A power battery cold plate integrated heating structure
By integrating refrigerant direct cooling and heating into a single structure within the cold plate, the problem of insufficient heating capacity of lithium-ion battery refrigerant direct cooling technology in low-temperature environments is solved, achieving efficient thermal management, simplifying the structure, reducing costs, and improving safety.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- CHONGQING GANFENG POWER TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-04-24
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-09
AI Technical Summary
Existing lithium-ion battery refrigerant direct cooling technology has insufficient heating capacity in low-temperature environments, complex structure, high cost, and poses safety hazards.
The cold plate integrates a refrigerant direct cooling and heating structure. By setting a heating channel in the middle of the cold plate to build a heating structure and setting cooling channels on both sides, efficient thermal management is achieved. PTC heating devices are used to ensure uniform heating and simplify the structural design.
Without increasing the thickness of the cold plate, it improves heating efficiency and cooling effect, simplifies system structure, reduces costs, enhances safety, and avoids the risk of dry burning of the heating film.
Smart Images
Figure CN224342331U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of power battery technology, specifically to an integrated heating structure for a power battery cold plate. Background Technology
[0002] In the thermal management system of lithium-ion batteries, refrigerant direct cooling technology is widely used due to its high-efficiency cooling capacity, but its heating requirements in low-temperature environments face many technical challenges. Currently, most refrigerant direct cooling solutions employ two heating methods.
[0003] Firstly, there's the option of using a cold plate with direct heating. While this method allows for simultaneous heating and cooling, it relies on the refrigerant from the air conditioning system for heating. However, ordinary air conditioning compressors can only cool and cannot reverse the heating process. Therefore, it requires a compressor with heat pump capability integrated into the vehicle, using components like a four-way valve to switch the refrigerant flow, transforming the cooling cycle into a heating cycle. This also necessitates additional high-pressure piping, a receiver-and-discharge tank, and an expansion valve, complicating the entire air conditioning system structure. Furthermore, integrating battery cooling and the air conditioning heat pump system leads to complex piping layouts, cumbersome control logic, and increased equipment costs. Additionally, the reduced refrigerant flow at low temperatures (below -10°C) decreases heat exchange efficiency, and the heat pump's heating capacity significantly diminishes in extremely low temperatures. Increased thermal resistance between the cold plate and the battery further hinders rapid heat transfer to the battery cells, resulting in significantly reduced heating performance below -10°C, failing to meet practical application requirements.
[0004] Secondly, there's the option of using a heating film for auxiliary heating. However, this method requires the heating film to be in direct contact with the battery or cold plate for effective heat transfer. Since the battery cell itself is encased in the module structure and cannot be directly embedded, it must be attached to the surface of the cold plate or the side of the cell. This arrangement results in a long heating path and increased heat loss, leading to lower efficiency. Furthermore, the structural limitations of the cold plate itself can make installation difficult, requiring additional fixing or insulation, thus complicating the structural design. In addition, the heating film is prone to localized overheating or even dry burning during long-term operation, posing a potential safety hazard. Utility Model Content
[0005] The present invention aims to provide an integrated heating structure for the cold plate of a power battery, in order to solve the problems of insufficient heating capacity, complex structure, high cost, and potential safety hazards of existing refrigerant direct-cooled battery packs.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:
[0007] This utility model provides an integrated heating structure for a power battery cold plate. By integrating refrigerant direct cooling and heating into a single cold plate, heating is integrated without changing the plate thickness, saving space. The heating structure is installed in a heating channel in the middle of the cold plate, providing uniform heating. Cooling channels are located on both sides of the cold plate to cool the battery cells, improving cooling / heating efficiency. Specifically, the integrated heating structure for a power battery cold plate includes an integrated cold plate comprising a profile tube with a thickness of 3-6mm. Cooling channels are located on both sides of the profile tube, with one end of each channel interconnected. A cooling structure is installed on each cooling channel. A heating channel is located in the middle of the profile tube, between the two cooling channels, and a heating structure is installed within the heating channel.
