Integrated multi-stage shunting cooling plate

Abstract

The utility model discloses an integrated multistage shunting cooling plate which comprises a pipe nozzle, flat pipes and a plurality of collecting pipes, the upper collecting pipe is communicated with the lower collecting pipe through the flat pipes, after heat conducting structural adhesive is added on the flat pipes, a double-layer battery cell can be cooled, compared with a cold plate, a temperature equalizing plate is omitted, the weight is reduced by 3kg, the flat pipes are arranged in parallel, and the heat conducting structural adhesive is added on the flat pipes. An inlet and an outlet are formed in the pipe nozzle, the axis of the inlet and the axis of the outlet are parallel, the inlet and the outlet are integrated on the pipe nozzle on the same side, sealing rings are arranged on the inlet and the outlet respectively, the sealing performance of connection with a system pipeline is guaranteed through the design of the sealing rings on the pipe nozzle, the inlet and the outlet are integrated on the same pipe nozzle, and the structure is optimized. According to the cooling plate structure, the cooling uniformity is improved, the structural integration degree is enhanced, the whole plate is light, and the efficiency and adaptability of a power battery thermal management system are remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of battery pack cooling plate technology, specifically an integrated multi-stage shunt cooling plate. Background Technology

[0002] With the widespread application of new energy vehicles, the safety and lifespan of their core component—the power battery—have become crucial metrics for overall vehicle performance and quality. Power batteries generate significant heat during charging and discharging. Insufficient or uneven cooling can lead to excessive temperature differences between cells, potentially causing thermal runaway, cell performance degradation, or decreased system efficiency. Therefore, developing compact, highly efficient, and uniformly coolant cooling devices has become a key task in battery pack thermal management design.

[0003] Currently, commonly used battery cooling technologies include coolant-flowing cold plates, evaporative cold plates, and phase change material-assisted structures. Among these, flow-type cold plates are widely used due to their structural controllability and heat exchange stability. Traditional flow-type cold plates typically employ a single-channel structure, introducing coolant into multiple microchannels within the cold plate for heat exchange through a single-inlet, single-outlet flow pattern. However, this structure generally suffers from the following problems: uneven flow distribution; the single-channel structure is prone to pressure gradient differences as the coolant flows through multiple paths, leading to uneven distribution of coolant in different paths, resulting in cell temperature differences exceeding 5°C, reducing cell consistency and system safety; complex structure and large space occupation; due to structural redundancy, multiple welding points and interface sealing are required, increasing material costs and also raising leakage risks and maintenance difficulties.

[0004] Patent document CN114497826A proposes a multi-functional dual-layer cooling structure with certain advantages in heat dissipation and structural integration. However, this solution still has the following shortcomings: it lacks the ability to finely distribute heat, making it difficult to adapt to uneven heat flow between layers; it has numerous interfaces and structural redundancy, resulting in complex sealing and difficult assembly; and its overall weight is relatively large, which is not conducive to achieving vehicle lightweighting.

[0005] In summary, the existing technology lacks a cooling plate structure that combines high integration, good cooling uniformity, light weight, low cost, and easy system connection. Therefore, an integrated multi-stage flow-diverting cooling plate is proposed to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to overcome the existing defects and provide an integrated multi-stage flow distribution cooling plate, which improves cooling uniformity, enhances structural integration and reduces the weight of the whole plate, significantly improves the efficiency and adaptability of the power battery thermal management system, and can effectively solve the problems in the background art.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: an integrated multi-stage distribution cooling plate, comprising a nozzle, flat tubes, and manifolds. Several manifolds are arranged, with the upper-stage manifold connected to the lower-stage manifold via flat tubes. Adding thermally conductive structural adhesive to the flat tubes allows for cooling of double-layer battery cells. Compared to a cold plate, this structure eliminates the need for a heat spreader, reducing weight by 3 kg. The flat tubes are arranged parallel to each other. The nozzle has an inlet and an outlet, with their axes parallel and integrated on the same side. Sealing rings are provided on the inlet and outlet respectively. The sealing ring design on the nozzle ensures a tight seal with the system piping. The inlet and outlet are integrated on the same nozzle, and through structural optimization, the system is divided into two parts while ensuring uniform distribution. This integrated nozzle design reduces the overall weight of the piping. The primary manifold is connected to the nozzle inlet via a distribution pipe, and the final-stage manifold is connected to the nozzle outlet via a return pipe. The final-stage flat tubes converge at the outlet via two return pipes, forming a closed-loop path.

