A load-bearing cold plate structure for improving temperature uniformity within a power battery pack

Abstract

This utility model discloses a load-bearing cold plate structure for improving temperature uniformity within a power battery pack, belonging to the field of power battery technology. It includes two cold plates, with a sealing support strip fixed between them along the circumferential edge. Each cold plate includes a heat spreader plate and a flow channel plate, with a flow channel between them. The two cold plates are positioned opposite each other, with the heat spreader plate facing outwards. A protruding liquid inlet and outlet are provided on the same side of each cold plate, both connecting to the flow channel within the cold plate. A coolant distribution structure is provided within the liquid inlet of the upper cold plate, allowing the coolant to be divided into two parts, entering the lower and upper cold plates respectively. The sealing support strip connects the cold plates, enhancing load-bearing capacity and allowing placement between battery modules. The two cold plates are positioned opposite each other with the heat spreader plate facing outwards, ensuring consistent heat exchange areas on both sides. The coolant distribution structure on the upper cold plate divides the coolant into two parts, ensuring balanced heat exchange between the two cold plates.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of power battery technology, specifically relating to a load-bearing cold plate structure for improving the temperature uniformity within a power battery pack. Background Technology

[0002] The statements in this section are merely background information related to this utility model and do not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0003] Due to the internal resistance of the battery cell, the power battery system generates a lot of heat during charging and discharging. If the heat is not dissipated in time, it will accumulate. Excessive heat accumulation will cause the cell temperature to rise continuously, posing risks such as thermal degradation and thermal runaway.

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, existing technologies typically employ liquid cooling plates in power battery systems for cooling. For instance, a patent discloses a uniform temperature liquid cooling plate, comprising an upper plate and a lower plate connected by brazing, and an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe fixed to the upper plate. The upper plate is a flat plate that serves as the heat exchange surface in contact with the bottom of the battery module. The lower plate is a stamped plate formed into a flow channel by a mold. Coolant enters the flow channel from the inlet pipe and exchanges heat with the battery module.

[0005] The aforementioned cold plate cannot be placed between the upper and lower battery modules because:

[0006] The stamped lower plate has weak load-bearing capacity. When placed between the upper and lower battery modules, the lower plate will be crushed under direct load. Furthermore, the stamped lower plate has uneven surfaces, resulting in inconsistent area with the upper plate. This leads to differences in heat exchange between the upper and lower sides of the cold plate, causing uneven heat exchange. This uneven heat exchange will result in uneven temperature of the cells inside the power battery system. Over time, this uneven temperature will cause uneven performance of the modules and cells. In particular, the aging rate of batteries in high-temperature areas will be significantly lower than that in low-temperature areas, thus reducing the consistency of the power battery and shortening the service life of the power battery system to some extent. Utility Model Content

[0007] To address the aforementioned issues, this invention provides a load-bearing cold plate structure for improving temperature uniformity within a power battery pack. By arranging two cold plates opposite each other and fixing a sealing strip along the circumferential edge between them, the load-bearing capacity of the cold plates is enhanced, allowing the load-bearing cold plate structure to be installed between the upper and lower battery modules. When the two cold plates are arranged opposite each other, the heat exchange plate faces outwards, ensuring that the upper and lower heat exchange areas of the load-bearing cold plate structure are identical. This provides a uniform heat exchange surface when in direct contact with the bottom or top of the battery module. Furthermore, a coolant distribution structure is provided in the inlet of the upper cold plate, allowing the coolant to be divided into two parts and enter the two cold plates separately. This ensures that the heat exchange conditions of the two cold plates are essentially the same, guaranteeing balanced heat exchange and ensuring temperature uniformity within the battery module.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0009] A load-bearing cold plate structure for improving temperature uniformity within a power battery pack is provided, comprising two cold plates, with a sealing load-bearing strip fixedly disposed between the two cold plates along the circumferential edge of the cold plates;

[0010] Each cold plate includes a heat spreader plate and a flow channel plate. A flow channel is provided between the heat spreader plate and the flow channel plate. The two cold plates are arranged opposite each other with the heat spreader plate facing outward.

