Heat exchanger and energy storage system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a heat exchanger and energy storage system, including input portion, cooling portion and output portion, the input portion is used for introducing cooling medium to the cooling portion, the output portion is used for discharging the cooling medium in the cooling portion, the cooling portion includes cooling inlet pipe, cooling outlet pipe and a plurality of cooling pipes, one end of the cooling pipe is communicated between the two ends of the cooling inlet pipe, the other end of the cooling pipe is communicated between the two ends of the cooling outlet pipe, and the two ends of the cooling inlet pipe are connected with the input part, so that the input part introduces a cooling medium into the cooling part from the two ends of the cooling inlet pipe; and the two ends of the cooling outlet pipe are connected with the output part respectively, so that the cooling medium in the cooling part is discharged from the two ends of the cooling outlet pipe. The heat exchanger disclosed by the utility model is uniform in temperature and can better dissipate heat of the battery cell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of cooling and heat dissipation technology, specifically to a heat exchanger and energy storage system that are beneficial to improving the temperature uniformity of the flow field. Background Technology

[0002] Cooling the energy storage battery pack is a crucial aspect of energy storage. The efficiency of cooling directly affects the working efficiency of the energy storage battery pack. Energy storage battery packs are generally cooled by heat exchangers. The heat exchanger circulates the cooling medium within the coil by introducing it from one end of the coil, which has a certain curved structure, and discharging it from the other end. The cooling medium removes the heat from the energy storage battery pack.

[0003] To improve the cooling efficiency of heat exchangers, existing technologies typically employ a curved structure for the coils within the heat exchanger. However, this approach has limitations in enhancing the cooling effect. Utility Model Content

[0004] This invention aims to address one of the technical problems in related technologies to a certain extent. To this end, this invention provides a heat exchanger and energy storage system, which provides uniform temperature throughout the heat exchanger, thus improving cooling efficiency.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, a first aspect of this utility model discloses a heat exchanger, including an input section, a cooling section, and an output section. The input section is used to introduce a cooling medium into the cooling section, and the output section is used to discharge the cooling medium from the cooling section. The cooling section includes a cooling inlet pipe, a cooling outlet pipe, and a plurality of cooling pipes. One end of each cooling pipe is connected to the two ends of the cooling inlet pipe, and the other end is connected to the two ends of the cooling outlet pipe. The two ends of the cooling inlet pipe are respectively connected to the input section so that the input section introduces the cooling medium into the cooling section from the two ends of the cooling inlet pipe. The two ends of the cooling outlet pipe are respectively connected to the output section so that the cooling medium in the cooling section is discharged from the two ends of the cooling outlet pipe.

[0006] In this technical solution, by introducing cooling medium from both ends of the cooling section, the overall temperature of the cooling section of the heat exchanger is more uniform during the cooling process, and there will be no problem of large temperature difference between the inlet and outlet ends. As a result, the cooling of the battery cell is more uniform during use, avoiding the problem of local high temperature affecting working efficiency.

[0007] Furthermore, the heat exchanger includes a main pipe and a main valve body disposed on the main pipe. The inlet end of the main pipe is used to connect to the output end of the refrigeration system, and the outlet end of the main pipe is used to connect to the input end of the refrigeration system. The main valve body is disposed between the inlet end and the outlet end of the main pipe. The inlet end of the input part is connected to the inlet end of the main pipe, and the outlet end of the output part is connected to the outlet end of the main pipe.

[0008] Furthermore, the input section includes a first input pipe and a second input pipe. One end of the first input pipe and one end of the second input pipe are connected to the input end of the main pipe. The other end of the first input pipe is connected to the first end of the cooling inlet pipe, and the other end of the second input pipe is connected to the second end of the cooling inlet pipe.

[0009] Furthermore, the input section also includes a first valve body disposed on the first input pipe and a second valve body disposed on the second input pipe.

