Battery module, battery pack and temperature adjusting system
By introducing a combination structure of main temperature regulating plate and auxiliary temperature regulating plate into the battery module, the problem of uneven cooling is solved, the uniform temperature regulation of the cell is achieved, the performance and life of the battery module are improved, and cooling energy consumption is saved.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- BMW BRILLIANCE AUTOMOTIVE
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-04
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-19
AI Technical Summary
The cooling mechanism of existing battery modules has the problem of uneven cooling, resulting in large temperature differences between cells, especially the temperature of the end cells, which affects the working performance and life of the battery module, and increases cooling energy consumption.
The system employs a combination of a main temperature regulating plate and an auxiliary temperature regulating plate, with temperature regulation achieved through a fluid medium. The main temperature regulating plate is located at the bottom center of the battery cell assembly, while the auxiliary temperature regulating plates are located at both ends of the battery cell assembly, forming a uniform temperature regulation network.
It achieves uniform temperature regulation of the battery cells within the battery module, improving the working performance and lifespan of the battery module while reducing cooling energy consumption.
Smart Images
Figure CN224264128U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This disclosure generally relates to the technical field of vehicle batteries. More specifically, this disclosure relates to a battery module, a battery pack comprising multiple battery modules, and a temperature regulation system for the battery pack. Background Technology
[0002] Electric vehicles have received widespread attention as a type of new energy vehicle. Electric vehicles are primarily powered by battery modules or battery packs containing multiple battery modules. Each battery module typically consists of multiple cells connected in series to provide high power.
[0003] For electric vehicles, thermal management of battery modules or battery packs is crucial because it affects the safety performance of the electric vehicle. If the heat generated by each battery module is not effectively controlled or removed, the accumulation of this heat may accelerate the aging of the battery modules, and in some cases, may lead to fire or explosion.
[0004] Therefore, current battery modules typically include cooling mechanisms for cooling. However, existing cooling mechanisms suffer from uneven cooling, leading to significant temperature differences between the multiple cells within the battery module, thus affecting cooling effectiveness. Specifically, the inventors discovered that current cooling mechanisms are less effective at cooling one or two cells at each of the two ends of the battery module compared to those in the middle, resulting in higher temperatures for one or two cells at each end, which is detrimental to their operation. For example, in some situations, such as high temperatures or extreme hill climbing, it is difficult for all cells in the battery module, especially the outermost cells, to achieve the required temperature uniformity, which affects battery life. Furthermore, in some cases, cooling each cell in the battery module to the desired temperature may require increasing factors such as coolant flow rate, which increases the energy consumed by the cooling mechanism during operation.
[0005] Therefore, there is a need to improve existing battery modules. Utility Model Content
[0006] The purpose of this disclosure is to solve one or more of the problems described above and others, or to achieve other additional advantages.
[0007] In a first aspect of this disclosure, a battery module is provided. The battery module includes: a cell assembly composed of a plurality of cells, the cell assembly including a top and a bottom opposite each other, and a first end and a second end opposite each other; a main temperature regulating plate disposed at the bottom of the cell assembly for regulating the temperature of at least a portion of the cells in the cell assembly; a first auxiliary temperature regulating plate disposed at the first end of the cell assembly for regulating the temperature of at least one cell at the first end of the cell assembly; and a second auxiliary temperature regulating plate disposed at the second end of the cell assembly for regulating the temperature of at least one cell at the second end of the cell assembly; wherein each of the main temperature regulating plate, the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate is provided with an inlet for the inflow of a temperature regulating medium, an outlet for the outflow of a temperature regulating medium, and an internal flow channel in fluid communication with the inlet and the outlet.
[0008] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the plurality of battery cells are arranged along a longitudinal direction, the inlet and outlet of the main temperature regulating plate are located at the center of the main temperature regulating plate in the longitudinal direction, and the main temperature regulating plate is centrally disposed at the bottom of the battery cell assembly.
[0009] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the inlet and outlet of the main temperature regulating plate are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in a transverse direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.
[0010] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the main temperature regulating plate includes an inlet main pipe and an outlet main pipe, the inlet main pipe and the outlet main pipe extending vertically from the main temperature regulating plate toward the top of the cell assembly, wherein the inlet of the main temperature regulating plate is disposed in or in fluid communication with the inlet main pipe, and the outlet of the main temperature regulating plate is disposed in or in fluid communication with the outlet main pipe.
