Battery pack and energy storage device
By adopting a parallel design of two sets of flow channels and a shared flow channel wall scheme in the battery pack, the problem of uneven heat dissipation of the battery cells is solved, achieving uniform heat dissipation of the battery cells and simplified manufacturing of the liquid cooling plate, reducing the risk of thermal runaway and energy consumption.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-04-28
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-09
AI Technical Summary
The unreasonable design of the liquid cooling plate in the existing battery pack leads to uneven heat dissipation of the cells, with some cells having poor heat dissipation and posing a risk of thermal runaway. In addition, the existing complex structure is not very practical.
The design employs two sets of flow channels, which are symmetrically arranged in the width direction. The first and second types of flow channels are connected in parallel, and the third and fourth flow channels share part of the flow channel wall, which simplifies the flow channel structure, reduces flow resistance, increases flow velocity, and improves heat dissipation uniformity.
It achieves uniform heat dissipation of cells within the battery pack, reduces the risk of thermal runaway, simplifies the manufacturing difficulty of liquid cooling plates, and improves space utilization and system energy efficiency.
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Figure CN224342333U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of energy storage technology, and in particular to a battery pack and energy storage device. Background Technology
[0002] In related technologies, the battery packs suffer from uneven heat dissipation among multiple cells due to poor liquid cooling plate design. This results in poor temperature uniformity among the cells, leading to safety issues and an increased risk of thermal runaway in some cells. While some bottom cooling plates in related technologies can achieve more balanced heat dissipation across multiple cells, their structures are overly complex and lack practicality. Utility Model Content
[0003] The embodiments of this application provide a battery pack and energy storage device that can reduce the design difficulty of the liquid cooling plate and improve its practicality while meeting the heat dissipation and temperature uniformity requirements of multiple cells in the battery pack.
[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a battery pack, which includes a liquid cooling plate and multiple rows of battery cells disposed on the liquid cooling plate. Each row of battery cells includes multiple cells arranged along the length direction of the liquid cooling plate, and the multiple rows of battery cells are arranged along the width direction of the liquid cooling plate. The liquid cooling plate has two sets of flow channels, which are symmetrically arranged in the width direction. Each set of flow channels includes a first type of flow channel and a second type of flow channel extending along the length direction. The first type of flow channel and the second type of flow channel are connected and flow in opposite directions, with the flow direction being the direction of coolant flow within the channel. The first type of flow channel and the second type of flow channel are arranged side-by-side and adjacent to each other in the width direction. One row of battery cells is disposed in one of the two sets of flow channels. On the first and second type of flow channels in one group of flow channels, another row of cells in the multi-row cells is located on the first and second type of flow channels in another group of flow channels; the liquid cooling plate is also provided with a third flow channel for communicating with one of the liquid inlet or liquid outlet of the liquid cooling plate and a fourth flow channel for communicating with the other of the liquid inlet or liquid outlet of the liquid cooling plate. The third and fourth flow channels are both located on the same side of the two groups of flow channels in the length direction. The third and fourth flow channels both extend in the width direction and are arranged adjacent to each other in the length direction. The third flow channel is connected to the first type of flow channel in the two groups of flow channels respectively, and the fourth flow channel is connected to the second type of flow channel in the two groups of flow channels respectively.
[0005] In this embodiment, the first type of flow channels in the two sets of flow channels in the third flow channel are connected, realizing the parallel arrangement of the first type of flow channels in the two sets of flow channels. Similarly, the second type of flow channels in the two sets of flow channels in the fourth flow channel are connected, realizing the parallel arrangement of the second type of flow channels in the two sets of flow channels. This reduces the flow resistance of the coolant in the flow channels within the liquid cooling plate, increases the flow velocity, and reduces the pump's driving pressure due to lower flow resistance, thus reducing energy consumption and improving system energy efficiency. Since the first and second type of flow channels are arranged side-by-side and adjacent in the width direction, one row of cells in the multi-row battery cells is located on the first and second type of flow channels in one set of the two flow channels, and the other row of cells is located on the first and second type of flow channels in the other set of the two flow channels. This ensures that the average temperature of the coolant in contact with the two rows of cells is approximately the same, allowing each cell to receive essentially the same amount of heat dissipation, thus guaranteeing the uniformity of heat dissipation across multiple cells. Furthermore, by arranging the third and fourth flow channels adjacent to each other and sharing a portion of the flow channel wall, the third and fourth flow channels can be separated, avoiding intersections and conflicts. This allows the third flow channel to connect with multiple first flow channels in both sets of flow channels without interfering with each other, enabling parallel operation of multiple first flow channels in both sets. Similarly, the fourth flow channel can connect with multiple second flow channels in both sets of flow channels, enabling parallel operation of multiple second flow channels in both sets. Conversely, if all flow channels are required to be located within the same liquid cooling plate, and the third and fourth flow channels do not share flow channel walls, it will lead to space conflicts or flow channel intersections, violating the physical feasibility of the liquid cooling plate structure. From a manufacturing perspective, if the third and fourth flow channels do not share flow channel walls, more layering or complex internal structures are required, which will complicate the manufacturing process, necessitating the design of additional support or partition structures, increasing manufacturing difficulty and cost. Furthermore, the layered design of the internal flow channels of the liquid cooling plate in the thickness direction will increase the thickness of the liquid cooling plate, affecting the size of the battery pack. Moreover, by sharing part of the flow channel wall, the third and fourth flow channels can share the same physical boundary in adjacent areas, reducing redundant isolation structures, thereby compressing the overall size and improving space utilization.
[0006] In some embodiments, in the width direction, the first type of flow channel of the two sets of flow channels is located between the second type of flow channels of the two sets of flow channels. One end of the fourth flow channel extends along the width direction and communicates with the second type of flow channel in one set of flow channels. The other end of the fourth flow channel extends along the width direction and communicates with the second type of flow channel in the other set of flow channels. In this embodiment, by extending one end of the fourth flow channel along the width direction and the other end extending along the width direction, the two ends of the fourth flow channel can communicate with the second type of flow channels of the two sets of flow channels, so as to realize the parallel arrangement of the second type of flow channels of the two sets of flow channels. Moreover, the extension of one end and the other end of the fourth flow channel along the width direction not only facilitates the connection with the second type of flow channel, but also allows the length of the second type of flow channel to be effectively increased in the length direction.
[0007] In some embodiments, the middle portion of the fourth flow channel extends away from the two sets of flow channels along its length, and the middle portion of the fourth flow channel communicates with one of the inlet or outlet. Because the middle portion of the fourth flow channel extends away from the two sets of flow channels along its length, the inlet or outlet can be located at the edge of the liquid cooling plate, which not only facilitates connection to the water inlet or outlet but also increases the effective area of the liquid cooling plate for placing the battery cell.
[0008] In some embodiments, the middle portion of the fourth flow channel is arranged adjacent to the third flow channel in the length direction. Since the middle portion of the fourth flow channel is located in the middle in the width direction, and the length of the third flow channel in the width direction is approximately the same as that of the middle portion of the fourth flow channel, the adjacent arrangement of the middle portion of the fourth flow channel and the third flow channel in the length direction allows the middle portion of the fourth flow channel and the third flow channel to share the flow channel wall. This simplifies and rationalizes the structural design of the third and fourth flow channels, thereby reducing the manufacturing difficulty of the liquid cooling plate and improving its practicality.
[0009] In some embodiments, one end of the third flow channel extends along the width direction and communicates with a first type of flow channel in a group of flow channels. The other end of the third flow channel extends along the width direction and communicates with a first type of flow channel in another group of flow channels. The middle portion of the third flow channel extends away from the two groups of flow channels along the length direction and communicates with one of the liquid inlet or liquid outlet. The middle portion of the third flow channel extends away from the two groups of flow channels along the length direction, also so that the liquid inlet or liquid outlet can be located at the edge of the liquid cooling plate, which not only facilitates connection with the water inlet or water outlet but also increases the effective area of the liquid cooling plate for placing the battery cell.