[0008] Furthermore, the manifold is divided into primary manifold, secondary manifold, tertiary manifold, quaternary manifold, quinary manifold, sixth manifold, and seventh manifold, with two manifolds for each level, and two branch pipes and two return pipes for each level. The branch pipes, return pipes, and manifolds are fixed together by welding.

[0009] Furthermore, the fifth-stage and seventh-stage manifolds are installed on the same pipeline, which is designated as manifold 1. Manifold 1 has a baffle inside, which divides it into the fifth-stage and seventh-stage manifolds. The second-stage and fourth-stage manifolds are also installed on the same pipeline, which is designated as manifold 2. Manifold 2 has a baffle inside, which divides manifold 1 into the second-stage and fourth-stage manifolds. This structure helps to reduce the length of the manifolds and increase the overall structural length. The lengths of manifold 1 and manifold 2 are the widths of the two sides of the cooling plate. The third-stage and first-stage manifolds are welded and fixed to manifold 1, and the sixth-stage manifold is welded and fixed to manifold 2.

[0010] Furthermore, the internal baffle ratio of the manifold is adjustable from 3:7 to 7:3. By changing the baffle ratio, different flow requirements can be met, extending the refrigerant path, increasing the heat exchange area by 30%, and maintaining a temperature difference of ≤3℃.

[0011] Furthermore, both the first and second long collector tubes are equipped with perforated brackets, which are used to fix the cooling plate for easy installation.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0013] 1. By introducing an integrated coaxial inlet and outlet nozzle and a multi-stage manifold distribution structure into the cooling plate, efficient flow and uniform distribution of coolant within the plate are achieved. The integrated nozzle structure concentrates the inlet and outlet on the same side, and the internal structure separates the refrigerant inlet and outlet to achieve a "two-way" refrigerant introduction method, effectively reducing the number of external connection ports and improving sealing reliability. The multi-stage manifold structure, combined with an adjustable internal baffle, enables the refrigerant to achieve gradient distribution between each stage of the manifold and maintain pressure balance, thereby significantly improving cooling uniformity. Compared with the traditional structure, this invention can reduce the cell temperature difference from 5℃ to less than 3℃, improve the refrigerant distribution uniformity by about 20%, effectively ensure the consistency of cell operating temperature, and improve the thermal stability of the system.

[0014] 2. This utility model eliminates the metal heat spreader assembly in traditional cold plates and instead uses a method of coating the surface of microchannel flat tubes with high thermal conductivity structural adhesive to achieve direct heat exchange between the upper and lower layers of battery cells. This design not only simplifies the heat transfer path within the plate and reduces thermal resistance, but also avoids the additional weight and assembly complexity brought by the heat spreader. In addition, the integrated welding structure reduces the number of solder joints and assembly steps, further improving manufacturing efficiency and assembly accuracy.

[0015] 3. The cooling plate can be flexibly adapted to battery modules of various capacities and arrangements, and has good versatility and platform potential; the integrated structure's sealing and reliability design also helps to improve the safety and stability of the whole vehicle system, and reduce maintenance frequency and operational risks. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model;

[0017] Figure 2 This utility model Figure 1 A magnified structural diagram at point A;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the flow direction of the refrigerant from the upper manifold to the lower manifold in this utility model.

