Energy storage device and thermal management system thereof

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of energy storage device and its thermal management system, thermal management system includes temperature regulating flow path, temperature regulating flow path includes first heat exchange member and second heat exchange member, and the first heat exchange member is adapted to the energy storage converter heat exchange of the energy storage device, the second heat exchange member is adapted to the battery cell heat exchange of the energy storage device, the import of the second heat exchange member is connected at the export of the first heat exchange member. Thus, thermal management system can realize the temperature regulation of energy storage converter and battery cell, and can take into account the cooling efficiency of both.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of energy storage technology, and in particular to an energy storage device and its thermal management system. Background Technology

[0002] To reduce application costs, the capacity of 20-foot containerized energy storage devices is constantly increasing, with 8MWh energy storage devices already released. High-capacity energy storage devices use large-capacity energy storage batteries, and the battery arrangement is more compact, which also increases the risk and hazards of thermal runaway. One important reason for the performance degradation or even safety accidents of high-capacity lithium-ion battery energy storage devices, such as high-voltage cascaded energy storage devices, is the unreasonable design of their thermal management systems.

[0003] In related technologies, the thermal management system of energy storage devices uses air cooling technology to dissipate heat from the battery, which has low heat dissipation efficiency and cannot meet the heat dissipation requirements of high-capacity energy storage devices. Therefore, some technologies use liquid cooling technology to cool the battery through the thermal management system. However, other components in the energy storage device also generate heat during operation, and the thermal management system cannot control their temperature. Utility Model Content

[0004] This invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention proposes a thermal management system for an energy storage device, which can regulate the temperature of the energy storage converter and the battery unit while ensuring the cooling efficiency of both.

[0005] This utility model also proposes an energy storage device having the above-mentioned thermal management system.

[0006] A thermal management system for an energy storage device according to a first aspect embodiment of the present invention includes: a temperature regulating flow path, the temperature regulating flow path including a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, wherein the first heat exchanger is adapted to exchange heat with the energy storage converter of the energy storage device, the second heat exchanger is adapted to exchange heat with the battery cell of the energy storage device, and the inlet of the second heat exchanger is connected to the outlet of the first heat exchanger.

[0007] According to the thermal management system of the energy storage device in this embodiment of the present invention, by setting the inlet of the second heat exchanger to be connected to the outlet of the first heat exchanger, the heat exchange medium first cools the energy storage converter and then cools the battery cells. This achieves cooling of both the energy storage converter and the battery cells, and improves the problem that the cooling efficiency of the energy storage converter is low when the heat exchange medium cools the battery cells first and then the energy storage converter. This improves the cooling efficiency of the energy storage converter. At the same time, the above arrangement has a relatively small impact on the cooling efficiency of the battery cells. Moreover, in low ambient temperatures, it is easy to recover and utilize the waste heat of the energy storage converter to heat the battery cells, reduce system energy consumption, and make the energy storage device suitable for low-temperature environments such as winter.

[0008] In some embodiments, the temperature regulation flow path further includes: a drive pump; a first heat exchanger, wherein the inlet of the drive pump is connected to one end of the first heat exchanger, and the first heat exchange element and the second heat exchange element are connected in series between the outlet of the drive pump and the other end of the first heat exchanger. The temperature regulation flow path has at least a first mode in which the first heat exchanger is a radiator, such that the first heat exchange element is used to cool the energy storage converter and the second heat exchange element is used to cool the battery cell.

[0009] In some embodiments, the temperature regulating flow path further includes a storage tank, one end of which is connected to the inlet of the drive pump. In the first mode, the other end of the storage tank is connected to one end of the first heat exchanger, so that the storage tank is connected in series between the inlet of the drive pump and the one end of the first heat exchanger.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first heat exchanger includes a first heat exchange flow path and a second heat exchange flow path that exchange heat with each other. The first heat exchange flow path corresponds to the temperature regulating flow path. The thermal management system further includes a refrigerant circulation loop, which includes a compressor, a second heat exchanger, and a throttling element. The second heat exchanger is connected in series between one end of the compressor and one end of the throttling element. The second heat exchange flow path is connected in series between the other end of the compressor and the other end of the throttling element. When the temperature regulating flow path is in the first mode, the exhaust port of the compressor is connected to the second heat exchanger, and the return port of the compressor is connected to the end of the second heat exchange flow path away from the throttling element.

[0011] In some embodiments, the temperature regulating flow path further includes a first reversing valve and a second reversing valve. The first reversing valve has a first valve port to a fourth valve port, the second valve port is connected to the outlet of the drive pump, the third valve port is connected to one end of the first heat exchanger, and the fourth valve port is connected to the inlet of the drive pump. The second reversing valve has a fifth valve port to an eighth valve port, the fifth valve port is connected to the inlet of the first heat exchanger, the sixth valve port is connected to the other end of the first heat exchanger, the seventh valve port is connected to the outlet of the second heat exchanger, and the eighth valve port is connected to the first valve port. The refrigerant circulation loop further includes a third reversing valve, the third reversing valve has a ninth valve port to a twelfth valve port, the ninth valve port is connected to the exhaust port, the tenth valve port is connected to the end of the second heat exchanger away from the throttling element, and the eleventh valve port is connected to... The return gas port is connected, and the twelfth valve port is connected to the end of the second heat exchange flow path away from the throttling element. When the temperature regulating flow path is in the first mode, the first valve port is connected to the second valve port, the third valve port is connected to the fourth valve port, the fifth valve port is connected to the eighth valve port, the sixth valve port is connected to the seventh valve port, the ninth valve port is connected to the tenth valve port, and the eleventh valve port is connected to the twelfth valve port. The temperature regulating flow path also has a second mode, and when it is in the second mode, the first valve port is connected to the fourth valve port, the second valve port is connected to the third valve port, the fifth valve port is connected to the sixth valve port, the seventh valve port is connected to the eighth valve port, the ninth valve port is connected to the twelfth valve port, and the tenth valve port is connected to the eleventh valve port.

