Vertical cooling piece, heat management device and battery pack

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the technical field of battery pack heat management, and discloses a vertical cooling piece, a heat management device and a battery pack, the vertical cooling piece comprises a first end and a second end which are opposite to each other along a first direction, the first end is provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, the liquid inlet is positioned at the lower part of the liquid outlet, and the second end is positioned at the lower part of the liquid outlet; a liquid inlet cavity and a liquid outlet cavity are formed in the vertical cooling part, the liquid inlet cavity is communicated with the liquid inlet, the liquid outlet cavity is communicated with the liquid inlet cavity at the second end and is communicated with the liquid outlet at the first end, and the total inner cross section area of the liquid outlet cavity is larger than that of the liquid inlet cavity. According to the utility model, the liquid inlet of the vertical cooling piece is arranged at the lower part of the liquid outlet, so that the problem of air trapping of the liquid cooling plate caused by liquid injection of cooling liquid in the prior art is solved, and the total cross sectional area in the liquid outlet cavity is designed to be larger than that in the liquid inlet cavity, so that the temperature difference between the inlet side and the outlet side is reduced; therefore, the temperature uniformity of the whole bag is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of battery pack thermal management, and particularly to a vertical cooling member, a thermal management device and a battery pack. Background Technique

[0002] With the rapid update and iteration of new energy electric vehicle technology, people's requirements for battery performance are getting higher and higher. The energy density of the battery is getting larger and larger, and better thermal management performance needs to be provided in a limited space to control the battery temperature within a suitable range and ensure that the battery maintains good temperature uniformity. However, due to limitations such as space, cost, and energy consumption, it is difficult to control the temperature within a reasonable range under some extremely harsh working conditions, resulting in a large temperature difference in the battery system.

[0003] In the prior art, since the air density is smaller than the liquid cooling liquid density, air flows at the top of the flow channel in the liquid cooling plate during the liquid injection process of the liquid cooling plate. The space at the water outlet of the liquid cooling plate is limited. When the liquid flows out of the water outlet, part of the air stays in the liquid cooling plate, and air trapping is likely to occur at the confluence of the liquid cooling plate and in the corners of the cavity, resulting in uneven heating (or cooling) of the battery system, reduced heat exchange efficiency, and poor temperature uniformity of the whole package. On the other hand, the existing profile liquid cooling structures all adopt an equal-spacing inner cavity and a mouth-shaped cavity cross-sectional structure. Since the inner surface area of the mouth-shaped cavity is small, the heat exchange efficiency is low. At the same time, most of the existing flow channel designs are U-shaped or Z-shaped flow channel structures. The equal-spacing inner cavity structure will cause a large temperature difference between the coolant inlet side and the outlet side, resulting in a large temperature difference in the whole package. Summary of the Utility Model

[0004] The main object of the utility model is to provide a vertical cooling member, a thermal management device and a battery pack, aiming to solve the problems of air trapping in the liquid cooling plate caused by liquid injection and the temperature difference between the inlet side and the outlet side in the prior art, resulting in poor temperature uniformity of the whole package.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned utility model object, a vertical cooling member is proposed in the first aspect of the utility model. The vertical cooling member includes a first end and a second end opposite to each other in a first direction. The first end is provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet. The liquid inlet is located below the liquid outlet. A liquid inlet cavity and a liquid outlet cavity are formed in the vertical cooling member. The liquid inlet cavity is communicated with the liquid inlet. The liquid outlet cavity is communicated with the liquid inlet cavity at the second end and is communicated with the liquid outlet at the first end. The total cross-sectional area of the inner cavity of the liquid outlet cavity is larger than the total cross-sectional area of the inner cavity of the liquid inlet cavity.

[0006] Further, the vertical cooling member includes a first flow-limiting rib disposed along the first direction. The first flow-limiting rib includes a third end and a fourth end opposite to each other along the first direction. The third end is connected to the first end, and the fourth end is spaced from the second end to divide the interior of the vertical cooling member into the liquid inlet chamber and the liquid outlet chamber, and to communicate the liquid outlet chamber with the liquid inlet chamber at the second end.

[0007] Further, the liquid inlet chamber includes a plurality of first sub-channels, and the liquid outlet chamber includes a plurality of second sub-channels. The number of the second sub-channels is greater than the number of the first sub-channels, and the total cross-sectional area of the plurality of second sub-channels in the chamber is greater than the total cross-sectional area of the plurality of first sub-channels in the chamber.

[0008] Further, the vertical cooling member further includes a second flow-limiting rib and a third flow-limiting rib. The second flow-limiting rib is disposed along the first direction inside the liquid inlet chamber and is used to divide the liquid inlet chamber into a plurality of the first sub-channels. The third flow-limiting rib is disposed along the first direction inside the liquid outlet chamber and is used to divide the liquid outlet chamber into a plurality of the second sub-channels.

