Water cooling plate structure for battery cell and battery pack

Abstract

The utility model provides a water cooling plate structure for battery cells and a battery pack, the water cooling plate structure for the battery cells comprises a water cooling plate main body, a plurality of mounting grooves are formed in the water cooling plate main body, the battery cells can be inserted into the mounting grooves, and the width of the mounting grooves is equal to the thickness of the battery cells; the water inlet is formed in the end part of the water cooling plate main body and is used for allowing cooling liquid to flow in; and the water outlet is formed in the end part of the water-cooling plate main body and is used for enabling cooling liquid to flow out. According to the water-cooling plate structure for the battery cell and the battery pack, the problem that only one surface of the battery cell can be in contact with the water-cooling plate in the existing battery pack can be solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of battery packs, and in particular to a water-cooled plate structure for battery cells and a battery pack. Background Art

[0002] The competition in new energy vehicles is becoming increasingly fierce. As the most important component in new energy vehicles, the market has higher and higher expectations for battery packs. A battery pack with excellent performance usually needs to have characteristics such as fast charging, slow cycle attenuation, etc., and an excellent thermal management system.

[0003] Nowadays, the charging rate of battery packs is getting higher and higher. When the battery pack approaches the limit temperature, the charge and discharge power of the battery pack will be limited. Therefore, in order to enable the battery pack to be in the optimal working temperature range for as long as possible, higher requirements are now needed for the thermal management system.

[0004] Currently, the battery pack usually adopts the scheme of placing the water-cooled plate below or above, and the battery cells are heated or cooled by the water-cooled plate. With such a setting, only one side of the battery cell can contact the water-cooled plate, and the heating or cooling efficiency is limited, and the temperature difference control effect is not ideal. And the reason of the temperature difference will further limit the charge and discharge capacity of the battery cell. Summary of the Utility Model

[0005] In view of this, the purpose of the present application is to provide a water-cooled plate structure for battery cells and a battery pack to solve the problem that only one side of the battery cell can contact the water-cooled plate in the existing battery pack.

[0006] According to the present utility model, a water-cooled plate structure for battery cells is provided, wherein the water-cooled plate structure for battery cells includes: a water-cooled plate main body, a plurality of installation grooves are formed in the water-cooled plate main body, the battery cells can be inserted into the installation grooves, and the width of the installation grooves is equal to the thickness of the battery cells; a water inlet, arranged at the end of the water-cooled plate main body for flowing in the coolant; and a water outlet, arranged at the end of the water-cooled plate main body for flowing out the coolant.

[0007] Preferably, the water-cooled plate main body includes: a plurality of support plates, the plurality of support plates are arranged in parallel and at intervals, the installation grooves are formed between two adjacent support plates, and the coolant can flow through the inside of the support plates; and a connecting plate, arranged at the ends of the plurality of support plates, the coolant can flow through the inside of the connecting plate, and the plurality of support plates are connected through the connecting plate.

[0008] Preferably, an end plate is arranged at the end of the water-cooled plate main body, the end plate is communicated with the support plates, and the water inlet and the water outlet are arranged at intervals on the end plate.

[0009] Preferably, the support plate is disposed perpendicular to the connection plate.

[0010] Preferably, the depth of the installation groove is equal to the width of the battery cell. When the battery cell is inserted into the installation groove, the end face of the battery cell contacts the main body of the water-cooling plate.

[0011] Preferably, the support plate is rectangular in shape, and the sizes of multiple support plates are equal.

[0012] Preferably, the length of the support plate is equal to the length of the battery cell, and the installation groove communicates with both ends of the main body of the water-cooling plate where the end plates are not provided.

[0013] Preferably, the thickness of the support plate is 6 mm to 8 mm.

[0014] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a battery pack is provided, wherein the battery pack includes multiple battery cells and a water-cooling plate structure for the battery cells as described above, and the battery cells are inserted into the installation grooves of the water-cooling plate structure for the battery cells.

[0015] Preferably, the battery pack further includes a lower housing, the water-cooling plate structure for the battery cells is fastened to the lower housing, and the notch of the installation groove of the water-cooling plate structure for the battery cells faces the bottom plate of the lower housing.