[0011] Protruding inlets and outlets are provided on the same side of the cold plate, and both inlets and outlets are connected to the flow channels inside the cold plate; a coolant distribution structure is provided in the inlet of the upper cold plate; so that the coolant is divided into two and enters the lower and upper cold plates respectively.

[0012] Preferably, the sealing support strip is made of aluminum or stainless steel.

[0013] Preferably, a flow channel groove is formed on the flow channel plate by stamping; a heat spreader plate covers the flow channel plate, and a flow channel is formed between the heat spreader plate and the flow channel plate.

[0014] Preferably, the heat spreader is a flat plate structure used to directly contact the bottom or top of the battery module; a sealing support strip is fixedly connected between the circumferential edges of the flow channel plate so that the two cold plates are arranged opposite each other.

[0015] Preferably, the height of the sealing support strip is greater than the sum of the flow channel depths in the two cold plates by a set length.

[0016] Preferably, the liquid inlets of the two cold plates are connected by a liquid-passing pipe, and the liquid outlets are also connected by a liquid-passing pipe.

[0017] Preferably, the coolant distribution structure includes a semi-circular coolant channel opening and a dividing baffle.

[0018] Preferably, the coolant passage is downward-facing and connected to the inlet of the lower cold plate via a liquid inlet pipe.

[0019] Preferably, the coolant passage opening is formed by a straight side and a semi-circular arc side, and a dividing baffle is provided on the straight side of the coolant passage opening.

[0020] Preferably, the length of the dividing baffle is greater than the length of the straight side of the coolant passage opening.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the advantages and positive effects of this utility model are:

[0022] This invention enhances the load-bearing capacity of the cold plates by arranging two cold plates opposite each other and fixing a sealing support strip to the circumferential edge between the cold plates. This allows the load-bearing cold plate structure to be installed between the upper and lower battery modules. When the two cold plates are arranged opposite each other, the heat exchange plate faces outward, making the upper and lower heat exchange areas of the load-bearing cold plate structure the same. This provides a uniform heat exchange surface when in direct contact with the bottom or top of the battery module. In addition, a coolant distribution structure is provided in the liquid inlet of the upper cold plate, so that the coolant is divided into two and enters the two cold plates respectively, making the heat exchange conditions of the two cold plates basically the same, ensuring the heat exchange of the two cold plates is balanced, and ensuring the temperature uniformity of the battery module. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, are used to provide a further understanding of this utility model. The illustrative embodiments of this utility model and their descriptions are used to explain this utility model and do not constitute an improper limitation of this utility model.

[0024] Figure 1 This is an overall schematic diagram of the load-bearing cold plate structure according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0025] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the load-bearing cold plate structure according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the coolant distribution structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the coolant flowing through the coolant distribution structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the coolant flowing through the load-bearing cold plate structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] In the picture:

[0030] 1. Cold plate; 2. Sealing support strip; 3. Heat spreader plate; 4. Flow channel plate; 5. Liquid inlet; 6. Liquid outlet; 7. Liquid pipe; 8. Coolant distribution structure; 81. Coolant channel inlet; 82. Dividing baffle; ① Upper flow; ② Lower flow. Detailed Implementation

[0031] It should be noted that the following detailed description is illustrative and intended to provide further explanation of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains.

[0032] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] This embodiment discloses a load-bearing cold plate structure for improving temperature uniformity within a power battery pack, such as... Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the structure includes two fixedly connected cold plates 1, which are arranged opposite to each other. A sealing bearing strip 2 is fixedly installed between the two cold plates 1 along the circumferential edge of the two cold plates. When the upper cold plate is under load, the load is transferred to the sealing bearing strip 2 to increase the load-bearing capacity of the load-bearing cold plate structure. Each cold plate includes a heat spreader plate 3 and a flow channel plate 4. A flow channel is set between the heat spreader plate 3 and the flow channel plate 4. When the two cold plates 1 are arranged opposite to each other, the heat spreader plate 3 faces outward to exchange heat with the battery module. A protruding liquid inlet 5 and liquid outlet 6 are provided on the same side of each cold plate 1. The liquid inlet 5 and the liquid outlet 6 are both connected to the flow channel inside the cold plate 1.