[0009] Further, the vertical cooling member further includes a first reinforcing rib and a second reinforcing rib. Both the first reinforcing rib and the second reinforcing rib are disposed along the first direction on the inner wall of the vertical cooling member. The first reinforcing rib is located inside the first sub-channel and extends from the inner wall of the vertical cooling member towards the center of the first sub-channel. The second reinforcing rib is located inside the second sub-channel and extends from the inner wall of the vertical cooling member towards the center of the second sub-channel.

[0010] Further, the number of the first reinforcing ribs is multiple, and the number of the second reinforcing ribs is multiple. The cross-section of each first sub-channel and the cross-section of each second sub-channel are both in the shape of a special-shaped tooth structure.

[0011] Further, the top of the liquid outlet is flush with the top of the liquid outlet chamber.

[0012] In a second aspect of the present invention, a thermal management device is proposed, which includes a liquid inlet pipe assembly, a liquid outlet pipe assembly, and the vertical cooling member in any of the above embodiments. The liquid inlet pipe assembly is connected to the liquid inlet of the vertical cooling member, and the liquid outlet pipe assembly is connected to the liquid outlet of the vertical cooling member.

[0013] Further, a first plug is provided at the first end of the vertical cooling member, and a second plug is provided at the second end of the vertical cooling member. The liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are both opened on the first plug;

[0014] The liquid inlet pipe assembly includes a liquid inlet connecting pipe and a first three-way connecting head, and the liquid inlet connecting pipe is connected to the liquid inlet of the first plug through the first three-way connecting head;

[0015] The liquid outlet pipe assembly includes a liquid outlet connecting pipe and a second three-way connecting head, and the liquid outlet connecting pipe is connected to the liquid outlet of the first plug through the second three-way connecting head.

[0016] A third aspect of the present invention provides a battery pack, which includes a battery cell module and the thermal management device in any of the above embodiments, and the vertical cooling member of the thermal management device is attached to the side surface of the battery cell module.

[0017] Beneficial effects:

[0018] For the vertical cooling member, thermal management device and battery pack of the present invention, both the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet of the vertical cooling member are provided at its first end. The liquid inlet cavity is communicated with the liquid inlet, and the liquid outlet cavity is communicated with the liquid inlet cavity at the second end of the vertical cooling member and is communicated with the liquid outlet at the first end, forming an overall U-shaped reflux structure. In addition, by arranging the liquid inlet of the vertical cooling member below the liquid outlet, the problem of air entrapment in the liquid cooling plate caused by liquid injection in the prior art is improved. Furthermore, by designing the total cross-sectional area of the liquid outlet cavity to be larger than the total cross-sectional area of the liquid inlet cavity, the convective heat transfer coefficient and the heat transfer amount on the reflux side of the vertical cooling member are increased, the heat transfer performance on the reflux side is improved, and the temperature difference between the inlet side and the outlet side of the vertical cooling member is reduced, thereby improving the temperature uniformity of the whole package. Description of the Drawings

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a thermal management device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 is Figure 1 a partial enlarged structural diagram of part III in

[0022] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a vertical cooling member according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 is Figure 4 a sectional structural diagram of the vertical cooling member along the A-A section line in

[0024] Figure 6 is Figure 5 an enlarged structural diagram of part VI in

[0025] Figure 7 is Figure 5Partial enlarged structural schematic diagram of Part VII

[0026] Figure 8 It is a partial enlarged structural schematic diagram of a vertical cooling part according to an embodiment of the present utility model

[0027] Figure 9 is Figure 4 the sectional structural schematic diagram of the vertical cooling part along the B-B section line

[0028] Figure 10 It is a sectional structural schematic diagram of a vertical cooling part according to another embodiment of the present utility model

[0029] Wherein:

[0030] 100 - battery pack; 200 - thermal management device; 1 - liquid inlet pipe assembly; 11 - liquid inlet connecting pipe; 12 - first three-way connector; 2 - liquid outlet pipe assembly; 21 - liquid outlet connecting pipe; 22 - second three-way connector; 3 - cooling assembly; 31 - vertical cooling part; 31a - first end; 31b - second end; 32 - liquid inlet cavity; 321 - first sub-channel - 33 - liquid outlet cavity; 331 - second sub-channel; 34 - first current-limiting rib; 34a - third end; 34b - fourth end; 35 - second current-limiting rib; 36 - third current-limiting rib; 37 - first reinforcing rib; 38 - second reinforcing rib; 4 - first plug; 41 - liquid inlet; 42 - liquid outlet; 5 - second plug; 6 - battery cell module

[0031] The realization, functional features and advantages of the purpose of the present utility model will be further described with reference to the embodiments and the accompanying drawings Specific embodiments

[0032] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present utility model and are not used to limit the present utility model

[0033] 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", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It 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. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation to the present utility model. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the said features. In the description of the present utility model, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically and clearly defined.

