Thermal management device

Abstract

The utility model discloses a thermal management device which is used for cooling a battery pack, the thermal management device comprises a box body, the box body comprises a top plate, a bottom plate and a plurality of side plates connected between the top plate and the bottom plate, and the top plate, the bottom plate and the side plates define a containing cavity for containing the battery pack. A plurality of draught fans are fixedly installed in the containing cavity, and a plurality of ventilation openings communicating with the containing cavity and the outside of the box body are formed in the box body. According to the heat management device disclosed by the utility model, the fan fixedly arranged in the box body drives the gas in the accommodating cavity to flow, so that the flowing speed of the gas around the battery pack in the accommodating cavity is increased, the heat taken away by the gas in the battery pack is increased, and the cooling efficiency of the battery pack is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of battery technology, specifically relating to a thermal management device. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, after a single battery pack is tested, the temperature rises. Existing technologies generally use natural cooling to restore the battery pack temperature to the starting temperature for the next test. This means that the battery pack is placed in the external environment and allowed to cool down naturally to the starting temperature for the next test. However, due to the influence of the natural environment, especially in summer, the temperature of the natural environment is high, which reduces the cooling efficiency of the battery pack.

[0003] The information disclosed in this background section is intended only to enhance the understanding of the overall background of this utility model and should not be construed as an admission or in any way implying that the information constitutes prior art known to those skilled in the art. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a thermal management device that can improve the cooling efficiency of a battery pack.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, a specific embodiment of this utility model provides the following technical solution: a thermal management device for cooling a battery pack. The thermal management device includes a housing, which includes a top plate, a bottom plate, and multiple side plates connected between the top plate and the bottom plate. The top plate, the bottom plate, and the side plates form a receiving cavity for accommodating the battery pack. Several fans are fixedly installed inside the receiving cavity. The housing is provided with several vents that connect the receiving cavity to the outside of the housing.

[0006] In one or more embodiments of this utility model, the vent is provided on the side plate, and the fan is fixedly installed on the side plate or the top plate.

[0007] In one or more embodiments of this utility model, the fan is fixedly installed on one of two adjacent side plates, and the vent is provided on the other side plate; or, the fan is fixedly installed on one of two opposing side plates, and the vent is provided on the other side plate.

[0008] In one or more embodiments of this utility model, a filter element is installed inside the vent, and the filter element is provided with a plurality of filter holes.

[0009] In one or more embodiments of this utility model, a baffle covering the vent is fixedly installed on the outside of the box, and the baffle is provided with a plurality of vent holes communicating with the vent.

[0010] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the fan includes at least one first fan and at least one second fan fixedly installed on the side plate, wherein the distance between the first fan and the base plate is greater than the distance between the second fan and the base plate.

[0011] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, at least a portion of the top plate, the bottom plate, and the side plate includes an inner wall, an outer wall, and an insulation layer disposed between the inner wall and the outer wall.

[0012] In one or more embodiments of this utility model, one of the two opposing side plates is provided with the vent, and the other is provided with an inlet communicating with the receiving cavity, and a door is movably installed at the inlet.

[0013] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the base plate includes a guide portion located outside the side plate, the guide portion including a guide surface extending outward from the bottom of the inlet to the bottom surface of the base plate.

[0014] In one or more embodiments of this utility model, a photovoltaic panel is installed on the top of the housing, and the photovoltaic panel is electrically connected to the fan inside the housing.

[0015] In one or more embodiments of this utility model, a control panel is fixedly installed on the outside of the housing, the control panel is wirelessly connected to the fan, and the control panel is provided with an interface for wired connection to the battery pack.

[0016] Compared with existing technologies, the thermal management device of this invention uses a fan fixedly installed inside the housing to drive the gas flow within the containment cavity, increasing the gas flow speed around the battery pack and thus increasing the heat carried away by the gas, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the battery pack. Furthermore, the containment cavity is connected to the outside environment through a vent, allowing gas inside the cavity to flow to the outside while outside gas flows into the cavity through vents. This exchange of gas between the cavity and the outside environment maintains the temperature of the gas within the containment cavity within a certain range, preventing a decrease in cooling efficiency due to excessively high gas temperatures. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1This is a perspective view of the thermal management device in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the thermal management device in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the thermal management device in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the thermal management device in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the thermal management device after removing the door body in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 6 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the box body in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Explanation of key figure labels:

[0025] 1. Enclosure; 11. Top plate; 12. Bottom plate; 121. Guide section; 13. Side plate; 131. Inlet; 132. Door; 14. Receiving cavity; 15. Vent; 16. Filter element; 171. Inner wall; 172. Outer wall; 173. Insulation layer; 18. Lifting hole; 2. Fan; 3. Baffle; 31. Vent hole; 4. Photovoltaic panel; 5. Control panel; 6. Battery pack. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of this utility model, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0027] As mentioned in the background section, battery pack performance testing typically requires multiple repetitions. After each test, the battery pack's temperature rises, and it needs to cool down to a certain temperature (the starting temperature for the next test) before another performance test can be conducted. Current technology uses a static method to allow the battery pack to cool naturally; however, the efficiency of natural cooling is significantly reduced, especially in summer. Furthermore, leaving the battery pack outdoors exposes it to wind and rain, which can cause contamination.

[0028] Example 1:

[0029] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the thermal management device in this embodiment is used to cool the battery pack 6. The thermal management device includes a housing 1, which has a housing cavity 14 for housing the battery pack 6. The housing 1 is provided with a vent 15 that connects the housing cavity 14 to the outside of the housing 1. The vent 15 is connected to the housing cavity 14. A fan 2 is fixedly installed in the housing cavity 14 of the housing 1.

[0030] Understandably, the thermal management device of this embodiment uses a fan 2 fixedly installed inside the housing 1 to drive the gas flow within the containment cavity 14, increasing the gas flow speed around the battery pack 6 within the containment cavity 14, increasing the heat carried away by the gas from the battery pack 6, and improving cooling efficiency. Furthermore, the containment cavity 14 is connected to the outside through a vent 15. Gas within the containment cavity 14 flows to the outside through the vent 15, and outside gas flows into the containment cavity 14 through the vent 15. This exchange of gas within the containment cavity 14 with the outside gas maintains the temperature of the gas within the containment cavity 14 within a certain range, preventing a decrease in cooling efficiency due to excessively high gas temperature within the containment cavity 14.

[0031] Specifically, in this embodiment, the fan 2 is a common industrial fan, which accelerates the flow of gas. In other embodiments, the housing 1 may be provided with multiple vents 15.

[0032] The thermal management device in this embodiment can be placed outdoors. The housing 1 can protect the battery pack 6, reduce the contamination of the battery pack 6 by external impurities, and prevent the battery pack 6 from being damaged by external objects.

[0033] Preferably, the containment cavity 14 can contain multiple battery packs 6 at one time, with the multiple battery packs 6 spaced apart, thereby increasing the contact area between each battery pack 6 and the gas and improving the cooling efficiency.

[0034] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the housing 1 in this embodiment is composed of a top plate 11, a bottom plate 12, and four side plates 13 connected between the top plate 11 and the bottom plate 12. The top plate 11, the bottom plate 12, and the four side plates 13 form a receiving cavity 14. Two rows of fans 2 are respectively provided on the two oppositely arranged side plates 13, with each row including three fans 2. The fans 2 fixedly installed on the two oppositely arranged side plates 13 can make the gas in the receiving cavity 14 form convection, further increasing the flow speed of the gas in the receiving cavity 14 and improving the cooling efficiency. The two rows of fans 2 increase the gas flow rate, increase the flow volume and flow speed of the gas in the receiving cavity 14, and improve the cooling efficiency.

[0035] Specifically, the two rows of fans 2 are the first fan and the second fan, respectively. Figure 3The fan 2 located in the lower row is the second fan, and the fan 2 located in the upper row is the first fan. That is, the distance between the first fan and the base plate 12 is greater than the distance between the second fan and the base plate 12.

[0036] Furthermore, a vent 15 is provided on one of the two side plates 13 where the fan 2 is not installed. This arrangement allows the gas in the containment cavity 14 to flow to the battery pack 6 as much as possible before exchanging with the outside gas through the vent 15, ensuring the cooling efficiency of the thermal management device and reducing the wasted power of the fan 2.

[0037] Furthermore, such as Figure 2 As shown, a filter element 16 is installed inside the vent 15 of the housing 1. The filter element 16 has several filter holes, that is, the filter element 16 is a common filter screen structure on the market, which plays the role of blocking external impurities from entering the housing cavity 14 and preventing external impurities from contaminating the battery pack 6.