[0010] Furthermore, the output section includes a first output pipe and a second output pipe. One end of the first output pipe and one end of the second output pipe are respectively connected to the outlet end of the main pipe. The other end of the first output pipe is connected to the first end of the cooling outlet pipe, and the other end of the second output pipe is connected to the second end of the cooling outlet pipe.

[0011] Furthermore, the output section includes a third valve body disposed on the first output pipe and a fourth valve body disposed on the second output pipe. This facilitates the inlet and outlet operations of the cooling medium, provides integrity to the heat exchanger, and allows for switching between normal operation and maintenance / replacement work by controlling the opening and closing states of the valve bodies.

[0012] Furthermore, the multiple cooling pipes are arranged at equal intervals.

[0013] Furthermore, the cross-section of the cooling pipe is set to a flat rectangle or ellipse. This increases the area of ​​the heat-conducting surface and improves cooling efficiency.

[0014] The second aspect of this application discloses an energy storage system including a heat exchanger, a refrigeration system, and a plurality of battery cells. The heat exchanger is the same as that of the first aspect. The heat exchanger is laid flat on the bottom of the battery cells. The cooling section is opposite to the bottom of the battery cells. The inlet end of the input section is connected to the outlet end of the refrigeration system, and the outlet end of the output section is connected to the inlet end of the refrigeration system.

[0015] Furthermore, the refrigeration system includes at least one of the following: a plate heat exchange refrigeration system, a spray cooling system, and a fan dry cooler refrigeration system.

[0016] The advantages of the energy storage system disclosed in the second aspect of this application are similar to those in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0017] These features and advantages of this utility model will be disclosed in detail in the following specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. The preferred embodiments or means of this utility model will be shown in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but this is not intended to limit the technical solution of this utility model. In addition, each of these features, elements and components appearing in the following text and drawings is multiple and is labeled with different symbols or numbers for convenience, but all represent parts with the same or similar structure or function. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0019] Figure 1 This is a top view schematic diagram of a heat exchanger according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cooling medium flow in the cooling working state of a heat exchanger according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cooling medium flow during heat exchanger maintenance and replacement in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an energy storage system according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a front sectional view of the battery cell and heat exchanger in an energy storage system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] in,

[0025] 10. Input section; 11. First input pipe; 111. First valve body; 12. Second input pipe; 121. Second valve body;

[0026] 20. Cooling section; 21. Cooling inlet pipe; 22. Cooling outlet pipe; 23. Cooling pipe;

[0027] 30. Output section; 31. First output pipe; 311. Third valve body; 32. Second output pipe; 321. Fourth valve body;

[0028] 40. Main pipe; 41. Main valve body;

[0029] 50. Refrigeration system;

[0030] 60. Battery cells. Detailed Implementation

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] Heat exchangers typically have only one inlet and one outlet. The cooling medium enters the cooler through the inlet, flows through the cooler, and exits through the outlet. It is easy to see that the temperature near the outlet of the cooler is higher than the temperature near the inlet, which leads to uneven temperature distribution throughout the cooler. Consequently, the cooling effect on different batteries or different parts of the battery will also be uneven.

[0034] In view of this, one embodiment of the present invention discloses a heat exchanger, see attached drawing. Figure 1-3 The cooling system includes an input section 10, a cooling section 20, and an output section 30. The input section 10 is used to introduce a cooling medium into the cooling section 20, and the output section 30 is used to discharge the cooling medium from the cooling section 20. The cooling section 20 includes a cooling inlet pipe 21, a cooling outlet pipe 22, and a plurality of cooling pipes 23. One end of each cooling pipe 23 is connected to the two ends of the cooling inlet pipe 21, and the other end is connected to the two ends of the cooling outlet pipe 22. The two ends of the cooling inlet pipe 21 are respectively connected to the input section 10 so that the input section 10 introduces a cooling medium into the cooling section 20 from the two ends of the cooling inlet pipe 21. The two ends of the cooling outlet pipe 22 are respectively connected to the output section 30 so that the cooling medium in the cooling section 20 is discharged from the two ends of the cooling outlet pipe 22.

