Battery packs, thermal management systems, electrical equipment and vehicles

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a battery pack, a thermal management system, electrical equipment, and a vehicle. The battery pack includes a housing and a cooling mechanism. The housing includes at least a first accommodating compartment and a second accommodating compartment. The first accommodating compartment is used to accommodate a first battery pack, and the second accommodating compartment is used to accommodate a second battery pack. The cooling mechanism includes a liquid cooling plate and a first liquid inlet and a first liquid outlet disposed on the housing. The first liquid inlet and the first liquid outlet are respectively connected to the first accommodating compartment, allowing a first heat exchange medium to flow into the first accommodating compartment from the first liquid inlet to cool the first battery pack. The liquid cooling plate is arranged corresponding to the second accommodating compartment and is used to cool the second battery pack. Thus, compared to the cooling method using a single cooling plate in related technologies, this application can perform cooling according to the different heat dissipation requirements of the first and second battery packs, thereby achieving high temperature uniformity of the cells in the battery pack and reducing the risk of thermal failure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of battery technology, specifically to a battery pack, a thermal management system, electrical equipment, and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] In order to balance range and cost, battery packs are composed of several cells with different thermochemical properties. Because the thermochemical properties of different types of cells are significantly different, related technologies use a common cold plate for cooling, which results in poor temperature uniformity of the cells in the battery pack and poses a risk of thermal runaway to the battery pack. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a battery pack, a thermal management system, electrical equipment, and a vehicle, wherein the cooling mechanism in the battery pack can cool cells with different thermochemical properties separately, reducing the risk of thermal runaway of the battery pack, thereby at least partially solving the problems in the related art.

[0004] To overcome the problems existing in the related technology, a first aspect of the present disclosure provides a battery pack, comprising: a housing, the housing including at least a first accommodating compartment and a second accommodating compartment, the first accommodating compartment for accommodating a first battery pack, the second accommodating compartment for accommodating a second battery pack, and a cooling mechanism including a liquid cooling plate, and a first liquid inlet and a first liquid outlet disposed on the housing; the first liquid inlet and the first liquid outlet are respectively connected to the first accommodating compartment, so that a first heat exchange medium can flow into the first accommodating compartment from the first liquid inlet to cool the first battery pack; the liquid cooling plate is arranged corresponding to the second accommodating compartment for cooling the second battery pack. In this way, the casing is provided with a first accommodating compartment to accommodate the first battery pack and a second accommodating compartment to accommodate the second battery pack. The second battery pack is cooled by a liquid cooling plate in the cooling mechanism. The first liquid inlet and the first liquid outlet in the cooling mechanism are respectively connected to the first accommodating compartment, so that the first cooling medium enters the first accommodating compartment to cool the first battery pack. In this way, the battery pack can be cooled separately according to the cells of different battery packs, so as to achieve high temperature uniformity of the cells in the battery pack and reduce the risk of thermal runaway of the battery pack.

[0005] In some possible implementations, the cooling mechanism further includes a first inlet pipe connecting the first liquid inlet to the first accommodating chamber, and a first return pipe connecting the first liquid outlet to the first accommodating chamber; the housing includes a frame that forms at least a portion of the first inlet pipe and / or the first return pipe. Thus, the first cooling medium is guided from the first inlet into the first accommodating chamber via the first inlet pipe, and from the first accommodating chamber into the first liquid outlet via the first return pipe, thereby enabling the first cooling medium in the first accommodating chamber to cool the first battery pack at a preset temperature. Furthermore, by integrating the first inlet pipe and / or the first return pipe into the frame of the housing, the overall volume of the battery pack can be reduced.

[0006] In some possible implementations, the housing includes a first partition beam separating the first accommodating compartment and the second accommodating compartment, with the first liquid inlet channel formed inside the first partition beam. Thus, the first partition beam divides the housing into the first accommodating compartment and the second accommodating compartment, and the first liquid inlet channel within the first partition beam facilitates the entry of the first cooling medium into the first accommodating compartment to cool the first battery pack.

[0007] In some possible implementations, the first return fluid conduit is formed on the side beam of the frame away from the second accommodating compartment. Thus, by forming the first return fluid conduit on the side beam of the frame away from the second accommodating compartment, the first cooling medium in the first accommodating compartment can flow out from the first return fluid conduit, thereby maintaining the temperature of the first cooling medium in the first accommodating compartment at a preset temperature to cool the first battery pack.

[0008] In some possible implementations, the first liquid inlet pipe is provided with a plurality of first openings communicating with the first accommodating chamber, and the first liquid return pipe is provided with a plurality of second openings communicating with the first accommodating chamber. Thus, by providing first openings on the first liquid inlet pipe and second openings on the first liquid return pipe, the first cooling medium can be facilitated to circulate into the first accommodating chamber, thereby maintaining the temperature of the first cooling medium within the first accommodating chamber within a preset range to cool the first battery pack.