[0019] In the diagram: 1. Inlet, 2. Outlet, 3. Nozzle, 4. Return pipe, 5. Diverter pipe, 6. Long manifold pipe 1, 7. Long manifold pipe 2, 8. Baffle, 9. Sixth-stage manifold, 10. Flat pipe, 11. Perforated bracket, 12. Third-stage manifold, 13. First-stage manifold, 14. Fifth-stage manifold, 15. Second-stage manifold, 16. Fourth-stage manifold, 17. Seventh-stage manifold, 18. Sealing ring. Detailed Implementation

[0020] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "longitudinal", "lateral", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0021] Please see Figure 1-3 This utility model provides a technical solution: an integrated multi-stage distribution cooling plate, including a nozzle 3, a flat tube 10, and a manifold. The upper-stage manifold is connected to the lower-stage manifold through the flat tube 10. The flat tubes 10 are arranged parallel to each other, and thermally conductive structural adhesive is added to the flat tubes 10 to cool the double-layer battery cells. The nozzle 3 is provided with an inlet 1 and an outlet 2, and the two axes are parallel and located on the same side integrated on the nozzle 3. Sealing rings 18 are respectively provided on the inlet 1 and the outlet 2 to ensure the sealing when connected to the system pipeline. The inlet and outlet are integrated on the same nozzle 3. With the help of structural optimization design, it is divided into two and the distribution is even. The primary manifold is connected to the inlet 1 of the nozzle 3 through a distribution pipe 5, and the final-stage manifold is connected to the outlet 2 of the nozzle 3 through a return pipe 4. The final-stage flat tube 10 is connected to the outlet 2 through two return pipes 4 to form a closed refrigerant circulation path.

[0022] Working principle: The cooling plate adopts an integrated nozzle design, integrating inlet 1 and outlet 2 on one side of nozzle 3, and combining with sealing ring 18 to improve the sealing of pipeline connection; after the fluid enters from inlet 1, it is introduced into the primary manifold through the diversion pipe 5, and then transferred to the next-stage manifold through the parallel flat pipes 10, and finally merges into the return pipe 4 through the final flat pipe 10 and is discharged from outlet 2, forming a closed flow path circulation system; the multi-stage manifolds are connected by parallel flat pipes 10, so that the refrigerant is evenly distributed, and the upper and lower layers of battery cells can be synchronously cooled through thermally conductive structural adhesive, constructing an interlayer heat exchange channel, eliminating the traditional heat spreader structure; the entire system realizes a coaxial parallel flow path configuration, and the heat conduction path is optimized by structural adhesive to ensure efficient heat exchange and the goal of system lightweighting.

[0023] Beneficial effects: This structure significantly improves the uniformity of coolant distribution within the cooling plate, ensuring consistent cooling of the dual-layer cells; the integrated nozzle structure effectively reduces the number of interfaces and connectors, improving sealing reliability and reducing leakage risk; at the same time, eliminating the traditional heat spreader reduces the overall structure by approximately 3 kg, achieving structural simplification and overall lightweighting; the use of high thermal conductivity structural adhesive for direct heat transfer reduces thermal resistance and improves heat exchange efficiency, further optimizing the temperature consistency and thermal management performance of the power battery; in addition, this design combines the advantages of high integration, convenient installation, and strong sealing, making it suitable for large-scale battery module thermal management scenarios.

[0024] Without altering the overall structural design, flat tubes 10 of different specifications can be selected to accommodate varying flow rates and module size requirements. Thermally conductive structural adhesives can be selected from thermally conductive silicone or thermal interface materials based on actual thermal conductivity. The connection between nozzle 3 and shunt tube 5 and return tube 4 can also employ quick-connect sealing interfaces or threaded connections to adapt to different system interface requirements. If the cell arrangement is asymmetrical, the arrangement angle of flat tubes 10 and the positional relationship of manifolds can be adjusted to accommodate non-standard modules. Furthermore, in terms of system installation, nozzle 3 can be designed to be rotatable for easy tube routing, enhancing the overall board assembly flexibility and compatibility.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the manifold is divided into a primary manifold 13, a secondary manifold 15, a tertiary manifold 12, a quaternary manifold 16, a quinary manifold 14, a sixth-stage manifold 9, and a seventh-stage manifold 17, with two manifolds for each stage; two branch pipes 5 and two return pipes 4 are also provided, and the branch pipes 5 and return pipes 4 are fixed to the manifolds of each stage by welding.

