Cooling plate and battery pack

Abstract

The utility model discloses a cooling plate and a battery pack, the cooling plate comprises a cooling plate body and a cooling flow channel arranged in the cooling plate body, the cooling plate body is provided with a water inlet and a water outlet, the cooling flow channel comprises a middle flow channel and two main flow channels, and the two main flow channels are sequentially arranged in the first direction of the cooling plate body; the middle flow channel is located between the two main flow channels and communicates with the water inlet, and the ends, close to each other, of the two main flow channels communicate with the middle flow channel. When the battery module in the battery pack is cooled, cooling liquid can flow into the middle flow channel as soon as possible to exchange heat with a battery cell in the middle of the battery module, so that the position with the highest temperature in the battery pack can be subjected to preferential heat exchange, the condition of heat accumulation in the middle of the battery pack is avoided, and then the cooling liquid gradually flows towards the two ends of the battery module; the problem that the temperature of the battery cells on the two sides is low due to end plates on the two sides of the module is solved, the temperature difference in the battery pack is reduced, the discharging balance of the battery is improved, and the service life of the battery is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of battery packs, and more particularly to a cooling plate and a battery pack. Background Art

[0002] A battery pack usually includes end plates, battery modules and water-cooling plates. A circulating water channel is set in the water-cooling plate. The battery modules are supported on the water-cooling plate. The water-cooling plate is attached to the battery modules, exchanges heat with the battery modules, and cools the battery modules.

[0003] The circulating water channel on the existing water cooling plate 100 is as follows Figure 1 As shown, a water inlet and outlet are provided on one side of the water-cooling plate 100. A circulating water path extends from the water inlet toward the end of the water-cooling plate away from the water inlet, and then connects to the water outlet at the end away from the water inlet. When using this type of water-cooling plate to cool the battery module, as the coolant flows toward the side away from the water inlet, the cooling effect on the battery module increases. The closer to the water inlet, the better the cooling effect, and the further away from the water inlet, the worse the cooling effect.

[0004] However, the cells at the two ends of the battery module are close to the end plates, and the end plates of the battery module are made of metal and are exposed. Therefore, the end plates can also cool the cells close to the end plates. The cells in the middle of the battery module are far away from the end plates and cannot exchange heat through the end plates, which will concentrate heat. This also makes the temperature of the cells in the middle of the battery module much higher than the temperature of the cells close to the end plates, resulting in a large temperature difference within the battery module, which will lead to uneven discharge capacity of the battery and reduce battery life. Even if the battery module is supported on a water-cooled plate, the cooling path of the water-cooled plate is from one end of the battery module to the other end of the battery module. Along the cooling path, the temperature of the cooling water gradually increases, and the end plates at both ends of the battery module have a cooling effect, which will cause the overall cooling of the battery module to be uneven, with the temperature of the cells in the middle of the battery module being the highest and the temperature of the cells at both ends of the battery module being the lowest. Utility Model Content

[0005] In order to solve one of the above technical defects, a cooling plate is provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0006] The first purpose of this application is to provide a technical solution:

[0007] A plate cooling plate comprises: a cooling plate body and a cooling flow channel arranged in the cooling plate body, a water inlet and a water outlet being arranged on the cooling plate body, the cooling flow channel comprising an intermediate flow channel and two main flow channels, the two main flow channels being arranged in sequence along the first direction of the cooling plate body, the intermediate flow channel being located between the two main flow channels, the intermediate flow channel being connected to the water inlet, the ends of the two main flow channels being close to each other being connected to the intermediate flow channel, and the ends of the two main flow channels being far away from each other being connected to the water outlets respectively.

[0008] Optionally, the water inlet is arranged at one end of the cooling plate body along the first direction, and the cooling channel includes a water inlet channel, which extends along the first direction, one end of the water inlet channel is connected to the water inlet, and the other end is connected to the intermediate channel.

[0009] Optionally, the water inlet channel is located at one end of the cooling plate body along the second direction, and the water inlet channel extends along the edge of the cooling plate body.