[0009] In some possible implementations, the frame includes a front crossbeam, a rear crossbeam, a first side beam, and a second side beam; the housing also includes a bottom plate and a top cover; the front crossbeam, the rear crossbeam, the first side beam, the bottom plate, and the first partition beam form the first accommodating compartment; the front crossbeam, the rear crossbeam, the second side beam, the bottom plate, and the first partition beam form the second accommodating compartment. Thus, the first accommodating compartment and the second accommodating compartment can be formed by combining the first partition beam with the front crossbeam, the rear crossbeam, the first side beam, and the second side beam in the frame, thereby facilitating the placement of the first battery pack and the second battery pack.

[0010] In some possible implementations, the battery pack further includes a second partition beam, which is perpendicular to the first partition beam and is used to divide the first and / or second accommodating compartments into at least two sub-accommodating compartments. Thus, the second partition beam further divides the first accommodating compartment into at least two sub-accommodating compartments, with the cells from the first battery pack placed into their respective sub-accommodating compartments. This facilitates control of the first cooling medium to cool the corresponding cells in the first battery pack, thereby ensuring high temperature uniformity of the cells throughout the entire battery pack.

[0011] In some possible implementations, the housing is further provided with a second liquid inlet and a second liquid outlet. The second liquid inlet communicates with the inlet of the liquid cooling plate, and the second liquid outlet communicates with the outlet of the liquid cooling plate, so that a second cooling medium can be introduced into the liquid cooling plate to cool the second battery pack. Thus, the second liquid inlet and the second liquid outlet on the housing communicate with the liquid cooling plate, facilitating the introduction of a second cooling medium into the liquid cooling plate to cool the second battery pack.

[0012] In some possible implementations, the first liquid inlet, the first liquid outlet, the second liquid inlet, and the second liquid outlet are located at the same end of the housing. This simplifies the structural layout and facilitates the introduction of the first liquid cooling medium into the first accommodating chamber and the introduction of the second liquid cooling medium into the liquid cooling plate.

[0013] In some possible implementations, the liquid cooling plate includes a first flow channel, which comprises at least two parallel branch flow channels. Thus, the first flow channel of the liquid cooling plate cools the second battery pack, and the inclusion of at least two parallel branch flow channels optimizes fluid distribution within the liquid cooling plate and enhances heat transfer uniformity.

[0014] In some possible implementations, the high-rate charge-discharge heat generation efficiency of the first battery pack is greater than that of the second battery pack. Thus, by employing different high-rate charge-discharge heat generation efficiencies for the first and second battery packs, it is possible to balance battery pack range and cost.

[0015] In some possible implementations, the first battery pack is a ternary lithium battery pack, and the second battery pack is a lithium iron phosphate battery pack. Thus, by setting the first battery pack to a ternary lithium battery pack and the second battery pack to a lithium iron phosphate battery pack, both battery pack range and cost can be balanced.

[0016] A second aspect of this disclosure provides a thermal management system, including the aforementioned battery pack, a first circulation loop, and a second circulation loop. The first circulation loop is connected to the first liquid inlet and the first liquid outlet, and is configured to circulate a low-temperature first cooling medium into the first accommodating chamber. The second circulation loop is connected to the inlet and outlet of the liquid cooling plate, and is configured to circulate a low-temperature second cooling medium into the liquid cooling plate. Thus, the first circulation loop allows the low-temperature first cooling medium to be placed into the first accommodating chamber to cool the first battery pack, and the second circulation loop allows the low-temperature second cooling medium to be placed into the liquid cooling plate to cool the second battery pack, thereby achieving high temperature uniformity of the cells within the battery pack and reducing the risk of thermal runaway of the battery pack.

[0017] In some possible implementations, the first circulation loop includes a first circulation delivery pipe, a first circulation return pipe, a storage tank, and a heat exchanger. The storage tank and the first inlet are connected through the first circulation delivery pipe, and the storage tank and the first outlet are connected through the first circulation return pipe. The heat exchanger is located on the first circulation delivery pipe and is used to cool the first cooling medium within the first circulation delivery pipe. Thus, the first circulation delivery pipe connects the storage tank and the first inlet, and after the first cooling medium passes through the heat exchanger and is cooled, it enters the first accommodating chamber through the first inlet to cool the first battery pack. The first circulation return pipe connects the storage tank and the first outlet, allowing the first cooling medium in the first accommodating chamber to flow back to the storage tank, thereby forming a circulation of the first cooling medium into the first accommodating chamber, ensuring that the first cooling medium in the first accommodating chamber cools the first battery pack within a preset temperature range.

