Thermal management assembly, battery pack and battery pack

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of power batteries, and particularly provides a heat management assembly, a battery pack and a battery pack, the heat management assembly comprises a main water pipe, a cold plate, a first branch pipe and a second branch pipe, and the first side of the cold plate comprises a water inlet interface and a water outlet interface; the first end of the first branch pipe is connected with the water inlet connector, and the second end of the first branch pipe is connected with the mounting plane of the main water pipe; the first end of the second branch pipe is connected with the water outlet connector, and the second end of the second branch pipe is connected with the installation plane. Therefore, the occupied space of the heat management assembly can be reduced, and the space utilization rate is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of power batteries, specifically to a thermal management component, a battery pack, and a battery module. Background Technology

[0002] In new energy equipment (such as electric vehicles), the battery system is one of the key systems, and its safety performance directly affects the safety of the entire vehicle. Among them, the battery pack is the core component of the battery system, and it can also provide electrical energy to new energy equipment.

[0003] Currently, mainstream battery packs typically use prismatic, cylindrical, or pouch cells. Power batteries are extremely sensitive to temperature changes, and the temperature environment within the battery pack significantly impacts the reliability, lifespan, and performance of the cells. Therefore, battery thermal management has become a crucial safeguard for the operation of new energy vehicles.

[0004] To achieve thermal management of the battery pack, thermal management components such as main pipes and cooling plates are usually installed inside the battery pack. However, the existing thermal management components occupy a lot of space, resulting in low space utilization within the battery pack.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need in the field for a new thermal management component design to address the aforementioned issues. Summary of the Invention

[0006] As mentioned in the background section, the current thermal management components occupy a lot of space, resulting in low space utilization within the battery pack.

[0007] To address the aforementioned issues, embodiments of this application provide an improved thermal management component, battery pack, and battery module, which can reduce the space occupied by the thermal management component and improve space utilization.

[0008] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a thermal management component, the thermal management component including a main water pipe, a cold plate, a first branch pipe, and a second branch pipe, the first side of the cold plate including a water inlet and a water outlet; a first end of the first branch pipe is connected to the water inlet, and a second end of the first branch pipe is connected to the mounting plane of the main water pipe; a first end of the second branch pipe is connected to the water outlet, and a second end of the second branch pipe is connected to the mounting plane.

[0009] In an optional embodiment, the water inlet is disposed on the first connecting surface, and the water outlet is disposed on the second connecting surface.

[0010] In an optional embodiment, a first body is included between the first end of the first branch pipe and the second end of the second branch pipe, and a second body is included between the first end of the second branch pipe and the second end of the second branch pipe. The connection between the first branch pipe, the second branch pipe, the main water pipe and the cold plate satisfies at least one of the following conditions: there is an angle between the first body and the first connecting surface; there is an angle between the second body and the second connecting surface; there is an angle between the first body and the mounting plane; and there is an angle between the second body and the mounting plane.

[0011] In an optional embodiment, the included angle ranges from 10 to 80 degrees.

[0012] In an optional embodiment, the included angle ranges from 25 to 35 degrees.

[0013] In an optional embodiment, the first branch pipe and the second branch pipe are disposed at the upper part of the main water pipe, or the first branch pipe and the second branch pipe are disposed at the lower part of the main water pipe.

[0014] In an optional embodiment, the main water pipe integrates an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe.

[0015] In an optional embodiment, the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are arranged along the height direction of the main water pipe, or the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are arranged along the width direction of the main water pipe.

[0016] In an optional embodiment, the main water pipe has a rectangular cross-section.

[0017] In an optional embodiment, the main water pipe is made of metal.

[0018] In an optional embodiment, the main water pipe is connected via a connector and an intermediate beam and / or housing within the battery pack.

[0019] In an optional embodiment, the cold plate includes a plurality of cooling zones connected in series, each cooling zone being used to cool a row of battery cells.