[0010] Optionally, the intermediate flow channel extends along the second direction, and the width of the water inlet flow channel gradually increases in the direction from the water inlet to the intermediate flow channel.

[0011] Optionally, the water inlet channel has a first width side and a second width side, the first width side extends along the first direction and along the edge of the cooling plate body, and the second width side forms an angle with the first width side.

[0012] Optionally, the main channel extends back and forth multiple times along the second direction, and at least part of the channel section of the main channel includes a plurality of branch channels connected in parallel.

[0013] Optionally, the water inlet and the water outlet are both located at one end of the cooling plate along the first direction, and the water inlet and the water outlet are respectively arranged on both sides of the cooling plate body along the second direction.

[0014] Optionally, the cooling channel includes a transition channel, which is located at one end of the cooling plate body along the second direction, and extends along the first direction. One end of the transition channel is connected to the water outlet, and the other end is connected to the main channel away from the water outlet.

[0015] Optionally, the ends of the two main channels that are away from each other each have an edge channel located at the edge of the cooling plate body and extending along the second direction of the cooling plate body.

[0016] A second object of the present application is to provide a battery, comprising:

[0017] The cooling plate mentioned above;

[0018] A battery module is arranged on the cooling plate.

[0019] By adopting the above technical solution, this application has the following beneficial effects:

[0020] When the cooling plate of the present application cools the battery module in the battery pack, the coolant can flow into the middle flow channel as early as possible, so that it can exchange heat with the battery cells in the middle of the battery module. Then the coolant gradually flows toward the two ends of the battery module, thereby ensuring that the position with the highest temperature in the battery pack can obtain priority heat exchange, and heat accumulation will not occur in the middle of the battery pack, thereby reducing the temperature difference in the battery pack, improving the battery discharge balance, and extending the battery life.

[0021] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The accompanying drawings are part of this application and are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The illustrative embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention but do not constitute an undue limitation of the present invention. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without inventive work. In the drawings:

[0023] Figure 1 Shows a schematic structural diagram of an existing water-cooling plate;

[0024] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the flow channel structure of a cooling plate provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0025] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a coolant flow path in a flow channel of a cooling plate provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0026] Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram of a battery pack provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0027] In the figure: cooling plate body 1, cooling channel 2, water inlet channel 21, first width edge 211, second width edge 212, middle channel 22, main channel 23, diversion channel 231, edge channel 232, crossing channel 24, water inlet 3, water outlet 4, first direction 5, second direction 6, battery cell 7, end plate 8, water cooling plate 100.

[0028] It should be noted that these drawings and textual descriptions are not intended to limit the conceptual scope of the present invention in any way, but rather to illustrate the concept of the present invention for those skilled in the art by referring to specific embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. The following embodiments are used to illustrate the present invention but are not used to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0030] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "inside", "outside", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limitations on the present invention.

[0031] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "mounted" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; mechanical connections, electrical connections; and direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediary. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0032] Example 1

[0033] See also Figures 1 to 3 As shown, an embodiment of the present application provides a cooling plate, including a cooling plate body 1 and a cooling channel 2 arranged in the cooling plate body 1, a water inlet 3 and a water outlet 4 are arranged on the cooling plate body 1, and the cooling channel 2 includes an intermediate channel 22 and two main channels 23, and the two main channels 23 are arranged in sequence along the first direction 5 of the cooling plate body 1, and the intermediate channel 22 is located between the two main channels 23, and the intermediate channel 22 is connected to the water inlet 3, and the ends of the two main channels 23 that are close to each other are connected to the intermediate channel 22, and the ends of the two main channels 23 that are far away from each other are respectively connected to the water outlet 4.