[0018] In some possible implementations, the second circulation loop includes a second circulation supply pipe and a second circulation return pipe. The second liquid inlet of the housing is connected to an external second cooling medium storage device via the second circulation supply pipe, and the second liquid outlet on the housing is connected to the external second cooling medium storage device via the second circulation return pipe. Thus, the second cooling medium circulates into the liquid cooling plate to cool the second battery pack by connecting the second liquid inlet and the external second cooling medium storage device via the second circulation supply pipe and the second liquid outlet.

[0019] In some possible implementations, the thermal management system further includes a third circulation loop connected in parallel with the second circulation loop. The heat exchanger includes a first heat exchange channel and a second heat exchange channel. The two ends of the first heat exchange channel are respectively connected to the first circulating liquid delivery pipe, and the two ends of the second heat exchange channel are respectively connected to the third circulation loop. Thus, by connecting the third circulation loop in parallel with the second circulation loop, the second cooling medium can exchange heat with the first cooling medium through the heat exchanger.

[0020] A third aspect of this disclosure provides an electrical device including the aforementioned battery pack or thermal management system.

[0021] This disclosure provides a fourth aspect of a vehicle that includes the aforementioned battery pack or thermal management system.

[0022] By employing the above technical solution, the casing is divided into at least a first accommodating compartment and a second accommodating compartment. The first accommodating compartment is used to accommodate a first battery pack, and the second accommodating compartment is used to accommodate a second battery pack. The second battery pack in the second accommodating compartment is cooled by a liquid cooling plate in the cooling mechanism. The first liquid inlet and the second liquid inlet in the cooling mechanism are connected to the first accommodating compartment, so that the first heat exchange medium can enter the first accommodating compartment to directly cool the first battery pack. In this way, compared with the cooling method of using a single cold plate in related technologies, this application can cool according to the heat dissipation requirements of different first and second battery packs, so as to achieve high temperature uniformity of the cells in the battery pack and reduce the risk of thermal failure.

[0023] Other features and advantages of this disclosure will be described in detail in the following detailed description section. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the present disclosure and form part of the specification. They are used together with the following detailed description to explain the present disclosure, but do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a battery pack (excluding the top cover) provided in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a top view of the battery pack provided in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0027] Figure 3 This is a bottom view of the battery pack provided in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0028] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the thermal management system provided in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0029] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0030] 1-Shell; 10-Second partition beam; 11-First accommodating compartment; 12-Second accommodating compartment; 13-Frame; 14-First partition beam; 15-Front crossbeam; 16-Rear crossbeam; 17-First side beam; 18-Second side beam; 19-Base plate; 2-First battery pack; 3-Second battery pack; 4-Cooling mechanism; 41-Liquid cooling plate; 411-First flow channel; 412-Branch flow channel; 42-First liquid inlet; 43-First 44-First inlet pipe; 45-First return pipe; 46-First opening; 47-Second opening; 48-Second inlet; 49-Second outlet; 5-First circulation loop; 51-First circulation delivery pipe; 52-First circulation return pipe; 53-Storage tank; 54-Heat exchanger; 55-Pump; 6-Second circulation loop; 61-Second circulation delivery pipe; 62-Second circulation return pipe; 7-Third circulation loop. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The specific embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit this disclosure.

[0032] In this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, directional terms such as "front," "rear," "up," "down," "left," and "right" generally refer to the vehicle's operating status. Specifically, "front" refers to the direction facing the front of the vehicle, "rear" to the rear, "up" to the roof, "down" to the underside, "left" to the driver's seat, and "right" to the passenger's seat. See reference [link / reference needed] for details. Figure 1 The arrows point forward, backward, left, right, up, and down. In the following description, when referring to accompanying drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements.

[0033] The inventors discovered that, in order to balance range and cost, battery packs are composed of several cells with different thermochemical properties. Because the thermochemical properties of different types of cells are significantly different, related technologies use a common cold plate for cooling, which results in poor temperature uniformity of the cells within the battery pack and poses a risk of thermal runaway to the battery pack.

[0034] To solve the above technical problems, such as Figures 1-3As shown, this disclosure provides a first aspect, providing a battery pack, including: a housing 1 and a cooling mechanism 4, wherein the housing 1 includes at least a first accommodating compartment 11 and a second accommodating compartment 12, the first accommodating compartment 11 is used to accommodate a first battery pack 2, and the second accommodating compartment 12 is used to accommodate a second battery pack 3, the cooling mechanism 4 includes a liquid cooling plate 41, and a first liquid inlet 42 and a first liquid outlet 43 disposed on the housing 1; the first liquid inlet 42 and the first liquid outlet 43 are respectively connected to the first accommodating compartment 11, so that a first heat exchange medium can flow into the first accommodating compartment 11 from the first liquid inlet 42 to cool the first battery pack 2; the liquid cooling plate 41 is arranged corresponding to the second accommodating compartment 12 for cooling the second battery pack 3.

