Battery module

Abstract

The utility model discloses a battery module which comprises a shell and a plurality of battery units, the plurality of battery units are arranged in the shell in an array manner and are provided with column gaps, a plurality of heat dissipation brackets and a second cooling medium for immersing the plurality of battery units are also arranged in the shell, and each heat dissipation bracket comprises a disturbance pump and a guide pipe; the guide pipes of the plurality of heat dissipation brackets are arranged above different column gaps, and each guide pipe is provided with a plurality of jet holes; the disturbance pump of each heat dissipation support pumps a second cooling medium into the guide pipe and enables the second cooling medium to be sprayed out through the spraying holes when the second cooling medium flows in the guide pipe. According to the utility model, the second cooling medium above the battery unit is disturbed through the heat dissipation bracket, so that the heat at the top of the battery unit is quickly conducted into the second cooling medium so as to be exchanged to the outside of the shell through the second cooling medium, the temperature difference between different areas of the battery unit is reduced, and the uniformity and the stability of battery temperature distribution are improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to battery energy storage technology field, concretely relates to a battery module. BACKGROUND

[0002] Battery energy storage technology has been widely concerned in recent years due to its advantages such as fast and accurate regulation. The working performance of the battery is closely related to the working temperature. The high or low temperature and the uniformity of the temperature distribution of the battery module will affect the working performance of the battery module. Therefore, in order to ensure the safe and reliable working of the battery module, it is necessary to carry out thermal management on the battery module. At present, the main ways of battery cooling are air cooling, liquid cooling, phase change material cooling and heat pipe cooling. Among them, the liquid cooling method has become a popular research direction due to its high cooling efficiency.

[0003] The liquid cooling method is mainly indirect cold plate cooling system. The cold plate cooling system in the prior art usually uses the cold plate to contact the bottom of the battery. Due to the anisotropy of the thermal conductivity coefficient of the battery itself, there is often a situation that the temperature of the bottom of the battery is low and the temperature of the top of the battery is high. Research shows that the existing technology has a general improvement effect on the uniformity of the battery temperature distribution. SUMMARY

[0004] The utility model aims at solving one of the technical problems in the related art to some extent. Therefore, the utility model provides a battery module which can make the battery temperature distribution more uniform and stable.

[0005] In order to achieve the above purpose, the utility model adopts the following technical scheme:

[0006] A battery module comprises a shell and a plurality of battery units. The plurality of battery units are arranged in an array in the shell and have column gaps. The shell further comprises a plurality of heat dissipation supports and a second cooling medium which immerses the plurality of battery units. Each heat dissipation support comprises a disturbance pump and a conduit. The conduits of the plurality of heat dissipation supports are arranged above different column gaps. Each conduit is provided with a plurality of injection holes. The disturbance pump of each heat dissipation support pumps the second cooling medium into the conduit and makes the second cooling medium flow in the conduit and be sprayed out through the injection holes. The second cooling medium above the battery units is disturbed by the heat dissipation support, so that the heat at the top of the battery unit is quickly conducted to the second cooling medium, and the heat is exchanged to the outside of the shell through the second cooling medium, so as to reduce the temperature difference between different regions of the battery unit and improve the uniformity and stability of the battery temperature distribution.

[0007] Optionally, the disturbance pump is arranged in the vertical direction in the housing, the inlet of the disturbance pump is arranged below the middle of the height of the battery cell, and the outlet of the disturbance pump is communicated with the conduit through an elbow. This ensures that the disturbance pump can extract the second cooling medium at the lower layer with lower temperature, and the second cooling medium at the upper layer is disturbed by the second cooling medium at the lower layer with lower temperature, thereby further accelerating the heat exchange between the battery tab and the second cooling medium at the upper layer.

[0008] Optionally, the conduit is provided with a first row of injection holes facing the same column of battery cells along the length direction, and the number of the first row of injection holes is equal to the number of the battery cells they face. By allocating an injection hole for each battery cell in the same column, the disturbance effect of the second cooling medium at the upper layer is enhanced.

