made between various different embodiments of the present invention, as long as it does not violate the idea of the present invention, and it should also be regarded as the content disclosed by the present invention.

Claims

1. A non-refrigerated composite battery thermal management system, characterized in that: It includes a battery pack (1), a liquid cooling plate (3) arranged on the battery pack (1), an air cooler (4) communicated with the liquid cooling plate (3), and an expansion tank (6) communicated with the air cooler (4). The coolant circulates in the liquid cooling plate (3), the air cooler (4) and the expansion tank (6); a fan (41) is arranged on the air cooler (4), the fan (41) blows cooling air towards the battery pack (1), and the flowing direction of the coolant in the liquid cooling plate (3) is opposite to the wind direction of the cooling air.

2. The non-refrigeration composite battery thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein: A battery housing (2) is sleeved outside the battery pack (1), a housing air inlet (21) and a housing air outlet (22) are arranged on the battery housing (2), and the cooling air formed by the fan (41) enters the battery housing (2) from the housing air inlet (21).

3. The non-refrigerating composite battery thermal management system according to claim 2, wherein: The housing air outlet (22) is arranged opposite to the housing air inlet (21).

4. The non-refrigeration composite battery thermal management system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The housing air inlet (21) and the housing air outlet (22) are arranged at the diagonals of the battery housing (2).

5. The non-refrigeration composite battery thermal management system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The liquid inlet (31) and the liquid outlet (32) on the liquid cooling plate (3) are arranged on the same side of the liquid cooling plate (3).

6. The non-refrigerating composite battery thermal management system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The housing air inlet (21) and the liquid outlet (32) are arranged on the same side of the battery housing (2).

7. The non-refrigerating composite battery thermal management system according to claim 5, characterized in that: A circulating water pipe is arranged in the liquid cooling plate (3), one end of the circulating water pipe is connected to the liquid inlet (31), and the other end is connected to the liquid outlet (32).

8. The non-refrigerating composite battery thermal management system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The non-refrigerating composite battery thermal management system further includes a water pump (5) for controlling the flow of the coolant.

9. The non-refrigerating composite battery thermal management system according to claim 8, characterized in that: A protective housing (7) is arranged on one side of the battery housing (2), an air inlet is formed on the protective housing (7), and the water pump (5), the expansion tank (6) and the air cooler (4) are all arranged in the protective housing (7).

10. The non-refrigerating composite battery thermal management system according to claim 9, characterized in that: A first cavity for placing the air cooler (4) and a second cavity for placing the water pump (5) and the expansion tank (6) are formed in the protective housing (7), and the air inlet is arranged on the first cavity.

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