[0034] In the description of the present utility model, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "mounted", "connected" and "coupled" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it may be a mechanical connection, a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, and it may be the communication inside two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present utility model can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0035] In the present utility model, unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the first feature being "on" or "under" the second feature may include the direct contact between the first and second features, or may include the situation where the first and second features are not in direct contact but in contact through other features between them. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "over" and "on top of" the second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or merely indicates that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. The first feature being "under", "beneath" and "underneath" the second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or merely indicates that the horizontal height of the first feature is lower than that of the second feature.

[0036] Refer to Figures 1 to 8, an embodiment of the present utility model provides a vertical cooling member 31. The vertical cooling member 31 includes a first end 31a and a second end 31b opposite to each other in the first direction. A liquid inlet 41 and a liquid outlet 42 are provided at the first end 31a. The liquid inlet 41 is located below the liquid outlet 42. An inlet liquid cavity 32 and an outlet liquid cavity 33 are provided inside the vertical cooling member 31. The inlet liquid cavity 32 is communicated with the liquid inlet 41. The outlet liquid cavity 33 is communicated with the inlet liquid cavity 32 at the second end 31b and is communicated with the liquid outlet 42 at the first end 31a. The total cross-sectional area of the cavity of the outlet liquid cavity 33 is larger than the total cross-sectional area of the cavity of the inlet liquid cavity 32.

[0037] Specifically referring to Figures 4 to 8 , the vertical cooling member 31 includes a first end 31a and a second end 31b opposite to each other in the first direction, and an inlet liquid cavity 32 and an outlet liquid cavity 33 are provided inside it. The inlet liquid cavity 32 and the outlet liquid cavity 33 can be used for circulating coolant. Since both the liquid inlet 41 and the liquid outlet 42 of the vertical cooling member 31 are provided at its first end 31a, the inlet liquid cavity 32 is communicated with the liquid inlet 41, the outlet liquid cavity 33 is communicated with the inlet liquid cavity 32 at its second end 31b and is communicated with the liquid outlet 42 at the first end 31a, the overall flow channel of the vertical cooling member 31 forms a U-shaped reflux structure. In addition, the liquid inlet 41 of the vertical cooling member 31 is provided below the liquid outlet 42. Correspondingly, the inlet liquid cavity 32 in this embodiment is located below the outlet liquid cavity 33, and the flow direction of the coolant is from bottom to top. In other words, the coolant enters the lower inlet liquid cavity 32 of the vertical cooling member 31 through the liquid inlet 41 at the lower part (such as Figure 5 shown by the first fluid movement direction S1), and then enters the upper outlet liquid cavity 33 (such as Figure 5 shown by the second fluid movement direction S3), and after an internal circulation, it flows out through the liquid outlet 42 at the upper part of the vertical cooling member 31. Since the air density is smaller than the coolant density, during the liquid injection process, the air is always at the upper parts of the inlet liquid cavity 32 and the outlet liquid cavity 33 and is discharged from the liquid outlet 42 along with the flow of the coolant after a return flow. Therefore, in this embodiment, the liquid inlet 41 of the vertical cooling member 31 is provided below the liquid outlet 42, which conforms to the law that the gas is at the upper part when the gas-liquid two-phase is mixed, can effectively discharge the gas from the upper part, and thus can better improve the problem of air entrapment in the liquid cooling plate caused by liquid injection in the prior art and improve the heat exchange efficiency of the vertical cooling member 31. Optionally, the top of the liquid outlet 42 is flush with the top of the outlet liquid cavity 33, which is convenient for discharging the air located at the upper part of the outlet liquid cavity 33, thereby further improving the problem of air entrapment during coolant injection.

[0038] Furthermore, since the flow channel of the vertical cooling member 31 adopts a U-shaped reflux structure, considering the fluid heat transfer performance, the fluid temperature on the U-shaped reflux side is higher. Therefore, in this embodiment, the total cross-sectional area of the liquid outlet chamber 33 is designed to be larger than the total cross-sectional area of the liquid inlet chamber 32. Compared with the prior art, the convective heat transfer coefficient and the heat transfer amount on the reflux side of the vertical cooling member 31 are increased, the heat transfer performance on the reflux side is improved, the temperature difference between the inlet side and the outlet side of the vertical cooling member 31 is reduced, and thus the temperature uniformity of the whole package is improved.