[0009] Optionally, each injection hole in the first row of injection holes is located above the battery cell it faces, and the injection direction is aligned with the center of the battery cell. The disturbance effect of the second cooling medium at the upper layer is further enhanced.

[0010] Optionally, the conduit is provided with a second row of injection holes facing the same column of battery cells along the length direction, the second row of injection holes is located on the opposite side of the conduit sidewall from the first row of injection holes, and the second row of injection holes corresponds to the first row of injection holes one by one. By providing two rows of injection holes, one heat dissipation bracket can provide disturbance heat dissipation for two columns of battery cells.

[0011] Optionally, the plurality of battery cells are divided into a plurality of battery groups according to columns, each battery group includes two adjacent columns of battery cells, and the heat dissipation bracket is arranged in the column gap between the two columns of battery cells in each battery group. By dividing the battery groups, a smaller number of heat dissipation brackets can be provided to provide disturbance heat dissipation for each battery cell.

[0012] Optionally, the end of the conduit away from the disturbance pump is a closed end. By closing the port of the conduit, the injection pressure of the injection holes is increased to improve the disturbance effect.

[0013] Optionally, the conduit is made of a non-conductive material, and the distance between the conduit and the top of the plurality of battery cells in the vertical direction is greater than 10 mm. This prevents the vibration of the conduit from adversely affecting the top structure of the battery cells.

[0014] Optionally, the plurality of battery cells have row gaps therebetween, and the conduit is provided with one or more positioning rings, and the one or more positioning rings are clamped in the row gaps. Each heat dissipation bracket is stably and accurately installed in the housing by the positioning ring.

[0015] Optionally, the shell comprises a side plate located at the periphery, upper and lower sides of the side plate are connected with a top plate and a bottom plate respectively, the top plate is provided with a liquid injection port for injecting the second cooling medium into the shell, and an air exhaust port for exhausting air inside the shell during liquid injection. By providing the liquid injection port and the air exhaust port, the second cooling medium can be injected into the shell.

[0016] The features and advantages of the present application will be described in detail in the following detailed description and drawings. The best mode or means of the present application will be described in detail in conjunction with the drawings, but it is not a limitation of the technical scheme of the present application. In addition, these features, elements and components appearing in each of the following text and drawings are multiple, and different symbols or numbers are marked for convenience of representation, but all represent the same or similar structure or function parts. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] The present application will be further described in conjunction with the drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 A three-dimensional structure schematic diagram of a battery module provided for the embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 2 A top view of a battery module provided for the embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 3 A three-dimensional structure schematic diagram of a combined state of a heat dissipation support and a battery unit provided for the embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 4 A side view of a combined state of a heat dissipation support and a battery unit provided for the embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 5 A three-dimensional structure schematic diagram of a heat dissipation support provided for the embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Among them, 100-shell, 110-side plate, 200-battery unit, 300-side cold plate, 311-liquid inlet manifold, 312-liquid outlet manifold, 400-heat dissipation support, 410-disturbance pump, 411-inlet, 420-conduit, 421-jet hole, 430-elbow, 500-liquid inlet main pipe, 510-liquid inlet, 600-liquid outlet main pipe, 610-liquid outlet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described are intended to explain this utility model and should not be construed as limiting it.

[0025] The terms "an embodiment," "example," or "trademark" used in this specification refer to a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment itself that may be included in at least one embodiment disclosed in this utility model. The phrase "in an embodiment" appearing in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0026] Example:

[0027] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, this utility model embodiment provides a battery module that can store electrical energy and supply power to the outside. The battery module includes a housing 100 and a plurality of battery units 200, which are arranged in an array inside the housing 100 and have column gaps.

[0028] In some embodiments, the housing 100 includes side plates 110 located around its perimeter. A top plate and a bottom plate are respectively connected to the upper and lower sides of the side plates 110. The top plate is provided with an injection port for injecting a second cooling medium into the housing 100, and an exhaust port for venting air from inside the housing 100 during injection. The injection port on the top plate facilitates the injection operation, while the exhaust port on the top plate ensures that air inside the liquid-cooled battery pack is vented during liquid injection, ensuring a smooth injection operation.