[0011] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the battery cell assembly includes a first battery cell segment and a second battery cell segment having equal lengths, and the battery module further includes an intermediate partition sandwiched between the first battery cell segment and the second battery cell segment. The intermediate partition includes a first through-hole for receiving and holding the inlet main pipe and a second through-hole for receiving and holding the outlet main pipe.
[0012] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, each of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate is configured in an "L" shape and includes a first segment extending in a vertical direction and a second segment extending in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the first segment, wherein the second segment is disposed at the bottom of the cell assembly.
[0013] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the inlet and outlet of each of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate are respectively disposed on the first segment.
[0014] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, each of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate includes an inlet auxiliary pipe and an outlet auxiliary pipe, the inlet auxiliary pipe and the outlet auxiliary pipe extending away from the cell assembly along the longitudinal direction, wherein the inlet of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate is disposed in the inlet auxiliary pipe or is in fluid communication with the inlet auxiliary pipe, and the outlet of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate is disposed in the outlet auxiliary pipe or is in fluid communication with the outlet auxiliary pipe.
[0015] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the second segment of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate is disposed in the first part of the bottom of the cell assembly, the second segment of the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate is disposed in the second part of the bottom of the cell assembly, and the main temperature regulating plate is disposed in the third part of the bottom of the cell assembly other than the first part and the second part.
[0016] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the first portion includes at least two cells closest to a first end of the cell assembly, and the second portion includes at least two cells closest to a second end of the cell assembly.
[0017] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, temperature acquisition sensors are provided on both the at least two cells of the first part and the at least two cells of the second part.
[0018] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the battery module further includes a first end plate and a second end plate, a first segment of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate is sandwiched between the first end plate and the first end of the cell assembly, and a first segment of the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate is sandwiched between the second end plate and the second end of the cell assembly.
[0019] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the inlet auxiliary pipe and outlet auxiliary pipe of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate are disposed above the first end plate, and the inlet auxiliary pipe and outlet auxiliary pipe of the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate are disposed above the second end plate.
[0020] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate have the same structure and dimensions.
[0021] In a second aspect of this disclosure, a battery pack is provided. The battery pack includes a plurality of battery modules according to this disclosure.
[0022] In a third aspect of this disclosure, a temperature regulation system is provided that utilizes a temperature regulating medium to regulate the temperature of a battery pack according to this disclosure. The temperature regulation system includes: an inlet main line fluidly connected to the inlet of a main temperature regulating plate, a first auxiliary temperature regulating plate, and a second auxiliary temperature regulating plate of each battery module of the battery pack; an outlet main line fluidly connected to the outlet of the main temperature regulating plate, the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate, and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate of each battery module of the battery pack; and a main pump disposed on the inlet main line for pumping the temperature regulating medium into each of the main temperature regulating plate, the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate, and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate of each battery module.
[0023] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the temperature control system further includes: an inlet branch line, which connects the inlets of the first auxiliary temperature control plates and the second auxiliary temperature control plates of the plurality of battery modules of the battery pack in parallel, and the inlet branch line is fluidly connected to the inlet main line; and an outlet branch line, which connects the outlets of the first auxiliary temperature control plates and the second auxiliary temperature control plates of the plurality of battery modules of the battery pack in parallel, and the outlet branch line is fluidly connected to the outlet main line.
[0024] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the temperature control system further includes an auxiliary pump disposed downstream of the main pump in the inlet branch line. The pumping power of the auxiliary pump is adjustable to pump a predetermined flow rate of temperature control medium to a first auxiliary temperature control plate and a second auxiliary temperature control plate of a plurality of battery modules of the battery pack.
[0025] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, the temperature control system includes a controller for adjusting the pumping power of the auxiliary pump.
[0026] It should be noted that aspects of this disclosure described with respect to one embodiment can be included in other different embodiments, although these other different embodiments are not specifically described. In other words, features of all embodiments and / or any embodiments can be combined in any manner and / or combination, as long as they do not contradict each other. Attached Figure Description
[0027] Many aspects of this disclosure will be better understood after reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0028] Figure 1 A perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.
[0029] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 An exploded view of the battery module shown.
[0030] Figure 3 It shows Figure 1 A top view of the battery module shown.