[0020] In an optional embodiment, the first side of the cold plate further includes a fixing part for connecting with the intermediate beam and / or the box body.

[0021] In a second aspect, this application also provides a battery pack, the battery pack including a plurality of batteries and a thermal management component of any one of the above, the main water pipe being disposed on at least one side of the battery pack.

[0022] In a third aspect, this application also provides a battery pack, the battery pack including an upper cover and a lower housing, the upper cover and the lower housing forming a closed receiving cavity, the battery pack being disposed in the receiving cavity, and the height direction of the cylindrical battery being parallel to the height direction of the battery pack.

[0023] The above-described technical solutions of this application have at least one or more of the following beneficial effects:

[0024] The technical solution of this application provides an improved thermal management component, battery pack, and battery module, which can reduce the space occupied by the thermal management component and improve space utilization. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The disclosure of this application will become more readily understood with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that these drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Furthermore, similar numbers in the drawings are used to denote similar components, wherein:

[0026] Figure 1 and Figure 2 This is a side view of a thermal management component 10 according to an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 3 This is an enlarged view of the second end 1032 of the first branch pipe 103 according to an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the main water pipe 101 and multiple branch pipes in a thermal management component 10 according to an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A magnified view of region B in the middle;

[0030] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another thermal management component 10 according to an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a thermal management component 10 installed in a battery pack according to an embodiment of this application.

[0032] List of reference numerals in the attached diagram:

[0033] 10. Thermal management components; 101. Main water pipe; 101F. Mounting plane of main water pipe; 1011. Inlet pipe; 1012. Outlet pipe; 102. Cold plate; 102F. Connecting surface of cold plate; 102F1. First connecting surface; 102F2. Second connecting surface; 1021. First cooling zone; 1022. Second cooling zone; 1023. Connecting area; 1024. Fixing part; 1025. Inlet interface; 1026. Outlet interface; 103. First branch pipe; 1031. First end of first branch pipe; 1032. Second end of first branch pipe; 1033. First main body; 104. Second branch pipe; 1041. First end of second branch pipe; 1042. Second end of second branch pipe; 1043. Second main body; 20. Intermediate beam; 30. Connector; α. First included angle; β. Second included angle; Z. Mounting direction of the first end of branch pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0034] Some embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical principles of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0035] As mentioned in the background section, the current thermal management components occupy a lot of space, resulting in low space utilization within the battery pack.

[0036] To address the aforementioned problems, embodiments of this application provide an improved thermal management component, battery pack, and battery module, which can reduce the space occupied by the thermal management component and improve space utilization. The thermal management component provided in this application can heat or cool the battery to achieve thermal management. It should be noted that the battery in this application can refer to one or more of the following: prismatic battery, cylindrical battery, pouch battery, prismatic battery, etc.

[0037] Please see the appendix Figures 1 to 6 The thermal management component 10 includes a main water pipe 101, a cold plate 102, a first branch pipe 103, and a second branch pipe 104. The first side of the cold plate 102 (the first side is the side of the cold plate 102 closest to the main water pipe 101) includes an inlet port 1025 and an outlet port 1026. The first end 1031 of the first branch pipe 103 is connected to the inlet port 1025, and the second end 1032 of the first branch pipe 103 is connected to the mounting plane 101F of the main water pipe 101. The first end 1041 of the second branch pipe 104 is connected to the outlet port 1026, and the second end 1042 of the second branch pipe 104 is connected to the mounting plane 101F.

[0038] In the above scheme, the cold plate 102 can exchange coolant with the main water pipe 101 through the water inlet 1025 and water outlet 1026 set on one side (i.e. the first side). The main water pipe 101 and the branch pipes (including the first branch pipe 103 and the second branch pipe 104) can be arranged on one side of the cold plate 102, which can save the arrangement space of the thermal management component 10 and improve the space utilization.