[0035] In this embodiment, when the heat exchanger is in use, a cooling medium is injected into the cooling section 20 through the input section 10. The cooling medium can be an aqueous solution of ethylene glycol or an oil. The cooling section 20 in this embodiment includes a cooling inlet pipe 21, a cooling outlet pipe 22, and a plurality of cooling pipes 23. The cooling inlet pipe 21 and the cooling outlet pipe 22 are parallel to each other and spaced apart, as shown in Appendix 1. The two ends of the plurality of cooling pipes 23 are connected to the cooling inlet pipe 21 and the cooling outlet pipe 22, respectively. Compared with the coil structure in the prior art, the length of each cooling pipe 23 is shorter, so the temperature difference between the inlet end and the outlet end of each cooling pipe 23 is relatively small.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, both ends of the cooling inlet pipe 21 are connected to the input section 10, so that during use, the cooling medium can enter the cooling section 20 from both ends of the cooling inlet pipe 21, and the cooling medium flows in from two opposite directions, as shown in the attached figure. Figure 2 As shown, the cooling medium flowing into both ends of the cooling inlet pipe 21 will radiate a certain number of cooling pipes 23. The two cooling media flowing in opposite directions will generally meet in the middle of the cooling inlet pipe 21. This shortens the distance between the middle part of the cooling pipe 23 and the cooling medium inlet. Thus, without reducing the volume of the heat exchanger, the temperature difference between the cooling medium in the cooling pipe 23 far from the inlet and the cooling medium in the cooling pipe 23 near the inlet can be reduced, making the overall temperature of the heat exchanger more uniform.

[0037] Of course, based on the principle of improving the overall temperature uniformity of the heat exchanger described above in this embodiment, it is easy to imagine that more inlets of cooling medium can be set on the cooling inlet pipe 21, thereby making the temperature difference between multiple cooling pipes 23 smaller and the overall temperature of the heat exchanger more uniform.

[0038] In one embodiment of this utility model, the heat exchanger includes a main pipe 40 and a main valve body 41 disposed on the main pipe 40. The inlet end of the main pipe 40 is used to connect to the output end of the refrigeration system 50, and the outlet end of the main pipe 40 is used to connect to the input end of the refrigeration system 50. The main valve body 41 is disposed between the inlet end and the outlet end of the main pipe 40. The inlet end of the input part 10 is connected to the inlet end of the main pipe 40, and the outlet end of the output part 30 is connected to the outlet end of the main pipe 40.

[0039] In this embodiment, both the input section 10 and the output section 30 are connected to the main pipe 40. In this way, during use, only the cooling medium needs to be transported through the main pipe 40, and the cooling medium can be distributed to each inlet of the cooling inlet pipe 21 through the input section 10. This can reduce the cost of equipping each inlet with a power device, and can also ensure the consistency of the initial temperature of the cooling medium at each inlet, thereby improving the uniformity of the heat exchanger temperature.

[0040] As one embodiment of the present invention, the input section 10 includes a first input pipe 11 and a second input pipe 12. One end of the first input pipe 11 and one end of the second input pipe 12 are connected to the input end of the main pipe 40. The other end of the first input pipe 11 is connected to the first end of the cooling inlet pipe 21, and the other end of the second input pipe 12 is connected to the second end of the cooling inlet pipe.

[0041] In this embodiment, the two input pipes of the input section 10 are respectively connected to the two ends of the cooling inlet pipe 21, which allows the main pipe 40 and the cooling inlet pipe 21 to be connected over a long distance, which facilitates the design layout and reduces the limitations of distance.

[0042] In one embodiment of this utility model, the input section 10 further includes a first valve body 111 disposed on the first input pipe 11 and a second valve body 121 disposed on the second input pipe 12. (See attached diagram) Figure 1 As shown, by setting the first valve body 111 and the second valve body 121, the opening and closing of the first valve body 111 and the second valve body 121 can control whether the cooling medium in the main pipe 40 flows into the cooler, which facilitates the switching of working states.