[0031] Figure 4 It shows Figure 1 The front view of the battery module shown.
[0032] Figure 5 It shows Figure 1 The side view of the battery module shown.
[0033] Figure 6 It shows Figure 1 The image shows a side view of the battery module, with the side panels removed to expose its internal structure.
[0034] Figure 7 It shows Figure 6 A magnified view of the area indicated by the square box.
[0035] Figure 8 A battery pack and a temperature regulation system for the battery pack are shown according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0036] It should be understood that the same reference numerals denote the same elements in all the accompanying drawings. For clarity, the dimensions of some features may be altered and they may not be drawn to scale. Detailed Implementation
[0037] The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be presented in many different ways and is not limited to the embodiments described below; in fact, the embodiments described below are intended to make the disclosure more complete and to fully illustrate the scope of protection of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should also be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in various ways to provide further additional embodiments.
[0038] It should be understood that the terminology used in this specification is for describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit this disclosure. All terms used in this specification (including technical and scientific terms) have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art unless otherwise defined. For the sake of brevity and / or clarity, well-known functions or structures may not be described in detail.
[0039] Unless otherwise specified, the singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in this specification include the plural forms. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “containing” used in this specification indicate the presence of the claimed feature but do not exclude the presence of one or more other features. The term “and / or” used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items.
[0040] When a component is described in the specification as being "on", "attached" to, "connected" to, "joined" to, or "in contact" with another component, the component may be directly located on, attached to, connected to, joined to, or in contact with the other component, or there may be an intermediate component present.
[0041] In this specification, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are used for ease of explanation only and are not intended to be limiting. Any technical feature represented by "first," "second," "third," etc., is interchangeable.
[0042] In the specification, spatial relation terms such as "above," "below," "front," "back," "top," and "bottom" describe the relationship between one feature and another in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that spatial relation terms include not only the orientation shown in the drawings but also the different orientations of the device during use or operation. For example, when the device in the drawings is inverted, a feature previously described as "below" other features can now be described as "above" other features. The device can also be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), in which case the relative spatial relationships will be interpreted accordingly.
[0043] In the instruction manual, the longitudinal direction is defined as the extension direction or length direction of the battery module, such as... Figure 1As shown by X in the diagram; the lateral direction is defined as the width direction of the battery module, which is perpendicular to or orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, as shown in the diagram. Figure 1 As shown in the Y-shape; the vertical direction is defined as the height direction of the battery module, which is perpendicular or orthogonal to both the longitudinal and lateral directions, as shown in the diagram. Figure 1 As shown in Z in the diagram.
[0044] Reference Figures 1 to 5 A battery module 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The battery module 100 includes a cell assembly 102 composed of a plurality of battery cells 101. The cell assembly 102 may have a top 102-1 and a bottom 102-2 opposite to each other, a first end 102-3 and a second end 102-4 opposite to each other, and a first side portion 102-5 and a second side portion 102-6 opposite to each other. Figure 1 In the battery cell assembly 102 shown, the battery cell 101 is shown as a square battery cell. Each battery cell 101 may include a terminal post and an explosion-proof valve (not shown) disposed on the top of the battery cell 101. The terminal post may include a positive terminal post and a negative terminal post. A plurality of battery cells 101 of the battery cell assembly 102 are arranged along the longitudinal direction X. The plurality of battery cells 101 of the battery cell assembly 102 may be bonded, bundled, or otherwise joined together, or may be separable from each other without being joined together. The top of the plurality of battery cells 101 forms the top of the battery cell assembly 102, and the bottom of the plurality of battery cells 101 forms the bottom of the battery cell assembly 102; in other words, in this embodiment, the plurality of battery cells 101 are upright, not inverted. In other embodiments, each battery cell 101 may also be a cylindrical battery cell or other suitable type of battery cell. In other embodiments, the plurality of battery cells 101 may be arranged in multiple rows along the longitudinal direction, rather than... Figure 1 row shown.