[0038] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, a baffle 3 covering the vent 15 is fixedly installed on the outside of the housing 1. The baffle 3 has multiple vent holes 31 communicating with the vent 15. The multiple vent holes 31 on the baffle 3 are spaced apart, and there is a gap between the baffle 3 and the filter element 16. The size of the vent holes 31 is larger than the size of the filter holes. The baffle 3 can protect the filter element 16 and prevent other objects from hitting the filter element 16 from the outside and causing damage. In addition, the baffle 3 can also block some larger impurities, such as leaves and plastic bags. Furthermore, when a larger impurity blocks one or more vent holes 31, the outside air can flow through other unblocked vent holes 31 to the filter holes on the filter element 16 without affecting the filtration performance of the filter element 16.

[0039] like Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the side plate 13, which is opposite to the side plate 13 with the vent 15, is also provided with an inlet 131 that communicates with the receiving cavity 14. A door 132 is movably installed at the inlet 131. When the door 132 is opened, the battery pack 6 can enter the receiving cavity 14 through the inlet 131. When cooling of the battery pack 6 is required, the door 132 is closed, and the inlet 131 is sealed as much as possible to reduce the possibility of external impurities entering the receiving cavity 14 through the inlet 131.

[0040] Specifically, in this embodiment, the door body 132 can be rotatably mounted on the side plate 13 via a fixed hinge and locked onto the side plate 13 by a door lock. In other embodiments, the door body 132 can also be a commonly available lifting door structure, roller shutter door structure, or folding door structure, etc.

[0041] Preferably, in order to improve the sealing performance of the door 132, a sealing strip can be provided between the edge of the door 132 and the inlet 131 on the side panel 13. The sealing strip can be installed on the door 132 or the side panel 13, and the sealing strip can be a sealing strip made of common rubber material on the market.

[0042] like Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the base plate 13 includes a guide portion 121 located outside the side plate 13. The guide portion 121 includes a guide surface extending outward from the bottom of the inlet 131 to the bottom surface of the base plate 13. That is, the guide surface can be regarded as an inclined plane, and the guide portion 121 can be regarded as a slope. Since the battery pack 6 is heavy, it is not convenient for operators to manually handle it. Operators use forklifts or electric transfer vehicles to transport the battery pack 6 through the guide portion 121 into the housing 1, which facilitates the transportation of the battery pack 6.

[0043] like Figure 6 As shown, the top plate 11, bottom plate 12, and four side plates 13 each include an inner wall 171, an outer wall 172, and an insulation layer 173 disposed between the inner wall 171 and the outer wall 172. The insulation layer 173 can serve as a heat insulation layer. For example, when the thermal management device is placed outdoors, the temperature of the outer wall 172 may rise due to sunlight. The heat insulation effect of the insulation layer 173 can reduce the impact of the temperature rise of the outer wall 172 on the temperature inside the receiving cavity 14.

[0044] Specifically, both the inner wall 171 and the outer wall 172 are made of color steel plate, which has excellent mechanical strength, ensuring the overall mechanical strength of the enclosure. The insulation layer 173 is made of rock wool, which has good thermal insulation properties, good sound insulation properties, excellent mechanical properties and compressive strength. Furthermore, rock wool is a lightweight material, effectively reducing the weight of the enclosure 1 and facilitating its handling and movement. In other embodiments, the inner wall 171, outer wall 172, and insulation layer 173 can be made of other common materials.

[0045] like Figure 1 As shown, a photovoltaic panel 4 is installed on the top of the housing 1. The photovoltaic panel 4 is electrically connected to the fan 2 inside the housing 1 to provide power to the fan 2. The photovoltaic panel 4 converts solar energy into electrical energy, which drives the fan 2. The thermal management device is self-powered and does not require an external power source, thus reducing cooling costs. In other embodiments, an external power supply can also be used to provide power to the fan 2.

[0046] Furthermore, a control panel 5 is fixedly installed on the outside of the housing 1. The control panel 5 is wirelessly connected to the fan 2, and can control the start and stop of the fan 2 as well as its speed. The control panel 5 has a display screen and an interface for wired connection with the battery pack 6. This interface is a communication interface. The battery pack 6 may have a built-in temperature sensor. Through the wired connection between the control panel 5 and the battery pack 6, the temperature data of the battery pack 6 can be obtained. The control panel 5 can then control the start and stop of the fan 2 and its airflow speed to achieve automated cooling. The display screen can show the temperature data of the battery pack 6 and the operating data of the fan 2 (such as the fan speed and operating time). Users can control the fan 2 by operating the control panel 5.