[0039] In summary, for the vertical cooling member 31 of the present utility model, its liquid inlet 41 and liquid outlet 42 are both provided at its first end 31a. The liquid inlet chamber 32 is communicated with the liquid inlet 41, the liquid outlet chamber 33 is communicated with the liquid inlet chamber 32 at the second end 31b of the vertical cooling member 31, and is communicated with the liquid outlet 42 at the first end 31a, forming a U-shaped reflux structure as a whole. In addition, by arranging the liquid inlet 41 of the vertical cooling member 31 below the liquid outlet 42, the problem of air entrapment in the liquid cooling plate caused by liquid injection in the prior art is improved; furthermore, by designing the total cross-sectional area of the liquid outlet chamber 33 to be larger than the total cross-sectional area of the liquid inlet chamber 32, the convective heat transfer coefficient and the heat transfer amount on the reflux side of the vertical cooling member 31 are increased, the heat transfer performance on the reflux side is improved, the temperature difference between the inlet side and the outlet side of the vertical cooling member 31 is reduced, and thus the temperature uniformity of the whole package is improved.

[0040] Refer to Figures 1 to 8 , an embodiment of the present utility model further provides a thermal management device 200. The thermal management device 200 includes a liquid inlet pipe assembly 1, a liquid outlet pipe assembly 2 and a cooling assembly 3. The cooling assembly 3 includes a vertical cooling member 31. The liquid inlet pipe assembly 1 is connected to the liquid inlet 41 of the vertical cooling member 31, and the liquid outlet pipe assembly 2 is connected to the liquid outlet 42 of the vertical cooling member 31.

[0041] In this embodiment, the thermal management device 200 can be applied to the battery pack 100 in the battery field to provide heating or cooling performance for the battery pack 100, such as the thermal management of new energy lithium batteries.

[0042] Specifically, the cooling assembly 3 includes one or more vertical cooling members 31. Refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , a plurality of vertical cooling members 31 can extend along a first direction (along the X-axis direction as shown in Figure 1 ), and then along a second direction (along as shown in Figure 1They are arranged side by side in the Y-axis direction (as shown). The vertical cooling member 31 has a plate-like structure so as to fit against the side of the battery cell module 6 in the battery pack 100, increasing the contact area between the vertical cooling member 31 and the battery cell module 6 to improve the thermal management effect. It should be noted that when the number of the vertical cooling members 31 is multiple, the structure of each vertical cooling member 31 is the same. In the following embodiments, the structure of one of the vertical cooling members 31 will be described, and the structures of the other vertical cooling members 31 will not be elaborated.

[0043] Referring to Figures 1 to 7 , in one embodiment, a first plug 4 is provided at the first end 31a of the vertical cooling member 31, a second plug 5 is provided at the second end 31b of the vertical cooling member 31, and both the liquid inlet 41 and the liquid outlet 42 are opened on the first plug 4. The liquid inlet pipe assembly 1 includes a liquid inlet connecting pipe 11 and a first three-way connecting head 12, and the liquid inlet connecting pipe 11 is connected to the liquid inlet 41 of the first plug 4 through the first three-way connecting head 12. The liquid outlet pipe assembly 2 includes a liquid outlet connecting pipe 21 and a second three-way connecting head 22, and the liquid outlet connecting pipe 21 is connected to the liquid outlet 42 of the first plug 4 through the second three-way connecting head 22.

[0044] In this embodiment, referring to Figure 7 , a plug liquid inlet is provided at the lower part of the first plug 4, which is the liquid inlet 41 of the vertical cooling member 31, and a plug liquid outlet is provided at the upper part, which is the liquid outlet 42 of the vertical cooling member 31. In one embodiment, the vertical cooling member 31, the first plug 4, and the second plug 5 are of an integrally formed structure. In another embodiment, the vertical cooling member 31, the first plug 4, and the second plug 5 are of a separately formed structure. For example, the first end 31a of the vertical cooling member 31 is welded to the first plug 4 by friction stir welding, and the second end 31b of the vertical cooling member 31 is welded to the second plug 5 by friction stir welding.

[0045] Referring to Figures 1 to 5 , in one embodiment, the cooling assembly 3 includes a plurality of vertical cooling members 31. A first plug 4 is provided at the first end 31a of each vertical cooling member 31, a second plug 5 is provided at the second end 31b of each vertical cooling member 31, and both the liquid inlet 41 and the liquid outlet 42 are opened on the corresponding first plug 4. The liquid inlet pipe assembly 1 includes a liquid inlet connecting pipe 11 and at least two first three-way connecting heads 12, and the liquid inlet connecting pipe 11 is connected to the liquid inlet 41 of each first plug 4 through at least two first three-way connecting heads 12 respectively. The liquid outlet pipe assembly 2 includes a liquid outlet connecting pipe 21 and at least two second three-way connecting heads 22, and the liquid outlet connecting pipe 21 is connected to the liquid outlet 42 of each first plug 4 through at least two second three-way connecting heads 22 respectively.