[0039] The cold plate 102 can also be called a liquid cooling plate, cooling plate, cooling pipe, cold pipe, etc. The interior of the cold plate 102 can be provided with a flow channel for the flow of coolant. The cylindrical battery pack can be heated or cooled by heating or cooling the coolant. The coolant can be water, ethylene glycol or a mixture of the two, or other liquids, which will not be elaborated here.

[0040] Mounting plane 101F is a plane on the outer edge of the main water pipe 101, which is used to connect with multiple branch pipes (such as the first branch pipe 103 and the second branch pipe 104 in the figure) to realize the exchange of coolant between the main water pipe 101 and each branch pipe.

[0041] Optionally, the main water pipe 101 may include one or more mounting planes 101F. If the cross-section of the main water pipe 101 is rectangular, the main water pipe 101 may include four planes, one of which may be selected as the mounting plane 101F. If the cross-section of the main water pipe 101 is of other shape, it should include at least one plane as the mounting plane 101F.

[0042] In one specific embodiment, the cross-section of the main water pipe 101 is rectangular, and the cross-section of the main water pipe 101 can refer to the cross-section after being cut along its height direction.

[0043] In an optional embodiment, the water inlet 1025 is disposed on the first connecting surface 102F1, and the water outlet 1026 is disposed on the second connecting surface 102F2. As shown in the figure, both the water inlet 1025 and the water outlet 1026 on the first side of the cold plate 102 are disposed on a plane.

[0044] Regarding the first branch pipe 103, its first end 1031 is connected to the water inlet 1025 on the first connecting surface 102F1, and its second end 1032 is connected to the water inlet pipe 1011, so that the coolant can flow from the water inlet pipe 101 into the first branch pipe 103, and then into the cold plate 102.

[0045] Regarding the second branch pipe 104, its first end 1041 is connected to the water outlet 1026 on the second connecting surface 102F2, and its second end 1042 is connected to the water outlet pipe 1012. The coolant in the cold plate 102 can flow through the second branch pipe 104 and then into the water outlet pipe 1012.

[0046] Optionally, the first connecting surface 102F1 and the second connecting surface 102F2 can be two planes extending from the side of the cold plate 102, and their positions can be interchanged.

[0047] In an optional embodiment, a first body 1033 is included between the first end 1031 of the first branch pipe 103 and the second end 1042 of the second branch pipe 104, and a second body 1043 is included between the first end 1041 and the second end 1042 of the second branch pipe 104. The connection between the first branch pipe 103, the second branch pipe 104, the main water pipe 101, and the cold plate 102 satisfies at least one of the following conditions: there is an angle between the first body 1033 and the first connecting surface 102F1; there is an angle between the second body 1043 and the second connecting surface 102F2; there is an angle between the first body 1033 and the mounting plane 101F; and there is an angle between the second body 1043 and the mounting plane 101F. This saves space for the branch pipes in the Z direction.

[0048] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 The following explanation will be based on the example of an angle α between the first main body 1033 and the mounting plane 101F, and an angle α between the second main body 1043 and the mounting plane 101F.

[0049] In one specific embodiment, the included angle α ranges from 10 to 80 degrees.

[0050] In a preferred embodiment, the included angle α ranges from 25 to 35 degrees. If the included angle α is too small, it may not meet the requirements for the process crimping distance; if the included angle α is too large, the Z-direction branch pipes (including the first branch pipe 103 and the second branch pipe 104) will require more arrangement space. Setting the included angle α to a range of 25 to 35 degrees can ensure the required process crimping distance while also saving space in the Z-direction.

[0051] In a specific example, please see Figure 3 , Figure 3 The diagram shows the connection details between the second end 1032 of the first branch pipe 103 and the mounting plane 101F of the main water pipe 101. The first end 1031 and the second end 1032 of the first branch pipe 103 may include a first body 1033. When the included angle α is set to 30 degrees, the included angle β between the body 1033 and the second end 1032 is set to 120 degrees.