[0016] In the water-cooling plate structure for the battery cells and the battery pack according to the embodiments of the present invention, multiple installation grooves are formed in the main body of the water-cooling plate, and battery cells can be inserted into the installation grooves. The width of the installation groove is equal to the thickness of the battery cell, so that after the battery cell is inserted into the installation groove, both large surfaces of the battery cell can contact the surface of the water-cooling plate for heat exchange. The water inlet is provided at the end of the main body of the water-cooling plate for flowing in the coolant. The water outlet is provided at the end of the main body of the water-cooling plate for flowing out the coolant. In this way, the coolant can flow in the main body of the water-cooling plate, thereby effectively solving the problem that only one side of the battery cell can contact the water-cooling plate in the existing battery pack.

[0017] To make the above objects, features, and advantages of the present application more obvious and understandable, the following specific preferred embodiments are given, and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the detailed description is as follows. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the embodiments. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present application, and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0019] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the water-cooling plate structure for the battery cells according to the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the battery pack according to the present utility model.

[0021] Reference numerals: 1 - main body of the water cooling plate; 10 - mounting groove; 11 - connecting plate; 12 - support plate; 13 - end plate; 2 - water inlet; 3 - water outlet; 4 - battery cell; 5 - lower housing. Detailed embodiments

[0022] The following detailed embodiments are provided to assist the reader in obtaining a comprehensive understanding of the methods, apparatuses, and / or systems described herein. However, various changes, modifications, and equivalents of the methods, apparatuses, and / or systems described herein will be apparent after understanding the disclosure of this application. For example, the order of operations described herein is merely illustrative and is not limited to the order set forth herein. Rather, changes that will be apparent after understanding the disclosure of this application can be made, except for operations that must occur in a specific order. In addition, descriptions of features known in the art may be omitted for the sake of clarity and conciseness.

[0023] The features described herein may be implemented in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples described herein. Rather, the examples described herein are provided only to illustrate some of the many possible ways of implementing the methods, apparatuses, and / or systems described herein that will be apparent after understanding the disclosure of this application.

[0024] Throughout the specification, when an element (such as a layer, region, or substrate) is described as "on" another element, "connected to" another element, "coupled to" another element, "above" another element, or "covering" another element, it may be directly "on", "connected to", "coupled to", "above", or "covering" the other element, or there may be one or more other elements therebetween. In contrast, when an element is described as "directly on", "directly connected to", "directly coupled to", "directly above", or "directly covering" another element, there may be no other elements therebetween.

[0025] As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any one of the listed related items and any combination of any two or more of them.

[0026] Although terms such as "first", "second", and "third" may be used herein to describe various components, elements, regions, layers, or sections, these components, elements, regions, layers, or sections are not limited by these terms. Rather, these terms are only used to distinguish one component, element, region, layer, or section from another. Thus, a first component, element, region, layer, or section as referred to in the examples described herein may also be referred to as a second component, element, region, layer, or section without departing from the teachings of the examples.

[0027] For ease of description, spatial relationship terms such as "above", "upper", "below", and "lower" may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element to another as shown in the figures. Such spatial relationship terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is flipped, an element described as "above" or "upper" relative to another element will then be "below" or "lower" relative to the other element. Thus, the term "above" includes both the orientation of "above" and "below" depending on the spatial orientation of the device. The device may also be positioned in other ways (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relationship terms used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0028] The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing various examples and are not intended to limit the examples. Unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the singular forms are also intended to include the plural forms. The terms "comprises", "comprising", and "having" list the stated features, quantities, operations, components, elements, and / or combinations thereof that exist, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, quantities, operations, components, elements, and / or combinations thereof.

[0029] Due to manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances, variations in the shapes shown in the figures may occur. Thus, the examples described herein are not limited to the specific shapes shown in the figures, but include changes in shape that occur during manufacturing.

[0030] The features of the examples described herein may be combined in various ways that will be apparent after understanding the disclosure of the present application. In addition, although the examples described herein have various configurations, other configurations are possible as will be apparent after understanding the disclosure of the present application.

[0031] As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, according to a first aspect of the present utility model, a water-cooling plate structure for an electric cell is provided, and the water-cooling plate structure for the electric cell includes a water-cooling plate body 1, a water inlet 2, and a water outlet 3.

[0032] In the following description, reference will be made to Figure 1 and Figure 2 to specifically describe the specific structures of the above components of the water-cooling plate structure for the battery cell and the connection relationships of the above components.