[0045] To more uniformly regulate the temperature of the entire battery module to a predetermined temperature range, in embodiments according to this disclosure, the battery module 100 may include a main temperature regulating plate 103, a first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104, and a second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105. The main temperature regulating plate 103 may extend along the longitudinal direction X and may be disposed at the bottom of the cell assembly 102 to regulate the temperature of at least a portion of the cells 101 of the cell assembly 102 (particularly, cells closer to the center of the cell assembly 102). The first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104 may be disposed at the first end 102-3 of the cell assembly 102 for regulating the temperature of at least one cell at the first end of the cell assembly. The second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105 may be disposed at the second end 102-4 of the cell assembly 102 for regulating the temperature of at least one cell at the second end of the cell assembly.
[0046] By means of the main temperature regulating plate 103, the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104, and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105 according to this disclosure, the temperature of the entire battery cell assembly 102 can be regulated more uniformly. In particular, by means of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104 and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105, one or more battery cells disposed at the first end of the battery cell assembly and one or more battery cells disposed at the second end of the battery cell assembly can obtain enhanced or improved temperature regulation effects, thereby solving the problem of poor temperature regulation effect of battery cells located at the ends in existing battery cell modules, and thus achieving the technical effect of uniform temperature regulation of the entire battery module.
[0047] In embodiments according to this disclosure, the main temperature regulating plate 103, the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104, and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105 all employ a fluid-based temperature regulation method. In other words, a fluid (e.g., air, water, or other liquid) serves as the temperature regulating medium. Therefore, in embodiments according to this disclosure, each of the main temperature regulating plate 103, the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104, and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105 is provided with an inlet for the inflow of the temperature regulating medium, an outlet for the outflow of the temperature regulating medium, and an internal flow channel (not shown) in fluid communication with the inlet and outlet. The temperature regulating medium enters the internal flow channel of each temperature regulating plate through the inlet, flows within the internal flow channel, and exits from the outlet. During this flow process, the temperature regulating medium regulates the temperature of each cell 101 of the battery module 100.
[0048] The internal flow channels of each temperature regulating plate 103, 104, and 105 can be arranged to substantially cover most of the area (e.g., more than 80%) of each temperature regulating plate 103, 104, and 105 for temperature regulation. The internal flow channels can be arranged in various suitable manner within each temperature regulating plate. For example, the internal flow channels can meander back and forth along the longitudinal direction X, meander back and forth along the lateral direction Y, meander back and forth along the vertical direction Z (for the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104 and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105), or can include combinations of the aforementioned various extension methods. The internal flow channels can also be extended in various other suitable manners known in the art, provided that the desired temperature regulation effect is achieved.
[0049] In other embodiments, the main temperature regulating plate 103, the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104, and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105 may also adopt other suitable temperature regulating methods.
[0050] In this disclosure, the term "temperature regulation" includes both cooling and heating. For example, when cooling of a battery module is required to limit its temperature, a temperature regulation plate can be used as a cooling plate, and a temperature regulation medium can be used as a cooling medium; while when heating of a battery module is required (e.g., heating of a battery module or a battery pack containing a battery module in winter), a temperature regulation plate can be used as a heating plate, and a temperature regulation medium can be used as a heating medium.
[0051] In one embodiment, such as Figures 1 to 3 As shown more clearly, the inlet 103-1 and outlet 103-2 of the main temperature regulating plate 103 can be located at the center of the main temperature regulating plate 103 in the longitudinal direction. When disposed at the bottom of the cell assembly 102, the main temperature regulating plate 103 can also be centrally disposed, such that the inlet 103-1 and outlet 103-2 of the main temperature regulating plate 103 are also located in the middle of the cell assembly 102. This symmetrical arrangement allows the main temperature regulating plate 103 to perform more uniform temperature regulation on the cell assembly 102, thereby further improving its temperature regulation effect. In one embodiment, the inlet 103-1 and outlet 103-2 of the main temperature regulating plate 103 can also be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in the transverse direction Y, which helps to more easily arrange the internal flow channels of the main temperature regulating plate and achieve a more uniform temperature regulation effect. However, this disclosure is not limited to this; in some embodiments, the inlet 103-1 and outlet 103-2 of the main temperature regulating plate 103 can also be adjacent to each other.