[0029] In some applications, the side plate 110, bottom plate, and top plate are all single-unit structures. Sealing rings are provided at the connections between the side plate 110 and the top plate, and between the side plate and the bottom plate. The side plate 110 and the top plate, and the side plate 110 and the bottom plate, are all fixedly connected by threads. Sealing rings at the connections ensure an internal seal within the housing 100.

[0030] In other application scenarios, the side plate 110 and the bottom plate are set as an integral connection structure, and the side plate 110 and the top plate are connected by threads. A sealing ring is set at the connection between the side plate 110 and the top plate to reduce the use of connecting parts and increase the sealing performance of the housing 100, so as to prevent the leakage of the second cooling medium inside the housing 100.

[0031] In some embodiments, the battery module further includes multiple side cooling plates 300. Side cooling plates 300 are respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the battery cells 200 in the same row. Multiple liquid channels are arranged inside each side cooling plate 300. A first cooling medium is arranged in the multiple liquid channels and flows in the multiple liquid channels.

[0032] As shown in Figure 3 and Figure 4 The side cooling plate 300 is arranged in the column gap along the column direction of the battery cells 200. It is worth mentioning that in some embodiments, the array type battery cells 200 are arranged in the column direction, and the battery cells 200 in the same column are arranged as a battery string, and the battery cells 200 in the same battery string are connected to the same cable. Therefore, the side cooling plate 300 of the present embodiment is arranged in the column gap along the column direction of the battery cells 200. In other embodiments, the matrix type battery cells 200 can also be arranged in the row direction, and the battery cells 200 in the same row are arranged as a battery string, and the side cooling plate 300 should be arranged in the row gap along the row direction of the battery cells 200.

[0033] In some embodiments, each side cooling plate 300 is arranged in a flat structure, and the left and right sides of the side cooling plate 300 are arranged as flat surfaces, which are in contact with the side surfaces of the battery cells 200. By arranging the cross section of the side cooling plate 300 in a flat structure and in contact with the side surfaces of the battery cells 200, the connection between the side cooling plate 300 and the battery cells 200 is more closely, and the first cooling medium in the side cooling plate 300 can more quickly absorb the heat generated by the battery cells 200.

[0034] In some embodiments, a plurality of liquid channels are arranged in the vertical direction in the side cooling plate 300 and arranged in parallel with each other. By arranging a plurality of liquid channels in the vertical direction in the side cooling plate 300 and arranged in parallel with each other, the pipe wall of the side cooling plate 300 can be arranged thinner, the overall structure is more compact, and the heat conduction is facilitated.

[0035] In some embodiments, the battery module further comprises a liquid inlet main pipe 500 and a liquid outlet main pipe 600, and the two ends of the side cooling plate 300 are provided with a manifold, the manifold comprises a liquid inlet manifold 311 for the first cooling medium to flow into the plurality of liquid channels and a liquid outlet manifold 312 for the first cooling medium to flow out of the plurality of liquid channels, the bottom end of the liquid inlet manifold 311 is in communication with the side opening of the liquid inlet main pipe 500, and the top end of the liquid inlet manifold 311 is sealed; the top end of the liquid outlet manifold 312 is in communication with the side opening of the liquid outlet main pipe 600, and the bottom end of the liquid outlet manifold 312 is sealed. By arranging the liquid inlet main pipe 500 and the liquid outlet main pipe 600, the liquid inlet manifold 311 and the liquid outlet manifold 312 form a flow path for the first cooling medium, which facilitates the transmission of the first cooling medium.

[0036] In some embodiments, the inlet 510 of the liquid inlet manifold 500 and the outlet 610 of the liquid outlet manifold 600 extend from opposite ends of the housing 100. By allowing the inlet 510 and outlet 610 to extend from both ends of the housing 100, it is convenient to communicate with external refrigeration pipelines and also convenient to deploy liquid cooling pipelines inside the housing 100, saving internal space.