[0043] Similarly, in one embodiment of the present invention, the output section 30 includes a first output pipe 31 and a second output pipe 32. One end of the first output pipe 31 and one end of the second output pipe 32 are respectively connected to the outlet end of the main pipe 40. The other end of the first output pipe 31 is connected to the first end of the cooling outlet pipe 22, and the other end of the second output pipe 32 is connected to the second end of the cooling outlet pipe 22.

[0044] The output section 30 includes a third valve body 311 disposed on the first output pipe 31 and a fourth valve body 321 disposed on the second output pipe 32. By setting the third valve body 311 and the fourth valve body 321, the flow of cooling medium in the cooler can be controlled, facilitating the switching of working states.

[0045] In normal use, the heat exchanger of this invention has its main valve 41 on the main pipe 40 closed, and the first valve 111, second valve 121, third valve 311, and fourth valve 321 all open. At this time, the cooling medium in the main pipe 40 flows into the cooling section 20 from the first inlet pipe 11 and the second inlet pipe 12, and flows out from the first outlet pipe 31 and the second outlet pipe 32, converging at the output end of the main pipe 40 before being output together. The specific flow path of the cooling medium is shown in the attached figure. Figure 2 As shown.

[0046] The heat exchanger in this invention facilitates the maintenance and replacement of the cooling section 20. When the cooling section 20 malfunctions, such as due to pipe scaling or corrosion leakage, the main valve body 41 on the main pipe 40 can be opened, along with the first valve body 111, second valve body 121, third valve body 311, and fourth valve body 321. At this time, the cooling medium in the main pipe 40 flows through the main pipe 40 and does not flow through the cooling section 20, allowing operation of the cooling section 20. (See attached diagram.) Figure 3 As shown.

[0047] It should be noted that the present invention does not impose specific restrictions on the types of the main valve body 41, the first valve body 111, the second valve body 121, the third valve body 311, and the fourth valve body 321. Ball valves, butterfly valves, gate valves, and check valves can be used. Solenoid valves can also be used for ease of control.

[0048] It is conceivable that, in actual use, the branching points of the heat exchanger can be divided by a three-way structure, such as between the main pipe 40 and the first inlet pipe 11 and the second inlet pipe 12, and between the main pipe 40 and the first outlet pipe 31 and the second outlet pipe 32.

[0049] In one embodiment of this utility model, the plurality of cooling tubes 23 are arranged at equal intervals. The cooling efficiency of each cooling tube 23 in the heat exchanger of this utility model is constant. By arranging the cooling tubes 23 at equal intervals, the cooling effect on each part of the battery cell 60 is more uniform when the cooling tubes 23 are opposite to the battery cell 60.

[0050] In one embodiment of this invention, the cross-section of the cooling pipe 23 is configured as a flat rectangle or an ellipse. This increases the area of ​​the heat-conducting surface of the cooling pipe 23, thereby improving cooling efficiency.

[0051] The second aspect of this utility model discloses an energy storage system, see appendix. Figure 4 and 5 The system includes a heat exchanger, a refrigeration system 50, and multiple battery cells 60. The heat exchanger is the same as the one described in the above embodiment. The heat exchanger is laid flat on the bottom of the battery cells 60. The cooling section 20 is opposite to the bottom of the battery cells 60. The inlet end of the input section 10 is connected to the outlet end of the refrigeration system 50, and the outlet end of the output section 30 is connected to the inlet end of the refrigeration system 50.

[0052] In this embodiment, the heat exchanger is located at the bottom of the battery cell 60. During use, the cooling medium flowing in the heat exchanger is cooled by the refrigeration system 50 to ensure that the temperature of the cooling medium in the heat exchanger is at a low level. The heat generated by the battery cell 60 during operation will be carried away by the cooling medium in the heat exchanger, thereby cooling the battery cell 60.

[0053] It should be noted that placing the heat exchanger at the bottom of the battery cell 60 in this embodiment is only one specific implementation. In actual installation, the heat exchanger can also be placed in different locations as needed, such as the top, side, or other parts of the battery cell 60 (such as parts that are prone to heat generation).