[0052] In one embodiment, the main temperature regulating plate 103 may include an inlet main pipe 103-3 and an outlet main pipe 103-4. The inlet 103-1 of the main temperature regulating plate may be located in or in fluid communication with the inlet main pipe 103-3, and the outlet 103-2 of the main temperature regulating plate may be located in or in fluid communication with the outlet main pipe 103-4. The inlet main pipe 103-3 and the outlet main pipe 103-4 facilitate easier connection to, for example, temperature regulating medium supply pipes and temperature regulating medium discharge pipes. In one embodiment, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the inlet main pipe 103-3 and the outlet main pipe 103-4 can extend vertically Z from the main temperature regulating plate 103 toward the top 102-2 of the cell assembly 102. Preferably, as Figure 1 As shown, the inlet main pipe 103-3 and the outlet main pipe 103-4 can extend along the vertical direction Z beyond the top 102-2 of the cell assembly 102. The inlet main pipe 103-3 and the outlet main pipe 103-4 can be integrally formed with the main temperature regulating plate 103, or they can be formed as separate components with the main temperature regulating plate 103 and then assembled and fixed together.
[0053] In one embodiment, to better support and protect the inlet main pipe 103-3 and the outlet main pipe 103-4, the battery module may further include a middle partition 106. The middle partition 106 may include a first through-hole 106-1 for receiving and holding the inlet main pipe 103-3 and a second through-hole 106-2 for receiving and holding the outlet main pipe 103-4. To accommodate the middle partition 106, the cell assembly 102 may be divided into a first cell segment 102-7 and a second cell segment 102-8. The middle partition 106 may be sandwiched between the first cell segment 102-7 and the second cell segment 102-8. Preferably, the first cell segment 102-7 and the second cell segment 102-8 may have equal lengths, for example, comprising the same number of cells 101, such that the middle partition 106 can be positioned at the center of the entire cell assembly 102 in the longitudinal direction.
[0054] Reference Figure 2In one embodiment, each of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104 and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105 can be configured in an "L" shape and includes a first segment 104-1, 105-1 extending along the vertical direction Z and a second segment 104-2, 105-2 extending perpendicular to the first segment along the longitudinal direction X. The second segments 104-2, 105-2 can be disposed at the bottom of the cell assembly 102. In this embodiment, the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104 and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105 can regulate the temperature of the corresponding cells of the cell assembly 102 (i.e., the outermost cells at each of the first and second ends) from the ends and bottom of the cell assembly 102. The first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104 and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105 can also regulate the temperature of the other end cells covered by the second segments 104-2, 105-2, excluding the outermost cells, from the bottom of the cell assembly 102. In this implementation, the inlet and outlet of each of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104 and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105 can be located on the first segment of the respective auxiliary temperature regulating plate. Similar to the main temperature regulating plate 103, in one embodiment, each of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104 and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105 can include inlet auxiliary pipes 104-3, 105-3 and outlet auxiliary pipes 104-4, 105-4. The inlets of the first and second auxiliary temperature regulating plates can be located in or in fluid communication with the inlet auxiliary pipes, and the outlets of the first and second auxiliary temperature regulating plates can be located in or in fluid communication with the outlet auxiliary pipes. In one embodiment, the inlet and outlet auxiliary pipes can extend along the longitudinal direction X away from the cell assembly 102 (e.g., towards the outside of the cell assembly 102) to facilitate easier connection with, for example, temperature regulating medium supply pipes and temperature regulating medium discharge pipes. The inlet auxiliary pipe and the outlet auxiliary pipe can be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in the transverse direction Y, so as to facilitate the arrangement of the internal flow channels of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate.
[0055] In one embodiment, the battery module 100 may further include a first end plate 107 and a second end plate 108. A first segment 104-1 of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104 may be sandwiched between the first end plate 107 and the first end 102-3 of the cell assembly 102. A first segment 105-1 of the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105 may be sandwiched between the second end plate 108 and the second end 102-4 of the cell assembly 102. This facilitates the fixation of the first auxiliary cooling plate 104 and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105. In this embodiment, the inlet auxiliary pipe 104-3 and the outlet auxiliary pipe 104-4 of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104 may be disposed above the first end plate 107. The inlet auxiliary pipe 105-3 and the outlet auxiliary pipe 105-4 of the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105 may be disposed above the second end plate 108. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto. The inlet auxiliary pipe 104-3 and outlet auxiliary pipe 104-4 of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104 and the inlet auxiliary pipe 105-3 and outlet auxiliary pipe 105-4 of the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105 may also extend through the first end plate 107 and the second end plate 108, respectively.