[0026] Working principle: This implementation refines the entire cooling channel into a seven-stage manifold system. The refrigerant is sequentially conducted through multiple manifolds to achieve progressive heat exchange. Each stage has two manifolds, which helps ensure symmetrical distribution of the fluid in the horizontal direction and enhances the stability of the refrigerant flow. (See attached...) Figure 3 As shown, after the refrigerant enters through the distributor pipe 5, it is distributed in the primary manifold, also known as the first-stage manifold 13, and then sequentially passes through the second-stage manifold 15, the third-stage manifold 12, the fourth-stage manifold 16, the fifth-stage manifold 14, the sixth-stage manifold 9, and finally the seventh-stage manifold 17. Each stage is connected by a welded flat pipe 10, forming a complete heat exchange path. The return path relies on two return pipes 4 connected in parallel to each end manifold section to recover the refrigerant and return it to the nozzle outlet 2, forming a complete closed loop. The welding and fixing method ensures the structural strength and fluid sealing of the connection parts, improving the system stability.

[0027] Beneficial effects: This implementation achieves a more detailed and hierarchical cooling path layout through a multi-stage flow collection structure, effectively reducing the flow resistance of the refrigerant within the plate and local heat accumulation; each stage is equipped with two flow collection channels, which improves the uniformity of fluid distribution on the cooling plate, allowing the coolant to evenly cover each heat source area, thereby improving cooling efficiency and temperature uniformity; the welded structure improves the overall structural stability, reduces the risk of leakage due to loose joints, and facilitates standardized mass production, improving product consistency and reliability.

[0028] Without affecting cooling performance, the specific number of manifolds at each stage can be adjusted according to the battery module's heat load or structural shape. For example, it can be set to an odd number of stages or a five-stage structure to adapt to different cooling strategies. The welding method can be laser welding, brazing, or resistance welding, depending on the material, to further improve welding accuracy and airtightness. The number of shunt pipes 5 and return pipes 4 can also be appropriately increased according to the plate length and flow requirements to optimize flow balance. Under different cooling system connection forms, quick-connect fittings can be used to replace some welding interfaces to improve assembly flexibility and simplify maintenance operations.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the fifth-stage manifold 14 and the seventh-stage manifold 17 are jointly arranged on the same pipeline, which is designated as a first manifold 6. The first manifold 6 has a partition 8 inside, which divides it into the fifth-stage manifold 14 and the seventh-stage manifold 17. The second-stage manifold 15 and the fourth-stage manifold 16 are jointly arranged on the same pipeline, which is designated as a second manifold 7. The second manifold 7 also has a partition 8 inside, which is used to separate the second-stage manifold 15 and the fourth-stage manifold 16. The third-stage manifold 12 and the first-stage manifold 13 are welded and fixed to the first manifold 6, and the sixth-stage manifold 9 is welded and fixed to the second manifold 7. This structural arrangement helps to reduce the number of manifolds and connection points, and improves the structural compactness and cooling path integration.

[0030] Working principle: This implementation method achieves functional integration of two different levels of flow collection zones by introducing a baffle 8 into a single manifold. The baffle 8 in the first flow collection tube 6 divides the internal space into five-level and seven-level flow collection chambers, while the second flow collection tube 7 is similarly divided into two-level and four-level chambers. After the refrigerant flows through different stages, it is guided to the corresponding section through the internal baffle, thereby achieving multi-level flow distribution within the same tube. This multi-functional tube design greatly reduces the volume of the cooling plate, making the flow collection structure more compact. The separately set first-level, third-level, and sixth-level flow collection tubes are directly welded to the corresponding flow collection tubes to form a closed cooling channel, ensuring that each cooling zone has sufficient flow passage and heat exchange area.