[0033] As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, in the embodiment, a plurality of mounting grooves 10 can be formed in the water-cooling plate body 1, and the battery cell 4 can be inserted into the mounting grooves 10. The width of the mounting groove 10 (i.e., the dimension of the mounting groove 10 in the horizontal direction as shown in Figure 1 ) can be equal to the thickness of the battery cell 4 (i.e., the dimension of the battery cell 4 in the horizontal direction as shown in Figure 1 ), so that after the battery cell 4 is inserted into the mounting groove 10, both large surfaces of the battery cell 4 (i.e., the two side surfaces with larger dimensions of the battery cell 4) can be in contact with the surface of the water-cooling plate, so as to increase the heat exchange area and further improve the heat exchange efficiency. The water inlet 2 can be arranged at the end of the water-cooling plate body 1 for flowing in the coolant. The water outlet 3 can also be arranged at the end of the water-cooling plate body 1 for flowing out the coolant, so that the coolant can circulate in the water-cooling plate body 1 to perform heat exchange better.

[0034] Preferably, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, in the embodiment, the water-cooling plate body 1 can include a plurality of support plates 12 and a connecting plate 11. Among them, the shape of the support plate 12 can be rectangular, and the coolant can flow through the inside of the support plate 12, so that heat exchange can be performed when the support plate 12 is in contact with the battery cell 4. The plurality of support plates 12 can be arranged in parallel and at intervals. The mounting groove 10 can be formed between two adjacent support plates 12, that is, one mounting groove 10 is formed between every two adjacent support plates 12 for inserting the battery cell 4 for heat exchange. The connecting plate 11 can be arranged at the ends of the plurality of support plates 12, that is, the ends of the plurality of support plates 12 are all connected to the connecting plate 11. The coolant can flow through the inside of the connecting plate 11, so that the plurality of support plates 12 can be connected through the connecting plate 11 to improve the temperature uniformity of the water-cooling plate structure for the battery cell. Preferably, the thickness of the support plate 12 can be 6 mm to 8 mm, so that while the coolant is easy to flow through, the heat exchange effect of the support plate 12 can be ensured.

[0035] More preferably, as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, in the embodiment, the support plate 12 can be arranged perpendicular to the connection plate 11. Specifically, the connection plate 11 can be a rectangular plate member with a relatively large size. A plurality of support plates 12 can be arranged on the same side of the connection plate 11, and the support plates 12 are vertically connected to the plate surface of the connection plate 11. More preferably, the support plate 12 and the connection plate 11 can be integrally formed. The sizes of the plurality of support plates 12 can be equal, making the overall structure of the water-cooled plate structure for the battery cell more regular and easier to install in the battery pack.

[0036] In addition, preferably, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, in the embodiment, the depth of the installation groove 10 (i.e., the dimension of the installation groove 10 in the vertical direction as shown in Figure 1 ) can be equal to the width of the battery cell 4 (i.e., the dimension of the battery cell 4 in the vertical direction as shown in Figure 1 ). When the battery cell 4 is inserted into the installation groove 10, the end face of the battery cell 4 (which can be the upper end face as shown in Figure 1 ) can also contact the water-cooled plate main body 1 to further improve the heat exchange efficiency.

[0037] Preferably, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, in the embodiment, the length of the support plate 12 can be equal to the length of the battery cell 4 (i.e., the length of the installation groove 10 is equal to the length of the battery cell 4), so that the battery cell 4 can be exactly installed in the installation groove 10. Preferably, the installation groove 10 can communicate with both ends of the water-cooled plate main body 1 where the end plates 13 are not provided, to facilitate taking out the battery cell 4 in the installation groove 10 and installing the battery cell 4 in the installation groove 10.

[0038] In addition, preferably, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, in the embodiment, end plates 13 can be arranged at the ends of the water-cooled plate main body 1. Specifically, the end plates 13 can be strip-shaped plate members, and the coolant also flows inside the end plates 13. Preferably, the end plates 13 can be arranged as shown in Figure 1The left end of the water-cooling plate body 1 shown. The end plate 13 can be arranged perpendicular to the support plate 12, and the end plate 13 can communicate with the end of the support plate 12. The length of the end plate 13 can be equal to the length of the support plate 12. The water inlet 2 and the water outlet 3 can be arranged at intervals in the length direction of the end plate 13, that is, the water inlet 2 is arranged at the first end in the length direction of the end plate 13, and the water outlet 3 is arranged at the second end in the length direction of the end plate 13. The coolant can flow into the end plate 13 from the water inlet 2, and flow through the support plate 12 at the end of the water-cooling plate body 1 into the connecting plate 11, and then flow into each support plate 12 in sequence through the connecting plate 11 for heat exchange. After the heat exchange is completed, the coolant flows through each support plate 12 into the connecting plate 11, finally returns to the end plate 13, and then flows out from the water outlet 3.