[0008] The principle and advantages of this scheme are:
[0009] This solution integrates refrigerant direct cooling and heating, achieving efficient thermal management through a zoned layout while maintaining the same cold plate thickness. The heating structure is built into the heating channel in the middle of the cold plate for uniform heating; the cooling channels on both sides directly and precisely cool the battery cells, forming a coordinated temperature control mode of "central heating and edge cooling" to improve cooling / heating efficiency.
[0010] Meanwhile, this solution breaks through the limitations of traditional separate heating and cooling systems, integrating dual functions within a limited space. It features a compact structure and high thermal management efficiency. The centrally located heating channel ensures temperature uniformity, while the cooling channels on both sides enhance cooling performance. Overall, the system's response speed and energy efficiency are optimized, making it suitable for battery thermal management scenarios with stringent requirements for space and temperature control accuracy.
[0011] Furthermore, the refrigeration channel includes an inlet channel and an outlet channel, the ends of which are connected by a refrigeration structure; the refrigeration channel includes multiple fluid holes arranged in parallel. The refrigerant flows through the fluid holes in the refrigeration channel, reducing the volume occupied and increasing the cooling area, thereby ensuring cooling efficiency.
[0012] Furthermore, the refrigeration structure includes a first manifold, a second manifold, and a third manifold located at the ends of the refrigeration channel; the first manifold is located at the inlet end of the inlet channel; the second manifold is located at the outlet end of the outlet channel; and the third manifold is located at the connecting end of the inlet channel and the outlet channel. The third manifold connects the inlet channel and the outlet channel, allowing the refrigerant to form a complete reflux path, ensuring the cooling effect of the refrigerant.
[0013] Furthermore, the heating structure includes a wire harness disposed within the heating channel, an insulation layer on the outside of the wire harness, and n heating elements arranged side by side inside the insulation layer. These multiple heating elements ensure the uniformity and coverage of the heating temperature, thus meeting the heating requirements.
[0014] Furthermore, a connector is provided at one end of the wiring harness. The heating structure is connected via the connector, facilitating heating adjustment and control.
[0015] Furthermore, the insulating layer is a single layer with a thickness of 0.05-0.2 mm.
[0016] Furthermore, a reserved hole is provided between the cooling channel and the heating channel.
[0017] Furthermore, connectors are provided on the first manifold and the second manifold respectively.
[0018] Furthermore, the cooling channel occupies two-thirds of the entire inner cavity of the profile tube; the heating channel occupies one-seventh of the inner cavity of the profile tube.
[0019] Furthermore, the heating device is a PTC heater. Using PTC heating reduces heating power at high temperatures, lowers the risk of dry burning, and improves safety. Attached Figure Description
[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model;
[0021] Figure 2 This is a front view of the cold plate structure of this utility model;
[0022] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the profile tube in this utility model;
[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the refrigeration structure in this utility model;
[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the heating structure in this utility model;
[0025] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A magnified view of part A in the middle.
[0026] The markings in the accompanying drawings include: integrated cold plate 1, refrigeration channel 2, inlet channel 3, outlet channel 4, refrigeration structure 5, first manifold 6, second manifold 7, third manifold 8, first connector 9, second connector 10, heating channel 11, reserved hole 12, heating structure 13, wire harness 14, insulation layer 15, heating device 16, first wire harness 17, second wire harness 18, first connector 19, second connector 20, fluid hole 21. Detailed Implementation
[0027] The following detailed description illustrates the specific implementation method:
[0028] Example 1
[0029] This embodiment is basically as shown in the appendix. Figure 1 As shown: A power battery cold plate integrated heating structure integrates refrigerant direct cooling and heating into a single structure while maintaining the same cold plate thickness. This results in lower space occupancy, simplified structural design, smaller space requirements, and simpler wiring layout, significantly reducing equipment costs while ensuring adequate cooling and heating effects, thus solving the problem of insufficient heating capacity in refrigerant-cooled battery packs. In this embodiment, the power battery cold plate integrated heating structure includes an integrated cold plate 1 with an overall rectangular parallelepiped structure, as shown in the attached figure. Figure 2 As shown, the integrated cold plate 1 includes a profile tube with concave structure at both ends. In this embodiment, the profile tube is made of aluminum with a thickness of 3-6mm, so as not to change the thickness of the cold plate and to integrate direct cooling and heating of refrigerant.
