Battery cell cooling structure and battery pack

Abstract

The utility model provides a battery cell cooling structure and a battery pack. The battery cell cooling structure comprises a plurality of liquid cooling plates which extend transversely and are arranged at intervals along the longitudinal direction, battery cells are clamped between the liquid cooling plates, and two connecting pipes are arranged on each liquid cooling plate; the two connecting pipes are communicated with a flow channel in the liquid cooling plate, and the two connecting pipes are respectively arranged at two transverse ends of the liquid cooling plate; and the connecting pipes on the two adjacent liquid cooling plates can be mutually inserted, so that the liquid cooling plates are connected in parallel. According to the battery cell cooling structure disclosed by the utility model, the plurality of liquid cooling plates are arranged, and the liquid cooling plates are connected through the connecting pipes in an inserting manner, so that compared with the prior art, the mounting of the liquid cooling plates is facilitated. And meanwhile, the number of the liquid cooling plates can be adjusted according to the number of the battery cells, so that relatively good universality is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of power batteries, and in particular to a battery core cooling structure. The utility model also relates to a battery pack provided with the battery core cooling structure. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of electric vehicles and energy storage systems, demands on battery pack performance are increasing, particularly regarding safety, cycle life, and rapid charge and discharge capabilities. In these applications, battery cells, as core components of energy storage, are particularly important for temperature management. Excessively high operating temperatures not only lead to reduced battery performance and cycle life but can also trigger safety issues such as thermal runaway. Therefore, designing efficient and reliable cell cooling structures has become a hot topic in current battery pack technology research.

[0003] Currently, the cells in a battery pack are usually arranged in rows and columns. This tight arrangement can easily lead to excessive cell temperatures. The prior art typically uses multiple liquid cooling plates, each placed between two adjacent rows of cells, so that both opposite sides of any cell can be cooled by the liquid cooling plate. However, existing liquid cooling plates are generally connected by welding connecting pipes.

[0004] The large number of liquid cooling plates requires high welding technology, making their installation and connection inconvenient. Furthermore, the plates are welded together, making them difficult to disassemble. Consequently, the cooling structure constructed with welded plates is only suitable for cooling a specific number of battery cells and cannot be adjusted to the number of cells, resulting in poor versatility. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of this, the present invention aims to provide a battery core cooling structure that can be easily installed and the number of liquid cooling plates can be adjusted according to the number of battery cells, thereby having good versatility.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical solution of the utility model is achieved as follows:

[0007] A battery cell cooling structure comprises a plurality of liquid cooling plates extending transversely and arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction; battery cells are sandwiched between the liquid cooling plates, and two connecting pipes are provided on each liquid cooling plate; the two connecting pipes are connected to the flow channel inside the liquid cooling plate, and the two connecting pipes are respectively arranged at the two transverse ends of the liquid cooling plate; the connecting pipes on two adjacent liquid cooling plates can be plugged into each other to connect the liquid cooling plates in parallel.

[0008] Furthermore, the connecting pipe includes a female connector and a male connector inserted into the female connector; the male connector and the female connector are arranged on opposite sides of the liquid cooling plate.

[0009] Furthermore, a sealing structure is provided between the male connector and the female connector, and the sealing structure includes at least one sealing ring sleeved on the male connector.

[0010] Furthermore, one end of the male connector provided with a sealing structure can slide in a sealed manner within the female connector to change the distance between two adjacent liquid cooling plates.

[0011] Furthermore, the liquid cooling plate comprises a plurality of parallel flat aluminum tubes and two connecting plates connected to both sides of each of the aluminum tubes; each connecting plate has a flow channel formed therein that communicates with each of the aluminum tubes, and the connecting tubes are mounted on the connecting plates. Furthermore, thermally conductive adhesive is filled between the battery cell and the liquid cooling plate.

[0012] Furthermore, a plurality of insulation strips extending in the height direction are provided on one side of the liquid cooling plate facing the battery core; the insulation strips are respectively attached to the middle and both ends of the liquid cooling plate, and the thermal conductive glue is filled between two adjacent insulation strips.

[0013] Furthermore, a side surface of the two outermost liquid cooling plates away from the battery core is covered with a thermal insulation layer.