[0010] In some embodiments, both sets of flow channels further include a third type of flow channel and a fourth type of flow channel extending along the length direction. The second type of flow channel, the first type of flow channel, the third type of flow channel, and the fourth type of flow channel are arranged sequentially from the outside to the inside along the width direction. The second type of flow channel and the fourth type of flow channel are connected at the ends away from the fourth flow channel in the length direction. The fourth type of flow channel and the third type of flow channel are connected at the ends facing the fourth flow channel in the length direction. The third type of flow channel and the first type of flow channel are connected at the ends away from the fourth flow channel in the length direction. Another row of cells in the multi-row of cells is disposed on the third type of flow channel and the fourth type of flow channel in one set of flow channels. Yet another row of cells in the multi-row of cells is disposed on the third type of flow channel and the fourth type of flow channel in another set of flow channels. Taking the coolant sequentially passing through the first type of flow channel, the third type of flow channel, the fourth type of flow channel, and the second type of flow channel as an example, the temperature of the coolant in the first type of flow channel, the third type of flow channel, the fourth type of flow channel, and the second type of flow channel gradually increases. The second type of flow channel with the highest temperature and the first type of flow channel with the lowest temperature are paired to place a row of battery cells. The third type of flow channel and the fourth type of flow channel with moderate temperature are paired to place a row of battery cells. This can ensure that the average temperature of the coolant in contact with each row of battery cells is about the same, thereby ensuring the heat dissipation uniformity of each row of battery cells.
[0011] In some embodiments, the liquid cooling plate is further provided with a fifth, sixth, and seventh flow channel extending along the width direction. The third, fourth, and sixth flow channels are located on one side of the two sets of flow channels in the length direction, and the fifth and seventh flow channels are located on the other side of the two sets of flow channels in the length direction. The fifth flow channel is connected to the second type of flow channel and the fourth type of flow channel, the sixth flow channel is connected to the fourth type of flow channel and the third type of flow channel, and the seventh flow channel is connected to the first type of flow channel and the third type of flow channel. In this embodiment, by extending the fifth, sixth, and seventh flow channels along the width direction, the influence on the length extension of the first, third, fourth, and second flow channels in the length direction can be avoided. Moreover, by placing the third, fourth, and sixth flow channels on one side of the two sets of flow channels in the length direction, and placing the fifth and seventh flow channels on the other side of the two sets of flow channels in the length direction, the design rationality of the flow channels inside the liquid cooling plate can be improved and the design difficulty of the liquid cooling plate flow channels can be reduced, based on effectively connecting the first, third, fourth, and second flow channels in sequence.
[0012] In some embodiments, the fourth, third, and sixth flow channels are arranged adjacently from the outside to the inside along the length direction, while the fifth and seventh flow channels are arranged adjacently along the length direction, with the fifth flow channel located outside the seventh flow channel along the length direction. This means that the third and sixth flow channels share a portion of the flow channel wall, and the fifth and seventh flow channels also share a portion of the flow channel wall. Because the third and sixth flow channels, and the fifth and seventh flow channels, share a portion of the flow channel wall, the third and sixth flow channels can share the same physical boundary in adjacent areas, and the fifth and seventh flow channels can share the same physical boundary in adjacent areas. This reduces redundant isolation structures, thereby compressing the overall size and improving space utilization.
[0013] In some embodiments, in the width direction, the first type of flow channel in one group and the first type of flow channel in another group are arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction. In this embodiment, the liquid cooling plate is only provided with the first type of flow channel and the second type of flow channel. Each group of flow channels has a row of battery cells in the first type of flow channel and the second type of flow channel. Therefore, the liquid cooling plate in this embodiment can be provided with two rows of battery cells, and the heat dissipation uniformity of the two rows of battery cells can be effectively guaranteed.
[0014] In some embodiments, the first and second types of flow channels in the two sets of flow channels have the same dimensions in the width direction. Since the second types of flow channels on both sides of the first type of flow channel are arranged approximately symmetrically, and the dimensions of the first and second types of flow channels in each set of flow channels are approximately the same in the width direction, the dimensions of the first and second types of flow channels corresponding to the two rows of cells are approximately the same in the width direction, thereby effectively improving the temperature uniformity of the liquid cooling plate for heat dissipation of the two rows of cells.
[0015] In some embodiments, the first and second type of flow channels in either of the two sets of flow channels include multiple flow channels arranged in parallel, which can reduce the flow resistance of the coolant in the flow channels of the liquid cooling plate, increase the flow velocity, reduce the pump driving pressure due to low flow resistance, reduce energy consumption, and improve system energy efficiency.
[0016] In some embodiments, the liquid cooling plate further includes multiple protrusions disposed within a first type of flow channel or a second type of flow channel, with the protrusions spaced apart along the length direction. The protrusions facilitate flow around the liquid, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency between the coolant and the battery cell.
[0017] In some embodiments, the liquid cooling plate includes a stacked flow channel plate and a substrate. The flow channel plate has multiple grooves, and the substrate covers the flow channel plate and closes the grooves to form a first type of flow channel, a second type of flow channel, a third type of flow channel, and a fourth type of flow channel. The liquid cooling plate, inlet, and outlet are formed on the substrate. Since the substrate can be designed as a relatively flat plate, and both sides of the substrate in the thickness direction can be designed as planes, placing the inlet and outlet on the substrate can effectively ensure the convenience and sealing when connecting the inlet and outlet to the water inlet and outlet nozzles. In this embodiment, the liquid cooling plate can achieve a reasonable flow channel layout using only two layers: the flow channel plate and the substrate. This allows multiple battery cells to receive effective heat dissipation, improves the heat dissipation uniformity of multiple battery cells, and also makes the structure of the liquid cooling plate reasonable and simple, effectively improving the practicality of the liquid cooling plate.
[0018] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide an energy storage device, which includes a cabinet and a battery pack as described in any of the first aspects above, with the battery pack housed within the cabinet. Attached Figure Description
[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below.
[0020] Figure 1 An embodiment provides a schematic diagram of the battery pack structure;
[0021] Figure 2A The embodiment provides a schematic diagram of the flow channel distribution of a liquid cooling plate;
[0022] Figure 2B for Figure 2A An exploded view of the liquid cooling plate in the middle;
[0023] Figure 3 for Figure 2A One of the flow path topologies of the coolant within the liquid cooling plate in the embodiment;
[0024] Figure 4 for Figure 2A Another flow path topology diagram of the coolant in the liquid cooling plate in the embodiment;
[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another liquid cooling plate provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another liquid cooling plate provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0027] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of another liquid cooling plate provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0028] Figure 8 for Figure 5 One of the flow path topologies of the coolant within the liquid cooling plate in the embodiment;
[0029] Figure 9 for Figure 5 Another flow path topology diagram of the coolant in the liquid cooling plate in the embodiment;
[0030] Figure 10 An exploded view of another liquid cooling plate provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0031] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the three types of bumps provided in this embodiment;
[0032] Figure 12 This is an exploded view of another liquid cooling plate provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0033] Figure 13 This is one of the flow path topologies of the coolant within another type of liquid cooling plate.
[0034] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:
[0035] X, length direction; Y, width direction;
[0036] 1. Battery pack; 2. Housing; 3. Liquid cooling plate; 4. Battery cell;
[0037] 10. Flow channel plate; 101. Groove;
[0038] 20. Substrate; 21. Liquid inlet; 22. Liquid outlet;
[0039] 301, First group of flow channels; 302, Second group of flow channels;
[0040] 31. Type I flow channel; 311. First flow channel;
[0041] 32. Type II flow channel; 321. Second flow channel;
[0042] 33. Third flow channel; 331. Flow channel wall; 332. Middle part of the third flow channel;
[0043] 34. Fourth flow channel; 341. First section; 342. Second section; 343. Third section;
[0044] 35. Fifth flow channel;
[0045] 36. Type III flow channel;
[0046] 37. Type IV flow channel;
[0047] 38. Sixth flow channel;
[0048] 39. Seventh flow channel;
[0049] 40. Bumps;
[0050] 51. Type 5 flow channel; 52. Type 6 flow channel; 53. Type 7 flow channel; 54. Type 8 flow channel. Detailed Implementation
[0051] The following section will first explain some of the terms used in the embodiments of this application.
[0052] The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented, for example, in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.
[0053] In this specification, the terms "vertical" and "parallel" are explained.
[0054] Perpendicularity: The perpendicularity defined in this application is not limited to an absolute perpendicular intersection (with an included angle of 90 degrees). It is permissible for non-absolute perpendicular intersections caused by factors such as assembly tolerances, design tolerances, and structural flatness. It is permissible for errors within a small angular range, such as an assembly error range of 80 to 100 degrees, which can all be understood as a perpendicular relationship.
[0055] Parallelism: The parallelism defined in this application is not limited to absolute parallelism. This definition of parallelism can be understood as basic parallelism, allowing for situations where the parallelism is not absolute due to factors such as assembly tolerances, design tolerances, and structural flatness. These situations may lead to the sliding mating part and the first door panel not being absolutely parallel, but this application also defines such situations as parallelism.