[0030] As attached Figure 3 As shown, cooling channels 2 are provided on both sides of the interior of the profile tube, i.e., the upper and lower ends as shown in the figure. Cooling channels 2 occupy two-thirds of the entire inner cavity of the profile tube. In this embodiment, the cooling channel 2 includes multiple parallel fluid holes 21. Refrigerant flows through the fluid holes 21 within the cooling channel 2, thereby achieving a cooling effect and simultaneously increasing the cooling contact area and improving cooling efficiency. (See attached figure.) Figure 4 As shown, the refrigerant channels 2 are interconnected at one end to facilitate the refrigerant to form a return path.
[0031] In this embodiment, the cooling channel 2 includes an inlet channel 3 and an outlet channel 4. If the upper side is the inlet channel 3, then the lower side is the outlet channel 4, and vice versa. In this embodiment, the cooling channel 2 located on the upper side is defined as the inlet channel 3 for explanation. The ends of the inlet channel and the outlet channel are connected by a cooling structure 5. In this embodiment, a cooling structure 5 is provided on the cooling channel 2.
[0032] Combined with appendix Figure 1 and attached Figure 4As shown, the refrigeration structure 5 includes a first manifold 6, a second manifold 7, and a third manifold 8 welded and installed at the ends of the refrigeration channel 2. The first manifold 6 is located at the inlet end of the inlet channel 3; the second manifold 7 is located at the outlet end of the outlet channel 4, used to connect the inlet and outlet of the refrigerant. The third manifold 8 is installed at the connecting end of the inlet channel 3 and the outlet channel 4, connecting the inlet channel 3 and the outlet channel 4, allowing the refrigerant to form a return flow path through the third manifold 8. Simultaneously, connectors for connecting the inlet and outlet of the refrigerant are installed on the first manifold 6 and the second manifold 7, respectively. The connector on the first manifold 6 is a first connector 9, and the connector on the second manifold 7 is a second connector 10. The refrigerant enters from the outside through the first connector 9, flows out through the internal channel and then through the second connector 10, connecting with the outside and forming a cooling effect.
[0033] As attached Figure 3 As shown, a heating channel 11 is provided in the middle of the profile tube, and the heating channel 11 is located between the two cooling channels 2. In this embodiment, the heating channel 11 occupies one-seventh of the inner cavity of the profile tube. Furthermore, a reserved hole 12 is provided between the cooling channel 2 and the heating channel 11. In this embodiment, two reserved holes 12 are provided, located on the upper and lower sides of the heating channel 11, for reserved heating. When the heating capacity is insufficient, a heating structure can be added to increase the heating strength and power, ensuring heating efficiency and stability.
[0034] A heating structure 13 is provided inside the heating channel 11.
[0035] As attached Figure 5 As shown, the heating structure 13 includes two wire harnesses 14 disposed within the heating channel 11, namely a first wire harness 17 and a second wire harness 18; an insulating layer 15 with an overall rectangular parallelepiped structure is wrapped around the outside of the wire harnesses 14. In this embodiment, the insulating layer is a single layer with a thickness of 0.05-0.2 mm, so that the heating structure and the cold plate are isolated by the insulating layer 15 to achieve an insulating effect. (See attached diagram) Figure 6 As shown, n heating elements 16 are installed side by side inside the insulation layer 15. In this embodiment, the heating elements 16 are PTC heaters, which are spaced apart and attached to the insulation layer 15. The PTC heating elements uniformly heat the cold plate. Combined with direct heating of the cold plate and simultaneous heating by the PTC heaters, the heating capacity is improved, ensuring the uniformity of the heating temperature and the heating efficiency.
[0036] A connector is also installed at one end of the wire harness 14. In this embodiment, two connectors are provided for the two wire harnesses, namely the first connector 19 and the second connector 20. The heating component is connected to the heating device 16 through the first connector 19 and the first wire harness 17, and then connected to the high-voltage circuit of the battery pack through the second wire harness 18 and the second connector 20, for controlling the operation and regulation of the heating device.
