Heat exchange assembly and battery module

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of batteries, and particularly provides a heat exchange assembly and a battery module, aiming at the problem that the existing liquid cooling heat exchange mode influences the operation stability and safety of the battery module. To this end, the heat exchange assembly comprises: a heat conduction plate, which comprises a first part used for being attached to a workpiece and a second part connected with the first part; and a heat pipe assembly arranged in the heat conduction plate, the heat pipe assembly extends from the first part to the second part, and the heat pipe assembly is connected at the head and tail to form a closed circulation loop, so that the phase change working medium in the heat pipe assembly can flow back and forth between the first part and the second part through the circulation loop after phase change. The application not only can reduce the energy consumption of the battery module, but also can effectively improve the safety and stability of the operation of the battery module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery technology, specifically providing a heat exchange component and a battery module. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of battery technology, the thermal management performance of a battery directly affects its safety, lifespan and efficiency. Currently, most mainstream battery thermal management methods rely on liquid cooling systems to achieve heat exchange between the battery cell and the outside environment.

[0003] However, relying on the above-mentioned liquid cooling circulation method for heat exchange, in order to ensure the cooling effect, it is usually necessary to maintain the operating power of the compressor in the liquid cooling system above the set value. This not only generates a large amount of energy consumption, but also makes the surface of the liquid cooling plate prone to condensation because the temperature is much lower than the ambient temperature. This may cause electrical breakdown or short circuit, affecting the safety and stability of the battery module operation.

[0004] Accordingly, a new technical solution is needed in this field to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0005] This application aims to solve the aforementioned technical problems, namely, to address the issue that existing liquid cooling heat exchange methods affect the operational stability and safety of battery modules.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a heat exchange assembly comprising:

[0007] A heat-conducting plate, comprising a first portion for contacting a workpiece and a second portion connected to the first portion;

[0008] A heat pipe assembly is disposed within the heat-conducting plate. The heat pipe assembly extends from the first part to the second part, and the heat pipe assembly is connected end to end to form a closed loop, so that the phase change working fluid in the heat pipe assembly can flow back and forth between the first part and the second part through the loop after undergoing a phase change.

[0009] In one technical solution of the above heat exchange component, the heat pipe assembly includes a first heat pipe, which extends in an S-shape within the heat-conducting plate and connects end to end at one end of the heat-conducting plate to form the circulation loop.

[0010] In one technical solution of the above heat exchange component, the heat pipe assembly includes a plurality of independent second heat pipes, each of which extends from the first part to the second part, and each of the second heat pipes constitutes a circulation loop.

[0011] In one technical solution of the above heat exchange assembly, each second heat pipe includes two first segments extending along a first direction and a second segment connected between the ends of the two first segments respectively, wherein the length of the first segment is greater than the length of the second segment.

[0012] Multiple second heat pipes are arranged side by side along a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0013] In one technical solution of the above-mentioned heat exchange component, multiple second heat pipes are arranged in a U-shape.

[0014] In one technical solution of the above heat exchange component, the plane where the first part is located is set at an angle to the plane where the second part is located.

[0015] In one technical solution of the above heat exchange component, the first part is perpendicular to the second part.

[0016] In one technical solution of the above heat exchange component, a channel is provided in the heat-conducting plate, and the heat pipe assembly is disposed in the channel.

[0017] In one embodiment of the heat exchange assembly described above, at least one surface of the heat-conducting plate has a cut-out area in the second part to expose a portion of the heat pipe assembly.

[0018] In a second aspect, this application provides a battery module comprising:

[0019] Box;

[0020] The battery cell is disposed within the housing;

[0021] In any one of the first aspects, the heat exchange assembly has the first portion located between the battery cell and the bottom plate of the housing, the first portion being in contact with the bottom surface of the battery cell, and the second portion extending out of the housing.

[0022] In one technical solution of the above-mentioned battery module, thermally conductive silicone grease is provided between the first part and the bottom surface of the battery cell.