[0047] like Figure 1 As shown, each of the four corners of the top plate 11 has a protrusion with a lifting hole 18. Operators can use a crane to connect the crane's hook to the lifting hole 18, thus enabling the transport of the entire thermal management device. The lifting holes 18 at each of the four corners of the top plate 11 ensure that the thermal management device remains relatively stable during transport.

[0048] Example 2:

[0049] The thermal management device in this embodiment has a structure that is basically the same as that in embodiment 1. The only difference is that a fan is fixedly installed on one of the two opposing side plates in this embodiment, and a vent is provided on the other side plate. This arrangement can improve the exchange efficiency between the gas in the containment cavity and the outside gas, thereby avoiding the gas temperature in the containment cavity from becoming too high.

[0050] Example 3:

[0051] The thermal management device in this embodiment has a structure that is basically the same as that in embodiment 1. The only difference is that in this embodiment, a fan is fixedly installed on one of the two adjacent side plates, and a vent is provided on the other side plate. Only one side plate is fixedly installed with a fan. The number of fans can be adjusted according to the needs. This arrangement can also cool the battery pack.

[0052] Example 4:

[0053] The thermal management device in this embodiment has a basically the same structure as the thermal management device in Embodiment 1. The only difference is that a fan is installed on each of the two oppositely arranged side plates in this embodiment, and a vent is provided on one of the two side plates without a fan. The fans installed on the two oppositely arranged side plates can create convection of gas in the receiving cavity, increase the flow speed of gas in the receiving cavity, and improve the cooling efficiency.

[0054] Example 5:

[0055] The thermal management device in this embodiment has a basically the same structure as the thermal management device in Embodiment 1. The only difference is that the housing in this embodiment includes a top plate, a bottom plate, and three side plates connected between the top plate and the bottom plate. It is understood that other embodiments may have other numbers of side plates connected between the top plate and the bottom plate in the housing.

[0056] Example 6:

[0057] The thermal management device in this embodiment has a basically the same structure as the thermal management device in Embodiment 1. The only difference is that there is no baffle installed on the outside of the box in this embodiment.

[0058] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that it can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of this invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered illustrative and non-limiting in all respects, and the scope of this invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, it is intended that all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims be included within this invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0059] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A thermal management device for cooling a battery pack, characterized in that, The thermal management device includes a housing, which includes a top plate, a bottom plate, and multiple side plates connected between the top plate and the bottom plate. The top plate, the bottom plate, and the side plates form a receiving cavity for accommodating the battery pack. Several fans are fixedly installed inside the receiving cavity. The housing is provided with several vents that connect the receiving cavity to the outside of the housing.

2. The thermal management device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vent is located on the side plate, and the fan is fixedly installed on the side plate or the top plate.

3. The thermal management device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fan is fixedly installed on one of the two adjacent side plates, and the vent is provided on the other side plate; or, The fan is fixedly installed on one of the two opposing side plates, and the ventilation port is provided on the other side plate.

4. The thermal management device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A filter element is installed inside the vent, and the filter element has several filter holes.

5. The thermal management device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The box body is fixedly installed with a baffle covering the vent, and the baffle is provided with a number of vent holes that communicate with the vent.

6. The thermal management device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fan includes at least one first fan and at least one second fan fixedly installed on the side plate, wherein the distance between the first fan and the base plate is greater than the distance between the second fan and the base plate.

7. The thermal management device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top plate, the bottom plate, and the side plate each include at least a portion of an inner wall, an outer wall, and an insulation layer disposed between the inner wall and the outer wall.

8. The thermal management device according to claim 1, characterized in that, One of the two opposing side panels is provided with the vent, and the other is provided with an inlet that communicates with the receiving cavity, and a door is movably installed at the inlet.

9. The thermal management device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The base plate includes a guide portion located outside the side plate, the guide portion including a guide surface extending outward from the bottom of the inlet to the bottom surface of the base plate.

10. The thermal management device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A photovoltaic panel is installed on the top of the enclosure, and the photovoltaic panel is electrically connected to the fan inside the enclosure.

11. The thermal management device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A control panel is fixedly installed on the outside of the housing. The control panel is wirelessly connected to the fan. The control panel is provided with an interface for wired connection to the battery pack.

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