[0052] according to Figure 2 As can be seen from the specific example, when the included angle α is in the range of 10 to 80 degrees, the included angle β between the first body 1033 and the second end 1032 of the first branch pipe 103 corresponds to an angle of 100 to 170 degrees.

[0053] Preferably, when the included angle α is in the range of 25 to 35 degrees, the included angle β between the first body 1033 and the second end 1032 of the first branch pipe 103 corresponds to an angle of 115 to 125 degrees.

[0054] It should be noted that the figure only shows the included angle α between the first body 1033 of the first branch pipe 103 and the mounting plane 101F of the main water pipe 101. The included angle between the first body 1033 of the first branch pipe 103 and the connecting surface 102F of the cold plate 102 can also be set according to included angle α. Correspondingly, the included angle between the first end 1031 of the first branch pipe 103 and the first body 1033 can also be set according to included angle β.

[0055] Alternatively, the included angle between the first body 1033 of the first branch pipe 103 and the connecting surface 102F of the cold plate 102 can be set to 90 degrees, that is, the connecting surface of the first branch pipe 103 and the cold plate 102 is along the vertical direction (i.e., Figure 1 The Z-direction insertion makes the assembly of the two parts simpler.

[0056] It should be noted that the specific details of the connection between the second branch pipe 104 and the cold plate 102 and the main water pipe 101 can also be found in the above design of the first branch pipe 103, and will not be repeated here.

[0057] In an optional embodiment, the first branch pipe 103 and the second branch pipe 104 can be located at the upper part of the main water pipe 101, or the first branch pipe 103 and the second branch pipe 104 can be located at the lower part of the main water pipe 101, thereby saving space for the arrangement of branch pipes.

[0058] In one specific embodiment, as shown in the attached figure, the first branch pipe 103 and the second branch pipe 104 are located above the main water pipe 101. The arrangement of the branch pipes 3 does not occupy the space on the side and bottom of the main water pipe 101, and these areas can be used to arrange other structures.

[0059] In another specific embodiment, the first branch pipe 103 and the second branch pipe 104 can also be located at the lower part of the main water pipe 102, thereby saving the space on the side and top of the main water pipe 101 for arranging other structures and saving the space occupied by the thermal management component 10.

[0060] In an optional embodiment, the main water pipe 101 includes an inlet pipe 1011 and an outlet pipe 1012 integrated together.

[0061] As shown in the figure, the main water pipe 101 can be an integrally formed pipe containing two channels, one of which is the inlet pipe 1011 and the other is the outlet pipe 1012. The coolant outside the battery pack can flow into each cold plate 102 through the inlet pipe 1011, and the coolant in each cold plate 102 then flows out of the battery pack through the outlet pipe 1012, realizing a large circulation of coolant within the battery pack.

[0062] It should be noted that the positions of the inlet pipe 1011 and the outlet pipe 1012 can also be interchanged, and are not limited to the example shown in the figure.

[0063] In one specific embodiment, as shown in the figure, the inlet pipe 1011 and the outlet pipe 1012 are arranged along the height direction of the main water pipe 101.

[0064] In another specific embodiment, the inlet pipe 1011 and the outlet pipe 1012 are arranged along the width direction of the main water pipe 101 (not shown in the figure).

[0065] In a preferred embodiment, the main water pipe 101 in this application is a metal pipe, such as aluminum or steel, which have better mechanical properties. It should be noted that the main water pipe 101 can also be made of injection-molded pipe, rubber hose, or other similar materials.

[0066] In an optional embodiment, the main water pipe 101 of this application can be connected via one or more connectors 30 and the intermediate beam 20 within the battery pack and / or the housing of the battery pack (not shown in the figure).

[0067] Please see Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a thermal management component 10 and intermediate beams 20. The main water pipe 101 in the diagram has multiple connectors 30 that connect to the two intermediate beams 20, thereby improving the stability and mechanical performance of the thermal management component 10 within the battery pack. Each end of the main water pipe 101 may also have one or two connectors 30 for connecting to the battery pack housing.