[0023] As described above, by employing the aforementioned technical solution, this application, through the installation of a heat pipe assembly arranged in a "loop" within the heat-conducting plate, allows one end of the heat-conducting plate to serve as the evaporation end and the other end as the condensation end during battery module operation. Heat exchange between the battery cell and the external environment relies on the self-circulation of the working fluid between the evaporation and condensation ends, eliminating the need for additional driving force and thus maximizing power savings. Furthermore, the circulation of the working fluid within the heat pipe assembly relies on the temperature difference between the battery cell surface and the external environment. The surface of the heat-conducting plate does not experience a significant temperature difference with the external environment, thereby preventing condensation and effectively improving the safety and stability of the battery module operation.

[0024] In addition, for the first part that comes into contact with the battery cell, any part of it can serve as the evaporation end or the condensation end. That is, the position of the evaporation end or the condensation end depends on the temperature of the battery cell surface. The local hot spot area of ​​the battery cell is the evaporation end of the heat pipe assembly, and the local cold spot area of ​​the battery cell is the condensation end of the heat pipe assembly. This helps to eliminate local hot spots or local cold spots on the surface of the battery cell and improve the uniformity of the surface temperature of the battery cell. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The preferred embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a battery module according to an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a heat exchange assembly according to one embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a first schematic diagram of a heat pipe assembly according to an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a second schematic diagram of a heat pipe assembly according to an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a third schematic diagram of a heat pipe assembly according to an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 6 yes Figure 2 A magnified view of part A in the middle.

[0032] In the figure, the reference numerals refer to the following:

[0033] 100, Housing; 200, Battery cell; 300, Heat exchange assembly; 310, Heat-conducting plate; 311, First part; 312, Second part; 3121, Sectional area; 313, Channel; 320, Heat pipe assembly; 321, First heat pipe; 322, Second heat pipe; 3221, First section; 3222, Second section. Detailed Implementation

[0034] Preferred embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical principles of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Those skilled in the art can make adjustments as needed to adapt to specific application scenarios.

[0035] It should be noted that in the description of this application, terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," and "outer," which indicate direction or positional relationship, are based on the direction or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are used merely for ease of description and do not indicate or imply that the relevant device or element must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. Furthermore, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0036] Furthermore, it should be noted that, in the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to mechanical connections or electrical connections; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0037] In some related technologies, battery modules typically employ liquid cooling for heat exchange, relying on the circulation of cooling water to remove the heat generated by the battery cells. For example, the most common method involves placing a liquid cooling plate at the bottom of the battery module casing, with the battery cells in direct contact with the plate, and the bottom surface of the cells serving as the heat dissipation interface. However, this method has several drawbacks:

[0038] First, the above-mentioned liquid cooling method relies on the circulation of coolant for heat exchange. Therefore, the compressor of the chiller unit needs to run continuously to prevent the battery module from experiencing localized overheating at a certain time. This not only poses a problem of energy consumption in the thermal management system, but also wastes cooling capacity during off-peak electricity periods, which is inconsistent with the development concept of energy conservation and cost reduction.

[0039] Secondly, the internal flow path of the liquid cooling plate is relatively long. As the coolant flows along the flow path, the temperature of the coolant is higher closer to the downstream position of the flow path. That is, a large temperature difference will be formed between the inlet and outlet of the liquid cooling plate. This will cause temperature differences in different positions of the liquid cooling plate. The longer the flow path, the more obvious this phenomenon will be, which will reduce the heat exchange effect.

[0040] Finally, for liquid cooling heat exchange, due to the limitations of the liquid cooling system's heat exchange efficiency, in order to ensure that the maximum temperature of the battery cell during operation does not exceed the set temperature threshold, the temperature of the liquid cooling plate body usually needs to maintain a sufficiently large temperature difference (usually above 10°C) with the bottom surface of the battery cell. This causes condensation to occur on the surface of the liquid cooling plate because its temperature is much lower than the ambient temperature, which will affect the insulation performance of the electrical system, such as causing electrical breakdown or short circuits. In addition, there is also a risk of leakage in the sealing of the liquid cooling system's pipe joints, all of which will affect the safety and stability of the battery module's operation.