[0046] Based on the above structure, the working principle of the thermal management device 200 in this embodiment is as follows: After the coolant enters the liquid inlet connecting pipe 11 from the liquid inlet of the liquid inlet connecting pipe 11, part of the coolant enters the first vertical cooling member 31 through the first three-way connector 12, and the other coolant continues to flow backward (such as Figure 1 shown in the Y-axis direction) and flows into the rear vertical cooling members 31 through the other first three-way connectors 12. The coolant is injected into the liquid inlet cavity 32 of the vertical cooling member 31 through the liquid inlet 41 at the first plug 4. After the coolant reaches the second end 31b of the vertical cooling member 31, it converges and enters the liquid outlet cavity 33 of the vertical cooling member 31. The coolant flows out of the vertical cooling member 31 through the liquid outlet 42 at the first plug 4, flows through the second three-way connector 22 and enters the liquid outlet connecting pipe 21, and finally converges with the coolant in the branches of other liquid outlet connecting pipes 21 and flows out of the battery pack 100 through the liquid outlet of the liquid outlet connecting pipe 21.

[0047] Referring to Figures 5 to 8 , in one embodiment, the vertical cooling member 31 includes a first flow-limiting rib 34 arranged along the first direction. The first flow-limiting rib 34 includes a third end 34a and a fourth end 34b opposite to each other along the first direction. The third end 34a is connected to the first end 31a, and the fourth end 34b is spaced from the second end 31b to divide the interior of the vertical cooling member 31 into the liquid inlet cavity 32 and the liquid outlet cavity 33, and make the liquid outlet cavity 33 communicate with the liquid inlet cavity 32 at the second end 31b.

[0048] In this embodiment, the first flow-limiting rib 34 is arranged inside the vertical cooling member 31 along the first direction (such as Figure 5 shown in the X-axis direction). Its third end 34a is connected to the first end 31a of the vertical cooling member 31. For example, the third end 34a of the first flow-limiting rib 34 is in close contact with the side wall of the first end 31a of the vertical cooling member 31, and its fourth end 34b is spaced from the side wall of the second end 31b of the vertical cooling member 31, dividing the interior of the vertical cooling member 31 into a lower liquid inlet cavity 32 and an upper liquid outlet cavity 33. At the same time, the liquid outlet cavity 33 communicates with the liquid inlet cavity 32 at the second end 31b of the vertical cooling member 31, forming a U-shaped reflux structure. In other embodiments, referring to Figure 5 , the side wall of the first end 31a of the vertical cooling member 31 is the first plug 4, the side wall of the second end 31b of the vertical cooling member 31 is the second plug 5, the third end 34a of the first flow-limiting rib 34 is in close contact with the first plug 4 of the vertical cooling member 31, and the fourth end 34b of the first flow-limiting rib 34 is spaced from the second plug 5 of the vertical cooling member 31.

[0049] Optionally, the flow rates of the liquid inlet cavity 32 and the liquid outlet cavity 33 are adjusted by controlling the height of the first flow-limiting rib 34, and at the same time, the milling depth of the first flow-limiting rib 34 is controlled, that is, the length of the first flow-limiting rib 34 along the first direction (such asFigure 5 (The length of the first flow-limiting rib 34 shown in the X-axis direction), enhancing the jet effect when the coolant returns, so that the coolant enters the upper liquid outlet cavity 33 from the lower liquid inlet cavity 32 and impacts the top of the vertical cooling member 31 at a higher speed (such as Figure 6 (The fluid jet direction S2 shown), the residual air at the top flows towards the liquid outlet 42 of the vertical cooling member 31 after being impacted by the coolant, is discharged from the inside of the vertical cooling member 31, further reducing the air entrapment phenomenon and improving the overall temperature uniformity of the battery pack 100.

[0050] Referring to Figures 5 to 9 , in an embodiment, the liquid inlet cavity 32 includes a plurality of first sub-channels 321, the liquid outlet cavity 33 includes a plurality of second sub-channels 331, the number of the second sub-channels 331 is greater than the number of the first sub-channels 321, and the total cross-sectional area of the cavities of the plurality of second sub-channels 331 is greater than the total cross-sectional area of the cavities of the plurality of first sub-channels 321.

[0051] Since the flow channel of the vertical cooling member 31 adopts a U-shaped reflux structure, combined with the fluid heat transfer performance, the fluid temperature on the U-shaped reflux side is higher. In this embodiment, the number of the second sub-channels 331 is greater than the number of the first sub-channels 321, the number of the second sub-channels 331 on the outlet side ≥ 2, and the number of the first sub-channels 321 on the inlet side ≥ 1, which helps to increase the total cross-sectional area of the cavities of the plurality of second sub-channels 331 (that is, the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the cavities of each second sub-channel 331), so that the total cross-sectional area of the plurality of second sub-channels 331 is greater than the total cross-sectional area of the cavities of the plurality of first sub-channels 321 (that is, the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the cavities of each first sub-channel 321), to ensure that the total cross-sectional area of the cavities of the liquid outlet cavity 33 is greater than the total cross-sectional area of the cavities of the liquid inlet cavity 32. Therefore, compared with the prior art, the structure of this embodiment increases the heat transfer area of the fluid on the reflux side, increases the convective heat transfer coefficient and the heat transfer amount on the reflux side of the vertical cooling member 31, improves the heat transfer performance on the reflux side, reduces the temperature difference between the inlet side and the outlet side of the vertical cooling member 31, and thus improves the temperature uniformity of the whole package.