[0035] Through the above technical solution, the casing 1 is divided into at least a first accommodating compartment 11 and a second accommodating compartment 12. The first accommodating compartment 11 is used to accommodate the first battery pack 2, and the second accommodating compartment 12 is used to accommodate the second battery pack 3. The second battery pack 3 in the second accommodating compartment 12 is cooled by the liquid cooling plate 41 in the cooling mechanism 4. The first liquid inlet 42 and the first liquid outlet 43 in the cooling mechanism 4 are connected to the first accommodating compartment 11 so that the first heat exchange medium can enter the first accommodating compartment 11 to directly cool the first battery pack 2. In this way, compared with the cooling method of using a single cold plate in related technologies, this application can cool according to the different heat dissipation requirements of the first battery pack 2 and the second battery pack 3, so as to achieve high temperature uniformity of the cells in the battery pack and reduce the risk of thermal failure.

[0036] It is understood that the aforementioned housing 1 can be provided with multiple first accommodating compartments 11 and multiple second accommodating compartments 12. The multiple first accommodating compartments 11 and multiple second accommodating compartments 12 can be arranged in separate areas. That is, multiple first accommodating compartments 11 are arranged in an array on one side of the housing 1, and multiple second accommodating compartments 12 are arranged in an array on the opposite side of the housing 1. This allows the multiple first accommodating compartments 11 and multiple second accommodating compartments 12 to be divided into separate areas, which facilitates the arrangement of the cooling mechanism 4 to cool the first battery pack 2 in the first accommodating compartment 11 and the liquid cooling plate 41 to cool the second battery pack 3 in the second accommodating compartment 12.

[0037] Of course, in some feasible ways, multiple first containment compartments 11 and multiple second containment compartments 12 can also be arranged in a cross array according to the working conditions.

[0038] When there are multiple first accommodating compartments 11, the multiple first accommodating compartments 11 can be arranged in parallel. The parallel arrangement allows the first cooling medium to enter the multiple first accommodating compartments 11 simultaneously to cool the corresponding first battery packs 2. It is understood that the above-described parallel arrangement of multiple first accommodating compartments 11 is illustrative. In some feasible embodiments, the multiple first accommodating compartments 11 can also be arranged in series and parallel.

[0039] In some feasible embodiments, to facilitate the placement of the first cooling medium into the first accommodating chamber 11, the cooling mechanism 4 further includes a first inlet pipe 44 connecting the first inlet port 42 to the first accommodating chamber 11, and a first return pipe 45 connecting the first outlet port 43 to the first accommodating chamber 11. Furthermore, to improve the integration of the battery pack, the housing 1 includes a frame 13, which forms at least a portion of the first inlet pipe 44 and / or the first return pipe 45.

[0040] In some feasible embodiments, to facilitate the formation of a first accommodating compartment 11 and a second accommodating compartment 12 on the housing 1, the housing 1 includes a first partition beam 14 separating the first accommodating compartment 11 and the second accommodating compartment 12. The first partition beam 14 can extend along the front-rear direction. The housing 1 may include a frame 13 and a base plate 19 connected to the bottom of the frame 13. The frame 13 may include a front crossbeam 15, a rear crossbeam 16, a first side beam 17 and a second side beam 18 arranged opposite each other in the left-right direction. The base plate 19, the front crossbeam 15, the rear crossbeam 16, the first side beam 17 and the first partition beam 14 together form the first accommodating compartment 11, and the front crossbeam 15, the rear crossbeam 16, the second side beam 18, the base plate 19 and the first partition beam 14 form the second accommodating compartment 12. Thus, the first partition beam 14, together with the front crossbeam 15, the rear crossbeam 16, the first side beam 17, and the second side beam 18 in the frame 13, respectively form the first accommodating compartment 11 and the second accommodating compartment 12, thereby facilitating the placement of the first battery pack 2 and the second battery pack 3.

[0041] It is understandable that, in order to improve the integration of the battery pack and reduce its size, the first liquid inlet pipe 44 and / or the first liquid return pipe 45 may share some structures with the frame 13. For example, the first liquid inlet pipe 44 is formed on the inner line of the first partition beam 14, and the first liquid return pipe 45 is formed on the first side beam 17 of the frame 13 away from the second accommodating compartment 12.

[0042] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the front crossbeam 15 and rear crossbeam 16 are defined according to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; for details, please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 1 In the front-to-back direction, the first side beam 17 and the second side beam 18 are arranged opposite each other in the left-to-right direction. For the specific left-to-right direction, please refer to [reference needed]. Figure 1 Left and right directions.

