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 and a cold plate, the cold plate is connected with the main water pipe, the main water pipe comprises a water inlet pipe and a water outlet pipe which are integrated, and the cross section of the main water pipe is rectangular. Therefore, the heat management assembly which is better in stability and smaller in occupied space can be provided.

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. In addition, the stability of the thermal management components within the battery pack is not high.

[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 and low stability of the thermal management components.

[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 and a cold plate, the cold plate being connected to the main water pipe, the main water pipe including an integrated inlet pipe and an outlet pipe, the main water pipe having a rectangular cross-section.

[0009] In an optional embodiment, the thermal management assembly further includes a first branch pipe through which the cold plate and the main water pipe are connected.

[0010] In an optional embodiment, the first end of the first branch pipe is connected to the connecting surface of the cold plate, the second end of the first branch pipe is connected to the mounting plane of the main water pipe, and a main body is included between the first end and the second end of the first branch pipe; there is an angle between the main body and the connecting surface, and / or there is an angle between the main 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 is disposed above or below the main water pipe.

[0014] In an optional embodiment, the first side of the cold plate includes an inlet connection surface and an outlet connection surface, a first end of one of the first branch pipes is connected to the inlet connection surface, and a first end of another of the first branch pipes is connected to the outlet connection surface.

[0015] In an optional embodiment, the cold plate includes a plurality of cooling zones connected in series, each of the cooling zones being used to cool a row of battery cells.

[0016] 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.

[0017] 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.

[0018] In an optional embodiment, the main water pipe is a metal pipe.

[0019] In an optional embodiment, the main water pipe is connected via a connector and an intermediate beam and / or housing within the battery pack.

[0020] In a second aspect, this application also provides a battery pack comprising a plurality of batteries and a thermal management component as described in any of the above, wherein the main water pipe is disposed on at least one side of the battery pack.

[0021] In a third aspect, this application also provides a battery pack, the battery pack including a housing, the housing including a sealed receiving cavity, and the aforementioned battery pack disposed in the receiving cavity.

[0022] The above-described technical solutions of this application have at least one or more of the following beneficial effects:

[0023] 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, improve space utilization, and enhance the stability of the thermal management component. Attached Figure Description

[0024] 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:

[0025] Figure 1 This is a side view of a thermal management component 10 according to an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 2 This is an enlarged view of the second end 1032 of a branch pipe 103 according to an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a main water pipe 101 and multiple branch pipes 103 in a thermal management component 10 according to an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A magnified view of region B in the middle;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another thermal management component 10 according to an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a thermal management component 10 installed in a battery pack according to an embodiment of this application.

[0031] List of reference numerals in the attached diagram:

[0032] 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. Inlet connecting surface; 102F2. Outlet connecting surface; 1021. First cooling zone; 1022. Second cooling zone; 1023. Connecting area; 1024. Fixing part; 103. First branch pipe; 1031. First end of first branch pipe; 1032. Second end of first branch pipe; 1033. Body of first branch pipe; 20. Intermediate beam; 30. Connector; α. First included angle; β. Second included angle; Z. Mounting direction of the first end of first branch pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0033] 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.

[0034] As mentioned in the background section, the current thermal management components occupy a lot of space, resulting in low space utilization and poor stability within the battery pack.

[0035] 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.

[0036] Please see the appendix Figures 1 to 6 The thermal management component 10 includes a main water pipe 101 and one or more cold plates 102. The main water pipe includes an integrated inlet pipe 1011 and an outlet pipe 1012. The main water pipe 101 and the cold plates 102 are connected. 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.

[0037] 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.

[0038] Optionally, as shown in the figure, the main water pipe 101 can be an integrally formed integrated pipe containing two channels, one of which is the inlet pipe 1011 and the other is the outlet pipe 1012. Furthermore, the cross-sections of the two channels can be rectangular, circular, elliptical, or other shapes.

[0039] 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.

[0040] 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.

[0041] The rectangular cross-section of the main water pipe 101 facilitates fixation and effectively improves the stability of the thermal management assembly 10. In addition, compared with separately arranged inlet and outlet water pipes, the integrated main water pipe 102 reduces space occupation and improves the space utilization of the thermal management assembly 10.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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).

[0044] 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.

[0045] In an optional embodiment, the thermal management assembly 10 includes a main water pipe 101, a cold plate 102, and a first branch pipe 103. A first end 1031 of the first branch pipe 103 is connected to the connecting surface 102F of the cold plate 102, and a second end 1032 of the first branch pipe 103 is connected to the mounting plane 101F of the main water pipe 101. A body 1033 is provided between the first end 1031 and the second end 1032. An angle (not shown in the figure) exists between the body 1033 and the connecting surface 102F, and / or an angle α exists between the mounting plane 101F and the body 1033.

[0046] In one specific embodiment, the included angle α ranges from 10 to 80 degrees to save space for the arrangement of the first branch pipe 103 in the Z direction.

[0047] In another specific 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 first branch pipe 103 in the Z direction 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.

[0048] In a specific example, please see Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a detailed connection diagram of 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 branch pipe 102 may include the body 1033 of the first branch pipe 103. 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.

[0049] 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 main body 1033 and the second end 1032 of the first branch pipe 103 corresponds to an angle of 100 to 170 degrees.

[0050] Preferably, when the included angle α is in the range of 25 to 35 degrees, the included angle β between the main body 1033 and the second end 1032 of the first branch pipe 103 corresponds to an angle of 115 to 125 degrees.

[0051] It should be noted that the figure only shows the included angle α between the main body 1033 of the first branch pipe 103 and the mounting plane 101F of the main water pipe 101. The included angle between the main 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 main body 1033 can also be set according to included angle β.