[0012] In some embodiments, the temperature regulating flow path further includes a liquid storage tank connected in series between the inlet of the drive pump and the fourth valve port.

[0013] In some embodiments, there are multiple second heat exchangers arranged in parallel, and a regulating valve is connected between the inlet of each second heat exchanger and the outlet of the first heat exchanger. The opening of the regulating valve is adjustable to regulate the flow rate to the corresponding second heat exchanger.

[0014] In some embodiments, the thermal management system further includes: a plurality of first temperature measuring structures, each first temperature measuring structure being used to measure the temperature of a corresponding battery cell and communicating with a corresponding regulating valve to adjust the opening of the regulating valve according to the measurement result of the corresponding first temperature measuring structure.

[0015] An energy storage device according to a second aspect embodiment of the present invention includes an energy storage converter, a battery cell, and a thermal management system according to the first aspect embodiment of the present invention. The energy storage converter is electrically connected to the battery cell and is adapted to be electrically connected to an external power grid so that the battery cell can be charged or discharged through the energy storage converter. A first heat exchanger is thermally connected to the energy storage converter, and a second heat exchanger is thermally connected to the battery cell. The battery cell includes at least one battery.

[0016] According to the energy storage device of the present invention, by adopting the above-mentioned thermal management system, the temperature regulation of the energy storage converter and the battery unit can be realized, and the cooling efficiency of both can be taken into account.

[0017] In some embodiments, the temperature regulation flow path further has a first mode and a second mode. In the first mode, the first heat exchanger is used to cool the energy storage converter and the second heat exchanger is used to cool the battery cell. In the second mode, the first heat exchanger is used to cool the energy storage converter and the second heat exchanger is used to heat the battery cell. The energy storage device further includes a second temperature measurement structure for measuring ambient temperature and communicating with the temperature regulation flow path so that the temperature regulation flow path can switch between the first mode and the second mode based on the measurement result of the second temperature measurement structure.

[0018] In some embodiments, the battery cells are stacked above the energy storage converter.

[0019] Additional aspects and advantages of this invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this utility model will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a thermal management system according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Another schematic diagram of the thermal management system shown shows the temperature regulation flow path in the first mode, with arrows indicating the direction of medium flow;

[0023] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Another schematic diagram of the thermal management system shown shows the temperature regulation flow path in the second mode, with arrows indicating the direction of medium flow;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an energy storage device according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0025] Figure label:

[0026] Energy storage device 200, thermal management system 100, energy storage converter 101, battery unit 102

[0027] Temperature regulating flow path 1, first heat exchanger 11, inlet 11a of the first heat exchanger, outlet 11b of the first heat exchanger, second heat exchanger 12, inlet 12a of the second heat exchanger, outlet 12b of the second heat exchanger, drive pump 13, inlet 13a of the drive pump, outlet 13b of the drive pump, first heat exchanger 14, first heat exchange flow path 141, second heat exchange flow path 142, liquid storage tank 15.

[0028] First directional valve 16, first valve port 16a, second valve port 16b, third valve port 16c, fourth valve port 16d.

[0029] Second directional valve 17, fifth valve port 17a, sixth valve port 17b, seventh valve port 17c, eighth valve port 17d

[0030] Control valve 18

[0031] Refrigerant circulation loop 2, compressor 21, return port 21a, discharge port 21b, second heat exchanger 22, throttling element 23

[0032] Third directional valve 24, ninth valve port 24a, tenth valve port 24b, eleventh valve port 24c, twelfth valve port 24d. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this utility model, and should not be construed as limiting this utility model.

[0034] The following disclosure provides numerous different embodiments or examples for implementing various structures of the present invention. To simplify the disclosure, specific examples of components and arrangements are described below. These are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, reference numerals and / or letters may be repeated in different examples. Such repetition is for simplification and clarity and does not in itself indicate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or arrangements discussed. In addition, examples of various specific processes and materials are provided in this invention; however, those skilled in the art will recognize the applicability of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0035] In the description of the embodiments in this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0036] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a thermal management system 100 of an energy storage device 200 according to a first aspect embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0037] like Figures 1-3 As shown, the thermal management system 100 includes a temperature regulating flow path 1, which includes a first heat exchanger 11 and a second heat exchanger 12. The first heat exchanger 11 is adapted to exchange heat with the power conversion system (PCS) of the energy storage device 200, and the second heat exchanger 12 is adapted to exchange heat with the battery cell 102 of the energy storage device 200. The inlet 12a of the second heat exchanger 12 is connected to the outlet 11b of the first heat exchanger 11.

[0038] It can be understood that the temperature regulating flow path 1 has a flow path that allows the heat exchange medium to flow. The first heat exchanger 11 has a first heat exchange channel, the inlet and outlet of which are respectively the inlet 11a and the outlet of the first heat exchanger 11. The second heat exchanger 12 has a second heat exchange channel, the inlet and outlet of which are respectively the inlet 12a of the second heat exchanger 12. The inlet of the second heat exchange channel is connected to the outlet of the first heat exchange channel. When the heat exchange medium flows through the first heat exchanger 11, it can exchange heat with the energy storage converter 101 through the first heat exchanger 11. When the heat exchange medium flows through the second heat exchanger 12, it can exchange heat with the battery cell 102 through the second heat exchanger 12. Obviously, the temperature regulating flow path 1 is used to regulate the temperature of the energy storage converter 101 and the temperature of the battery cell 102.