[0056] Modern society is filled with a large number of devices that rely on electricity, from small household appliances to large data centers and factory production lines. Electricity supply is one of the factors that maintain the normal operation of modern society. Therefore, energy storage devices have developed rapidly and are widely used. This application provides an energy storage device, such as an energy storage cabinet using battery packs, a power cabinet for a data center, or even a vehicle using battery packs. Energy storage devices can be used to store electrical energy and supply power to devices that require electricity. Energy storage devices can be applied in fields such as site energy, photovoltaics, residential energy storage, industrial and commercial energy storage, and large-scale ground-mounted power plant energy storage.
[0057] With the development of energy storage devices, safety has become paramount. As the core component of energy storage devices, the safety performance of the battery pack determines the overall safety performance of the device. However, some battery packs in related technologies typically have a large number of cells. Due to unreasonable structural design, poor heat dissipation and temperature uniformity among the cells can lead to thermal runaway in some cells, ultimately causing thermal runaway of the entire battery pack.
[0058] To improve battery pack safety, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 This embodiment provides a schematic diagram of a battery pack 1. The battery pack 1 includes a liquid cooling plate 3, which is part of the housing 2 of the battery pack 1. The liquid cooling plate 3 supports multiple battery cells 4 and dissipates heat from the multiple battery cells 4 located on the liquid cooling plate 3. Specifically, the liquid cooling plate 3 may have multiple rows of battery cells 4. Each row of battery cells 4 includes multiple battery cells 4 arranged along the length direction X of the liquid cooling plate 3, and the multiple rows of battery cells 4 are arranged along the width direction Y of the liquid cooling plate 3. It should be noted that the length direction X of the liquid cooling plate 3 is also the length direction of the battery pack 1, the width direction Y of the liquid cooling plate 3 is also the width direction of the battery pack 1, and the thickness direction of the liquid cooling plate 3 is the height direction of the battery pack 1. For ease of description, the length direction X of the liquid cooling plate 3 will be used to represent the length direction X of the liquid cooling plate 3, and the width direction Y of the liquid cooling plate 3 will be used to represent the width direction Y of the liquid cooling plate 3. This embodiment uses a reasonable design of the liquid cooling plate 3 to ensure that all the multiple battery cells 4 located on the liquid cooling plate 3 can be fully cooled, thereby improving the temperature uniformity of the multiple battery cells 4 located on the liquid cooling plate 3, reducing the probability of thermal runaway of the battery cells 4, and thus improving the safety of the battery pack 1.
[0059] Reference Figure 1In this embodiment, the liquid cooling plate 3 includes a flow channel plate 10 and a substrate 20. The flow channel plate 10 has multiple grooves 101, and the substrate 20 is stacked on the flow channel plate 10. The substrate 20 covers the multiple grooves 101 and forms multiple flow channels. In this embodiment, through the reasonable layout and design of the multiple flow channels, each battery cell 4 on the liquid cooling plate 3 can be fully cooled, and the temperature uniformity between the battery cells 4 can be improved, thereby improving the safety of the battery pack 1. It can be understood that the stacking direction of the substrate 20 and the flow channel plate 10 is also the thickness direction of the liquid cooling plate 3.
[0060] Specifically, the substrate 20 is used to support each battery cell 4. That is, the substrate 20 is located on the side of the flow channel plate 10 facing the battery cell 4. In order to improve the uniformity of heat exchange between the liquid cooling plate 3 and the battery cell 4, the surface of the substrate 20 facing the battery cell 4 is roughly flat, so that the thickness uniformity of the thermally conductive adhesive between the battery cell 4 and the substrate 20 is relatively high, thereby improving the heat dissipation uniformity of the liquid cooling plate 3 to the battery cell 4. The surface of the substrate 20 facing the flow channel plate 10 is also roughly flat to facilitate a sealed connection with the flow channel plate 10, thereby ensuring the sealing of the multiple flow channels of the liquid cooling plate 3.
[0061] Reference Figure 1 In this embodiment, the liquid inlet 21 and liquid outlet 22 of the liquid cooling plate 3 are disposed on the substrate 20 and communicate with the flow channel inside the liquid cooling plate 3. Since the substrate 20 is flatter than the flow channel plate 10, it is beneficial to process and manufacture to place the liquid inlet 21 and liquid outlet 22 of the liquid cooling plate 3 on the substrate 20, and it is also beneficial to the sealing when the water inlet and water outlet are connected to the liquid inlet 21 and liquid outlet 22.
[0062] This embodiment can effectively dissipate heat from all cells 4 in each row of cells 4, achieving uniform temperature dissipation for all cells 4 within the battery pack 1. Furthermore, while ensuring uniform temperature dissipation for all cells 4 within the battery pack 1, it avoids complicating the design of the liquid cooling plate 3. That is, the liquid cooling plate 3 can be rationally arranged with only the flow channel plate 10 and the substrate 20 in cooperation, allowing the coolant to dissipate heat uniformly to each cell 4.
[0063] Figure 2A An embodiment provides a schematic diagram of the flow channel distribution of a liquid cooling plate 3. Figure 2A The implementation example is also Figure 1 The top view of the liquid cooling plate 3 in the embodiment shows that the unfilled blank parts are the flow channels inside the liquid cooling plate 3.
[0064] Reference Figure 2AIn this embodiment, the liquid cooling plate 3 has two sets of flow channels. For ease of description, one set of flow channels is designated as the first set of flow channels 301, and the other set of flow channels is designated as the second set of flow channels 302. The two sets of flow channels are symmetrically arranged in the width direction Y, that is, the first set of flow channels 301 and the second set of flow channels 302 are symmetrically arranged in the width direction Y.
[0065] The first group of flow channels 301 and the second group of flow channels 302 both include a first type of flow channel 31 and a second type of flow channel 32. The first type of flow channel 31 and the second type of flow channel 32 are connected. For example, the coolant can flow out through the first type of flow channel 31 and then flow into the second type of flow channel 32, or the coolant can flow out through the second type of flow channel 32 and then flow into the first type of flow channel 31.
[0066] The first type of flow channel 31 extends along the length direction X of the liquid cooling plate 3, meaning the coolant flows in the first type of flow channel 31 in the length direction X of the liquid cooling plate 3. The first type of flow channel 31 includes multiple parallel-connected first flow channels 311, meaning coolant simultaneously flows into or out of multiple first flow channels 311. Furthermore, all multiple first flow channels 311 extend along the length direction X, and the coolant flows in the same direction within each of the multiple first flow channels 311. The parallel connection of multiple first flow channels 311 ensures that the temperature of the coolant flowing through them is approximately the same, thereby ensuring that each pair of cells 4 (e.g., ...) in the multiple first flow channels 311 has the same temperature. Figure 1 The heat dissipation effect is roughly the same as that of the other two cells, so as to improve the temperature uniformity of heat dissipation for cell 4.
[0067] The first type of flow channel 31 extends along the length direction X of the liquid cooling plate 3, meaning the coolant in the second type of flow channel 32 flows in the length direction X of the liquid cooling plate 3. The second type of flow channel 32 includes multiple parallel second flow channels 321, meaning coolant simultaneously flows into or out of multiple second flow channels 321. The coolant flows in the same direction in all the multiple second flow channels 321, and the flow direction of the coolant in the first type of flow channel is opposite to that in the second type of flow channel. Similarly, because the multiple second flow channels 321 are arranged in parallel, the temperature of the coolant flowing in the multiple second flow channels 321 is approximately the same, thus making the heat dissipation effect of each of the multiple second flow channels 321 on the battery cell 4 approximately the same, thereby improving the temperature uniformity of heat dissipation on the battery cell 4. Furthermore, since multiple first flow channels 311 and multiple second flow channels 321 are arranged in parallel, the flow resistance in the liquid cooling plate 3 can be reduced, the flow rate can be increased, the low flow resistance reduces the pump driving pressure, reduces energy consumption, and improves system energy efficiency. Under the same pump power, the coolant flow rate increases, more heat is removed per unit time, and the temperature distribution is more uniform, avoiding local overheating.