[0052] Furthermore, referring to Figure 9 , when the liquid inlet cavity 32 and the liquid outlet cavity 33 have the same height and width, the number of the second sub-channels 331 on the outlet side is greater than the number of the first sub-channels 321 on the inlet side, so that the cross-sectional area of each cavity of the second sub-channels 331 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of each cavity of the first sub-channels 321, which can increase the fluid velocity on the reflux side and improve the temperature uniformity of the whole package.

[0053] Furthermore, the liquid outlet 42 is parallel and communicated with the uppermost second sub-channel 331, which is convenient for discharging the air located in the upper part of the liquid outlet cavity 33, thereby further improving the problem of air entrapment during coolant injection.

[0054] Referring toFigures 5 to 9 In one embodiment, the vertical cooling member 31 further includes a second flow limiting rib 35 and a third flow limiting rib 36. The second flow limiting rib 35 is arranged inside the liquid inlet cavity 32 along the first direction and is used to separate the liquid inlet cavity 32 into a plurality of first sub-flow channels 321. The third flow limiting rib 36 is arranged inside the liquid outlet cavity 33 along the first direction and is used to separate the liquid outlet cavity 33 into a plurality of second sub-flow channels 331.

[0055] In this embodiment, a second flow-limiting rib 35 is provided in the liquid inlet cavity 32, and a third flow-limiting rib 36 is provided in the liquid inlet cavity 32. The number of the third flow-limiting ribs 36 is greater than the number of the second flow-limiting ribs 35, so that the number of the second sub-flow channels 331 is greater than the number of the first sub-flow channels 321. In this case, the number of the second sub-flow channels 331 is ≥3, and the number of the first sub-flow channels 321 is ≥2. For example, Figures 5 to 9 There is one second flow-limiting rib 35 , which correspondingly forms two first sub-flow channels 321 , and there are two third flow-limiting ribs 36 , which correspondingly form three second sub-flow channels 331 .

[0056] Optionally, by translating up and down (such as Figure 5 By adjusting the position of each second flow-limiting rib 35 (in the Z-axis direction shown), the coolant flow rate of each first sub-channel 321 can be adjusted, and the depth of the rear end of the second flow-limiting rib 35 is adjusted, that is, the length of the second flow-limiting rib 35 along the first direction (as shown in FIG. Figure 5 The length of the second flow-limiting rib 35 along the X-axis direction as shown in the figure) can adjust the flow rate of the coolant in each first sub-channel 321. Figure 5 By adjusting the position of each third flow-limiting rib 36 (in the Z-axis direction shown), the coolant flow rate of each second sub-channel 331 can be adjusted, and by adjusting the milling depth of the rear end of the third flow-limiting rib 36, that is, the length of the third flow-limiting rib 36 along the first direction (as shown in FIG. Figure 5 The length of the third flow-limiting rib 36 along the X-axis direction can adjust the coolant flow rate of each second sub-channel 331.

[0057] Reference Figure 10 In one embodiment, the vertical cooling member 31 further includes a first reinforcing rib 37 and a second reinforcing rib 38, and the first reinforcing rib 37 and the second reinforcing rib 38 are both arranged on the inner wall of the vertical cooling member 31 along the first direction, the first reinforcing rib 37 is located in the first sub-channel 321 and extends from the inner wall of the vertical cooling member 31 to the center of the first sub-channel 321, and the second reinforcing rib 38 is located in the second sub-channel 331 and extends from the inner wall of the vertical cooling member 31 to the center of the second sub-channel 331.

[0058] In this embodiment, for each first sub-channel 321, the inner wall of the vertical cooling member 31 is provided with a first reinforcing rib 37. The first reinforcing rib 37 is arranged on the inner wall of the vertical cooling member 31 along the first direction (such as Figure 4 the X-axis direction shown), and extends from the inner wall of the vertical cooling member 31 towards the center of the first sub-channel 321 (such as Figure 4 the Y-axis direction shown), so that each first sub-channel 321 forms a special-shaped cavity. In one embodiment, the directions and distances of the first reinforcing ribs 37 of each first sub-channel 321 extending towards the center of the first sub-channel 321 are the same, so that the cross-sectional shapes of each first sub-channel 321 are the same. In another embodiment, the directions and / or distances of the first reinforcing ribs 37 of each first sub-channel 321 extending towards the center of the first sub-channel 321 are different, so that the cross-sectional shapes of each first sub-channel 321 are different.