[0039] Therefore, when the heat exchange medium in the above-mentioned flow path flows through the first heat exchanger 11 and the second heat exchanger 12, it first flows into the first heat exchanger 11 from the inlet of the first heat exchange channel, and then flows out from the outlet of the first heat exchange channel and flows into the second heat exchanger 12, so as to flow into the second heat exchanger 12 through the inlet of the second heat exchange channel; in short, the heat exchange medium first flows through the first heat exchanger 11 and then flows through the second heat exchanger 12.

[0040] When temperature regulation flow path 1 is used, the following situations may be included:

[0041] In the first method, if the ambient temperature is high, a low-temperature heat exchange medium can be used to first pass through the first heat exchanger 11 to cool the energy storage converter 101. Then, the heat exchange medium after cooling the energy storage converter 101 flows to the second heat exchanger 12 to cool the battery unit 102. This achieves integrated cooling of the energy storage converter 101 and the battery unit 102, so as to realize the cooling of the cascaded module (the cascaded module includes the energy storage converter 101 and the battery unit 102) in the high-voltage cascaded energy storage system, so as to better meet the cooling requirements of the energy storage device 200 and improve the operational reliability and safety of the energy storage device 200.

[0042] The second approach involves heating the battery cell 102 when the ambient temperature is low, while the energy storage converter 101 typically does not require heating. In this case, the heat exchange medium can first pass through the first heat exchanger 11 to cool the energy storage converter 101. The heat exchange medium absorbs the heat from the energy storage converter 101, causing its temperature to rise. After cooling the energy storage converter 101, the heat exchange medium then flows to the second heat exchanger 12 to heat the battery cell 102. This allows the waste heat from the energy storage converter 101 to be recovered and used to heat the battery cell 102 in a low-temperature environment. While cooling the energy storage converter 101, this approach also reduces the heating energy consumption of the thermal management system 100, which is beneficial for improving energy utilization efficiency.

[0043] It is understandable that, under normal circumstances, the heat generated by the battery cell 102 is relatively high, especially in high-temperature environments. This heat can be dissipated through the second heat exchanger 12. Therefore, this application connects the inlet 12a of the second heat exchanger 12 to the outlet 11b of the first heat exchanger 11, so that the heat exchange medium cools the energy storage converter 101, and then, after exchanging heat with the energy storage converter 101, the heat exchange medium cools the battery cell 102. This achieves cooling of both the energy storage converter 101 and the battery cell 102, while also mitigating the problem that cooling the energy storage converter 101 first by first cooling the battery cell and then the energy storage converter 101 often results in low cooling efficiency for the energy storage converter 101. This improves the cooling efficiency of the energy storage converter 101, while having a relatively small impact on the cooling efficiency of the battery cell 102. Furthermore, the arrangement of the inlet 12a of the second heat exchanger 12 connected to the outlet 11b of the first heat exchanger 11 in this application can also recover and utilize the waste heat of the energy storage converter 101 to heat the battery cell 102 when the ambient temperature is low, thereby reducing system energy consumption. It also makes the energy storage device 200 suitable for low-temperature environments, such as winter. When the ambient temperature is low, the energy storage device 200 can use the thermal management system 100 to heat the battery cell 102, reducing the impact of ambient temperature on the battery cell 102 and improving the operational stability of the energy storage device 200.

[0044] Furthermore, if the heat exchange medium flowing to the inlet of the first heat exchanger 11 is in a subcooled state, then the present application connects the inlet 12a of the second heat exchanger 12 to the outlet 11b of the first heat exchanger 11. This allows the subcooled heat exchange medium to exchange heat with the energy storage converter 101 first. After exchanging heat with the energy storage converter 101, the heat exchange medium can be closer to the saturated state. Then, the heat exchange medium exchanges heat with the battery cell 102. If the battery cell 102 includes multiple batteries, this helps to reduce the temperature difference between the batteries in the battery cell 102 that exchange heat with the heat exchange medium first and the batteries that exchange heat with the heat exchange medium later (the batteries that exchange heat with the heat exchange medium first can be understood as the batteries that are closer to the inlet of the second heat exchange channel on the path of the second heat exchange channel, and the batteries that exchange heat with the heat exchange medium later can be understood as the batteries that are farther from the inlet of the second heat exchange channel). This helps to improve the temperature uniformity of the multiple batteries in the battery cell 102.

[0045] It is understood that the thermal management system 100 in this application embodiment can be used for low-pressure energy storage devices or high-pressure cascaded energy storage devices, and can meet the cooling and / or heating requirements of high-pressure cascaded energy storage devices.

[0046] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1-3 As shown, the temperature regulating flow path 1 also includes a drive pump 13 and a first heat exchanger 14. The drive pump 13 provides flow power for the heat exchange medium in the temperature regulating flow path 1. The inlet 13a of the drive pump 13 is connected to one end of the first heat exchanger 14. The first heat exchange element 11 and the second heat exchange element 12 are connected in series between the outlet 13b of the drive pump 13 and the other end of the first heat exchanger 14. Thus, the drive pump 13, the first heat exchanger 14, the first heat exchange element 11, and the second heat exchange element 12 are correspondingly connected to define a circulation loop for the heat exchange medium in the temperature regulating flow path 1, so that the thermal management system 100 can be formed as a pump-driven phase change thermal management system. The heat exchange medium in the temperature regulating flow path 1 is a low-pressure medium.