[0056] Reference Figure 6 and Figure 7In one embodiment, the second segment 104-2 of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104 may be disposed on the first portion 102-9 of the bottom of the cell assembly 102, the second segment 105-2 of the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105 may be disposed on the second portion 102-10 of the bottom of the cell assembly 102, and the main temperature regulating plate 103 may be disposed on the third portion 102-11 of the bottom of the cell assembly 102, excluding the first and second portions. In other words, the second segment 104-2 of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104, the second segment 105-2 of the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105, and the main temperature regulating plate 103 together complete the temperature regulation of the entire bottom of the cell assembly 102. In one embodiment, the first portion 102-9 may include at least two cells closest to the first end of the cell assembly 102, and the second portion 102-10 may include at least two cells closest to the second end of the cell assembly 102. The number of battery cells included or covered by the first portion 102-9 and the second portion 102-10 depends on the number of battery cells requiring enhanced temperature regulation using the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104 and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105. Generally, the first portion 102-9 and the second portion 102-10 may only include the two battery cells closest to the first and second ends of the battery cell assembly, respectively. In one embodiment, temperature sensing sensors 102-12 may be provided on the at least two battery cells included in the first portion and the at least two battery cells included in the second portion to monitor the temperature difference between adjacent battery cells. Preferably, temperature sensing sensors 102-12 may be provided on all battery cells 101 of the battery cell assembly 102. The temperature sensing sensors may be located on the top of each battery cell.
[0057] In one embodiment, the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104 and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105 can have the same structure and size. Combined with the centrally arranged main temperature regulating plate 103, the battery module in this embodiment can have a completely symmetrical temperature regulating mechanism. Such a temperature regulating mechanism can achieve a more uniform temperature regulation effect.
[0058] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, the battery module 100 may further include a first side plate 109 and a second side plate 110, which may be respectively disposed on the first side 102-5 and the second side 102-6 of the cell assembly 102. The first side plate 109 and the second side plate 110 may, together with the first end plate 107 and the second end plate 108, limit and fix the cell assembly 102.
[0059] In embodiments according to this disclosure, the main temperature regulating plate 103, the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104, and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105 may be heat-conducting metal plates that can directly contact the battery cell assembly 102 (e.g., be directly attached to corresponding portions of the battery cell assembly 102), or indirectly contact the battery cell assembly 102 via an intermediate medium (e.g., a component for reducing thermal contact resistance and improving heat conduction may be provided between any one of the main temperature regulating plate 103, the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104, and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105 and the battery cell assembly 102, such as a thermal interface material with better thermal conductivity).
[0060] In embodiments according to this disclosure, the number of cells 101 included in the cell assembly 102 can be changed as needed, thereby enabling a more flexible configuration of the cell module 100.
[0061] Next, refer to Figure 8 The diagram illustrates a battery pack 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The battery pack 200 may include a plurality of battery modules 100 according to the present disclosure. The number of battery modules 100 included in the battery pack 200 may be adjusted according to actual needs.
[0062] Figure 8 The document also illustrates a temperature regulation system 210 for a battery pack 200 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The temperature regulation system 210 utilizes a temperature regulating medium to regulate the temperature of the battery pack. The temperature regulation system 210 may include an inlet main line 211 and an outlet main line 212. The inlet main line 211 may be fluidly connected to the inlet of the main temperature regulating plate 103, the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104, and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105 of each battery module 100 of the battery pack 200, while the outlet main line 212 may be fluidly connected to the outlet of the main temperature regulating plate 103, the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104, and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105 of each battery module 100 of the battery pack 200. The temperature regulation system 210 may further include a main pump 213. The main pump 213 may be disposed on the inlet main line 211 for pumping the temperature regulating medium into each of the main temperature regulating plate, the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate, and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate of each battery module.
[0063] In one embodiment, the temperature control system 210 further includes an inlet branch line 214 and an outlet branch line 215. The inlet branch line 214 connects the inlets of the first and second auxiliary temperature control plates of the plurality of battery modules 100 of the battery pack 200 in parallel, and is fluidly connected to the inlet main line 211. The outlet branch line 215 connects the outlets of the first and second auxiliary temperature control plates of the plurality of battery modules 100 of the battery pack 200 in parallel, and is fluidly connected to the outlet main line 212.