[0059] Compared with the equal-spacing inner cavity and the cross-sectional structure of the square-shaped cavity in the prior art, in the case of the same flow rate, the structure of this embodiment can increase the overall heat exchange area between the coolant and the vertical cooling member 31; at the same time, since the first reinforcing rib 37 extends from the inner wall of the vertical cooling member 31 towards the center of the first sub-channel 321, the volume inside the first sub-channel 321 is reduced, the fluid velocity of the first sub-channel 321 is increased, and the heat exchange effect of the first sub-channel 321 is enhanced.

[0060] For each second sub-channel 331, the inner wall of the vertical cooling member 31 is provided with a second reinforcing rib 38. The second reinforcing rib 38 is arranged on the inner wall of the vertical cooling member 31 along the first direction (such as Figure 4 the X-axis direction shown), and extends from the inner wall of the vertical cooling member 31 towards the center of the second sub-channel 331 (such as Figure 4 the Y-axis direction shown), so that each second sub-channel 331 forms a special-shaped cavity. In one embodiment, the directions and distances of the second reinforcing ribs 38 of each second sub-channel 331 extending towards the center of the second sub-channel 331 are the same, so that the cross-sectional shapes of each second sub-channel 331 are the same. In another embodiment, the directions and / or distances of the second reinforcing ribs 38 of each second sub-channel 331 extending towards the center of the second sub-channel 331 are different, so that the cross-sectional shapes of each second sub-channel 331 are different.

[0061] Compared with the equal-spacing inner cavity and the cross-sectional structure of the square-shaped cavity in the prior art, in the case of the same flow rate, the structure of this embodiment can increase the overall heat exchange area between the coolant and the vertical cooling member 31; at the same time, since the second reinforcing rib 38 extends from the inner wall of the vertical cooling member 31 towards the center of the second sub-channel 331, the volume inside the second sub-channel 331 is reduced, the fluid velocity of the second sub-channel 331 is increased, and the heat exchange effect of the second sub-channel 331 is enhanced.

[0062] Reference Figure 10 Figure 10 , in one embodiment, the number of the first reinforcing ribs 37 is plural, and / or the number of the second reinforcing ribs 38 is plural.

[0063] In this embodiment, the number of the first reinforcing ribs 37 and the number of the second reinforcing ribs 38 may be the same or different. When the number of the first reinforcing ribs 37 is plural, it can not only increase the overall heat exchange area between the coolant and the vertical cooling member 31, but also increase the fluid flow rate in the first sub-channel 321, thereby enhancing the heat exchange effect of the first sub-channel 321. When the number of the second reinforcing ribs 38 is plural, it can not only increase the overall heat exchange area between the coolant and the vertical cooling member 31, but also increase the fluid flow rate in the second sub-channel 331, thereby enhancing the heat exchange effect of the second sub-channel 331.

[0064] Reference Figure 10 Figure 10 , in one embodiment, the cross-section of each of the first sub-channels 321 and the cross-section of each of the second sub-channels 331 are both special-shaped tooth-like structures.

[0065] In this embodiment, the cross-section of each of the first sub-channels 321 and the cross-section of each of the second sub-channels 331 are both special-shaped tooth-like structures. Compared with the equal-spacing inner cavity and the mouth-shaped cavity cross-section structure in the prior art, this structure can improve the overall heat exchange effect between the coolant and the vertical cooling member 31 under the same flow rate.

[0066] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 Figure 2 , an embodiment of the present utility model provides a battery pack 100, the battery pack 100 includes a battery cell module 6 and the thermal management device 200 in any of the above embodiments, and the vertical cooling member 31 of the thermal management device 200 is attached to the side surface of the battery cell module 6.

[0067] In this embodiment, the battery cell module 6 may be a battery cell stack stacked up and down along the thickness direction of the battery cell (such as Figure 1 ), or may be a battery cell stack stacked left and right along the width direction of the battery cell. The side surface of the battery cell module 6 is attached with a vertical cooling member 31, and the coolant flows in each vertical cooling member 31 to realize heating and cooling of the battery cell module 6. Among them, the battery cell module 6 may be attached with a vertical cooling member 31 on a single side surface, or may be attached with vertical cooling members 31 on multiple side surfaces. For example, the battery cell module 6 is attached with vertical cooling members 31 on two opposite side surfaces, that is, the battery cell module 6 is placed between two vertical cooling members 31. Specifically, only one battery cell module 6 may be provided between two vertical cooling members 31, and multiple battery cell modules 6 may be provided between two vertical cooling members 31, such as 2 battery cell modules 6 (such as Figure 1 ).