[0043] It is understood that the above-described structure of the first inlet pipe 44 located in the first partition beam 14 is illustrative. In other embodiments, the first inlet pipe 44 may also be located in the first partition beam 14 and the rear crossbeam 16. Of course, the location of the first return pipe 45 can also be selected according to different working conditions, as long as it avoids the first inlet pipe 44. For example, the first return pipe 45 may also be located in part of the rear crossbeam 16 and the first side beam 17 away from the second accommodating chamber 12.

[0044] To facilitate the manufacturing of the housing 1, the housing 1 can be integrally die-cast, stamped, or extruded and welded. Besides forming the first and second accommodating compartments 11 and 12, the housing 1 can also form other essential structures required for the housing 1 in the battery pack. For example, the housing 1 can also have a connection part for connecting to the vehicle frame, local reinforcing ribs, and flow channels for the cooling medium. Of course, the aforementioned battery pack also includes a top cover for engaging with the opening of the housing 1. The top cover is divided into two parts in the left-right direction, with the left part covering the second accommodating compartment 12 and the right part covering the first accommodating compartment 11. The top cover is located above the first battery pack 2 and the second battery pack 3; the vertical direction can be referenced here. Figure 1 Up and down direction.

[0045] Of course, the first accommodating compartment 11 formed on the casing 1 can also be formed separately by stamping, extruding, or die-casting multiple aluminum alloy plates. Sealing at the joints or interfaces of the first accommodating compartment 11 can be achieved, for example, by using silicone rubber or liquid sealant. This allows the first cooling medium to be placed inside the first accommodating compartment 11 without leakage, enabling the first cooling medium to cool the first battery pack 2. The first cooling medium needs to have good thermal conductivity, insulation, chemical stability, and safety. For example, the first cooling medium can be any one of fluorinated liquid, mineral oil, or synthetic oil.

[0046] In some feasible embodiments, when a first accommodating compartment 11 and a second accommodating compartment 12 are provided within the housing 1, the number of first partition beams 14 within the housing 1 is also one. The position of the first partition beam 14 can be allocated according to the specific volumes of the first battery pack 2 and the second battery pack 3. For example, when the volumes of the first battery pack 2 and the second battery pack 3 are the same, the first partition beam 14 can be located in the middle of the housing 1 and extend in the front-rear direction. In this way, the housing 1 can be divided into the first accommodating compartment 11 and the second accommodating compartment 12 by the arrangement of the first partition beam 14, and the first liquid inlet pipe 44 formed within the first partition beam 14 facilitates the entry of the first cooling medium into the first accommodating compartment 11 to cool the first battery pack 2.

[0047] In some feasible embodiments, the first inlet pipe 44 and the first return pipe 45 can be set separately. In this case, in order to facilitate the integration of the first inlet pipe 44 and the first return pipe 45 with the housing 1, a cavity for installing the first inlet pipe 44 is provided in the first partition beam 14 corresponding to the first inlet pipe 44. The first inlet pipe 44 is snapped and fixed in the corresponding cavity. Similarly, a cavity for installing the first return pipe 45 is provided in the first side beam 17. The first return pipe 45 is snapped and fixed in the corresponding cavity.

[0048] In some possible implementations, to facilitate the entry and exit of the first cooling medium into and out of the first accommodating chamber 11, the first liquid inlet pipe 44 is provided with a plurality of first openings 46 communicating with the first accommodating chamber 11, and the first liquid return pipe 45 is provided with a plurality of second openings 47 communicating with the first accommodating chamber 11. The plurality of first openings 46 can be spaced apart along the extension direction of the first liquid inlet pipe 44, and the plurality of second openings 47 can be spaced apart along the extension direction of the first liquid return pipe 45. The first liquid inlet pipe 44 and the first liquid return pipe 45 are arranged in parallel. In this case, by providing the first openings 46 on the first liquid inlet pipe 44, the first cooling medium can be facilitated to circulate into the first accommodating chamber 11, and the first cooling medium in the first accommodating chamber 11 can flow out of the first accommodating chamber 11 through the second openings 47, thereby maintaining the temperature of the first cooling medium in the first accommodating chamber 11 within a preset range to cool the first battery pack 2.

[0049] In some possible implementations, the battery pack further includes a second partition beam 10, which is perpendicular to the first partition beam 14 and is used to divide the first accommodating compartment 11 and / or the second accommodating compartment 12 into at least two sub-accommodating compartments. For example, there is one second partition beam 10, which extends in the left-right direction and is perpendicular to the first partition beam 14 within the first accommodating compartment 11, thereby further dividing the first accommodating compartment 11 into two sub-accommodating compartments. The first battery pack 2 is also correspondingly divided into two sub-battery packs. In this way, the first cooling medium in a smaller space can be used to cool the corresponding battery packs, thereby further improving the accuracy of the first cooling medium in cooling the cells in the corresponding first battery pack, resulting in high temperature uniformity of the cells in the entire battery pack and reducing the risk of thermal runaway of the battery pack. Of course, it is understandable that a second partition beam 10 can also be set in the second accommodating compartment 12 to further divide the second accommodating compartment 12 into two self-accommodating compartments, and the second battery pack 3 is also divided into two sub-battery packs accordingly. In this way, it is possible to further subdivide and improve the accuracy of cooling the cells in the second battery pack 3 by the second cooling medium, thereby making the temperature uniformity of the cells in the entire battery pack high and reducing the risk of thermal runaway of the battery pack.