[0039] In addition, as Figure 2 shown, according to the second aspect of the present invention, a battery pack is provided, and the battery pack includes a plurality of battery cells 4 and the water-cooling plate structure for the battery cells as described above. The battery pack can be the battery pack in the above embodiment, and the battery cells 4 can be the battery cells 4 in the above embodiment.

[0040] Preferably, as Figure 2 shown, in the embodiment, the battery pack can further include a lower housing 5. The water-cooling plate structure for the battery cells can be snap-fitted with the lower housing 5. That is, the water-cooling plate structure for the battery cells can be arranged inside the lower housing 5. The notch of the installation groove 10 of the water-cooling plate structure for the battery cells can be arranged facing the bottom plate of the lower housing 5 (that is, the notch of the installation groove 10 is arranged downward), and the battery cells 4 can be inserted and installed in the installation groove 10.

[0041] During use, both large surfaces and the end surface at the top of the battery cells 4 can be in contact with the water-cooling plate structure for the battery cells, so that the temperature of the battery cells 4 is easier to control, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency and temperature uniformity of the battery cells 4. In addition, such an arrangement can also eliminate the heat insulation parts (such as aerogel) between the battery cells 4 to reduce the production cost of the battery pack.

[0042] Finally, it should be noted that the above-described embodiments are only specific implementation manners of the present application, used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than limiting it. The protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that any person skilled in the technical field of the present application can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or can easily think of changes, or perform equivalent replacements on some of the technical features; and these modifications, changes or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and should all be covered by the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A water-cooling plate structure for an electric cell, characterized in that, The water-cooling plate structure for the battery cell includes: A water-cooling plate main body, in which a plurality of installation grooves are formed. The battery cell can be inserted into the installation groove, and the width of the installation groove is equal to the thickness of the battery cell; An inlet, arranged at the end of the water-cooling plate main body, for flowing in the coolant; and An outlet, arranged at the end of the water-cooling plate main body, for flowing out the coolant.

2. The water-cooling plate structure for the battery cell according to claim 1, wherein, The water-cooling plate main body includes: A plurality of support plates, which are arranged in parallel and at intervals. The installation groove is formed between two adjacent support plates, and the coolant can flow inside the support plate; and A connecting plate, arranged at the ends of the plurality of support plates. The coolant can flow inside the connecting plate, and the plurality of support plates are connected through the connecting plate.

3. The water-cooling plate structure for an electric cell according to claim 2, wherein, End plates are arranged at the ends of the water-cooling plate main body. The end plates are communicated with the support plates, and the inlet and the outlet are arranged at intervals on the end plates.

4. The water-cooling plate structure for an electric cell according to claim 2, wherein The support plates are perpendicular to the connecting plate.

5. The water-cooling plate structure for an electric cell according to claim 4, characterized in that, The depth of the installation groove is equal to the width of the battery cell. When the battery cell is inserted into the installation groove, the end face of the battery cell contacts the water-cooling plate main body.

6. The water-cooling plate structure for an electric cell according to claim 3, characterized in that, The shape of the support plate is rectangular, and the sizes of the plurality of support plates are equal.

7. The water-cooling plate structure for an electric cell according to claim 6, wherein, The length of the support plate is equal to the length of the battery cell, and the installation groove communicates with both ends of the water-cooling plate main body where no end plate is provided.

8. The water-cooling plate structure for an electric cell according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that, The thickness of the support plate is 6 mm to 8 mm.

9. A battery pack, characterized in that, The battery pack includes a plurality of battery cells and the water-cooling plate structure for the battery cell according to any one of claims 1 to 8, and the battery cells are inserted into the installation grooves of the water-cooling plate structure for the battery cell.

10. The battery pack according to claim 9, characterized in that, The battery pack further includes a lower housing. The water-cooling plate structure for the battery cell is buckled with the lower housing, and the notch of the installation groove of the water-cooling plate structure for the battery cell faces the bottom plate of the lower housing.

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