[0068] For the battery pack 100 of the present utility model, both the liquid inlet 41 and the liquid outlet 42 of the vertical cooling member 31 are provided at its first end 31a. The liquid inlet chamber 32 is communicated with the liquid inlet 41. The liquid outlet chamber 33 is communicated with the liquid inlet chamber 32 at the second end 31b of the vertical cooling member 31 and is communicated with the liquid outlet 42 at the first end 31a, forming an overall U-shaped reflux structure. In addition, by arranging the liquid inlet 41 of the vertical cooling member 31 below the liquid outlet 42, the problem of air entrapment in the liquid cooling plate caused by liquid injection in the prior art is improved. Furthermore, the total cross-sectional area of the liquid outlet chamber 33 is designed to be larger than the total cross-sectional area of the liquid inlet chamber 32, increasing the convective heat transfer coefficient and the heat transfer amount on the reflux side of the vertical cooling member 31, improving the heat transfer performance on the reflux side, reducing the temperature difference between the inlet side and the outlet side of the vertical cooling member 31, and thus improving the temperature uniformity of the whole package.

[0069] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present utility model, and do not limit the patent scope of the present utility model accordingly. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made by using the content of the specification and drawings of the present utility model, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, shall be similarly included in the patent protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A vertical cooling member, characterized in that, The vertical cooling member includes a first end and a second end opposite to each other in a first direction. The first end is provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet. The liquid inlet is located below the liquid outlet. An inlet liquid chamber and an outlet liquid chamber are defined in the vertical cooling member. The inlet liquid chamber communicates with the liquid inlet. The outlet liquid chamber communicates with the inlet liquid chamber at the second end and communicates with the liquid outlet at the first end. The total cross-sectional area of the inner cavity of the outlet liquid chamber is larger than the total cross-sectional area of the inner cavity of the inlet liquid chamber.

2. The vertical cooling member according to claim 1, characterized in that, It includes a first current-limiting rib arranged along the first direction. The first current-limiting rib includes a third end and a fourth end opposite to each other in the first direction. The third end is connected to the first end, and the fourth end is spaced from the second end to divide the interior of the vertical cooling member into the inlet liquid chamber and the outlet liquid chamber and enable the outlet liquid chamber to communicate with the inlet liquid chamber at the second end.

3. The vertical cooling member according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inlet liquid chamber includes a plurality of first sub-channels, and the outlet liquid chamber includes a plurality of second sub-channels. The number of the second sub-channels is greater than the number of the first sub-channels, and the total cross-sectional area of the inner cavities of the plurality of second sub-channels is larger than the total cross-sectional area of the inner cavities of the plurality of first sub-channels.

4. The vertical cooling member according to claim 3, wherein It further includes a second current-limiting rib and a third current-limiting rib. The second current-limiting rib is arranged inside the inlet liquid chamber along the first direction and is used for dividing the inlet liquid chamber into a plurality of the first sub-channels. The third current-limiting rib is arranged inside the outlet liquid chamber along the first direction and is used for dividing the outlet liquid chamber into a plurality of the second sub-channels.

5. The vertical cooling member according to claim 3, characterized in that, It further includes a first reinforcing rib and a second reinforcing rib. Both the first reinforcing rib and the second reinforcing rib are arranged on the inner wall of the vertical cooling member along the first direction. The first reinforcing rib is located inside the first sub-channel and extends from the inner wall of the vertical cooling member towards the center of the first sub-channel. The second reinforcing rib is located inside the second sub-channel and extends from the inner wall of the vertical cooling member towards the center of the second sub-channel.

6. The vertical cooling member according to claim 5, wherein The number of the first reinforcing ribs is multiple, and the number of the second reinforcing ribs is multiple. The cross-section of each first sub-channel and the cross-section of each second sub-channel are both in the shape of a special-shaped tooth structure.

7. The vertical cooling member according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The top of the liquid outlet is flush with the top of the outlet liquid chamber.

8. A thermal management device, characterized in that, It includes an inlet pipe assembly, an outlet pipe assembly, and the vertical cooling member according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The inlet pipe assembly is connected to the liquid inlet of the vertical cooling member, and the outlet pipe assembly is connected to the liquid outlet of the vertical cooling member.

9. The thermal management device according to claim 8, wherein A first plug is provided at the first end of the vertical cooling member, and a second plug is provided at the second end of the vertical cooling member. The liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are both provided on the first plug; The inlet pipe assembly includes an inlet connecting pipe and a first three-way connecting head. The inlet connecting pipe is connected to the liquid inlet of the first plug through the first three-way connecting head; The outlet pipe assembly includes an outlet connecting pipe and a second three-way connecting head. The outlet connecting pipe is connected to the liquid outlet of the first plug through the second three-way connecting head.

10. A battery pack, characterized in that, It includes a battery cell module and the thermal management device according to any one of claims 8 to 9, and the vertical cooling member of the thermal management device is attached to the side surface of the battery cell module.

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