[0014] Furthermore, a plurality of the battery cells are provided between two adjacent liquid cooling plates, and the battery cells are arranged in a transverse direction.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0016] The battery cell cooling structure of this invention utilizes multiple liquid cooling plates, each connected via connecting pipes. This facilitates installation compared to existing technologies. Furthermore, the number of liquid cooling plates can be adjusted based on the number of battery cells, providing excellent versatility.

[0017] Furthermore, the connecting tubes include interlocking female and male connectors, which enhance the connection between adjacent liquid cooling plates and prevent refrigerant leakage. A sealing structure is provided between the male and female connectors, sealing the gap between them and improving the seal between them. Furthermore, the male connector can slide sealed within the female connector, allowing the spacing between the liquid cooling plates to be adjusted according to the size of the battery cells to be cooled, further enhancing versatility.

[0018] In addition, the liquid cooling plate includes multiple parallel flat aluminum tubes. Its structure is simple and easy to produce, while the production cost is low. It also has good structural strength, which can prevent the liquid cooling plate from being squeezed and deformed by the battery cells. Thermally conductive glue is filled between the battery cells and the liquid cooling plate to improve the heat transfer effect between the liquid cooling plate and the battery cells. In addition, multiple insulation strips are provided on the side of the liquid cooling plate, and thermally conductive glue is filled between two adjacent insulation strips to prevent the thermally conductive glue from overflowing from between the battery cells and the liquid cooling plate.

[0019] Furthermore, the outermost two liquid cooling plates, facing away from the battery cells, are covered with an insulation layer. This layer isolates the cold plates from the air inside the battery pack, reducing heat exchange between the cold plates and the air, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the cold plates. Furthermore, multiple horizontally arranged battery cells are placed between adjacent cold plates, increasing the cooling capacity of the cold plates.

[0020] Another object of the present invention is to provide a battery pack, in which the battery pack is provided with the battery cell cooling structure as described above.

[0021] The battery pack and / or battery core cooling structure described in the present invention have the same technical effects as those of the prior art and will not be described in detail here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The accompanying drawings, which constitute part of the present invention, are intended to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are intended to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings:

[0023] Figure 1 This is an overall schematic diagram of the battery core cooling structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of the liquid cooling plate according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the combination of the male connector and the female connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the partial structure of the battery core cooling structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention from a top view;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of the battery cell cooling structure in the battery pack housing according to the first embodiment of the present utility model;

[0028] Figure 6 This is an exploded view of the battery cell cooling structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention in the battery pack housing;

[0029] Description of reference numerals:

[0030] 1. Liquid cooling plate; 101. Aluminum tube; 102. Connecting plate;

[0031] 2. Battery cells;

[0032] 3. Female connector;

[0033] 4. Male connector; 401. Sealing ring;

[0034] 5. Thermal conductive adhesive;

[0035] 6. Insulation strips;

[0036] 7. Insulation layer;

[0037] 8. Shell. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present invention and the features therein can be combined with each other.

[0039] In the following description, specific details such as specific system structures and techniques are provided for purposes of illustration rather than limitation to facilitate a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present application. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present application may be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other cases, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, devices, circuits, and methods are omitted to avoid obscuring the description of the present application with unnecessary detail.

[0040] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that if terms such as "upper," "lower," "inner," and "outer" appear to indicate orientation or positional relationships, these are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are intended solely to facilitate the description of this utility model and simplify the description. They do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model. Furthermore, if terms such as "first" and "second" appear, they are used solely for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0041] Furthermore, in the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly defined, the terms "mounted," "connected," "connection," and "connector" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed, removable, or integral connections; mechanical or electrical connections; direct or indirect connections through an intermediary; and internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this utility model based on specific circumstances.

[0042] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with embodiments.

[0043] Example 1

[0044] This embodiment relates to a battery core cooling structure for cooling the battery core 2 in the battery pack housing 8. In terms of overall structure, Figure 1 、 Figure 2 As shown, the battery core cooling structure of this embodiment includes a plurality of liquid cooling plates 1 extending laterally and arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction.

[0045] Among them, such as Figure 5 、 Figure 6 As shown, battery cells 2 are sandwiched between each liquid cooling plate 1, and each liquid cooling plate 1 is equipped with two connecting pipes. These two connecting pipes communicate with the flow channel inside the liquid cooling plate 1 and are located at the two horizontal ends of the liquid cooling plate 1. The connecting pipes on two adjacent liquid cooling plates 1 can be plugged into each other to connect the liquid cooling plates 1 in parallel.