[0068] Taking the example where the coolant first flows through the first type of flow channel 31 and then through the second type of flow channel 32, i.e., the first type of flow channel 31 is upstream of the second type of flow channel 32, it is understandable that if the battery cell 4 is only in contact with the second type of flow channel 32, for example, if the battery cell 4 is only directly above the second type of flow channel 32, and the coolant has to pass through the first type of flow channel 31 before passing through the second type of flow channel 32, heat exchange occurs between the coolant and the battery cell 4 during this process. This causes the temperature of the coolant to rise when it reaches the second type of flow channel 32, making it impossible to effectively dissipate heat from the battery cell 4 in the second type of flow channel 32. This poses a risk of thermal runaway for the battery cell 4 corresponding to the second type of flow channel 32. Since the temperature of the coolant in the first type of flow channel 31 is different from the temperature of the coolant in the second type of flow channel 32, to avoid the risk of thermal runaway in some battery cells 4 due to uneven heat dissipation, [refer to...]. Figure 2A In this embodiment, each of the plurality of battery cells 4 is directly opposite to the first type of flow channel 31 and the second type of flow channel 32 in the thickness direction of the liquid cooling plate 3. That is, each battery cell 4 is simultaneously directly opposite to the first flow channel 311 and the second flow channel 321 in the thickness direction of the liquid cooling plate 3. It is understood that in this application, "battery cell 4 directly opposite to the first flow channel 311 or the second flow channel 321 in the thickness direction of the liquid cooling plate 3" means that the projections of the battery cell 4 and the first flow channel 311 or the second flow channel 321 in the thickness direction of the liquid cooling plate 3 at least partially overlap. For ease of description, the Z-direction will be used in the following text to represent the thickness direction of the liquid cooling plate 3. Since the battery cell 4 is directly opposite the first type of flow channel 31 and the second type of flow channel 32 in the Z direction, each battery cell 4 can be cooled by coolant at different temperatures in the first type of flow channel 31 and the second type of flow channel 32. The coolant in the two types of flow channels can neutralize the temperature, so that some battery cells 4 are not only cooled by the first type of flow channel 31, and some battery cells 4 can only exchange heat with the second type of flow channel 32. This ensures that the cooling effect among multiple battery cells 4 will not have a large deviation, which is conducive to improving the temperature uniformity of heat dissipation of multiple battery cells 4, thereby avoiding thermal runaway caused by some battery cells 4 not being able to dissipate heat effectively.
[0069] To ensure that each battery cell 4 is directly aligned with the first type of flow channel 31 and the second type of flow channel 32 in the thickness direction of the liquid cooling plate 3, the first type of flow channel 31 and the second type of flow channel 32 are arranged side-by-side and adjacent in the width direction Y. One row of battery cells 4 is positioned on the first type of flow channel 31 and the second type of flow channel 32 of the first group of flow channels 301, and the other row of battery cells 4 is positioned on the first type of flow channel 31 and the second type of flow channel 32 of the second group of flow channels 302. Since the first type of flow channel 31 and the second type of flow channel 32 are adjacent in each group of flow channels, each battery cell 4 in a row can be directly aligned with both the first type of flow channel 31 and the second type of flow channel 32 simultaneously. This ensures that each battery cell 4 receives the same amount of heat dissipation, guaranteeing the uniformity of heat dissipation among the multiple battery cells 4.
[0070] To achieve the parallel connection of the first type of flow channels 31 in the two sets of flow channels, and the parallel connection of the second type of flow channels 32 in the two sets of flow channels, refer to Figure 2A Example, refer to Figure 2A In this embodiment, the liquid cooling plate 3 is further provided with a third flow channel 33 and a fourth flow channel 34. The third flow channel 33 is used to communicate with one of the liquid inlet 21 or the liquid outlet 22 of the liquid cooling plate 3, and the fourth flow channel 34 is used to communicate with the other of the liquid inlet 21 or the liquid outlet 22 of the liquid cooling plate 3. For example, when the third flow channel 33 is connected to the liquid inlet 21 of the liquid cooling plate 3, the fourth flow channel 34 is connected to the liquid outlet 22 of the liquid cooling plate 3; when the third flow channel 33 is connected to the liquid outlet 22 of the liquid cooling plate 3, the fourth flow channel 34 is connected to the liquid inlet 21 of the liquid cooling plate 3.
[0071] The third flow channel 33 is connected to the first type of flow channel 31 of the two sets of flow channels respectively. Specifically, the third flow channel 33 is connected to both the multiple first flow channels 311 included in the first type of flow channel 31 of the first set of flow channels 301 and the multiple first flow channels 311 included in the first type of flow channel 31 of the second set of flow channels 302, so as to input coolant into the multiple first flow channels 311 in the two sets of flow channels through the third flow channel 33, or input the coolant in the multiple first flow channels 311 in the two sets of flow channels into the third flow channel 33.
[0072] The fourth flow channel 34 is connected to the second type of flow channel 32 of the two sets of flow channels respectively. Specifically, the fourth flow channel 34 is connected to both the multiple second flow channels 321 included in the second type of flow channel 32 of the first set of flow channels 301 and the multiple second flow channels 321 included in the second type of flow channel 32 of the second set of flow channels 302, so as to input coolant into the multiple second flow channels 321 in the two sets of flow channels through the fourth flow channel 34, or input the coolant in the multiple second flow channels 321 in the two sets of flow channels into the fourth flow channel 34.
[0073] To achieve parallel configuration of multiple first flow channels 311 and multiple second flow channels 321 without increasing the complexity of the liquid cooling plate 3, refer to Figure 2AIn this embodiment, both the third flow channel 33 and the fourth flow channel 34 extend along the width direction Y and are arranged adjacent to each other in the length direction X. That is, the third flow channel 33 and the fourth flow channel 34 share a portion of the flow channel wall 331, which serves to separate the third flow channel 33 and the fourth flow channel 34. It is understood that the thickness of the shared flow channel wall 331 between the third flow channel 33 and the fourth flow channel 34 is approximately equivalent to the thickness of the shared flow channel walls between other flow channels, in order to avoid wasting the usable area of the liquid cooling plate 3. By arranging the third flow channel 33 and the fourth flow channel 34 adjacently and sharing a portion of the flow channel wall 331, the third flow channel 33 and the fourth flow channel 34 can be separated, and their intersection and conflict can be avoided. This allows the third flow channel 33 to connect with multiple first flow channels 311 in both sets of flow channels without affecting each other, thus achieving parallel connection of multiple first flow channels 311 in both sets of flow channels. Similarly, the fourth flow channel 34 can connect with multiple second flow channels 321 in both sets of flow channels, achieving parallel connection of multiple second flow channels 321 in both sets of flow channels. Conversely, if all flow channels are required to be located within the same liquid cooling plate 3, and if the third flow channel 33 and the fourth flow channel 34 are completely independent (not sharing the flow channel wall 331), it will lead to space occupation conflicts or flow channel intersections, violating the physical feasibility of the liquid cooling plate 3 structure. From a manufacturing perspective, if the third flow channel 33 and the fourth flow channel 34 do not share the flow channel wall 331, more layering or complex internal structures are required. This would complicate the manufacturing process, necessitating the design of additional support or partition structures, thus increasing manufacturing difficulty and cost. Furthermore, the layered design of the internal flow channels of the liquid cooling plate 3 in the thickness direction would increase the thickness of the liquid cooling plate 3, affecting the battery pack 1 (e.g., Figure 1 (size).
[0074] In summary, by having the third flow channel 33 and the fourth flow channel 34 share a portion of the flow channel wall 331, structural conflicts caused by flow channel intersections can be avoided, ensuring uniform fluid distribution, simplifying the manufacturing process, and adapting to limited space constraints. Moreover, by sharing a portion of the flow channel wall 331, the third flow channel 33 and the fourth flow channel 34 can share the same physical boundary in adjacent areas, reducing redundant isolation structures, thereby compressing the overall size and improving space utilization.
[0075] For ease of description, the X direction will be used to replace the length direction X, and the Y direction will be used to replace the width direction Y in the following text.
[0076] Reference Figure 2AIn this embodiment, the liquid cooling plate 3 is further provided with a third type of flow channel 36 and a fourth type of flow channel 37 arranged side by side with the first type of flow channel 31 and the second type of flow channel 32 in the Y direction. The second type of flow channel 32 and the fourth type of flow channel 37 are connected, the first type of flow channel 31 and the third type of flow channel 36 are connected, the third type of flow channel 36 and the fourth type of flow channel 37 are connected, the flow direction of the first type of flow channel 31 and the fourth type of flow channel 37 is the same, and the flow direction of the second type of flow channel 32 and the third type of flow channel 36 is the same. That is, the first type of flow channel 31, the third type of flow channel 36, the fourth type of flow channel 37 and the second type of flow channel 32 are connected in sequence, and the coolant can flow through the first type of flow channel 31, the third type of flow channel 36, the fourth type of flow channel 37 and the second type of flow channel 32 in sequence, or it can flow through the second type of flow channel 32, the fourth type of flow channel 37, the third type of flow channel 36 and the first type of flow channel 31 in sequence. Therefore, the temperatures of the coolant in the first type of flow channel 31, the third type of flow channel 36, the fourth type of flow channel 37, and the second type of flow channel 32 are all different.