[0047] The temperature regulating flow path 1 has at least a first mode. In the first mode, the first heat exchanger 14 is a radiator, so that the first heat exchange element 11 is used to cool the energy storage converter 101 and the second heat exchange element 12 is used to cool the battery cell 102. For example, in the first mode, the drive pump 13 drives the heat exchange medium to flow, so that the heat exchange medium flowing out of the outlet 13b of the drive pump 13 can flow through the first heat exchange element 11, the second heat exchange element 12 and the first heat exchanger 14 in sequence, and finally flow to the inlet 13a of the drive pump 13. When the heat exchange medium flows through the first heat exchange element 11 and the second heat exchange element 12, it can cool the energy storage converter 101 and the battery cell 102 in sequence. After exchanging heat with the battery cell 102, the heat exchange medium dissipates heat when flowing through the first heat exchanger 14 and is converted back into a low-temperature medium to flow back to the drive pump 13, and so on.

[0048] It can be seen that the temperature regulation flow path 1 in the first mode can be used to cool the energy storage converter 101 and the battery unit 102 at the same time. The pump drive is used to realize the integrated cooling of the energy storage converter 101 and the battery unit 102. For example, the thermal management system 100 is used in the high-voltage cascaded energy storage device to realize the cooling of the cascaded modules, so as to better meet the heat dissipation requirements of the energy storage device 200.

[0049] Exemplarily, in the first mode, the heat exchange medium (e.g., refrigerant) at the inlet 13a of the drive pump 13 is in a saturated state. Driven by the drive pump 13, the heat exchange medium tends to or is in a subcooled state. The subcooled heat exchange medium flows through the first heat exchanger 11 to absorb heat from the energy storage converter 101, reducing its subcooling and bringing it closer to or closer to saturation. Subsequently, the heat exchange medium flows through the second heat exchanger 12 to absorb heat from the battery cell 102. The heat exchange medium flowing out from the outlet 12b of the second heat exchanger 12 can be in a gas-liquid mixed state and enters the first heat exchanger 14 to dissipate heat and transform into a subcooled state, and then flows to the drive pump 12, thus completing one cycle. It can be understood that the temperature regulation flow path 1 in the first mode can be used to cool the energy storage converter 101 and the battery cell 102.

[0050] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1-3 As shown, the temperature regulating flow path 1 also includes a storage tank 15. One end of the storage tank 15 is connected to the inlet 13a of the drive pump 13. In the first mode, the other end of the storage tank 15 is connected to the aforementioned end of the first heat exchanger 14, so that the storage tank 15 is connected in series between the inlet 13a of the drive pump 13 and the aforementioned end of the first heat exchanger 14 (the aforementioned end of the first heat exchanger 14 is the end of the first heat exchanger 14 connected to the inlet 13a of the drive pump 13). The heat exchange medium flowing out of the first heat exchanger 14 then flows through the storage tank 15 and then to the drive pump 13. It can be understood that in the first mode, the storage tank 15 is connected in series between the inlet 13a of the drive pump 13 and the first heat exchanger 14.

[0051] Therefore, by setting up the liquid storage tank 15, the heat exchange medium in the temperature regulation flow path 1 can play a certain role in regulating and replenishing it, which helps to reduce the risk of liquid slugging in the drive pump 13, facilitates the maintenance of refrigerant balance between evaporation and condensation in the temperature regulation flow path 1, and further enables the refrigerant to have a certain degree of subcooling before entering the drive pump 13 in the first mode.

[0052] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1-3As shown, the first heat exchanger 14 includes a first heat exchange flow path 141 and a second heat exchange flow path 142 that exchange heat with each other. The first heat exchange flow path 141 corresponds to the temperature regulating flow path 1 and can be a part of the temperature regulating flow path 1. The second heat exchange flow path 142 corresponds to the refrigerant circulation loop 2 and can be connected in series with the refrigerant circulation loop 2. The thermal management system 100 also includes the refrigerant circulation loop 2, which includes a compressor 21, a second heat exchanger 22, and a throttling element 23. The second heat exchanger 22 is connected in series between one end of the compressor 21 and one end of the throttling element 23, and the second heat exchange flow path 142 is connected in series between the other end of the compressor 21 and the other end of the throttling element 23. When the temperature regulating flow path 1 is in the first mode, the exhaust port 21b of the compressor 21 is connected to the second heat exchanger 22, and the return port 21a of the compressor 21 is connected to the end of the second heat exchange flow path 142 away from the throttling element 23.

[0053] As can be seen, when the temperature regulation flow path 1 is in the first mode, the refrigerant circulation loop 2 is correspondingly coordinated, so that the second heat exchanger 22 is a condenser. At this time, the heat exchange medium in the first heat exchange flow path 141 can exchange heat with the refrigerant flowing through the second heat exchange flow path 142 in the refrigerant circulation loop 2. That is, the refrigerant flowing through the second heat exchange flow path 142 can absorb the heat of the heat exchange medium flowing through the first heat exchange flow path 141, which is beneficial to improving the heat dissipation efficiency of the first heat exchanger 14 and improving the cooling efficiency of the energy storage converter 101 and the battery unit 102.