[0050] Of course, it is understandable that the number of the aforementioned second partition beams 10 can be selected according to specific operating conditions. For example, the second partition beams 10 can also be two, three, etc. In addition, in order to further improve the integration of the battery pack, a first liquid inlet pipe 44 can also be provided in the second partition beam 10 to facilitate the placement of the first cooling medium into the sub-accommodation compartment corresponding to the first accommodation compartment 11.

[0051] In some possible implementations, to facilitate the placement of the second cooling medium into the liquid cooling plate 41 for cooling the second battery pack 3, the housing 1 is further provided with a second liquid inlet 48 and a second liquid outlet 49. The second liquid inlet 48 is connected to the inlet of the liquid cooling plate 41, and the second liquid outlet 49 is connected to the outlet of the liquid cooling plate 41. The second cooling medium can be shared with the cooling medium in the vehicle's cooling system. The corresponding cooling medium in the vehicle's cooling system is connected to the liquid cooling plate 41 through the second liquid inlet 48 and the second liquid outlet 49, thereby providing a circulating second cooling medium to enter the liquid cooling plate 41 to cool the second battery pack 3 in the second accommodating compartment 12. This results in high temperature uniformity of the cells in the entire battery pack and reduces the risk of thermal runaway of the battery pack.

[0052] In some possible implementations, to simplify the layout of the housing 1, the first liquid inlet 42, the first liquid outlet 43, the second liquid inlet 48, and the second liquid outlet 49 are located at the same end of the housing 1, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the first liquid inlet 42, the first liquid outlet 43, the second liquid inlet 48, and the second liquid outlet 49 are located at the front end of the housing 1, with the first liquid inlet 42 and the second liquid inlet 48 close to the middle of the housing 1, and the first liquid outlet 43 and the second liquid outlet 49 close to the side of the housing 1. Of course, for the stability of the first liquid inlet 42, the first liquid outlet 43, the second liquid inlet 48, and the second liquid outlet 49, a front beam supporting the first liquid inlet 42, the first liquid outlet 43, the second liquid inlet 48, and the second liquid outlet 49 is also provided in front of the front crossbeam 15.

[0053] In some possible implementations, to facilitate uniform cooling of the second battery pack 3, the liquid cooling plate 41 includes a first flow channel 411, which includes at least two parallel branch flow channels 412. For example... Figure 3 Therefore, the first flow channel 411 is U-shaped, and there are three branch flow channels 412. The three parallel branch flow channels 412 can evenly distribute the second cooling medium on the liquid cooling plate 41 corresponding to the second accommodating chamber 12 after the second cooling medium enters the liquid cooling plate 41 from the second inlet 48, thereby uniformly cooling the cells of the second battery pack 3 in the second accommodating chamber 12, so as to make the cells in the second battery pack 3 have high temperature uniformity.

[0054] To balance battery pack range and cost, in some possible implementations, the high-rate charge-discharge heat generation efficiency of the first battery pack 2 is greater than that of the second battery pack 3. For example, the first battery pack 2 is a ternary lithium battery pack, and the second battery pack 3 is a lithium iron phosphate battery pack. Thus, by using a ternary lithium battery pack for the first battery pack 2 and a lithium iron phosphate battery pack for the second battery pack 3, the ternary lithium battery pack has high energy density and excellent low-temperature performance, but poor thermal stability and short cycle life. The lithium iron phosphate battery pack, on the other hand, has good thermal stability, long cycle life, and low cost, but low energy density and poor low-temperature performance. Therefore, by using a ternary lithium battery pack for the first battery pack 2 and a lithium iron phosphate battery pack for the second battery pack 3, a balance can be struck between battery pack range and cost.

[0055] like Figure 4 As shown, a second aspect of this disclosure provides a thermal management system, including the aforementioned battery pack, a first circulation loop 5, and a second circulation loop 6. The first circulation loop 5 is connected to a first liquid inlet 42 and a first liquid outlet 43, and is configured to circulate a low-temperature first cooling medium into a first accommodating chamber 11. The second circulation loop 6 is connected to the inlet and outlet of a liquid cooling plate 41, and is configured to circulate a low-temperature second cooling medium into the liquid cooling plate 41. Thus, the first circulation loop 5 can circulate the low-temperature first cooling medium into the first accommodating chamber 11 to cool the first battery pack 2, and the second circulation loop 6 can circulate the low-temperature second cooling medium into the liquid cooling plate 41 to cool the second battery pack 3, thereby achieving high temperature uniformity of the battery cells within the battery pack and reducing the risk of thermal runaway of the battery pack.