[0064] In one embodiment, the temperature control system 210 may further include an auxiliary pump 216. The auxiliary pump 216 may be located downstream of the main pump 213 in the inlet branch line 214, such as... Figure 8 As shown. In this embodiment, the pumping power of the auxiliary pump 216 can be configured to be adjustable to pump a predetermined flow rate of temperature regulating medium to the first and second auxiliary temperature regulating plates of the plurality of battery modules 100 in the battery pack 200. By configuring the pumping power of the auxiliary pump 216 to be adjustable, the desired and variable flow rate of temperature regulating medium can be pumped to the first and second auxiliary temperature regulating plates according to the actual temperature regulation requirements. This not only enables more precise temperature regulation of each battery module 100 and the entire battery pack 200, but also achieves effective energy saving while ensuring the temperature uniformity of each battery module 100 and the battery pack 200.
[0065] In order to regulate the auxiliary pump 216, in one embodiment, the temperature regulation system 210 may include a controller (not shown). The controller is used to regulate the pumping power of the auxiliary pump 210. For example, the controller may be configured to regulate the pumping power of the auxiliary pump 210 based on the temperature difference between two adjacent cells regulated by at least one of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104 and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105. As an example, when the temperature difference between two adjacent cells regulated by at least one of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104 and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105 is greater than 1° and less than 2°, the controller can adjust the auxiliary pump 216 to provide a first pumping power to pump a first temperature regulating medium flow rate to the first and second auxiliary temperature regulating plates; when the temperature difference between two adjacent cells regulated by at least one of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104 and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105 is greater than 2° and less than 4°, the controller can adjust the auxiliary pump 216 to provide a second pumping power to pump a second temperature regulating medium flow rate to the first and second auxiliary temperature regulating plates; and when the temperature difference between two adjacent cells regulated by at least one of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104 and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105 is greater than 4°, the controller can adjust the auxiliary pump 216 to provide a third pumping power to pump a third temperature regulating medium flow rate to the first and second auxiliary temperature regulating plates, wherein the first temperature regulating medium flow rate is less than the second temperature regulating medium flow rate, and the second temperature regulating medium flow rate is less than the third temperature regulating medium flow rate. When the temperature difference between two adjacent cells regulated by at least one of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate 104 and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate 105 is less than 1°C, the auxiliary pump 216 can be turned off. In this way, energy can be effectively saved while ensuring temperature uniformity in each battery module 100 and battery pack 200.
[0066] Exemplary embodiments according to this disclosure have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes and modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. All changes and modifications are included within the scope of protection of this disclosure as defined by the claims. This disclosure is defined by the appended claims, and equivalents of those claims are also included.
Claims
1. A battery module (100), characterized in that, The battery module includes: A battery cell assembly (102) consisting of multiple battery cells (101) includes a top (102-1) and a bottom (102-2) opposite to each other, and a first end (102-3) and a second end (102-4) opposite to each other; A main temperature regulating plate (103) is disposed at the bottom of the battery cell assembly to regulate the temperature of at least a portion of the battery cells in the battery cell assembly; A first auxiliary temperature regulating plate (104) is disposed at the first end of the battery cell assembly and is used to regulate the temperature of at least one battery cell at the first end of the battery cell assembly; and The second auxiliary temperature regulating plate (105) is disposed at the second end of the battery cell assembly and is used to regulate the temperature of at least one battery cell at the second end of the battery cell assembly. Each of the main temperature regulating plate, the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate, and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate is provided with an inlet for the inflow of temperature regulating medium, an outlet for the outflow of temperature regulating medium, and an internal flow channel in fluid communication with the inlet and the outlet.
2. The battery module of claim 1, wherein, The plurality of battery cells are arranged along the longitudinal direction (X), the inlet (103-1) and outlet (103-2) of the main temperature regulating plate are located at the center of the main temperature regulating plate in the longitudinal direction, and the main temperature regulating plate is centrally located at the bottom of the battery cell assembly.
3. The battery module of claim 2, wherein, The inlet and outlet of the main temperature regulating plate are spaced apart by a predetermined distance in the transverse direction (Y) orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.
4. The battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The main temperature regulating plate includes an inlet main pipe (103-3) and an outlet main pipe (103-4). The inlet main pipe and the outlet main pipe extend from the main temperature regulating plate toward the top of the cell assembly in a vertical direction (Z). The inlet of the main temperature regulating plate is located in or in fluid communication with the inlet main pipe, and the outlet of the main temperature regulating plate is located in or in fluid communication with the outlet main pipe.