[0037] In some embodiments, the first cooling medium is a refrigerant from an external refrigeration pipeline. The external refrigeration pipeline includes a refrigerant control valve and a temperature sensor, among other structures. The inlet port 510 is connected to the refrigerant control valve and then enters the inlet pipe of the external refrigeration pipeline. The temperature sensor is installed at the inlet pipe, and the external refrigeration pipeline controls the refrigerant control valve based on the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor. The external refrigeration pipeline contains refrigerant, typically R134A (1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane) or R410A (a new type of environmentally friendly refrigerant). The refrigerant provided by the external refrigeration pipeline absorbs the heat generated by the battery unit 200 and rapidly exchanges the heat to the outside of the housing 100, improving the heat dissipation efficiency of the battery unit 200.

[0038] In some embodiments, the housing 100 is further provided with a second cooling medium that immerses the plurality of battery cells 200.

[0039] In some embodiments, the second cooling medium is selected from fluorinated liquids, silicone oils, and mineral oils. Fluorinated liquids, silicone oils, and mineral oils all have high specific heat capacity and heat transfer coefficients, and compared to commonly used cooling media such as air or water, they can more effectively remove the heat generated by the battery cell 200. Furthermore, fluorinated liquids, silicone oils, and mineral oils all have high dielectric strength and dielectric constant, and compared to highly conductive cooling media such as water, they can better protect the battery cell 200 from the risk of electric shock or short circuits, thus improving the safety of the liquid-cooled battery module.

[0040] Thus, in most application scenarios, by combining immersion cooling and side plate cooling, the heat generated by the battery cell 200 can be quickly conducted to the outside of the casing 100, and the temperature difference between different areas of the battery cell 200 can be reduced, making the temperature distribution of the battery cell 200 more uniform and stable.

[0041] However, in some application scenarios, the battery module may be in a high-power operating state for a short time. At this time, the battery cell 200 generates a lot of heat in a short period of time, especially the temperature at the battery tab will rise instantly, resulting in an excessive temperature difference between the top and bottom of the battery cell 200, which in turn leads to poor uniformity and stability of battery temperature distribution.

[0042] To solve the above problems, the battery module further comprises a plurality of heat dissipation supports 400 arranged in the shell 100, each heat dissipation support 400 comprises a disturbance pump 410 and a pipe 420, wherein:

[0043] The pipes 420 of the plurality of heat dissipation supports 400 are arranged above different column gaps, and each pipe 420 is provided with a plurality of spray holes 421.

[0044] The disturbance pump 410 of each heat dissipation support 400 pumps the second cooling medium into the pipe 420 and sprays the second cooling medium out of the spray holes 421 when the second cooling medium flows in the pipe 420.

[0045] The above embodiment disturbs the upper layer of the second cooling medium above the battery cell 200 through the heat dissipation support 400, so that the heat at the top of the battery cell 200 (especially at the battery tab) is quickly conducted to the upper layer of the second cooling medium, and the heat is exchanged to the outside of the shell 100 through the second cooling medium, so as to reduce the temperature difference between different regions of the battery cell 200 and improve the uniformity and stability of the battery temperature distribution. Since the pipe 420 is arranged above the battery cell 200, the plurality of spray holes 421 on the pipe 420 can on the one hand change the upper layer of the second cooling medium from laminar flow to turbulent flow, and on the other hand can destroy the boundary layer formed on the surface of the battery tab, so that the heat at the battery tab is more easily transferred to the upper layer of the second cooling medium, so as to quickly dissipate heat from the battery tab and avoid heat accumulation, thereby effectively solving the problems of uneven heat dissipation and poor heat dissipation effect of the battery module.