[0054] As one embodiment of the present invention, the refrigeration system 50 includes at least one of the following: a plate heat exchange refrigeration system, a spray heat dissipation system, and a fan dry cooler refrigeration system.

[0055] The above are merely specific embodiments of this utility model, but the scope of protection of this utility model is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art should understand that this utility model includes, but is not limited to, the contents described in the accompanying drawings and the specific embodiments above. Any modifications that do not depart from the functional and structural principles of this utility model will be included within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger comprising an input section (10) for feeding a cooling medium to a cooling section (20) and an output section (30) for discharging the cooling medium from the cooling section (20), characterized in that The cooling part (20) comprises a cooling inlet pipe (21), a cooling outlet pipe (22) and a plurality of cooling pipes (23), one end of the cooling pipe (23) is communicated between the two ends of the cooling inlet pipe (21), the other end is communicated between the two ends of the cooling outlet pipe (22), the two ends of the cooling inlet pipe (21) are connected with the input part (10) respectively, so that the input part (10) introduces cooling medium from the two ends of the cooling inlet pipe (21) to the cooling part (20), the two ends of the cooling outlet pipe (22) are connected with the output part (30) respectively, so that the cooling medium in the cooling part (20) is discharged from the two ends of the cooling outlet pipe (22).

2. The heat exchanger of claim 1, wherein The heat exchanger comprises a main pipe (40) and a main valve body (41) arranged in the main pipe (40), the inlet end of the main pipe (40) is used for connecting the output end of the refrigeration system (50), the outlet end of the main pipe (40) is used for connecting the input end of the refrigeration system (50), the main valve body (41) is arranged between the inlet end and the outlet end of the main pipe (40), the inlet end of the input part (10) is communicated with the inlet end of the main pipe (40), and the outlet end of the output part (30) is communicated with the outlet end of the main pipe (40).

3. The heat exchanger of claim 2, wherein The input part (10) comprises a first input pipe (11) and a second input pipe (12), one end of the first input pipe (11) and one end of the second input pipe (12) are communicated with the input end of the main pipe (40), the other end of the first input pipe (11) is communicated with the first end of the cooling inlet pipe (21), and the other end of the second input pipe (12) is communicated with the second end of the cooling inlet pipe (21).

4. The heat exchanger of claim 3, wherein The input part (10) further comprises a first valve body (111) arranged in the first input pipe (11) and a second valve body (121) arranged in the second input pipe (12).

5. The heat exchanger of claim 2, wherein The output part (30) comprises a first output pipe (31) and a second output pipe (32), one end of the first output pipe (31) and one end of the second output pipe (32) are communicated with the outlet end of the main pipe (40) respectively, the other end of the first output pipe (31) is communicated with the first end of the cooling outlet pipe (22), and the other end of the second output pipe (32) is communicated with the second end of the cooling outlet pipe (22).

6. The heat exchanger of claim 5, wherein The output part (30) comprises a third valve body (311) arranged in the first output pipe (31) and a fourth valve body (321) arranged in the second output pipe (32).

7. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein The plurality of cooling pipes (23) are arranged and distributed at equal intervals.

8. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein The cross section of the cooling pipe (23) is arranged as a flat rectangle or an ellipse.

9. An energy storage system comprising a heat exchanger, a refrigeration system (50) and a plurality of electric cells (60), characterized in that, The heat exchanger adopts the heat exchanger of any one of claims 1 to 8, the heat exchanger is laid flat on the bottom of the battery cell (60), the cooling part (20) is opposite to the bottom of the battery cell (60), the inlet end of the input part (10) is connected with the outlet end of the refrigeration system (50), and the outlet end of the output part (30) is connected with the inlet end of the refrigeration system (50).

10. The energy storage system of claim 9, wherein, The refrigeration system (50) comprises at least one of the following: a plate heat exchanger refrigeration system (50), a spray cooling system, and a fan dry cooler refrigeration system (50).

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