5. The battery module of claim 4, wherein, The battery cell assembly includes a first battery cell segment (102-7) and a second battery cell segment (102-8) of equal length. The battery module also includes an intermediate partition (106) sandwiched between the first battery cell segment and the second battery cell segment. The intermediate partition includes a first through hole (106-1) for receiving and holding the inlet main pipe and a second through hole (106-2) for receiving and holding the outlet main pipe.
6. The battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by Each of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate is configured in an "L" shape and includes a first segment (104-1, 105-1) extending in a vertical direction and a second segment (104-2, 105-2) extending in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the first segment, wherein the second segment is disposed at the bottom of the cell assembly.
7. The battery module of claim 6, wherein, The inlet and outlet of each of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate are located on the corresponding first segment.
8. The battery module of claim 7, wherein, Each of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate includes an inlet auxiliary pipe (104-3, 105-3) and an outlet auxiliary pipe (104-4, 105-4), the inlet auxiliary pipe and the outlet auxiliary pipe extending away from the cell assembly along the longitudinal direction, wherein the inlet of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate is disposed in the inlet auxiliary pipe or is in fluid communication with the inlet auxiliary pipe, and the outlet of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate is disposed in the outlet auxiliary pipe or is in fluid communication with the outlet auxiliary pipe.
9. The battery module of claim 6, wherein, The second segment of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate is disposed in the first part (102-9) at the bottom of the cell assembly, the second segment of the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate is disposed in the second part (102-10) at the bottom of the cell assembly, and the main temperature regulating plate is disposed in the third part (102-11) at the bottom of the cell assembly, excluding the first and second parts.
10. The battery module of claim 9, wherein, The first portion includes at least two cells closest to the first end of the cell assembly, and the second portion includes at least two cells closest to the second end of the cell assembly.
11. The battery module of claim 10, wherein, Temperature acquisition sensors (102-12) are provided on at least two cells in the first part and at least two cells in the second part.
12. The battery module of claim 8, wherein, The battery module further includes a first end plate (107) and a second end plate (108), a first segment of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate is sandwiched between the first end plate and the first end of the cell assembly, and a first segment of the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate is sandwiched between the second end plate and the second end of the cell assembly.
13. The battery module of claim 12, wherein, The inlet and outlet auxiliary pipes of the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate are located above the first end plate, and the inlet and outlet auxiliary pipes of the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate are located above the second end plate.
14. The battery module of claim 6, wherein, The first auxiliary temperature regulating plate and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate have the same structure and size.
15. A battery pack (200), characterized by, The battery pack includes a plurality of battery modules (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 14.
16. A temperature regulating system (210) for regulating the temperature of the battery pack according to claim 15, utilizing a temperature regulating medium, characterized by, The temperature control system includes: The main inlet pipeline (211) is fluidly connected to the inlet of the main temperature regulating plate, the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate, and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate of each battery module of the battery pack. The main outlet pipeline (212) is fluidly connected to the outlets of the main temperature regulating plate, the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate, and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate of each battery module in the battery pack; and The main pump (213) is located on the main inlet pipeline and is used to pump the temperature regulating medium into each of the main temperature regulating plate, the first auxiliary temperature regulating plate, and the second auxiliary temperature regulating plate of each battery module.
17. The temperature regulation system of claim 16, wherein, The temperature regulation system further comprises: an inlet branch line (214) connecting together in parallel the inlets of the first and second auxiliary temperature regulation panels of the plurality of battery modules of the battery pack, and fluidly connected to the inlet main line; an outlet branch line (215) connecting together in parallel the outlets of the first and second auxiliary temperature regulation panels of the plurality of battery modules of the battery pack, and fluidly connected to the outlet main line.
18. The temperature regulation system of claim 17, wherein, The temperature regulation system further comprises an auxiliary pump (216) disposed in the inlet branch line downstream of the main pump, the pumping power of the auxiliary pump being adjustable to pump a predetermined flow rate of temperature regulation medium to the first and second auxiliary temperature regulation panels of the plurality of battery modules of the battery pack.
19. The temperature regulation system of claim 18, wherein, The temperature regulation system comprises a controller for adjusting the pumping power of the auxiliary pump.