[0041] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a battery module according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a heat exchange assembly according to one embodiment of this application.

[0042] The battery module includes a housing 100, battery cells 200, and a heat exchange assembly 300. The housing 100 includes essential components such as a base plate, side plates, and a cover, which will not be described in detail here. The battery cells 200 are disposed within the housing 100.

[0043] The heat exchange assembly 300 includes a heat-conducting plate 310 and a heat pipe assembly 320 disposed within the heat-conducting plate 310. The heat-conducting plate 310 includes a first portion 311 for bonding with a workpiece and a second portion 312 connected to the first portion 311. In the application scenario of this application, the aforementioned "workpiece" is the battery cell 200.

[0044] A heat pipe assembly 320 is embedded within a heat-conducting plate 310. The heat pipe assembly 320 extends from a first portion 311 to a second portion 312. The heat pipe assembly 320 is filled with a phase change working fluid, the types of which include, but are not limited to, liquid ammonia, acetone, fluorinated refrigerant (e.g., Freon), and alkanes. The heat pipe assemblies 320 are connected end-to-end to form a closed loop. A capillary structure may be provided within the heat pipe assembly 320 to allow the working fluid to circulate under capillary force after a phase change. For example, the capillary structure can be a petal-shaped capillary core, including a gas phase channel extending along the central axis of the heat pipe assembly 320 and a liquid phase channel surrounding the gas phase channel. After evaporation at the hot end, the working fluid can move along the gas phase channel to the cold end and then loop back along the liquid phase channel. Of course, the specific construction of the capillary structure inside the heat pipe assembly 320 is not limited to the above form, as long as it enables the working fluid to circulate under capillary force. The specific principle of the heat pipe is well-known in the art and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0045] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 2 For the heat exchange assembly 300, the first part 311 of its heat-conducting plate 310 is located between the battery cell 200 and the bottom plate of the housing 100, and the first part 311 is in contact with the bottom surface of the battery cell 200. The second part 312 of the heat-conducting plate 310 extends out of the housing 100 along the bottom plate of the housing 100 and comes into contact with the external ambient air.

[0046] It should be noted that for the heat-conducting plate 310, the first part 311 is in contact with the battery cell 200, and the second part 312 is in contact with the external environment. When the battery cell 200 needs to be cooled, the first part 311 is the evaporation end and the second part 312 is the condensation end. The gaseous working fluid in the heat pipe assembly 320 is condensed by the external ambient air temperature or other condensation equipment. When the battery cell 200 needs to be heated, the second part 312 is the evaporation end and the first part 311 is the condensation end. The liquid working fluid in the heat pipe assembly 320 is heated and evaporated by the external ambient air temperature or other condensation equipment.

[0047] Taking the cooling of cell 200 as an example, during the operation of the battery module, when a local hot spot appears on the bottom surface of the cell, the working fluid in the heat pipe assembly 320 corresponding to that location is heated and evaporates into a gaseous state. Then, under the action of capillary force, it flows along the heat pipe assembly 320 from the region where the first part 311 is located to the region where the second part 312 is located. After condensing in the region where the second part 312 is located, it flows back to the first part 311. In this way, the working fluid in the heat pipe assembly 320 undergoes a phase change and can flow back and forth between the first part 311 and the second part 312, thereby transferring the heat generated by the cell to the external environment through the second part 312.