[0077] Specifically, the second type of flow channel 32, the first type of flow channel 31, the third type of flow channel 36, and the fourth type of flow channel 37 are arranged sequentially from the outside to the inside along the width direction Y. That is, the first type of flow channel 31 and the third type of flow channel 36 are located between the second type of flow channel 32 and the fourth type of flow channel 37 in the Y direction. The second type of flow channel 32 and the fourth type of flow channel 37 are connected at the ends away from the fourth type of flow channel 34 in the length direction X. The fourth type of flow channel 37 and the third type of flow channel 36 are connected at the ends towards the fourth type of flow channel 34 in the length direction X. The third type of flow channel 36 and the first type of flow channel 31 are connected at the ends away from the fourth type of flow channel 34 in the length direction X. Thus, the first type of flow channel 31, the third type of flow channel 36, the fourth type of flow channel 37, and the second type of flow channel 32 can be connected sequentially. In this embodiment, the liquid cooling plate 3 can be provided with four rows of battery cells 4. For ease of description, the four rows of battery cells 4 are designated as the first row of battery cells 4a, the second row of battery cells 4b, the third row of battery cells 4c, and the fourth row of battery cells 4d. The first row of battery cells 4a is provided on the first type of flow channel 31 and the second type of flow channel 32 of the first group of flow channels 301. The second row of battery cells 4b is provided on the first type of flow channel 31 and the second type of flow channel 32 of the second group of flow channels 302. The third row of battery cells 4c is provided on the third type of flow channel 36 and the fourth type of flow channel 37 of the first group of flow channels 301. The fourth row of battery cells 4d is provided on the third type of flow channel 36 and the fourth type of flow channel 37 of the second group of flow channels 302. Taking the example of coolant sequentially passing through the first type of flow channel 31, the third type of flow channel 36, the fourth type of flow channel 37, and the second type of flow channel 32, the temperature of the coolant in the first type of flow channel 31, the third type of flow channel 36, the fourth type of flow channel 37, and the second type of flow channel 32 gradually increases. Taking the temperature of the coolant when it flows into the first type of flow channel 31 as A°, and the temperature increase of the coolant after flowing through each type of flow channel 31 as a°, the temperatures of the coolant in the third type of flow channel 36, the fourth type of flow channel 37, and the second type of flow channel 32 are (A+a)°, (A+2a)°, and (A+3a)°, respectively. Therefore, the average temperature of the coolant in the first type of flow channel 31 and the second type of flow channel 32 of the first group of flow channels 301 corresponding to the first column of cells 4a is (A°+a)°. The average temperature of the coolant in the first type of flow channel 31 and the second type of flow channel 32 of the second group of flow channels 302 corresponding to the second column of cell 4b is (A°+(A+3a)°) / 2=(A+1.5a)°. The average temperature of the coolant in the third type of flow channel 36 and the fourth type of flow channel 37 of the first group of flow channels 301 corresponding to the third column of cell 4c is ((A+a)°+(A+2a)°) / 2=(A+1.5a)°. The average temperature of the coolant in the third type of flow channel 36 and the fourth type of flow channel 37 of the second group of flow channels 302 corresponding to the fourth column of cell 4d is ((A+a)°+(A+2a)°) / 2=(A+1.5a)°. Therefore, the average temperature of the coolant in contact with the four columns of cells 4 is (A+1.5a)°, which ensures that the coolant in the battery pack 1 (e.g., ...) is within the range of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 ... Figure 1Even with four rows of cells 4 inside, the temperature uniformity of all cells 4 can still be guaranteed.
[0078] In some other embodiments, it may also be a battery pack 1 (e.g. Figure 1 The device has two rows of battery cells. In order to improve the temperature uniformity of heat dissipation of each battery cell 4, each row of battery cells 4 is simultaneously set with a set of first type flow channels 31, second type flow channels 32, third type flow channels 36 and fourth type flow channels 37, so that each battery cell 4 can obtain approximately the same cooling and heat dissipation effect, thereby improving the temperature uniformity of each battery cell 4.
[0079] To achieve connectivity between the second type of flow channel 32, the first type of flow channel 31, the third type of flow channel 36, and the fourth type of flow channel 37, refer to Figure 2A In this embodiment, the cold plate 3 includes not only the third flow channel 33 and the fourth flow channel 34, but also the fifth flow channel 35, the sixth flow channel 38, and the seventh flow channel 39. The fifth flow channel 35, the sixth flow channel 38, and the seventh flow channel 39 all extend along the width direction Y. The third flow channel 33, the fourth flow channel 34, and the sixth flow channel 38 are located on one side of the two sets of flow channels in the length direction X, while the fifth flow channel 35 and the seventh flow channel 39 are located on the other side of the two sets of flow channels in the length direction X. The fifth flow channel 35 is connected to the second type of flow channel 32 and the fourth type of flow channel 37, respectively; the sixth flow channel 38 is connected to the fourth type of flow channel 37 and the third type of flow channel 36, respectively; and the seventh flow channel 39 is connected to the first type of flow channel 31 and the third type of flow channel 36, respectively. This connects the second type of flow channel 32, the first type of flow channel 31, the third type of flow channel 36, and the fourth type of flow channel 37 arranged sequentially from the outside to the inside along the width direction Y, so that the coolant can pass through the first type of flow channel 31, the third type of flow channel 36, the fourth type of flow channel 37, and the second type of flow channel 32 in sequence, or through the second type of flow channel 32, the fourth type of flow channel 37, the third type of flow channel 36, and the first type of flow channel 31 in sequence, so as to ensure the temperature uniformity of the four rows of cells 4.
[0080] Reference Figure 2AIn this embodiment, the fifth flow channel 35 is connected to multiple second flow channels 321 included in the second type of flow channel 32 of the two sets of flow channels, and is also connected to multiple flow channels included in the fourth type of flow channel 37 of the two sets of flow channels, thereby connecting the second type of flow channel 32 and the fourth type of flow channel 37 of the two sets of flow channels. The sixth flow channel 38 is connected to multiple flow channels included in the fourth type of flow channel 37 of the two sets of flow channels, and is also connected to multiple flow channels included in the third type of flow channel 36 of the two sets of flow channels, thereby connecting the third type of flow channel 36 and the fourth type of flow channel 37 of the two sets of flow channels. The seventh flow channel 39 is connected to multiple first flow channels 311 included in the first type of flow channel 31 of the two sets of flow channels, and is also connected to multiple flow channels included in the third type of flow channel 36 of the two sets of flow channels, thereby connecting the third type of flow channel 36 and the first type of flow channel 31. By setting up the third flow channel 33, the fourth flow channel 34, the fifth flow channel 35, the sixth flow channel 38 and the seventh flow channel 39, the second type flow channel 32, the first type flow channel 31, the third type flow channel 36 and the fourth type flow channel 37 can be connected.
[0081] Reference Figure 2A In this embodiment, the fourth flow channel 34, the third flow channel 33, and the sixth flow channel 38 are arranged adjacently from the outside to the inside in the length direction X. The fifth flow channel 35 and the seventh flow channel 39 are arranged adjacently in the length direction X, with the fifth flow channel 35 located outside the seventh flow channel 39 in the length direction X. That is, the third flow channel 33 and the fourth flow channel 34 share a portion of the flow channel wall, the third flow channel 33 and the sixth flow channel 38 share a portion of the flow channel wall, and the fifth flow channel 35 and the fourth flow channel 34 share a portion of the flow channel wall. This avoids the intersection and conflict between the third flow channel 33, the fourth flow channel 34, the fifth flow channel 35, the sixth flow channel 38, and the seventh flow channel 39, and also effectively saves the usable space of the liquid cooling plate 3.
[0082] Reference Figure 2AIn this embodiment, one end of the fourth flow channel 34 extends along the width direction Y and communicates with the second flow channel 321 included in the second type of flow channel 32 in the first group of flow channels 301. The other end of the fourth flow channel 34 extends along the width direction Y and communicates with the second flow channel 321 included in the second type of flow channel 32 in the second group of flow channels 302. For convenience, one end of the fourth flow channel 34 is designated as the first segment 341, the other end as the second segment 342, and the middle portion as the third segment 343. The third segment 343 connects the first segment 341 and the second segment 342. The first segment 341 communicates with the plurality of second flow channels 321 included in the second type of flow channel 32 of the first group of flow channels 301, and the second segment 342 communicates with the plurality of second flow channels 321 included in the second type of flow channel 32 of the second group of flow channels 302. Since the third segment 343 connects the first segment 341 and the second segment 342, the second type of flow channel 32 of the two sets of flow channels can be connected through the third segment 343, so that the second type of flow channel 32 in the two sets of flow channels can be set in parallel, so that all the second flow channels 321 in the liquid cooling plate 3 can be set in parallel, thereby making the temperature of the coolant in all the second flow channels 321 approximately the same.