[0034] The water inlet 3 of the cooling plate of this embodiment is connected to the middle flow channel 22, which is located in the middle of the water-cooled plate. The coolant in the middle flow channel 22 can flow through the middle of the battery pack as soon as possible and then be divided into two main channels 23. The coolant in the main channels 23 flows from the middle of the water-cooled plate and then meanders gradually to the edge of the water-cooled plate for heat exchange. In this way, when the cooling plate of this application cools the battery module in the battery pack, the coolant starts to exchange heat from the middle and gradually flows to the battery cell 7 near the end plate 8 to cool it. This ensures that the position with the highest temperature in the battery module can obtain priority heat exchange, and heat accumulation will not occur in the middle of the battery module, thereby reducing the temperature difference in the battery pack, improving the discharge balance of the battery, and extending the service life of the battery.

[0035] In some possible embodiments, the water inlet 3 is disposed at one end of the cooling plate body 1 along the first direction 5. The cooling channel 2 includes a water inlet channel 21 extending along the first direction 5. One end of the water inlet channel 21 is connected to the water inlet 3, and the other end is connected to the intermediate channel 22. The water inlet 3 is disposed at one end of the cooling plate so as not to conflict with the battery cells 7 within the battery pack and to facilitate connection to an external water inlet pipe. Due to the location of the water inlet 3, a water inlet channel 21 is required to connect the water inlet 3 at the end with the intermediate channel 22 in the middle.

[0036] In some possible implementation schemes, the water inlet channel 21 is located at one end of the cooling plate body 1 along the second direction 6, and the water inlet channel 21 extends along the edge of the cooling plate body 1. The first direction 5 is perpendicular to the second direction 6. The water inlet 3 is located at one end along the first direction 5, and the water inlet 3 is close to the side of the end of the second direction 6. The water inlet channel 21 is located at one end of the cooling plate body 1 along the second direction 6 close to the water inlet 3. In this way, the water inlet channel 21 can ensure that the coolant is led from the water inlet 3 to the middle channel 22 within the shortest distance, and can prevent the coolant from undergoing excessive heat exchange in the water inlet channel 21, so that the heat exchange effect of the cooling plate on the middle part of the battery module is optimized.

[0037] In some possible implementation schemes, the intermediate flow channel 22 extends along the second direction 6, and the end plates 8 in the battery module are located at both ends along the first direction 5. When the end plates 8 exchange heat with the battery cells 7 at both ends along the first direction 5, the temperature difference of the battery pack in the first direction 5 is the largest. Therefore, the intermediate flow channel 22 is located in the middle of the first direction 5 and extends along the second direction 6, which is most effective in reducing the temperature difference between the battery cells 7 inside the battery pack.

[0038] Furthermore, the width of the water inlet channel 21 gradually increases as it extends from the water inlet 3 to the intermediate channel 22. This increases the amount of water entering the water inlet channel 21 from the water inlet 3 per unit time, reduces water inlet resistance, and ensures smooth water flow. Furthermore, the channel width decreases sharply as it extends from the water inlet channel 21 to the intermediate channel 22, increasing the coolant flow rate within the intermediate channel 22 and further enhancing the heat exchange effect on the battery cells 7 in the middle of the battery module.

[0039] In some possible embodiments, the water inlet channel 21 has a first width side 211 and a second width side 212. The first width side 211 extends along the first direction 5 and along the edge of the cooling plate body 1. The second width side 212 forms an angle with the first width side 211. A trapezoidal water inlet channel 21 is formed between the first width side 211 and the second width side 212, conforming to the edge of the cooling plate body 1. This reduces water inlet resistance and ensures smooth water flow.

[0040] In some possible implementations, the main channel 23 extends back and forth multiple times along the second direction 6, and at least a portion of the main channel 23 includes a plurality of parallel branch channels 231. The temperatures of the coolant in the parallel branch channels 231 are almost the same, further reducing the temperature difference between the battery cells 7.

[0041] In some possible embodiments, the water inlet 3 and the water outlet 4 are both located at one end of the cooling plate along the first direction 5, which facilitates connection to external water inlet and outlet pipes. The water inlet 3 and the water outlet 4 are located on either side of the cooling plate body along the second direction 6. In this way, the water inlet 3 and the water outlet 4 do not interfere with each other, making external connection to the water inlet and outlet pipes more convenient and facilitating the arrangement of internal water flow channels without intersecting each other.