[0046] In some embodiments, the disturbance pump 410 is arranged in the shell 100 in a vertical direction, the outlet of the disturbance pump 410 communicates with the pipe 420 through an elbow 430, and the inlet 411 of the disturbance pump 410 is arranged below the middle of the height of the battery cell, so as to ensure that the disturbance pump 410 can extract the lower layer of the second cooling medium with lower temperature. As shown in Figure 4 The first distance D1 between the inlet 411 and the top of the battery cell 200 is not less than half of the height of the battery cell 200. The temperature at the bottom of the battery cell 200 is usually lower than that at the top, and in the process of heat balance, the lower layer of the second cooling medium has lower temperature than the upper layer. Therefore, disturbing the upper layer of the second cooling medium with the lower layer of the second cooling medium with lower temperature can further accelerate the heat exchange between the battery tab and the upper layer of the second cooling medium.

[0047] In some embodiments, the conduit 420 is provided with a first row of injection holes facing the same column of battery cells along its length, the number of the first row of injection holes being set to the number of battery cells 200 it faces. By assigning injection holes 421 to each battery cell 200 in the same column, the disturbance effect of the upper second cooling medium is enhanced.

[0048] In some embodiments, each of the first row of injection holes 421 is located above the battery cell 200 it faces, with the injection direction aligned with the center of the battery cell 200. This further enhances the disturbance effect of the upper second cooling medium.

[0049] In some embodiments, the conduit 420 is provided with a second row of injection holes along its length, facing the same row of battery cells. The second row of injection holes is located on the opposite side of the sidewall of the conduit 420, and the second row of injection holes corresponds one-to-one with the first row of injection holes. By providing two rows of injection holes, a heat dissipation bracket 400 can provide disturbance-based heat dissipation for two rows of battery cells 200.

[0050] It is worth noting that the one-to-one correspondence between the second row of injection holes and the first row of injection holes can be understood as the second row of injection holes and the first row of injection holes being concentric holes with the same shape. In this embodiment, the injection holes can be circular holes or other shapes.

[0051] by Figure 3 Taking the illustrated application scenario as an example, the battery module houses battery cells 200 arranged in a 4-column, 13-row array. The conduit 420 has a first row of spray holes on the sidewall facing the left-hand battery cells 200 and a second row of spray holes on the sidewall facing the right-hand battery cells 200. Thus, the first row of spray holes provides heat dissipation disturbance to the left-hand battery cells, and the second row of spray holes provides heat dissipation disturbance to the right-hand battery cells. Since each column of battery cells includes 13 battery cells 200, the number of spray holes in both the first and second rows is set to 13. The two spray holes 421 located directly above the same row of battery cells 200 in the first and second rows are concentric circles.

[0052] In some embodiments, the plurality of battery cells 200 are divided into multiple battery packs by columns, each battery pack including two adjacent columns of battery cells, and the heat dissipation bracket 400 is disposed in the column gap between the two columns of battery cells in each battery pack. By dividing the battery packs, this embodiment can provide a smaller number of heat dissipation brackets 400 to provide disturbance heat dissipation for each battery cell 200.

[0053] In some embodiments, the end of the conduit 420 furthest from the disturbance pump is a closed end. By closing the port of the conduit 420, the injection pressure of the injection orifice 421 is increased to improve the disturbance effect.

[0054] In some embodiments, the conduit 420 is made of non-conductive material. The vibration of the conduit 420 does not interfere with the internal circuit of the battery cell 200.

[0055] In some embodiments, the distance between the top of the battery cell 200 and the conduit 420 in the vertical direction is greater than 10 mm. That is, the distance between the bottom of the side wall of the conduit 420 and the top of the battery cell 200 is greater than 10 mm. This prevents the vibration of the conduit from adversely affecting the top structure of the battery cell.

[0056] In some embodiments, the battery cells 200 have row gaps between them, and one or more positioning rings (not shown in the figure) are provided on the conduit 420 and are fitted in the row gaps. Optionally, positioning rings are provided at both ends of the conduit 420, and each heat dissipation bracket 400 is stably and accurately installed in the housing 100 through the positioning rings.