[0083] Reference Figure 2A In this embodiment, the middle portion of the fourth flow channel 34 extends away from the two sets of flow channels along the length direction X, and the middle portion of the fourth flow channel 34 is connected to one of the liquid inlet 21 or the liquid outlet 22. Since the middle portion of the fourth flow channel 34 extends away from the two sets of flow channels along the length direction X, the liquid inlet 21 or the liquid outlet 22 of the liquid cooling plate 3 can be located at the edge of the liquid cooling plate 3 to facilitate connection with the water inlet or water outlet, and also to avoid affecting the layout of the battery cell 4.
[0084] Reference Figure 2A In this embodiment, the middle part of the fourth flow channel 34 (i.e., the third segment 343) and the third flow channel 33 are arranged adjacent to each other in the length direction X. That is, at least part of the third segment 343 and the third flow channel 33 share the flow channel wall 331. Specifically, most of the third segment 343 and most of the third flow channel 33 can share the flow channel wall 331. By sharing the flow channel wall 331, the third segment 343 and the third flow channel 33 are separated. This allows the first segment 341 and the second segment 342 to avoid crossing or conflicting with the third flow channel 33 while being connected through the third segment 343. This can effectively reduce the design difficulty of the flow channel inside the liquid cooling plate 3.
[0085] Reference Figure 2AIn this embodiment, the third flow channel 33 has a shape roughly the same as the fourth flow channel 34. One end of the third flow channel 33 extends along the width direction Y and communicates with the first type of flow channel in the first group of flow channels 301. The other end of the third flow channel 33 extends along the width direction Y and communicates with the first type of flow channel in the second group of flow channels 302. The middle portion 332 of the third flow channel 33 extends away from the two groups of flow channels along the length direction X. The middle portion 332 of the third flow channel 33 communicates with one of the liquid inlet 21 or the liquid outlet 22. Since the middle portion 332 of the third flow channel 33 extends away from the two groups of flow channels along the length direction X, the liquid inlet 21 or the liquid outlet 22 of the liquid cooling plate 3 can be located at the edge of the liquid cooling plate 3 to facilitate connection with the water inlet or water outlet, and also to avoid affecting the layout of the battery cell 4.
[0086] Figure 2B for Figure 2A An exploded view of the liquid cooling plate 3 in the diagram; Figure 3 for Figure 2A One of the flow path topologies of the coolant within the liquid cooling plate 3 in the embodiment; Figure 4 for Figure 2A Another flow path topology diagram of the coolant in the liquid cooling plate 3 in the embodiment. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The lines in the diagram represent flow channels, and Figure 3 and Figure 4 Different types of lines are used to distinguish different categories of flow channels.
[0087] Reference Figure 2B and Figure 3 In this embodiment, the middle portion 332 of the third flow channel 33 extends along the length direction X and communicates with the liquid outlet 22, while the middle portion 344 of the fourth flow channel 34 extends along the length direction X and communicates with the liquid inlet 21. In this embodiment, the portion 332 of the third flow channel 33 extending in the X direction has a liquid outlet 22, and the portion 344 of the fourth flow channel 34 extending in the X direction has a liquid inlet 21. This allows the liquid inlet 21 and liquid outlet 22 of the liquid cooling plate 3 to be arranged along the X direction, increasing the layout flexibility of the liquid inlet 21 and liquid outlet 22 of the liquid cooling plate 3. Furthermore, with the two sets of flow channels symmetrically arranged, the fourth flow channel 34 surrounds the outside of the third flow channel 33, and the portion 344 of the fourth flow channel 34 extending in the X direction also surrounds the outside of the portion 332 of the third flow channel 33 extending in the X direction. Both the fourth flow channel 34 and the third flow channel 33 are regular and simple, effectively reducing the processing difficulty of the flow channels within the liquid cooling plate 3. It is understood that in some other embodiments, the third flow channel 33 and the fourth flow channel 34 may not have a portion extending in the X direction, for example, the third flow channel 33 and the fourth flow channel 34 may be configured as direct flow channels in the Y direction.
[0088] Reference Figure 2B and Figure 4In this embodiment, the liquid inlet 21 of the liquid cooling plate 3 is connected to the third flow channel 33, and the liquid outlet 22 of the liquid cooling plate 3 is connected to the fourth flow channel 34. In this embodiment, the coolant is transported from the liquid inlet 21 of the liquid cooling plate 3 to the third flow channel 33, then flows back to the fourth flow channel 34 sequentially through the first type of flow channel 31, the third type of flow channel 36, the fourth row of flow channels, and the second type of flow channel 32, and finally exits the liquid cooling plate 3 through the liquid outlet 22. Figure 3 The principle of liquid cooling plate 3 in the embodiment is the same. Figure 4 The liquid cooling plate 3 in the embodiment can also effectively prevent the battery pack 1 (e.g.) Figure 1 The battery cell 4 (e.g.) inside Figure 1 Temperature concentration improves the heat dissipation and temperature uniformity of the cells 4 inside the battery pack 1.
[0089] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another liquid cooling plate 3 provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 This is a top view of the liquid cooling plate 3, where the unfilled blank areas represent the flow channels within the liquid cooling plate 3. Figure 2A The flow channel layout inside the liquid cooling plate 3 in the embodiment is different. Figure 5 In this embodiment, all flow channels in the same direction in the X direction are arranged in parallel, that is... Figure 5 The embodiment no longer includes Figure 2A The third type of flow channel 36 and the fourth type of flow channel 37 in the embodiment.
[0090] Reference Figure 5 In this embodiment, in the width direction Y, the first type of flow channel 31 in the first group of flow channels 301 and the first type of flow channel 31 in the second group of flow channels 302 are arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction Y. That is, in the Y direction, a second type of flow channel 32 is provided on both sides of the first type of flow channel 31, and the number of second type of flow channels 321 included in the second type of flow channel 32 on both sides of the first type of flow channel 31 includes multiple channels. When two rows of cells 4 (such as...) are connected... Figure 1 When placed on the liquid cooling plate 3, one row of battery cells 4 is placed on the first type of flow channel 31 and the second type of flow channel 32 of the first group of flow channels 301, and another row of battery cells 4 is placed on the first type of flow channel 31 and the second type of flow channel 32 of the second group of flow channels 302, so as to satisfy the purpose that each row of battery cells 4 is simultaneously covered by the first type of flow channel 31 and the second type of flow channel 32, so as to improve the heat dissipation and temperature uniformity of all battery cells 4.
[0091] same Figure 2A The implementation is the same, Figure 5The fourth flow channel 34 in the embodiment also includes a first segment 341 extending along the Y direction, a second segment 342 extending along the Y direction, and a third segment 343 connecting the first segment 341 and the second segment 342. The first segment 341 is connected to the second flow channel 321 of the second type flow channel 32 located on one side of the first type flow channel 31 in the Y direction, and the second segment 342 is connected to the second flow channel 321 of the second type flow channel 32 located on the other side of the first type flow channel 31 in the Y direction. Since the third segment 343 connects the first segment 341 and the second segment 342, the second type flow channels 32 located on both sides of the first type flow channel 31 in the Y direction can be connected through the third segment 343, so that the second type flow channels 32 located on both sides of the first type flow channel 31 in the Y direction are arranged in parallel, so that all the second flow channels 321 in the liquid cooling plate 3 can be arranged in parallel, thereby making the temperature of the coolant in all the second flow channels 321 approximately the same.
[0092] The third section 343 can be used to connect the liquid inlet 21 or the liquid outlet 22 of the liquid cooling plate 3. Since the third section 343 connects the first section 341 and the second section 342, the coolant output from the third section 343 can be directly delivered to the first section 341 and the second section 342, so that the distance between each second flow channel 321 and the liquid inlet 21 or the liquid outlet 22 is not too long. This not only helps to reduce the flow resistance between each second flow channel 321 and the liquid inlet 21 or the liquid outlet 22, but also avoids excessive heat loss in individual second flow channels 321 due to being too far from the liquid inlet 21 or the liquid outlet 22, which helps to improve the temperature uniformity of the coolant in each second flow channel 321.
[0093] Reference Figure 5 In this embodiment, in the X direction, the length of the first type of flow channel 31 is less than the length of the second type of flow channel 32, and at least a portion of the third type of flow channel 33 extends along the width direction Y and coincides with the projection of the second type of flow channel 32 in the width direction Y. This design can simultaneously accommodate the width design of the third type of flow channel 33 and the fourth type of flow channel 34. While meeting the flow requirements of the third type of flow channel 33, it also meets the flow requirements of the fourth type of flow channel 34, while avoiding an excessively large width of the fourth type of flow channel 34 that would affect the overall size of the liquid cooling plate 3.