[0046] As described above, by providing multiple liquid cooling plates 1 and connecting them via connecting pipes, the installation of the liquid cooling plates 1 is facilitated compared to the prior art. Furthermore, the number of liquid cooling plates 1 can be adjusted according to the number of battery cells 2, providing good versatility.

[0047] Based on the above overall introduction, specifically, each liquid cooling plate 1 of this embodiment is connected to an external refrigerant circulation pipeline, and the connecting pipe on the outermost liquid cooling plate 1 is connected to the refrigerant circulation pipeline.

[0048] like Figure 2 、 Figure 3 As shown, the connecting pipe of this embodiment includes a female connector 3 and a male connector 4 inserted into the female connector 3. The male connector 4 and the female connector 3 are arranged on opposite sides of the liquid cooling plate 1. By inserting the male connector 4 into the female connector 3, the connection effect between adjacent liquid cooling plates 1 can be improved to avoid refrigerant leakage.

[0049] Specifically, in this embodiment, a sealing structure is provided between the male connector 4 and the female connector 3. The sealing structure includes at least one sealing ring 401 that is sleeved onto the male connector 4. The provision of sealing ring 401 can seal the gap between the male connector 4 and the female connector 3, thereby improving the sealing between the male connector 4 and the female connector 3. In practice, to further improve the sealing, two density rings are provided in this embodiment.

[0050] In this embodiment, by inter-plugging multiple liquid cooling plates 1, the number of liquid cooling plates 1 in the battery cell cooling structure of this embodiment can be changed to change the number of battery cells 2 cooled. However, the spacing between two adjacent liquid cooling plates 1 is fixed, and it can only be applied to battery cells 2 of a specific specification. Therefore, in order to further improve the versatility of the battery cell cooling structure of this embodiment, the male connector 4 of this embodiment is provided with one end of a sealing structure that can be sealed and slid in the female connector 3 to change the spacing between two adjacent liquid cooling plates 1. By sliding the male connector 4 in the female connector 3, the spacing of the liquid cooling plates 1 can be changed according to the size of the battery cell 2 to be cooled, thereby further improving the versatility of the battery cell 2 cooling device of this embodiment.

[0051] In this embodiment, if Figure 2 As shown, the liquid cooling plate 1 includes a plurality of parallel flat aluminum tubes 101 and two connecting plates 102 connected on both sides of each aluminum tube 101. Each connecting plate 102 has a flow channel formed therein that communicates with each aluminum tube 101, and the connecting tubes 101 are provided on the connecting plates 102. It will be appreciated that by connecting the flat aluminum tubes 101 to form the liquid cooling plate 1, its structure is simple and easy to produce, while also having low production costs and good structural strength, which can prevent the liquid cooling plate 1 from being squeezed and deformed by the battery cells 2. In specific implementation, the liquid cooling plate 1 of this embodiment includes three straight aluminum tubes 101.

[0052] In order to improve the cooling effect of the liquid cooling plate 1 on the battery cell 2, Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, a thermal conductive adhesive 5 is filled between the battery cell 2 and the liquid cooling plate 1. The provision of the thermal conductive adhesive 5 can improve the heat transfer effect between the liquid cooling plate 1 and the battery cell 2, thereby improving the cooling effect on the battery cell 2.

[0053] In addition, the thermal conductive adhesive 5 has a certain degree of compressibility, which is convenient for absorbing the gap caused by the expansion and contraction of the battery cell 2, and at the same time forms a buffer between the battery cell 2 and the liquid cooling plate 1, preventing the battery cell 2 from vibrating and hitting the liquid cooling plate 1, thereby preventing the liquid cooling plate 1 or the battery cell 2 from being damaged.

[0054] In order to prevent the thermal adhesive 5 from overflowing, a plurality of insulation strips 6 extending in the height direction are provided on the side of the liquid cooling plate 1 facing the battery cell 2 in this embodiment. The insulation strips 6 are respectively attached to the middle and both ends of the liquid cooling plate 1, and the thermal adhesive 5 is filled between two adjacent insulation strips 6. The provision of the insulation strips can block the thermal adhesive 5 and prevent it from overflowing, thereby affecting the cooling effect on the battery cell 2. At the same time, the provision of the insulation strips 6 can reduce the heat exchange between the liquid cooling plate 1 and the air in the battery pack to a certain extent, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the liquid cooling plate 1.