[0056] In some possible implementations, the first circulation loop 5 includes a first circulation delivery pipe 51, a first circulation return pipe 52, a storage tank 53, and a heat exchanger 54. The storage tank 53 and the first inlet 42 are connected through the first circulation delivery pipe 51, and the storage tank 53 and the first outlet 43 are connected through the first circulation return pipe 52. The heat exchanger 54 is located in the first circulation delivery pipe 51 and is used to cool the first cooling medium in the first circulation delivery pipe 51. Thus, the first circulating liquid delivery pipe 51 connects the liquid storage tank 53 and the first liquid inlet 42, and the first cooling medium is cooled down after passing through the heat exchanger 54 and enters the first accommodating chamber 11 through the first liquid inlet 42 to cool the first battery pack 2. The first circulating liquid return pipe 52 connects the liquid storage tank 53 and the first liquid outlet 43, thereby enabling the first cooling medium in the first accommodating chamber 11 to flow back to the liquid storage tank 53, forming a circulation of the first cooling medium into the first accommodating chamber 11, so that the first cooling medium in the first accommodating chamber 11 cools the first battery pack 2 within a preset temperature.

[0057] In some possible implementations, the second circulation loop 6 includes a second circulation supply pipe 61 and a second circulation return pipe 62. The second liquid inlet 48 of the housing 1 is connected to an external second cooling medium storage device via the second circulation supply pipe 61, and the second liquid outlet 49 on the housing 1 is connected to an external second cooling medium storage device via the second circulation return pipe 62. Thus, the second liquid inlet 48 is connected to the external second cooling medium storage device via the second circulation supply pipe 61, and the second liquid outlet 49 is connected to the external second cooling medium storage device via the second circulation return pipe 62, so that the second cooling medium can circulate into the liquid cooling plate 41 to cool the second battery pack 3. Here, the second cooling medium reservoir can be, for example, the vehicle's cooling system. After the second cooling medium is heated by the vehicle's cooling system, it enters the liquid cooling plate 41 through the second circulation delivery pipe 61 and the second inlet 48, and flows back to the vehicle's cooling system through the second outlet 49 and the second circulation return pipe 62. In this way, the circulating second cooling medium enters the liquid cooling plate 41 to cool the second battery pack 3 in the second accommodating compartment 12.

[0058] In some possible implementations, the thermal management system further includes a third circulation loop 7 connected in parallel with the second circulation loop 6. The heat exchanger 54 includes a first heat exchange channel and a second heat exchange channel. The two ends of the first heat exchange channel are respectively connected to the first circulating liquid delivery pipe 51, and the two ends of the second heat exchange channel are respectively connected to the third circulation loop 7. In this way, by setting the third circulation loop 7 in parallel with the second circulation loop 6, the integration of the thermal management system is improved. It can share the same vehicle cooling system to exchange heat between the low-temperature second cooling medium and the first cooling medium through the heat exchanger 54. Thus, the first cooling medium is cooled to a preset temperature after passing through the heat exchanger 54 and enters the first accommodating compartment 11 through the first liquid inlet 42 to cool the first battery pack 2.

[0059] A third aspect of this disclosure provides an electrical device including the aforementioned battery pack or thermal management system. The electrical device incorporates all the beneficial effects of the aforementioned battery pack or thermal management system, which will not be elaborated upon here. It is understood that, for example, the electrical device may be configured with a battery pack to provide electrical power to the device, and the electrical device may be, but is not limited to, electric vehicles, electric cars, ships, spacecraft, electric toys, and power tools, etc. For example, spacecraft include airplanes, rockets, space shuttles, and spacecraft, etc. Electric toys include stationary or mobile electric toys, such as game consoles, electric car toys, electric ship toys, and electric airplane toys, etc. Power tools include metal cutting power tools, grinding power tools, assembly power tools, and railway power tools, such as electric drills, electric grinders, electric wrenches, electric screwdrivers, electric hammers, impact drills, concrete vibrators, and electric planers.

[0060] This disclosure provides a vehicle including the aforementioned battery pack or thermal management system. All the advantages of this vehicle, including the aforementioned battery pack or thermal management system, will not be elaborated upon here.

[0061] The preferred embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this disclosure is not limited to the specific details of the above embodiments. Within the scope of the technical concept of this disclosure, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solutions of this disclosure, and these simple modifications all fall within the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0062] It should also be noted that the various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, this disclosure will not describe the various possible combinations separately.