[0031] Beneficial effects: This structure uses the first and second long manifolds 6 and 7 to carry two different levels of manifold functions respectively, which significantly reduces the number of independent manifolds, reduces the number of welding points, and improves the overall system reliability and manufacturing efficiency. The introduction of the partition 8 ensures the physical isolation of the refrigerant passages at each level, prevents cross-contamination of fluids, and improves the guidance and flow uniformity of the manifold path. This structure significantly reduces the lateral width of the cooling plate, enhances modular design capabilities, and helps to reduce the weight of the overall system and optimize its layout. In addition, the enhanced structural compactness makes it easier to integrate into the small space of the battery pack.

[0032] Replaceable or adaptable implementation methods: The manifold can be selected with different cross-sectional shapes (such as rectangular, elliptical or D-shaped) to adapt to different cooling channel layout requirements; the baffle 8 material can be aluminum alloy or high thermal conductivity composite material to improve thermal conductivity and structural rigidity; in addition to conventional welding methods, laser fusion or mechanical riveting can also be considered for welding the internal baffles to simplify the manufacturing process; if it is necessary to improve the fluid guiding function of the baffle, it can be designed with an arc transition or have a flow guide hole structure to reduce fluid impact loss; under different application scenarios, the length of the manifold and the position of the baffle can also be flexibly adjusted according to the cooling area requirements to ensure versatility and adaptability.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the partition 8 inside the manifold is divided in a 1:1 ratio and is adjustable from 3:7 to 7:3. By setting different division ratios of the partition 8 inside the manifold, different flow requirements can be adapted, thereby extending the refrigerant path and increasing the heat exchange area by about 30%, ensuring that the temperature difference of the entire plate is ≤3℃.

[0034] Working principle: This implementation method sets up a variable-ratio baffle 8 inside the manifold. Its initial state is a 1:1 equal division structure, forming two flow channels of the same volume to ensure initial cooling uniformity. In specific applications, the baffle division ratio can be adjusted between 3:7 and 7:3 according to the heat load changes of different cooling sections, thereby realizing dynamic optimization of refrigerant flow distribution. For example, when a certain cooling zone requires stronger cooling, the distribution ratio of that zone can be adjusted to 70% to improve local flow and heat exchange efficiency. This structure effectively extends the flow path of the refrigerant in the plate, increases its residence time, and increases the heat exchange area by about 30%, keeping the temperature difference within 3℃ and ensuring the consistency of cell temperature control and the stability of thermal management.

[0035] Beneficial effects: The introduction of the 1:1 initial equal division structure and adjustable division mechanism of the separator 8 enables precise adaptation to the cooling needs of different areas, effectively alleviating the uneven cooling phenomenon caused by uneven cell layout; by adjusting the distribution ratio, the cooling capacity of high heat load sections can be significantly enhanced, improving the overall thermal response efficiency and safety of the system; due to the increase in flow channel length and expansion of thermal contact area, the heat exchange efficiency is significantly improved, meeting the key requirements of power batteries for temperature difference control, thermal uniformity and rapid heat dissipation, thereby extending battery life and reducing the probability of failure.

[0036] The adjustable partition structure can be constructed using modular slides, knob adjustment, or replaceable inserts, allowing for pre-setting of the proportions based on thermal simulation results before shipment, or adjustment as needed during use. The materials selected are aluminum-magnesium alloys or engineering plastics that balance thermal conductivity and molding strength. If the application environment changes little, a fixed partition ratio can be used to simplify the structure, or a three-way partition design can be adopted to achieve independent control of multiple zones. For large-area battery modules, the structure can also be expanded into a multi-channel parallel design to achieve zoned control of overall thermal management.

[0037] In one possible implementation, perforated brackets 11 are provided on the first collector tube 6 and the second collector tube 7, respectively. The perforated brackets 11 are used to fix the cooling plate structure, thereby facilitating its installation and positioning in the battery module or vehicle system.