[0055] On this basis, in order to further reduce the heat exchange between the liquid cooling plate 1 and the air in the battery pack, thereby improving the cooling efficiency, in this embodiment, the two outermost liquid cooling plates 1 are covered with an insulation layer 7 on one side away from the battery cell 2. It can be understood that one side of the two outermost liquid cooling plates 1 is not in contact with the battery cell 2 and is exposed to the air in the battery pack. Therefore, by covering the insulation layer 7, the liquid cooling plate 1 and the air in the battery pack can be blocked, reducing the heat exchange between the liquid cooling plate 1 and the air, thereby further improving the cooling efficiency of the liquid cooling plate 1 to a certain extent. In a specific implementation, the insulation strip 6 and the insulation layer 7 of this embodiment can be made of conventional insulation materials well known to those skilled in the art, such as insulation cotton, aerogel, etc., which have a good insulation effect.

[0056] In this embodiment, a plurality of battery cells 2 are provided between two adjacent liquid cooling plates 1, and the battery cells 2 are arranged in a horizontal direction, so that the two adjacent liquid cooling plates 1 can cool a greater number of battery cells 2 at the same time, thereby increasing the capacity of the battery pack while ensuring the cooling of the battery cells 2.

[0057] In summary, the battery cell cooling structure of this embodiment, by providing multiple liquid cooling plates 1 and connecting them via connecting pipes, facilitates installation of the liquid cooling plates 1 compared to the prior art. Furthermore, the number of liquid cooling plates 1 can be adjusted based on the number of battery cells 2, providing good versatility.

[0058] Example 2

[0059] This embodiment relates to a battery pack. In terms of overall structure, the battery pack is provided with a cell cooling structure as described in the first embodiment.

[0060] The battery pack of this embodiment ensures the cooling effect of the battery cells 2 in the battery pack through the arrangement of the battery cell cooling structure, facilitates the assembly operation of the liquid cooling plate 1, and is beneficial to the production and use of the battery pack.

[0061] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery core cooling structure, characterized in that: It includes a plurality of liquid cooling plates extending laterally and arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction; A battery cell is sandwiched between each of the liquid cooling plates, and each of the liquid cooling plates is provided with two connecting pipes; The two connecting pipes are in communication with the flow channel inside the liquid cooling plate, and the two connecting pipes are respectively arranged at two ends of the liquid cooling plate in a horizontal direction; The connecting pipes on two adjacent liquid cooling plates can be plugged into each other to connect the liquid cooling plates in parallel.

2. The battery core cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting pipe includes a female connector and a male connector inserted into the female connector; The male connector and the female connector are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the liquid cooling plate.

3. The battery core cooling structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: A sealing structure is provided between the male connector and the female connector, and the sealing structure includes at least one sealing ring sleeved on the male connector.

4. The battery core cooling structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: One end of the male connector provided with a sealing structure can slide in a sealed manner within the female connector to change the distance between two adjacent liquid cooling plates.

5. The battery core cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid cooling plate comprises a plurality of parallel flat aluminum tubes and two connecting plates connected to both sides of each of the aluminum tubes; A flow channel communicating with each of the aluminum tubes is formed in each of the connecting plates, and the connecting tubes are arranged on the connecting plates.

6. The battery core cooling structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: Thermal conductive glue is filled between the battery core and the liquid cooling plate.

7. The battery core cooling structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: A plurality of insulation strips extending in the height direction are provided on one side of the liquid cooling plate facing the battery core; The insulation strips are respectively attached to the middle and two transverse ends of the liquid cooling plate, and the thermal conductive adhesive is filled between two adjacent insulation strips.

8. The battery core cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein: The two outermost liquid cooling plates are covered with a thermal insulation layer on one side away from the battery core.

9. The battery core cooling structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: A plurality of battery cells are provided between two adjacent liquid cooling plates, and the battery cells are arranged in a transverse direction.

10. A battery pack, characterized in that: The battery pack is provided with the battery cell cooling structure according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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