[0054] For example, the second heat exchanger 22 is an air-cooled heat exchanger. When the temperature regulating flow path 1 is in the first mode, the refrigerant circulation loop 2 cooperates to compress the gaseous refrigerant into a high-temperature, high-pressure gas, which is then sent into the second heat exchanger 22. The high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant exchanges heat with the environment in the second heat exchanger 22, becoming a high-pressure, low-temperature refrigerant. After being throttled and expanded by the throttling element 23, it becomes a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant and enters the second heat exchange flow path 142 to absorb the heat from the heat exchange medium flowing through the first heat exchange flow path 141. For example, the throttling element 23 can be selected as a bidirectional electronic expansion valve.

[0055] Of course, in other embodiments, the first heat exchanger 14 may also be an air-cooled heat exchanger.

[0056] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1-3As shown, the temperature regulating flow path 1 also includes a first reversing valve 16 and a second reversing valve 17. The first reversing valve 16 has a first valve port 16a, a second valve port 16b, a third valve port 16c, and a fourth valve port 16d. The second valve port 16b is connected to the outlet 13b of the drive pump 13, the third valve port 16c is connected to the aforementioned end of the first heat exchanger 14, and the fourth valve port 16d is connected to the inlet 13a of the drive pump 13. The second reversing valve 17 has a fifth valve port 17a, a sixth valve port 17b, and a seventh valve port 17d. 17c and the eighth valve port 17d, the fifth valve port 17a is connected to the inlet 11a of the first heat exchanger 11, then the fifth valve port 17a is connected to the end of the first heat exchanger 11 away from the second heat exchanger 12, the sixth valve port 17b is connected to the other end of the first heat exchanger 14 (i.e. the end of the first heat exchanger 14 connected to the outlet 13b of the drive pump 13), the seventh valve port 17c is connected to the end of the second heat exchanger 12 away from the first heat exchanger 11, and the eighth valve port 17d is connected to the first valve port 16a.

[0057] It can be understood that if one of the second valve port 16b and the fourth valve port 16d is switched to be connected to the first valve port 16a, and the other of the second valve port 16b and the fourth valve port 16d is switched to be connected to the third valve port 16c, then the first directional valve 16 can have a first state and a second state. In the first state, the first valve port 16a is connected to the second valve port 16b, and the third valve port 16c is connected to the fourth valve port 16d. At this time, the first valve port 16a and the fourth valve port 16d are disconnected (i.e., not connected), and the third valve port 16c is disconnected from the second valve port 16b. In the second state, the first valve port 16a is connected to the fourth valve port 16d, and the third valve port 16c is connected to the second valve port 16b. At this time, the first valve port 16a and the second valve port 16b are disconnected, and the third valve port 16c is disconnected from the fourth valve port 16d. Similarly, if one of the sixth valve port 17b and the eighth valve port 17d is switched to be connected to the fifth valve port 17a, and the other of the sixth valve port 17b and the eighth valve port 17d is switched to be connected to the seventh valve port 17c, then the second directional valve 17 can have a third state and a fourth state. In the third state, the fifth valve port 17a is connected to the eighth valve port 17d, and the seventh valve port 17c is connected to the sixth valve port 17b. At this time, the fifth valve port 17a is disconnected from the sixth valve port 17b, and the seventh valve port 17c is disconnected from the eighth valve port 17d. In the fourth state, the fifth valve port 17a is connected to the sixth valve port 17b, and the seventh valve port 17c is connected to the eighth valve port 17d. At this time, the fifth valve port 17a is disconnected from the eighth valve port 17d, and the seventh valve port 17c is disconnected from the sixth valve port 17b. Figures 1-3As shown, the refrigerant circulation loop 2 also includes a third reversing valve 24, which has a ninth valve port 24a, a tenth valve port 24b, an eleventh valve port 24c and a twelfth valve port 24d. The ninth valve port 24a is connected to the exhaust port 21b, the tenth valve port 24b is connected to the end of the second heat exchanger 22 away from the throttling element 23, the eleventh valve port 24c is connected to the return gas port 21a, and the twelfth valve port 24d is connected to the end of the second heat exchange flow path 142 away from the throttling element 23.

[0058] It can be understood that if one of the tenth valve port 24b and the twelfth valve port 24d switches to be connected to the ninth valve port 24a, and the other of the tenth valve port 24b and the twelfth valve port 24d switches to be connected to the eleventh valve port 24c, then the third directional valve 24 has a fifth state and a sixth state. In the fifth state, the ninth valve port 24a is connected to the tenth valve port 24b, and the eleventh valve port 24c is connected to the twelfth valve port 24d. At this time, the ninth valve port 24a is disconnected from the twelfth valve port 24d, and the tenth valve port 24b is disconnected from the eleventh valve port 24c. In the sixth state, the ninth valve port 24a is connected to the twelfth valve port 24d, and the tenth valve port 24b is connected to the eleventh valve port 24c. At this time, the ninth valve port 24a is disconnected from the tenth valve port 24b, and the eleventh valve port 24c is disconnected from the twelfth valve port 24d.