[0068] Optionally, the connector 30 may include various structures such as a snap-fit ​​structure, a bolt structure, or a connecting piece.

[0069] Preferably, when the main water pipe 101 is a metal pipe, the connection between the main water pipe 101 and the intermediate beam 20 or the battery pack housing can greatly improve the mechanical performance of the main water pipe 101 or the internal structure of the battery pack.

[0070] In one specific embodiment, the first end 1031 of the first branch pipe 103 can be installed to the first connecting surface 102F1 along the Z direction, or the first end 1041 of the second branch pipe 104 can be installed to the second connecting surface 102F2 along the Z direction, where the Z direction is parallel to the height direction of the cold plate 102. This improves the ease of installation between the connecting surfaces of the branch pipe and the cold plate.

[0071] In an optional embodiment, the cold plate 102 includes a plurality of cooling zones connected in series, each cooling zone being used to cool a plurality of battery cells.

[0072] Please see Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another thermal management component of this application. The cold plate 102, as indicated by the number, includes two cooling zones: a first cooling zone 1021 and a second cooling zone 1022. The first cooling zone 1021 and the second cooling zone 1022 are connected in series via a connecting area 1023. Only one cooling zone (either the first cooling zone 1021 or the second cooling zone 1022) of the cold plate 102 has a connecting surface 102F on the first side near the main water pipe 101.

[0073] Therefore, a single cold plate 102 can be used to cool multiple rows of batteries, and only two branch pipes are needed to connect the cold plate 102 and the main water pipe 101, thereby saving the layout space of the thermal management component 10 and improving space utilization.

[0074] In an alternative embodiment, if the thermal management assembly 10 is used to cool the cylindrical battery, the cooling area of ​​the cold plate 102 has an arcuate surface adapted to the side of the cylindrical battery, the arcuate surface contacting the side of the cylindrical battery 20 to perform thermal management on the cylindrical battery.

[0075] It should be noted that two or more rows of cylindrical batteries can also be arranged between the two cold plates 102. The width between the two cold plates 102 can be specifically set according to the arrangement of the cylindrical batteries between them, which will not be elaborated here.

[0076] It should be noted that a single thermal management component may contain multiple cold plates 102. The number of cooling zones contained in each cold plate 102 may be the same or different. For example, one or more cold plates 102 may contain two cooling zones, or one or more cold plates 102 may contain one or three cooling zones. The specific configuration can be set according to the layout requirements, which will not be elaborated here.

[0077] In an optional embodiment, the first side of the cold plate 102 further includes a fixing part 1024 for connecting with the intermediate beam 20 and / or the box body.

[0078] Specifically, one or more fixing parts 1024 can be provided at the bottom of each cold plate 102 for connecting with the housing to improve the stability of the cold plate 102. The fixing part 1024 may include fixing holes through which bolts pass to fix it to the housing.

[0079] In a second aspect, this application also provides a battery pack, which includes a plurality of batteries and a thermal management component 10 of any one of the above, with a main water pipe 101 disposed on at least one side of the battery pack.

[0080] In one specific embodiment, a main water pipe 101 and branch pipes are provided on only one side of the rectangular battery pack, and each cold plate 102 exchanges coolant with the main water pipe 101 on this side of the rectangular battery pack. Other structures can be arranged on the other sides of the rectangular battery pack to improve space utilization.

[0081] In another specific embodiment, the two opposite sides of the rectangular battery pack are both located on the main water pipe 101 and the branch pipe, thereby making reasonable use of the space inside the battery pack.

[0082] In a third aspect, this application also provides a battery pack, which includes a housing having a sealed receiving cavity, in which the aforementioned battery pack can be disposed.

[0083] The enclosure may include an upper cover, a lower enclosure, and a bottom plate, which together form a sealed cavity. The height of the battery may be parallel to the height of the battery pack.