[0048] As described above, this application provides a heat pipe assembly 320 arranged in a "loop" within the heat-conducting plate 310. During battery module operation, one end of the heat-conducting plate 310 serves as the evaporation end, and the other end as the condensation end. Heat exchange between the battery cell 200 and the external environment relies on the self-circulation of the working fluid between the evaporation and condensation ends, eliminating the need for additional driving force and thus maximizing power savings. Furthermore, the circulation of the working fluid within the heat pipe assembly 320 is achieved through the temperature difference between the battery cell surface and the external environment. The surface of the heat-conducting plate 310 does not experience a significant temperature difference with the external environment, thereby preventing condensation and effectively improving the safety and stability of the battery module operation.

[0049] In addition, for the first part 311 in contact with the cell 200, any part of it can serve as the evaporation end or the condensation end. That is, the position of the evaporation end or the condensation end depends on the surface temperature of the cell 200. The local hot spot area of ​​the cell 200 is the evaporation end of the heat pipe assembly 320, and the local cold spot area of ​​the cell 200 is the condensation end of the heat pipe assembly 320. This helps to eliminate local hot spots or local cold spots on the surface of the cell 200 and improve the uniformity of the surface temperature of the cell 200.

[0050] Reference Figure 2In some implementations of this application, the heat pipe assembly 320 includes a first heat pipe 321, which extends in an S-shape (or "snake-like") within the heat-conducting plate 310 and connects end to end at one end of the heat-conducting plate 310 to form a loop. In this case, there is only one first heat pipe 321 in each heat-conducting plate 310, and only one loop.

[0051] In some other implementations, the heat pipe assembly 320 includes a plurality of independent second heat pipes 322, each of which extends from a first portion 311 to a second portion 312, and each of the second heat pipes 322 forms a loop.

[0052] For example, refer to Figure 3 Each second heat pipe 322 includes two first segments 3221 extending along a first direction and a second segment 3222 connected between the ends of the two first segments 3221. The first segments 3221 and the second segments 3222 are connected to each other to form a "ring-like" structure, and the length of the first segment 3221 is greater than the length of the second segment 3222, so that the projection of the second heat pipe 322 onto the plane of the heat-conducting plate 310 is a slender "waist shape". Meanwhile, multiple second heat pipes 322 are arranged side-by-side along a second direction, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction (e.g., Figure 3 The X direction is the first direction, and the Y direction is the second direction.

[0053] In the above embodiment, a plurality of second heat pipes 322 are provided in the heat-conducting plate 310. The extension path of each second heat pipe 322 is significantly reduced compared to the first heat pipe 321. As a result, the resistance that the working fluid needs to overcome is smaller, which is more conducive to establishing a rapid circulation of the working fluid and improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0054] Of course, when the heat pipe assembly 320 includes multiple second heat pipes 322, it is not limited to the form in the above embodiments. For example, referring to... Figure 4 In another implementation, the multiple second heat pipes 322 can be arranged in a "U" shape, or alternatively... Figure 3 The method shown is the same as Figure 4 The method shown is a combination of both, where some heat pipes are arranged side by side, and other heat pipes are arranged around the outside of these side-by-side heat pipes. In short, it is sufficient to ensure that one end of the second heat pipe 322 is located in the first part 311 and the other end is located in the second part 312.

[0055] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2In one embodiment of this application, a channel 313 is formed inside the heat-conducting plate 310, and a heat pipe assembly 320 is disposed within the channel 313. Alternatively, in other embodiments, a capillary structure can be directly sintered within the channel 313, and then a phase change working fluid can be filled to form the heat pipe assembly. This application will illustrate this with an example of a separately machined heat pipe assembly 320 disposed within the channel 313.

[0056] Furthermore, referring to Figure 6 At least one surface of the heat-conducting plate 310 is provided with a cut-out region 3121 in the second part 312, through which the internal channel 313 and part of the heat pipe assembly 320 are exposed. Thus, the second part 312 is located in the external environment and is responsible for heat exchange with the external ambient air. Exposing part of the heat pipe assembly 320 through the cut-out region 3121 will further improve the heat exchange efficiency between the heat pipe assembly 320 and the external environment.