[0059] When the temperature regulating flow path 1 is in the first mode, the first valve port 16a is connected to the second valve port 16b, the third valve port 16c is connected to the fourth valve port 16d, the fifth valve port 17a is connected to the eighth valve port 17d, the sixth valve port 17b is connected to the seventh valve port 17c, the ninth valve port 24a is connected to the tenth valve port 24b, and the eleventh valve port 24c is connected to the twelfth valve port 24d. It can be seen that in the first mode, the inlet 13a of the drive pump 13 is connected to one end of the first heat exchanger 14 through the first reversing valve 16, and the outlet 13b of the drive pump 13 is connected to the other end of the first heat exchanger 14 through the first reversing valve 16. This allows the heat exchange medium flowing out of the drive pump 13 to flow sequentially through the first heat exchange element 11, the second heat exchange element 12, and the first heat exchanger 14, and then flow back to the drive pump 13. At the same time, the third reversing valve 24 switches to the fifth state to improve the heat dissipation efficiency of the first heat exchanger 14.

[0060] The temperature regulating flow path 1 also has a second mode. When the temperature regulating flow path 1 is in the second mode, the first valve port 16a is connected to the fourth valve port 16d, the second valve port 16b is connected to the third valve port 16c, the fifth valve port 17a is connected to the sixth valve port 17b, the seventh valve port 17c is connected to the eighth valve port 17d, the ninth valve port 24a is connected to the twelfth valve port 24d, and the tenth valve port 24b is connected to the eleventh valve port 24c.

[0061] For example, in the second mode, the drive pump 13 drives the heat exchange medium to flow, so that the heat exchange medium flowing out of the outlet 13b of the drive pump 13 can flow sequentially through the first heat exchanger 14, the first heat exchange element 11, and the second heat exchange element 12, and finally flow to the inlet 13a of the drive pump 13. Due to the cooperation of the refrigerant circulation loop 2, the compressor 21 compresses the gaseous refrigerant into a high-temperature and high-pressure gas and sends it into the second heat exchange flow path 142. The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant exchanges heat with the heat exchange medium flowing through the first heat exchange flow path 141, so that the refrigerant in the second heat exchange flow path 142 becomes a high-pressure and low-temperature refrigerant. The medium, after being throttled and expanded by the throttling element 23, becomes a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant and enters the second heat exchanger 22 to absorb ambient heat. At this time, the second heat exchanger 22 is an evaporator. In the second mode, when the heat exchange medium flows through the first heat exchange path 141, it can absorb heat from the refrigerant circulation loop 2 and continue to flow to the first heat exchange element 11. When it flows through the first heat exchange element 11, it can continue to absorb heat from the energy storage converter 101. Then, when it flows through the second heat exchange element 12, it can cool the battery unit 102 and turn into a subcooled state to flow back to the drive pump 13, and so on.

[0062] As can be seen, the temperature regulation flow path 1 in the second mode, in conjunction with the refrigerant circulation loop 2, can be used to recover the heat of the energy storage inverter 101 to heat the battery unit 102. If the second heat exchanger 22 is an air-cooled heat exchanger, the temperature regulation flow path 1 in the second mode, in conjunction with the refrigerant circulation loop 2, can utilize the recovered heat of the energy storage inverter 101 and the absorbed heat from the environment (as an air source) to heat the battery unit 102, so that the energy storage device 200 can adapt to the low-temperature environment.

[0063] For example, in the second mode, the heat exchange medium (e.g., refrigerant) at the inlet 13a of the drive pump 13 is in a saturated state. Driven by the drive pump 13, the heat exchange medium tends to be in a subcooled state. The subcooled heat exchange medium flows through the first heat exchanger 14 to absorb heat from the refrigerant circulation loop 2. Subsequently, the heat exchange medium flows through the first heat exchange element 11 to absorb heat from the energy storage converter 101 and becomes a gas-liquid two-phase state. The gas-liquid two-phase heat exchange medium then flows through the second heat exchange element 12 to absorb heat from the battery cell 102. The heat exchange medium flowing out from the outlet 12b of the second heat exchange element 12 can be transformed into a subcooled state and then flows to the drive pump 12, thereby completing one cycle. It can be understood that the temperature regulation flow path 1 in the second mode can be used to cool the energy storage converter 101 and heat the battery cell 102.

[0064] It is understood that in this embodiment of the application, regardless of whether the temperature regulating flow path 1 is in the first mode or the second mode, the inlet 11a and outlet 11b of the first heat exchanger 11 and the inlet 12a and outlet 12b of the second heat exchanger 12 are not reversed, which is beneficial to simplifying the pipeline connection and simplifying the heat pipeline system 100.

[0065] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1-3 As shown, the temperature regulating flow path 1 also includes a liquid storage tank 15, which is connected in series between the inlet 13a and the fourth valve port 16d of the drive pump 13. Therefore, regardless of whether the temperature regulating flow path 1 is in the first or second mode, the heat exchange medium that has passed through the first heat exchanger 11, the second heat exchanger 12, and the first heat exchanger 14 ultimately flows to the drive pump 13 through the liquid storage tank 15. By setting up the liquid storage tank 15, the heat exchange medium in the temperature regulating flow path 1 can be regulated and replenished to a certain extent, which helps reduce the risk of liquid slugging in the drive pump 13, facilitates the maintenance of refrigerant balance between evaporation and condensation in the temperature regulating flow path 1, and further ensures that the refrigerant before entering the drive pump 13 has a certain degree of subcooling in both the first and second modes.

[0066] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1-3 As shown, there are multiple second heat exchangers 12, which are arranged in parallel. The inlets 12a of the multiple second heat exchangers 12 are connected, and the outlets 12b of the multiple second heat exchangers 12 are connected. A regulating valve 18 is connected between the inlet 12a of each second heat exchanger 12 and the outlet 11b of the first heat exchanger 11. The opening of the regulating valve 18 is adjustable to regulate the flow rate to the corresponding second heat exchanger 12.