[0084] For cylindrical batteries, the electrodes (including the positive electrode 201 and the negative electrode 202) can face the top cover. The height direction of the cylindrical battery 20 and the height direction of the battery pack can also be represented by the height direction H.

[0085] Fourthly, this application also provides an electric device, which includes a battery pack according to any of the above-mentioned methods, the battery pack being used to provide energy to the electric device. The electric device may refer to an electric vehicle or an electric aircraft, etc.

[0086] When the battery pack is installed on an electric device, the top cover of the battery pack can face the electric device or face away from the electric device.

[0087] The technical solution of this application has been described above with reference to one embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of protection of this application is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principles of this application, those skilled in the art can make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions after these changes or substitutions will all fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0088] It should be noted that, in the description of this application, the term "A and / or B" refers to all possible combinations of A and B, such as only A, only B, or A and B. The terms "at least one A or B" or "at least one of A and B" have a similar meaning to "A and / or B," and can include only A, only B, or A and B. The singular terms "a" or "this" can also include plural forms. "Multiple" in the embodiments of this application refers to two or more. The descriptions of "first," "second," etc., appearing in the embodiments of this application are only for illustration and to distinguish the described objects, and have no order, nor do they indicate a special limitation on the number in the embodiments of this application, and cannot constitute any limitation on the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A thermal management assembly, characterized by, The thermal management component includes a main water pipe, a cold plate, a first branch pipe, and a second branch pipe. The first side of the cold plate includes a water inlet and a water outlet. The first end of the first branch pipe is connected to the water inlet, and the second end of the first branch pipe is connected to the mounting plane of the main water pipe. The first end of the second branch pipe is connected to the water outlet, and the second end of the second branch pipe is connected to the mounting plane.

2. The thermal management assembly of claim 1, wherein, The water inlet is located on the first connecting surface, and the water outlet is located on the second connecting surface.

3. The thermal management component according to claim 2, characterized in that, A first body is included between the first end of the first branch pipe and the second end of the second branch pipe, and a second body is included between the first end of the second branch pipe and the second end of the second branch pipe. The connection between the first branch pipe, the second branch pipe, the main water pipe, and the cold plate satisfies at least one of the following conditions: An angle exists between the first body and the first connecting surface; an angle exists between the second body and the second connecting surface; an angle exists between the first body and the mounting plane; and an angle exists between the second body and the mounting plane.

4. The thermal management assembly of claim 3, wherein, The included angle ranges from 10 to 80 degrees.

5. The thermal management assembly of claim 4, wherein, The included angle is in the range of 25 to 35 degrees.

6. The thermal management assembly of claim 1, wherein, The first branch pipe and the second branch pipe are located at the upper part of the main water pipe, or the first branch pipe and the second branch pipe are located at the lower part of the main water pipe.

7. The thermal management assembly of claim 1, wherein, The main water pipe integrates the inlet and outlet pipes.

8. The thermal management assembly of claim 7, wherein, The inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are arranged along the height direction of the main water pipe, or the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are arranged along the width direction of the main water pipe.

9. The thermal management assembly of claim 1 or 7 or 8, wherein, The main water pipe has a rectangular cross-section.

10. The thermal management assembly of claim 1 or 7 or 8, wherein, The main water pipe is made of metal.

11. The thermal management assembly of claim 1 or 7 or 8, wherein, The main water pipe is connected via connectors and intermediate beams and / or housings within the battery pack.

12. The thermal management assembly of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The cold plate includes multiple cooling zones connected in series, each of which is used to cool a row of battery cells.

13. The thermal management assembly of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The first side of the cold plate also includes a fixing part, which is used to connect with the intermediate beam and / or the box body.

14. A battery pack, characterized by The battery pack includes a plurality of batteries and a thermal management assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the main water pipe is disposed on at least one side of the battery pack.

15. A battery pack, characterized by The battery pack includes a housing, the housing including a sealed receiving cavity, and the battery pack as described in claim 14 is disposed in the receiving cavity.

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