[0042] In some possible embodiments, the cooling channel 2 includes a transition channel 24, which is located at one end of the cooling plate body along the second direction 6. The transition channel 24 extends along the first direction 5. One end of the transition channel 24 is connected to the water outlet 4, and the other end is connected to the main channel 23 away from the water outlet 4. The transition channel 24 extends along the edge of the cooling plate away from the water inlet channel 21. No temperature exchange occurs between the transition channel 24 and the water inlet channel 21, thereby ensuring the cooling effect of the coolant in the water inlet channel 21.

[0043] In some possible embodiments, the two main channels 23 each have an edge channel 232 at one end away from the other, located at the edge of the cooling plate body 1 and extending along the second direction 6 of the cooling plate body 1. Both edge channels 232 are connected to the water outlet 4 to guide the coolant after temperature exchange out of the cooling plate.

[0044] Example 2

[0045] See also Figures 1 to 4 As shown, a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present application includes: a cooling plate and a battery module as described in the first embodiment, wherein the battery module is arranged on the cooling plate.

[0046] The battery pack of this embodiment uses the cooling plate of embodiment 1. When the cooling plate cools the battery modules in the battery pack, the coolant starts to exchange heat from the middle of the battery module, and then gradually flows toward the two ends of the battery module, thereby ensuring that the position with the highest temperature in the battery pack can obtain priority heat exchange, and heat accumulation will not occur in the middle of the battery pack, thereby reducing the temperature difference in the battery pack, improving the battery discharge balance, and extending the battery life.

[0047] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not constitute any form of limitation to the present invention. Although the present invention has been disclosed as a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any technician familiar with this patent can make some changes or modifications to equivalent embodiments using the above-mentioned technical content without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention. However, any simple modifications, equivalent changes and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention are still within the scope of the solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cooling plate, characterized in that: include: A cooling plate body and a cooling channel arranged in the cooling plate body, a water inlet and a water outlet are arranged on the cooling plate body, the cooling channel includes an intermediate channel and two main channels, the two main channels are arranged in sequence along the first direction of the cooling plate body, the intermediate channel is located between the two main channels, the intermediate channel is connected to the water inlet, the ends of the two main channels that are close to each other are connected to the intermediate channel, and the ends of the two main channels that are far away from each other are respectively connected to the water outlet.

2. The cooling plate according to claim 1, wherein The water inlet is arranged at one end of the cooling plate body along the first direction, and the cooling channel includes a water inlet channel, which extends along the first direction. One end of the water inlet channel is connected to the water inlet, and the other end is connected to the middle channel.

3. The cooling plate according to claim 2, wherein The water inlet channel is located at one end of the cooling plate body along the second direction, and the water inlet channel extends along the edge of the cooling plate body.

4. The cooling plate according to claim 3, wherein The middle flow channel extends along the second direction, and the width of the water inlet flow channel gradually increases in the direction from the water inlet to the middle flow channel.

5. The cooling plate according to claim 4, characterized in that The water inlet channel has a first width side and a second width side, the first width side extends along the first direction and along the edge of the cooling plate body, and the second width side forms an angle with the first width side.

6. The cooling plate according to claim 1, wherein The main flow channel extends back and forth multiple times along the second direction, and at least a portion of the main flow channel includes a plurality of branch channels connected in parallel.

7. The cooling plate according to claim 1, wherein The water inlet and the water outlet are both located at one end of the cooling plate along the first direction, and the water inlet and the water outlet are respectively arranged on both sides of the cooling plate body along the second direction.

8. The cooling plate according to claim 7, wherein The cooling channel includes a transition channel, which is located at one end of the cooling plate body along the second direction. The transition channel extends along the first direction. One end of the transition channel is connected to the water outlet, and the other end is connected to the main channel away from the water outlet.

9. The cooling plate according to claim 1, wherein The ends of the two main channels that are away from each other each have an edge channel that is located at the edge of the cooling plate body and extends along the second direction of the cooling plate body.

10. A battery pack, characterized in that: include: The cooling plate according to any one of claims 1 to 9; A battery module is arranged on the cooling plate.

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