[0094] To ensure that the liquid inlet 21 and liquid outlet 22 are as close as possible to the edge of the liquid cooling plate 3 for easy connection with the water inlet and outlet nozzles, refer to... Figure 5In this embodiment, a portion 332 of the third flow channel 33 extends along the X direction and extends beyond the first segment 341 and the second segment 342. This portion 332 of the third flow channel 33 extending beyond the first segment 341 and the second segment 342 is used to connect with either the inlet 21 or the outlet 22. Since this portion 332 of the third flow channel 33 extends beyond the first segment 341 and the second segment 342, it is close to the edge of the liquid cooling plate 3 in the X direction, facilitating connection with either the inlet or the outlet. Similarly, a portion 3431 of the third segment 343 extends along the X direction and extends beyond the first segment 341 and the second segment 342. This portion 3431 of the third segment 343 extends beyond the first segment 341 and the second segment 342, facilitating connection with either the inlet 21 or the outlet 22. Since this portion 3431 of the third segment 343 extends near the edge of the liquid cooling plate 3 in the X direction, it is also close to the edge of the liquid cooling plate 3, facilitating connection with either the inlet or the outlet. Furthermore, since the liquid inlet 21 and the liquid outlet 22 are close to the edge of the liquid cooling plate 3, and the middle part of the liquid cooling plate 3 is used to support the battery cell 4 (e.g., Figure 1 This avoids the inlet and outlet nozzles interfering with the normal layout of the battery cells 4 on the liquid cooling plate 3. It is understood that in some other embodiments, such as... Figure 6 As shown, the third segment 343 can also extend along the Y direction, and the third flow channel 33 also extends along the Y direction. Furthermore, the third flow channel 33 is located inside the first segment 341 and the second segment 342 in the X direction, meaning that the third flow channel 33 does not extend beyond the first segment 341 and the second segment 342 in the X direction. For example, both the third flow channel 33 and the fourth flow channel 34 can be designed as direct-flow channels extending along the Y direction. This design is simple and easy to manufacture.
[0095] Reference Figure 5 In this embodiment, the liquid inlet 21 and the liquid outlet 22 are arranged along the Y direction, so that the inlet and outlet nozzles will not interfere with each other when connected to the piping of the liquid cooling unit, eliminating the need for pipe clearance and facilitating the connection and assembly of the inlet and outlet nozzles with external piping. It is understood that this can also be done in conjunction with... Figure 7 As in the previous embodiment, the inlet 21 and outlet 22 are arranged along the X direction. This allows the third flow channel 33 and the fourth flow channel 34 to be designed symmetrically in the Y direction, reducing the design difficulty of the third flow channel 33 and the fourth flow channel 34.
[0096] To improve the effect of liquid cooling plate 3 on all cells 4 (such as...) Figure 1 The heat dissipation and temperature uniformity are referenced. Figure 5In this embodiment, the first type of flow channel 31 and the second type of flow channel 32 in either of the two sets of flow channels have the same dimensions in the width direction Y. Since the second type of flow channels 32 on both sides of the first type of flow channel 31 are arranged approximately symmetrically, and the dimensions of the first type of flow channel 31 and the second type of flow channel 32 in the Y direction are approximately the same, the width of the first type of flow channel 31 located in the middle is twice the width of the second type of flow channels 32 located on both sides of the first type of flow channel 31. Therefore, the width of the first type of flow channel 31 in the Y direction and the width of the second type of flow channel 32 corresponding to the two rows of cells 4 are approximately the same in the Y direction, thereby effectively improving the temperature uniformity of heat dissipation of the liquid cooling plate 3 to the two rows of cells 4.
[0097] To connect the first type of flow channel 31 and the second type of flow channel 32, refer to Figure 5 In this embodiment, the liquid cooling plate 3 also includes a fifth flow channel 35 extending along the Y direction. The fourth flow channel 34 and the fifth flow channel 35 are located on opposite sides of the first type of flow channel 31 and the second type of flow channel 32 in the X direction. The fifth flow channel 35 is connected to a plurality of first flow channels 311 included in the first type of flow channel 31, and simultaneously connected to a plurality of second flow channels 321 included in the second type of flow channel 32. Thus, the fifth flow channel 35 connects the plurality of first flow channels 311 of the first type of flow channel 31 and the plurality of second flow channels 321 of the second type of flow channel 32, allowing coolant to flow from the first type of flow channel 31 to the second type of flow channel 32, or from the second type of flow channel 32 to the first type of flow channel 31. The fifth flow channel 35 can be a straight channel along the Y direction for ease of manufacturing. Of course, in other embodiments, the fifth flow channel 35 can also be a flow channel of other shapes, as long as it satisfies the requirement of connecting the first type of flow channel 31 and the second type of flow channel 32.
[0098] Figure 8 for Figure 5 One of the flow path topologies of the coolant within the liquid cooling plate 3 in the embodiment; Figure 9 for Figure 5 Another flow path topology diagram of the coolant in the liquid cooling plate 3 in the embodiment. Figure 8 and Figure 9 The lines in the diagram represent flow channels, and Figure 8 and Figure 9 Different types of lines are used to distinguish different categories of flow channels.
[0099] Reference Figure 8In this embodiment, the inlet 21 of the liquid cooling plate 3 is connected to the fourth flow channel 34, and the outlet 22 of the liquid cooling plate 3 is connected to the third flow channel 33. In this embodiment, the coolant is transported from the inlet 21 of the liquid cooling plate 3 to the fourth flow channel 34, and then simultaneously transported through the fourth flow channel 34 to multiple second flow channels 321. The multiple second flow channels 321 transport the coolant through the fifth flow channel 35 to multiple first flow channels 311. The multiple first flow channels 311 converge the coolant into the third flow channel 33, and then transport it through the third flow channel 33 to the outlet 22, and finally output from the liquid cooling plate 3 through the outlet 22.
[0100] Reference Figure 9 In this embodiment, the inlet 21 of the liquid cooling plate 3 is connected to the third flow channel 33, and the outlet 22 of the liquid cooling plate 3 is connected to the fourth flow channel 34. In this embodiment, coolant is transported from the inlet 21 of the liquid cooling plate 3 to the third flow channel 33, and then simultaneously transported through the third flow channel 33 to multiple first flow channels 311. The multiple first flow channels 311 transport the coolant through the fifth flow channel 35 to multiple second flow channels 321. The multiple second flow channels 321 converge the coolant into the fourth flow channel 34, and then transport it through the fourth flow channel 34 to the outlet 22, finally exiting the liquid cooling plate 3 through the outlet 22. Since the multiple first flow channels 311 are located upstream of the multiple second flow channels 321, the temperature of the coolant in the multiple first flow channels 311 is lower than the temperature of the coolant in the multiple second flow channels 321. The multiple first flow channels 311 are located at the middle position of the liquid cooling plate 3 in the Y direction, which corresponds to the position of the battery pack 1 (e.g., ...). Figure 1 In the middle position along the Y direction, due to its greater distance from the casing 2, heat dissipation is worse than at the edges, thus making it prone to heat accumulation. In this embodiment, the coolant temperature in the multiple first flow channels 311 is lower, corresponding to the positions with poor heat dissipation of the battery pack 1, while the coolant temperature in the multiple second flow channels 321 is higher, corresponding to the positions with better heat dissipation of the battery pack 1. This effectively prevents the battery cells 4 (such as...) inside the battery pack 1 from accumulating heat. Figure 1 Temperature concentration improves the heat dissipation and temperature uniformity of the cells 4 inside the battery pack 1.
[0101] Figure 10 An exploded view of another liquid cooling plate 3 provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 10 Liquid cooling plate 3 in the embodiment and Figure 5 The main difference in this embodiment is the addition of a protrusion 40. The following mainly describes... Figure 9 Examples and Figure 5 The differences between the embodiments are as follows; the same features can be referred to Figure 5 Example.
[0102] The liquid cooling plate 3 also includes multiple protrusions 40, which are disposed within the first type of flow channel 31 or the second type of flow channel 32, and are spaced apart along the length direction X. Specifically, the multiple protrusions 40 are disposed within multiple second flow channels 321 or multiple first flow channels 311, and are spaced apart along the extension direction of the second flow channel 321 or the first flow channel 311. The protrusions 40 facilitate airflow, thereby improving the interaction between the coolant and the battery cell 4 (e.g., ...). Figure 1 The heat exchange efficiency of ). It is understandable that, Figure 2A The liquid cooling plate 3 in the embodiment can also be the same Figure 10 The same embodiment has multiple protrusions 40.