[0057] In summary, the present embodiment uses a battery module that adopts an immersion liquid cooling method and a side plate cooling method as the application object. By adding the heat dissipation bracket 400, the upper layer of the second cooling medium above the battery cell 200 is disturbed, the heat at the top of the battery cell 200 (especially at the battery tab) is quickly conducted to the upper layer of the second cooling medium, and the heat is exchanged to the outside of the housing 100 through the second cooling medium, reducing the temperature difference between different regions of the battery cell 200 and improving the uniformity and stability of the battery temperature distribution. Since the conduit 420 is arranged above the battery cell 200, the plurality of spray holes 421 on the conduit 420 can on the one hand change the upper layer of the second cooling medium from laminar flow to turbulent flow, use the turbulent flow with higher heat exchange efficiency to speed up the heat transfer at the battery tab, and on the other hand can also destroy the boundary layer formed on the surface of the battery tab, so that the heat at the battery tab is more easily transferred to the upper layer of the second cooling medium, quickly dissipating heat from the battery tab, avoiding heat accumulation, thereby effectively solving the problems of uneven heat dissipation and poor heat dissipation effect of the battery module, so that the battery module can ensure that the temperature distribution of the battery cell 200 is more uniform and stable even in the working state of instantaneous high power.

[0058] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present application includes but is not limited to the contents described in the above specific embodiments and the drawings. Any modification that does not deviate from the functional and structural principles of the present application shall be included in the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A battery module, comprising a housing (100) and a plurality of battery cells (200), wherein the plurality of battery cells (200) are arranged in an array inside the housing (100) and have column gaps, characterized in that, The housing (100) is further provided with a plurality of heat dissipation brackets (400) and a second cooling medium immersing the plurality of battery cells (200). Each heat dissipation bracket (400) includes a disturbance pump (410) and a conduit (420), wherein: The conduits (420) of multiple heat dissipation brackets (400) are arranged above the gaps between different columns, and each conduit (420) is provided with multiple spray holes (421); The disturbance pump (410) of each heat sink bracket (400) pumps the second cooling medium into the conduit (420) and sprays the second cooling medium out through the injection hole (421) as it flows in the conduit (420).

2. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The disturbance pump (410) is arranged vertically inside the housing (100), the inlet (411) of the disturbance pump (410) is located below the middle of the height of the battery cell (200), and the outlet of the disturbance pump (410) is connected to the conduit (420) through a bend (430).

3. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conduit (420) is provided with a first row of injection holes facing the same column of battery cells along its length direction, and the number of the first row of injection holes is set to the number of battery cells it faces.

4. The battery module according to claim 3, characterized in that, Each of the first row of injection holes (421) is located above the battery cell (200) it faces, with the injection direction aligned with the center of the battery cell (200).

5. The battery module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The conduit (420) is provided with a second row of injection holes facing the same row of battery cells along its length. The second row of injection holes and the first row of injection holes are located on opposite sides of the sidewall of the conduit (420), and the second row of injection holes corresponds one-to-one with the first row of injection holes.

6. The battery module according to claim 5, characterized in that, The plurality of battery cells (200) are divided into a plurality of battery groups by columns. Each battery group includes two adjacent columns of battery cells (200). The heat dissipation bracket (400) is provided in the column gap between the two columns of battery cells (200) in each battery group.

7. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end of the conduit (420) away from the disturbance pump (410) is a closed end.

8. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conduit (420) is made of a non-conductive material, and the distance between the conduit (420) and the top of the plurality of battery cells (200) in the vertical direction is greater than 10 mm.

9. The battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of battery cells (200) are spaced in rows, and one or more positioning rings are provided on the conduit (420), which are fitted into the spaced in rows.

10. The battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The housing (100) includes side plates (110) located around the perimeter. A top plate and a bottom plate are respectively connected to the upper and lower sides of the side plates (110). The top plate is provided with an injection port for injecting a second cooling medium into the housing (100) and an exhaust port for discharging air from inside the housing (100) during injection.

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