[0067] It is understood that in the plurality of second heat exchangers 12, the inlet 12a of each second heat exchanger 12 is connected to the outlet 11b of the first heat exchanger 11, and the outlets 12b of the plurality of second heat exchangers 12 are connected. The heat exchange medium flowing out of the first heat exchanger 11 can be distributed to the plurality of second heat exchangers 12, and the heat exchange medium flowing out of the plurality of second heat exchangers 12 can be collected again. The setting of the regulating valve 18 makes the flow rate of the heat exchange medium used to regulate the temperature of the corresponding second heat exchanger 12 adjustable, so as to better match the temperature regulation capability that the heat exchange medium can achieve with the temperature regulation capability required by the second heat exchanger 12, and facilitate the temperature regulation of different battery cells 102, which is beneficial to improving the temperature uniformity of the plurality of battery cells 102.

[0068] Optionally, multiple battery cells 102 in the energy storage device 200 can be stacked vertically, which is beneficial for making efficient use of space. Of course, in other embodiments of this application, the second heat exchanger 12 can also be a single unit.

[0069] In some embodiments, the thermal management system 100 further includes a plurality of first temperature measuring structures, each first temperature measuring structure being used to measure the temperature of a corresponding battery cell 102, and each first temperature measuring structure communicating with a corresponding regulating valve 18 so that the opening of the regulating valve 18 is adjusted according to the measurement result of the corresponding first temperature measuring structure. This facilitates matching the flow rate of the medium used for heat exchange with the corresponding battery cell 102 with the current temperature of the battery cell 102, and also facilitates matching the flow rate of the medium used for heat exchange with the corresponding battery cell 102 with the current required temperature regulation capability of the battery cell 102, thereby improving the temperature uniformity of the multiple battery cells 102. It is understood that each battery cell 102 may have at least one corresponding first temperature measuring structure.

[0070] For example, the thermal management system 100 can be configured to control the opening of the corresponding regulating valve 18 based on the difference between the temperature of the battery cell 102 measured by the first temperature measuring structure and the set temperature, thereby adjusting the medium flow rate in the branch where the second heat exchanger 102 is located. For instance, the larger the difference between the temperature of the battery cell 102 measured by the first temperature measuring structure and the set temperature, the higher the temperature of the battery cell 102, and the larger the opening of the corresponding regulating valve 18. The regulating valve 18 can be selected as a solenoid valve.

[0071] According to the second aspect embodiment of the present invention, the energy storage device 200, such as Figure 4 As shown, the system includes an energy storage converter 101, a battery cell 102, and a thermal management system 100 according to the first aspect embodiment of the present invention. The energy storage converter 101 is electrically connected to the battery cell 102 and is adapted to be electrically connected to the external power grid so that the battery cell 102 can be charged or discharged through the energy storage converter 101. Thus, the battery cell 102 can be charged with electrical energy from the external power grid through the energy storage converter 101 for storage. When needed, the electrical energy stored in the battery cell 102 is released to the external power grid through the energy storage converter 101. A first heat exchanger 11 is thermally connected to the energy storage converter 101, and a second heat exchanger 12 is thermally connected to the battery cell 102. The battery cell 102 includes at least one battery.

[0072] According to the embodiment of the present invention, the energy storage device 200, by adopting the above-mentioned thermal management system 100, can realize the temperature regulation of the energy storage converter 101 and the battery unit 102, and can take into account the cooling efficiency of both.

[0073] It is understood that in this application, "thermal conduction fit" includes, but is not limited to, thermal conduction fit between two parts in contact, or thermal conduction fit between two parts indirectly through other thermal conduction components, as long as heat exchange occurs between the two parts in thermal conduction fit.

[0074] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1-3As shown, the temperature regulation flow path 1 also has a first mode and a second mode. In the first mode, the first heat exchanger 11 is used to cool the energy storage inverter 101, and the second heat exchanger 12 is used to cool the battery cell 102. In the second mode, the first heat exchanger 11 is used to cool the energy storage inverter 101, and the second heat exchanger 12 is used to heat the battery cell 102, for example, by using the waste heat of the energy storage inverter 101 to heat the battery cell 102. The energy storage device 200 also includes a second temperature measurement structure, which is used to measure the ambient temperature and communicates with the temperature regulation flow path 1 so that the temperature regulation flow path 1 can switch between the first mode and the second mode according to the measurement result of the second temperature measurement structure. For example, when the ambient temperature is higher than the set temperature, the temperature regulation flow path 1 switches to the first mode; when the ambient temperature is lower than the set temperature, the temperature regulation flow path 1 switches to the second mode, which facilitates the achievement of all-weather thermal management. The set temperature can be selected as 10°C.

[0075] For example, the temperature regulating flow path 1 further includes a first reversing valve 16 and a second reversing valve 17, and the refrigerant circulation loop 2 further includes a third reversing valve 24. At this time, by switching the first reversing valve 16 and the second reversing valve 17, the temperature regulating flow path 1 can be switched between the first mode and the second mode. By switching the third reversing valve 24, the refrigerant circulation loop 2 can be matched with the first mode and the second mode respectively.

[0076] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the battery cells 102 are stacked above the energy storage converter 101. There can be one or more battery cells 102, which facilitates efficient use of the internal space of the energy storage device 200 and saves horizontal space occupied by the energy storage device 200. Alternatively, the battery cells 102 can also be stacked below the energy storage converter 101.