[0103] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the three types of bumps 40 provided in this embodiment.
[0104] Reference Figure 11 In this embodiment, the shape of the bump 40 can be varied; for example, the bump 40 can be as follows: Figure 10 The shapes can be rectangles, circles, or ovals, or of course, other shapes as well.
[0105] Figure 12 An exploded view of another liquid cooling plate 3 provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0106] The liquid inlet 21 and outlet 22 of the liquid cooling plate 3 can not only be like Figure 2B As in the embodiment, it is disposed on the substrate 20, or it can be the same as... Figure 12 As in the embodiment, the liquid inlet 21 and liquid outlet 22 of the liquid cooling plate 3 are located on the flow channel plate 10 to improve the design flexibility of the liquid cooling plate 3.
[0107] Figure 13 This is one of the flow path topologies of the coolant within another type of liquid cooling plate 3. Figure 2A In this embodiment, the liquid cooling plate 3 can be equipped with four rows of battery cells 4, ensuring that the average temperature of the coolant in contact with each row of battery cells 4 is approximately the same, thereby guaranteeing the temperature uniformity of the four rows of battery cells 4. (Refer to...) Figure 13 In this embodiment, the liquid cooling plate contains more rows of battery cells 4, for example, they could be... Figure 13 The eight rows of cells in the embodiment, Figure 2ABased on the embodiment, each group of flow channels can also be supplemented with a fifth type of flow channel 51, a sixth type of flow channel 52, a seventh type of flow channel 53, and an eighth type of flow channel 54. Among them, the second type of flow channel 32, the first type of flow channel 31, the fifth type of flow channel 51, the sixth type of flow channel 52, the seventh type of flow channel 53, the eighth type of flow channel 54, the third type of flow channel 36, and the fourth type of flow channel 37 are arranged sequentially from the outside to the inside along the width direction Y. The coolant flows sequentially through the second type of flow channel 32, the fourth type of flow channel 37, the fifth type of flow channel 51, the eighth type of flow channel 54, the seventh type of flow channel 53, the sixth type of flow channel 52, the third type of flow channel 36, and the first type of flow channel 31. A row of battery cells 4 is installed on the second type of flow channel 32 and the first type of flow channel 31 in the first group of flow channels 301; a row of battery cells 4 is installed on the fifth type of flow channel 51 and the sixth type of flow channel 52 in the first group of flow channels 301; a row of battery cells 4 is installed on the seventh type of flow channel 53 and the eighth type of flow channel 54 in the first group of flow channels 301; and a row of battery cells 4 is installed on the third type of flow channel 36 and the fourth type of flow channel 37 in the first group of flow channels 301. Four rows of battery cells 4 are also installed in the second group of flow channels 302 in the same manner. The design scheme of the liquid cooling plate 3 in this embodiment is the same as... Figure 2A The principle of the embodiment is the same, which can ensure the uniformity of heat dissipation of the eight rows of cells, and will not be repeated here.
[0108] It is understood that in some other embodiments, each group of flow channels of the liquid cooling plate 3 may include 6 types of flow channels or 10 types or more.
[0109] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A battery pack, characterized in that, The battery pack includes a liquid cooling plate and multiple rows of battery cells disposed on the liquid cooling plate. Each row of battery cells includes multiple battery cells arranged along the length direction of the liquid cooling plate and the multiple rows of battery cells are arranged along the width direction of the liquid cooling plate. The liquid cooling plate is provided with two sets of flow channels, which are symmetrically arranged in the width direction. Both sets of flow channels include a first type of flow channel and a second type of flow channel extending along the length direction. The first type of flow channel and the second type of flow channel are connected and flow in opposite directions. The flow direction of the flow channel is the flow direction of the coolant in the flow channel. The first type of flow channel and the second type of flow channel are arranged side by side and adjacent to each other in the width direction. One row of battery cells is disposed on the first type of flow channel and the second type of flow channel in one of the two sets of flow channels. The other row of battery cells is disposed on the first type of flow channel and the second type of flow channel in the other set of flow channels. The liquid cooling plate is further provided with a third flow channel for communicating with one of the liquid inlet or liquid outlet of the liquid cooling plate, and a fourth flow channel for communicating with the other of the liquid inlet or liquid outlet of the liquid cooling plate. The third flow channel and the fourth flow channel are both located on the same side of the two sets of flow channels in the length direction. The third flow channel and the fourth flow channel extend along the width direction and are arranged adjacent to each other in the length direction. The third flow channel is respectively connected to the first type of flow channel in the two sets of flow channels, and the fourth flow channel is respectively connected to the second type of flow channel in the two sets of flow channels.
2. The battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the width direction, the first type of flow channel of the two sets of flow channels is located between the second type of flow channels of the two sets of flow channels. One end of the fourth flow channel extends along the width direction and communicates with the second type of flow channel in the first set of flow channels. The other end of the fourth flow channel extends along the width direction and communicates with the second type of flow channel in the other set of flow channels.
3. The battery pack according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The middle portion of the fourth flow channel extends along the length direction away from the two sets of flow channels, and the middle portion of the fourth flow channel is connected to one of the inlet or outlet.
4. The battery pack according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The middle portion of the fourth flow channel is arranged adjacent to the third flow channel in the length direction.
5. The battery pack according to any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that, One end of the third flow channel extends along the width direction and communicates with the first type of flow channel in the group of flow channels. The other end of the third flow channel extends along the width direction and communicates with the first type of flow channel in the other group of flow channels. The middle portion of the third flow channel extends away from the two groups of flow channels along the length direction. The middle portion of the third flow channel communicates with one of the liquid inlet or liquid outlet.
6. The battery pack according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, Both sets of flow channels further include a third type of flow channel and a fourth type of flow channel extending along the length direction. The second type of flow channel, the first type of flow channel, the third type of flow channel, and the fourth type of flow channel are arranged sequentially from the outside to the inside along the width direction. The second type of flow channel and the fourth type of flow channel are connected at the ends away from the fourth type of flow channel in the length direction. The fourth type of flow channel and the third type of flow channel are connected at the ends facing the fourth type of flow channel in the length direction. The third type of flow channel and the first type of flow channel are connected at the ends away from the fourth type of flow channel in the length direction. Another row of cells in the multi-row of cells is disposed on the third type of flow channel and the fourth type of flow channel in one set of flow channels. Yet another row of cells in the multi-row of cells is disposed on the third type of flow channel and the fourth type of flow channel in the other set of flow channels.
7. The battery pack according to claim 6, characterized in that, The liquid cooling plate is further provided with a fifth, a sixth, and a seventh flow channel extending along the width direction. The third, fourth, and sixth flow channels are located on one side of the two sets of flow channels in the length direction, and the fifth and seventh flow channels are located on the other side of the two sets of flow channels in the length direction. The fifth flow channel is connected to the second type of flow channel and the fourth type of flow channel, respectively. The sixth flow channel is connected to the fourth type of flow channel and the third type of flow channel, respectively. The seventh flow channel is connected to the first type of flow channel and the third type of flow channel, respectively.
8. The battery pack according to claim 7, characterized in that, The fourth, third, and sixth flow channels are arranged adjacent to each other from the outside to the inside in the length direction, and the fifth and seventh flow channels are arranged adjacent to each other in the length direction, with the fifth flow channel located outside the seventh flow channel in the length direction.
9. The battery pack according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, In the width direction, the first type of flow channel in the one set of flow channels and the first type of flow channel in the other set of flow channels are arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction.
10. The battery pack according to claim 9, characterized in that, In the width direction, the first type of flow channel and the second type of flow channel in the two sets of flow channels have the same dimensions in the width direction.
11. The battery pack according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The first type of flow channel and the second type of flow channel in either of the two sets of flow channels each include multiple parallel flow channels.
12. The battery pack according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that, The liquid cooling plate also includes a plurality of protrusions, which are disposed in the first type of flow channel or the second type of flow channel, and the plurality of protrusions are spaced apart along the length direction.
13. The battery pack according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that, The liquid cooling plate includes a flow channel plate and a substrate stacked together. The flow channel plate has multiple grooves. The substrate covers the flow channel plate and closes the multiple grooves to form a first type of flow channel, a second type of flow channel, a third type of flow channel, and a fourth type of flow channel. The liquid cooling plate, the liquid inlet, and the liquid outlet are formed on the substrate.
14. An energy storage device, characterized in that, The energy storage device includes a cabinet and a battery pack as described in any one of claims 1-13, wherein the battery pack is disposed within the cabinet.