[0063] Furthermore, various different embodiments of this disclosure can be combined in any way, as long as they do not violate the spirit of this disclosure, they should also be regarded as the content disclosed in this disclosure.

Claims

1. A battery pack, characterized by, include: The housing includes at least a first accommodating compartment and a second accommodating compartment, the first accommodating compartment for accommodating a first battery pack, and the second accommodating compartment for accommodating a second battery pack. The cooling mechanism includes a liquid cooling plate, and a first liquid inlet and a first liquid outlet disposed in the housing; The first liquid inlet and the first liquid outlet are respectively connected to the first container, so that the first heat exchange medium can flow into the first container from the first liquid inlet to cool the first battery pack; The liquid cooling plate is arranged corresponding to the second accommodating compartment and is used to cool the second battery pack.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling mechanism further includes a first liquid inlet pipe for connecting the first liquid inlet to the first accommodating chamber, and a first liquid return pipe for connecting the first liquid outlet to the first accommodating chamber. The housing includes a frame that forms at least a portion of the first inlet pipe and / or the first return pipe.

3. The battery pack of claim 2, wherein, The housing includes a first partition beam separating the first accommodating chamber and the second accommodating chamber, and the first liquid inlet pipe is formed inside the first partition beam.

4. The battery pack according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first return fluid pipe is formed on the side beam of the frame away from the second accommodating compartment.

5. The battery pack of claim 2, wherein, The first inlet pipe is provided with multiple first openings that communicate with the first container, and the first return pipe is provided with multiple second openings that communicate with the first container.

6. The battery pack of claim 3, wherein, The frame includes a front crossbeam, a rear crossbeam, a first side beam, and a second side beam; The housing also includes a bottom plate and a top cover plate; The front crossbeam, the rear crossbeam, the first side beam, the bottom plate, and the first partition beam form the first accommodating compartment; The front crossbeam, the rear crossbeam, the second side beam, the bottom plate, and the first partition beam form the second accommodating compartment.

7. The battery pack of claim 3, wherein, The battery pack also includes a second partition beam, which is perpendicular to the first partition beam and is used to divide the first and / or second compartments into at least two sub-compartments.

8. The battery pack of claim 4, wherein, The housing is also provided with a second liquid inlet and a second liquid outlet. The second liquid inlet is connected to the inlet of the liquid cooling plate, and the second liquid outlet is connected to the outlet of the liquid cooling plate, so that the second cooling medium can be placed into the liquid cooling plate to cool the second battery pack.

9. The battery pack of claim 8, wherein, The first liquid inlet, the first liquid outlet, the second liquid inlet, and the second liquid outlet are located at the same end of the housing.

10. The battery pack according to claim 9, characterized in that, The liquid cooling plate includes a first flow channel, which includes at least two parallel branch flow channels.

11. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein, The high-rate charge-discharge heat generation efficiency of the first battery pack is greater than that of the second battery pack.

12. The battery pack of claim 11, wherein, The first battery pack is a ternary lithium battery pack, and the second battery pack is a lithium iron phosphate battery pack.

13. A thermal management system, characterized by, The device includes a battery pack as described in any one of claims 1-12, a first circulation loop and a second circulation loop, wherein the first circulation loop is configured to communicate with the first liquid inlet and the first liquid outlet and is configured to circulate a first cooling medium of low temperature into the first accommodating chamber, and the second circulation loop is configured to communicate with the inlet and outlet of the liquid cooling plate and is configured to circulate a second cooling medium of low temperature into the liquid cooling plate.

14. The thermal management system of claim 13, wherein, The first circulation loop includes a first circulation delivery pipe, a first circulation return pipe, a storage tank, and a heat exchanger. The storage tank and the first inlet are connected through the first circulation delivery pipe, and the storage tank and the first outlet are connected through the first circulation return pipe. The heat exchanger is located on the first circulation delivery pipe and is used to cool the first cooling medium in the first circulation delivery pipe.

15. The thermal management system of claim 14, wherein, The second circulation loop includes a second circulation supply pipe and a second circulation return pipe. The second liquid inlet of the housing is connected to the second external cooling medium storage device through the second circulation supply pipe, and the second liquid outlet on the housing is connected to the second external cooling medium storage device through the second circulation return pipe.

16. The thermal management system of claim 15, wherein, The thermal management system further includes a third circulation loop connected in parallel with the second circulation loop. The heat exchanger includes a first heat exchange channel and a second heat exchange channel. The two ends of the first heat exchange channel are respectively connected to the first circulation liquid delivery pipe, and the two ends of the second heat exchange channel are respectively connected to the third circulation loop.

17. An electrical device, characterized by It includes the battery pack according to any one of claims 1-12 or the thermal management system according to any one of claims 13-16.

18. A vehicle characterized by comprising: It includes the battery pack according to any one of claims 1-12 or the thermal management system according to any one of claims 13-16.

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