[0038] Working principle: This embodiment achieves a stable connection between the cooling plate and the external mounting structure by setting perforated brackets 11 on the outer walls of the two main collection channels—collector tube 1 6 and collector tube 2 7. The perforated brackets 11 have preset holes that can be quickly connected to connecting elements such as threaded holes and pins in the vehicle body bracket, battery module frame, or guide rail system. During installation, the brackets 11 only need to be aligned with the positioning holes and fixed with screws or rivets to complete the positioning and mechanical constraint of the entire cooling plate, ensuring structural stability and vibration resistance during vehicle operation.

[0039] Beneficial effects: The perforated bracket 11 significantly improves the ease of installation and structural versatility of the cooling plate; the bracket 11 not only reduces assembly time and manual assembly errors, but also enhances the mechanical connection strength of the cooling plate in the vehicle system, effectively resisting structural fatigue caused by vibration and impact; at the same time, the structure is simple in design, occupies little space, and is easy to deploy in highly integrated battery pack environments; the multi-hole layout also supports flexible adjustment of the installation angle and direction, meeting the installation needs of different platforms, and improving system adaptability and modular design capabilities.

[0040] Replaceable or adaptable implementation methods: The geometry of the perforated bracket 11 can be selected as an L-shaped, U-shaped, or T-shaped structure according to the structure of the installation area; its material can be aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or composite material to balance the structural strength and the weight of the entire plate; the fixing holes can be set as elongated holes to support fine-tuning positioning in the front and back or up and down, and multiple universal hole positions can also be reserved according to different platforms to achieve rapid switching of standardized platforms; in more integrated applications, snap-on or magnetic structures can also be considered to replace traditional threaded connections to further improve assembly efficiency and support rapid disassembly and maintenance operations.

[0041] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features and advantages of this utility model. Various changes and modifications may be made to this utility model without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of this utility model as claimed.

Claims

1. An integrated multi-stage flow-dividing cooling plate, comprising a nozzle (3), a flat tube (10), and a manifold, characterized in that: Several manifolds are provided. The upper manifold is connected to the lower manifold through a flat tube (10). Thermally conductive structural adhesive is added to the flat tube (10). The flat tubes (10) are arranged parallel to each other. The nozzle (3) is provided with an inlet (1) and an outlet (2). The axes of the inlet (1) and the outlet (2) are parallel and integrated on the same side of the nozzle (3). A sealing ring (18) is provided on the inlet (1) and the outlet (2) respectively. The primary manifold is connected to the inlet (1) of the nozzle (3) through a diversion pipe (5). The final manifold is connected to the outlet (2) of the nozzle (3) through a return pipe (4).

2. The integrated multi-stage flow-diverting cooling plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The manifold is divided into a first-level manifold (13), a second-level manifold (15), a third-level manifold (12), a fourth-level manifold (16), a fifth-level manifold (14), a sixth-level manifold (9), and a seventh-level manifold (17). Two manifolds are provided for each level. Two branch pipes (5) and two return pipes (4) are provided for each level. The branch pipes (5), return pipes (4), and manifolds are fixed together by welding.

3. The integrated multi-stage flow-diverting cooling plate according to claim 2, characterized in that: The five-stage manifold (14) and the seven-stage manifold (17) are set together on the same pipeline. This pipeline is set as the first manifold (6). The first manifold (6) is equipped with a baffle (8). The baffle (8) divides the first manifold (6) into the five-stage manifold (14) and the seven-stage manifold (17). The second-stage manifold (15) and the fourth-stage manifold (16) are set together on the same pipeline. This pipeline is set as the second manifold (7). The second manifold (7) is equipped with a baffle (8). The baffle (8) divides the first manifold (6) into the second-stage manifold (15) and the fourth-stage manifold (16). The third-stage manifold (12) and the first-stage manifold (13) are welded and fixed to the first manifold (6) respectively. The sixth-stage manifold (9) is welded and fixed to the second manifold (7).

4. The integrated multi-stage flow-diverting cooling plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The internal partition (8) of the manifold has an adjustable ratio of 3:7 to 7:

3.

5. An integrated multi-stage flow-diverting cooling plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: Perforated brackets (11) are respectively installed on the first (6) and the second (7) of the flow collection pipe.

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