[0037] In this embodiment, a novel integrated design combining refrigerant direct cooling and PTC heating is adopted. This achieves efficient thermal management through a zoned layout while maintaining the same cold plate thickness. The heating channel incorporates a PTC heating element, working in conjunction with cold plate direct heating technology to achieve rapid and uniform heating. Simultaneously, the cooling channels on both sides utilize refrigerant direct cooling for precise temperature control of the battery cells, forming a collaborative temperature control system that significantly improves cooling / heating efficiency and response speed.
[0038] Existing technologies often employ independent heating films or external PTC modules. This solution, through the reconstruction and functional integration of the internal channels of the cold plate, achieves bidirectional and efficient thermal management at the same thickness. Its zoned collaborative heating / cooling mechanism and safety design have significant technological advantages, providing an innovative paradigm for battery thermal management.
[0039] Furthermore, this solution breaks through the limitations of traditional cold and heat separation architectures, deeply integrating refrigerant direct cooling with PTC heating. This not only solves the pain point of insufficient heating capacity in refrigerant direct cooling systems but also avoids the safety risks of dry burning of the heating film, achieving a balance between high safety and high performance. The integrated design significantly simplifies the system structure and reduces space occupation. Simultaneously, the dual-mode heating of "cold plate direct heating + PTC" significantly improves heating capacity compared to a single heating method, and the self-regulating characteristics of the PTC automatically reduce power at high temperatures, completely eliminating the risk of dry burning.
[0040] The above descriptions are merely embodiments of this utility model. Commonly known technical solutions and / or characteristics are not described in detail here. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the technical solution of this utility model. These modifications and improvements should also be considered within the scope of protection of this utility model, and will not affect the effectiveness of the implementation of this utility model or the practicality of the patent. The scope of protection claimed in this application should be determined by the content of its claims, and the specific embodiments described in the specification can be used to interpret the content of the claims.
Claims
1. A power battery cold plate integrated heating structure, characterized in that: The device includes an integrated cold plate, which includes a profile tube with a thickness of 3-6mm. Cooling channels are provided on both sides of the interior of the profile tube, and one end of each cooling channel is interconnected. A cooling structure is provided on the cooling channels. A heating channel is provided in the middle of the profile tube, located between the two cooling channels, and a heating structure is provided within the heating channel.
2. The integrated heating structure for a power battery cold plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The refrigeration channel includes an inlet channel and an outlet channel, the ends of which are connected by a refrigeration structure; the refrigeration channel includes a plurality of fluid holes arranged in parallel.
3. The integrated heating structure for a power battery cold plate according to claim 2, characterized in that: The refrigeration structure includes a first manifold, a second manifold, and a third manifold located at the ends of the refrigeration channel; the first manifold is located at the inlet end of the inlet channel; the second manifold is located at the outlet end of the outlet channel; and the third manifold is located at the connecting end of the inlet channel and the outlet channel.
4. The integrated heating structure for a power battery cold plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating structure includes a wire harness disposed within the heating channel, an insulating layer disposed on the outside of the wire harness, and n heating devices arranged side by side inside the insulating layer.
5. The integrated heating structure for a power battery cold plate according to claim 4, characterized in that: A connector is also provided at one end of the wire harness.
6. The integrated heating structure for a power battery cold plate according to claim 4, characterized in that: The insulating layer is a single layer with a thickness of 0.05-0.2 mm.
7. The integrated heating structure for a power battery cold plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: A pre-reserved hole is also provided between the cooling channel and the heating channel.
8. The integrated heating structure for a power battery cold plate according to claim 3, characterized in that: Connectors are also provided on the first manifold and the second manifold.
9. The integrated heating structure for a power battery cold plate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cooling channel occupies two-thirds of the entire inner cavity of the profile tube; the heating channel occupies one-seventh of the inner cavity of the profile tube.
10. The integrated heating structure for a power battery cold plate according to claim 4, characterized in that: The heating device is a PTC heater.