[0052] Alternatively, the included angle between the main 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.

[0053] In an optional embodiment, the first branch pipe 103 can be located above or below the main water pipe 101, thereby saving the layout space of the first branch pipe 103.

[0054] In one specific embodiment, as shown in the attached figure, the first branch pipe 103 is located above the main water pipe 101. The arrangement of the branch pipe 103 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.

[0055] In another specific embodiment, the first branch pipe 103 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.

[0056] It should be noted that the cross-section of the main water pipe 101 after being cut along its height direction can also include other directions, as long as the outer periphery of the main water pipe 101 includes at least one mounting plane 101F.

[0057] 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).

[0058] 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.

[0059] Optionally, the connector 30 may include various structures such as a snap-fit ​​structure, a bolt structure, or a connecting piece.

[0060] 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.

[0061] In an optional embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 The first side of the cold plate 102 (the first side is the side of the cold plate 102 that is close to the main water pipe 101) includes an inlet connection surface 102F1 and an outlet connection surface 102F2. Both the inlet connection surface 102F1 and the outlet connection surface 102F2 are connection surfaces 102F that are connected to the first end 1031 of the first branch pipe 103.

[0062] For a first branch pipe 103, its first end 1031 is connected to the water inlet connection surface 102F1, and its second end 1032 is connected to the water inlet pipe 1011, so that coolant can flow from the water inlet pipe 101 into this first branch pipe 103, and then into the cold plate 102.

[0063] Regarding the other first branch pipe 103, its first end 1031 is connected to the water outlet connection surface 102F2, and its second end 1032 is connected to the water outlet pipe 1012. The coolant in the cold plate 102 can flow through this first branch pipe 103 and then flow from the first branch pipe 103 into the water outlet pipe 1012.

[0064] Optionally, the inlet connection surface 102F1 and the outlet connection surface 102F2 can be two planes extending from the side of the cold plate 102, and their positions can be interchanged.

[0065] In one specific embodiment, the first end 1031 of the first branch pipe 103 is installed along the Z direction to the water inlet connection surface 102F1 or the water outlet connection surface 102F2, with the Z direction parallel to the height direction of the cold plate 102. This improves the ease of installation of the first end 1031 of the branch pipe 102.

[0066] 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.

[0067] 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 in the figure, includes two cooling zones, namely a first cooling zone 1021 and a second cooling zone 1022, which 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.

[0068] Therefore, a single cold plate 102 can be used to cool multiple rows of batteries, and only two first branch pipes 103 are needed to connect the cold plate 102 and the main water pipe 101, thereby saving the layout space of the thermal management components 10 and improving space utilization.

[0069] 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.

[0070] 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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] 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.

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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.

[0075] In one specific embodiment, a main water pipe 101 and a first branch pipe 103 are arranged 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.

[0076] In another specific embodiment, the two opposite sides of the rectangular battery pack are both located on the main water pipe 101 and the first branch pipe 103, thereby making reasonable use of the space inside the battery pack.

[0077] 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.

[0078] 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.

[0079] 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.

[0080] In an optional embodiment, there are multiple battery packs, and the main water pipes 101 of different battery packs are connected to each other via a second branch pipe (not shown in the figure).

[0081] For example, the battery pack contains three battery groups, each containing an integrated main water pipe 101, which includes an inlet pipe 1011 and an outlet pipe 1012. Adjacent main water pipes 101 are connected by a second branch pipe. Two second branch pipes may be included, one for connecting the inlet pipes 1011 of the two battery groups' main water pipes 101 together, and the other for connecting the outlet pipes 1012 of the two battery groups' main water pipes 101 together.

[0082] Furthermore, the main water pipe 101 can be a metal pipe, and the second branch pipe can be an injection-molded pipe or a rubber hose, thereby enabling flexible connection of the two main water pipes 101 and facilitating the arrangement of the battery pack.

[0083] 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.

[0084] 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.

[0085] 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.

[0086] 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 and a cold plate, the cold plate and the main water pipe being connected, the main water pipe including an integrated inlet pipe and an outlet pipe, and the main water pipe having a rectangular cross-section.

2. The thermal management assembly of claim 1, wherein, The thermal management component also includes a first branch pipe, through which the cold plate and the main water pipe are connected.

3. The thermal management assembly of claim 2, wherein, The first end of the first branch pipe is connected to the connecting surface of the cold plate, and the second end of the first branch pipe is connected to the mounting plane of the main water pipe. The first end and the second end of the first branch pipe include a main body. There is an angle between the main body and the connecting surface, and / or there is an angle between the main 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 3, wherein, The first branch pipe is located above or below the main water pipe.

7. The thermal management assembly of claim 3, wherein, The first side of the cold plate includes an inlet connection surface and an outlet connection surface. The first end of one of the first branch pipes is connected to the inlet connection surface, and the first end of the other first branch pipe is connected to the outlet connection surface.

8. The thermal management assembly of claim 7, wherein, The cold plate includes multiple cooling zones connected in series, each of which is used to cool a row of battery cells.

9. The thermal management assembly of claim 7 or 8, 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.

10. The thermal management assembly of claim 1, 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.

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

12. The thermal management assembly of claim 11, wherein, The main water pipe is connected via connectors and the intermediate beam and / or housing within the battery pack.

13. A battery pack, characterized by The battery pack includes a plurality of batteries and a thermal management component as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the main water pipe is disposed on at least one side of the battery pack.

14. 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 13 is disposed in the receiving cavity.

15. The battery pack of claim 14, wherein, There are multiple battery packs, and the main water pipes of different battery packs are connected to each other through a second branch pipe.

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