[0077] Other configurations and operations of the energy storage device 200 according to embodiments of the present invention are known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0078] Furthermore, it should be noted that the various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. To avoid unnecessary repetition, this application will not describe the various possible combinations separately. In addition, various different embodiments of this application can also be arbitrarily combined, as long as they do not violate the spirit of this application, they should also be regarded as the content disclosed in this application.

[0079] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. Furthermore, features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0080] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0081] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0082] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A thermal management system for an energy storage device, characterized in that, include: A temperature regulating flow path is provided, comprising a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, wherein the first heat exchanger is adapted to exchange heat with the energy storage converter of the energy storage device, the second heat exchanger is adapted to exchange heat with the battery cell of the energy storage device, and the inlet of the second heat exchanger is connected to the outlet of the first heat exchanger.

2. The thermal management system of the energy storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The temperature regulation flow path further includes: Drive pump; A first heat exchanger is connected to one end of the drive pump via its inlet, and the first and second heat exchange elements are connected in series between the outlet of the drive pump and the other end of the first heat exchanger. The temperature regulating flow path has at least a first mode. In the first mode, the first heat exchanger is a radiator, so that the first heat exchange element is used to cool the energy storage converter and the second heat exchange element is used to cool the battery cell.

3. The thermal management system of the energy storage device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The temperature regulation flow path further includes: A liquid storage tank, one end of which is connected to the inlet of the drive pump, and in the first mode, the other end of which is connected to one end of the first heat exchanger, so that the liquid storage tank is connected in series between the inlet of the drive pump and the one end of the first heat exchanger.

4. The thermal management system of the energy storage device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first heat exchanger includes a first heat exchange flow path and a second heat exchange flow path that exchange heat with each other, the first heat exchange flow path corresponding to the temperature regulating flow path, and the thermal management system further includes: The refrigerant circulation loop includes a compressor, a second heat exchanger, and a throttling element. The second heat exchanger is connected in series between one end of the compressor and one end of the throttling element. The second heat exchange flow path is connected in series between the other end of the compressor and the other end of the throttling element. When the temperature regulating flow path is in the first mode, the exhaust port of the compressor is connected to the second heat exchanger, and the return port of the compressor is connected to the end of the second heat exchange flow path away from the throttling element.

5. The thermal management system of the energy storage device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The temperature regulating flow path further includes a first reversing valve and a second reversing valve. The first reversing valve has a first valve port to a fourth valve port, a second valve port connected to the outlet of the drive pump, a third valve port connected to one end of the first heat exchanger, and a fourth valve port connected to the inlet of the drive pump. The second reversing valve has a fifth valve port to an eighth valve port, a fifth valve port connected to the inlet of the first heat exchanger, a sixth valve port connected to the other end of the first heat exchanger, a seventh valve port connected to the outlet of the second heat exchanger, and an eighth valve port connected to the first valve port. The refrigerant circulation loop also includes a third reversing valve, which has a ninth to a twelfth valve port. The ninth valve port is connected to the exhaust port, the tenth valve port is connected to the end of the second heat exchanger away from the throttling element, the eleventh valve port is connected to the return port, and the twelfth valve port is connected to the end of the second heat exchange flow path away from the throttling element. When the temperature regulating flow path is in the first mode, the first valve port is connected to the second valve port, the third valve port is connected to the fourth valve port, the fifth valve port is connected to the eighth valve port, the sixth valve port is connected to the seventh valve port, the ninth valve port is connected to the tenth valve port, and the eleventh valve port is connected to the twelfth valve port. The temperature regulating flow path also has a second mode, and in the second mode, the first valve port is connected to the fourth valve port, the second valve port is connected to the third valve port, the fifth valve port is connected to the sixth valve port, the seventh valve port is connected to the eighth valve port, the ninth valve port is connected to the twelfth valve port, and the tenth valve port is connected to the eleventh valve port.

6. The thermal management system of the energy storage device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The temperature regulation flow path further includes: A liquid storage tank is connected in series between the inlet of the drive pump and the fourth valve port.

7. The thermal management system of the energy storage device according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The second heat exchanger is multiple and arranged in parallel. Each second heat exchanger has an inlet connected to the outlet of the first heat exchanger, and the opening of the regulating valve is adjustable to regulate the flow rate to the corresponding second heat exchanger.

8. The thermal management system of the energy storage device according to claim 7, characterized in that, Also includes: Multiple first temperature measurement structures are provided, each of which measures the temperature of the corresponding battery cell and communicates with the corresponding regulating valve so that the opening of the regulating valve is adjusted according to the measurement result of the corresponding first temperature measurement structure.

9. An energy storage device, characterized in that, The system includes an energy storage converter, a battery cell, and a thermal management system according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the energy storage converter is electrically connected to the battery cell and is adapted to be electrically connected to an external power grid so that the battery cell can be charged or discharged through the energy storage converter, the first heat exchanger is thermally connected to the energy storage converter, the second heat exchanger is thermally connected to the battery cell, and the battery cell includes at least one battery.

10. The energy storage device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The temperature regulation flow path further has a first mode and a second mode. In the first mode, the first heat exchanger is used to cool the energy storage converter and the second heat exchanger is used to cool the battery cell. In the second mode, the first heat exchanger is used to cool the energy storage converter and the second heat exchanger is used to heat the battery cell. The energy storage device further includes: A second temperature measurement structure is used to measure the ambient temperature and communicates with the temperature regulation flow path so that the temperature regulation flow path can switch between the first mode and the second mode based on the measurement result of the second temperature measurement structure.

11. The energy storage device according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The battery cells are stacked on top of the energy storage converter.

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