[0057] It should be understood that in some implementations, to further improve the heat exchange efficiency between the heat pipe assembly 320 and the external environment, other cooling or heating devices can be added around the second part 312. For example, in the case of cooling the battery cell 200, air cooling equipment can be used to cool the second part 312, or a semiconductor cooling device can be attached to the surface of the second part 312 to accelerate the condensation of the working fluid. Therefore, by exposing the heat pipe assembly 320 through the cut-out area 3121, in the case of battery module stacking, it is also beneficial for the air cooling unit to uniformly cool the area where the cut-out area 3121 is located.

[0058] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some implementations, the plane containing the first part 311 is set at an angle to the plane containing the second part 312. Thus, the heat pipe assembly 320 has a vertical component along its extension path, which facilitates the upward flow of the evaporated gaseous working fluid along the second part 312 and the downward flow of the condensed liquid working fluid under gravity, further increasing the circulation rate of the working fluid.

[0059] Optionally, the first part 311 is perpendicular to the second part 312 to maximize the working fluid circulation rate. At the same time, the second part 312 is perpendicular to the first part 311, which can also save the space occupied by the heat exchange components and improve the volumetric energy density of the entire battery module.

[0060] In order to reduce the contact thermal resistance between the heat-conducting plate 310 and the battery cell 200, in some embodiments, thermal grease may be provided between the first part 311 of the heat-conducting plate 310 and the battery cell 200.

[0061] The technical solutions of this application have been described above with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of protection of this application is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principles of this application, those skilled in the art can make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions after these changes or substitutions will all fall within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A heat exchange component, characterized in that, include: A heat-conducting plate (310) includes a first portion (311) for bonding with a workpiece and a second portion (312) connected to the first portion (311); A heat pipe assembly (320) is disposed within the heat-conducting plate (310). The heat pipe assembly (320) extends from the first part (311) to the second part (312), and the heat pipe assembly (320) is connected end to end to form a closed loop, so that the phase change working fluid in the heat pipe assembly (320) can flow back and forth between the first part (311) and the second part (312) through the loop after undergoing a phase change.

2. The heat exchange assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat pipe assembly (320) includes a first heat pipe (321) that extends in an S-shape within the heat-conducting plate (310) and is joined end-to-end at one end of the heat-conducting plate (310) to form the circulation loop.

3. The heat exchange assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat pipe assembly (320) includes a plurality of independent second heat pipes (322), each of which extends from the first portion (311) to the second portion (312), and each of the second heat pipes (322) constitutes a loop.

4. The heat exchange assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, Each of the second heat pipes (322) includes two first segments (3221) extending along a first direction and a second segment (3222) connected between the ends of the two first segments (3221), wherein the length of the first segment (3221) is greater than the length of the second segment (3222); Multiple second heat pipes (322) are arranged side by side along a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction.

5. The heat exchange assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, Multiple second heat pipes (322) are arranged in a U-shape.

6. The heat exchange assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plane containing the first part (311) is set at an angle to the plane containing the second part (312).

7. The heat exchange assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first part (311) is perpendicular to the second part (312).

8. The heat exchange assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The heat-conducting plate (310) is provided with a channel (313), and the heat pipe assembly (320) is disposed in the channel (313).

9. The heat exchange assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that, At least one surface of the heat-conducting plate (310) is provided with a cut-out region (3121) in the second portion (312) to expose a portion of the heat pipe assembly (320).

10. A battery module, characterized in that, include: Box (100); A battery cell (200) is disposed within the housing (100); The heat exchange assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the first part (311) is located between the battery cell (200) and the bottom plate of the housing (100), the first part (311) is in contact with the bottom surface of the battery cell (200), and the second part (312) extends out of the housing (100).

11. The battery module according to claim 10, characterized in that, Thermal grease is provided between the first part (311) and the bottom surface of the battery cell (200).

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