[0034] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 As shown, a coolant distribution structure 8 is provided in the inlet 5 of the upper cold plate 1 to divide the coolant into two parts, which enter the lower cold plate and the upper cold plate respectively. This ensures that the heat exchange conditions of the upper and lower cold plates 1 are basically the same, guaranteeing a balanced heat exchange between them. When the upper battery module is placed on the upper cold plate and the lower cold plate is placed on the lower battery module, the temperature uniformity between the upper and lower battery modules is ensured.

[0035] It should be noted that the sealing load-bearing strip 2 is made of aluminum or stainless steel and has a certain strength. It is set between the two cold plates 1 and is the main part used for load bearing.

[0036] Specifically, such as Figure 2 As shown, the flow channel plate 4 is manufactured by stamping, and flow channel grooves are formed on the flow channel plate 4 to guide the flow of coolant, which can greatly improve the heat exchange efficiency. The heat exchange plate 3 is a flat plate structure that covers the flow channel plate 4 and is in direct contact with the flow channel plate 4. Since there are flow channel grooves on the flow channel plate 4, a flow channel for the cooling medium is formed between the heat exchange plate 3 and the flow channel plate 4.

[0037] Furthermore, the flow channels can be S-shaped to ensure uniform distribution of the cooling medium, thereby making the temperature uniform throughout the heat exchanger 3.

[0038] It should be noted that the heat exchange plate 3 is a flat plate structure that is in direct contact with the bottom or top of the battery module to provide a heat exchange surface with uniform temperature. The cooling medium flows in the channels of the flow channel plate 4, which makes the temperature on the heat exchange plate 3 uniform and avoids local heat exchange differences, thus avoiding the generation of local hot spots and improving the uniformity of cell temperature.

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the two cold plates 1 are arranged opposite each other, the flow channel plates 4 are connected by a sealing support strip 2 to enhance the load-bearing capacity of the cold plates 1, so that the load-bearing cold plate structure can be set between the upper battery module and the lower battery module.

[0040] Furthermore, when the two cold plates 1 are arranged opposite each other, the heat exchange plate 3 is placed on the upper or lower side of the load-bearing cold plate structure. This ensures that the heat exchange area on the upper and lower sides of the load-bearing cold plate structure is consistent, allowing the load-bearing cold plate structure to be placed between the upper and lower battery modules, thus achieving uniform heat exchange with both the upper and lower battery modules.

[0041] Furthermore, such as Figure 2 As shown, a sealing support strip 2 is provided between the two flow channel plates 4 for bearing. The height of the sealing support strip 2 is greater than the sum of the flow channel depths in the two cold plates 1 by a set length. In this embodiment, the set length ranges from 1 to 2 mm. It is used to prevent the two flow channel plates 4 from directly contacting each other, and the sealing support strip 2 is arranged along the circumferential edge of the flow channel plates 4.

[0042] One of the purposes of this design is that there is a gap between the upper cold plate 1 and the lower cold plate 1, and the two flow channel plates 4 cannot directly contact each other, so as to avoid heat exchange between the upper cold plate 1 and the lower cold plate 1, which would affect the thermal balance between the upper battery module and the lower battery module.

[0043] The second objective is to ensure that when the load of the upper battery module passes through the heat spreader plate 3 of the upper cold plate 1, the load is transferred to the sealing bearing strip 2 of the circumferential edge of the upper flow channel plate 4, and then to the circumferential edge of the lower flow channel plate 4 and the lower heat spreader plate 3, so as to avoid the load directly pressing the flow channel plate 4 and thus ensure the overall load-bearing capacity.

[0044] like Figure 2As shown, both cold plates 1 have protruding liquid inlets 5 and outlets 6 on one side, and both inlets 5 and outlets 6 are connected to flow channels within the cold plates 1. The liquid inlet 5 of the upper cold plate 1 is used to connect to the inlet pipe of the cooling medium, and the liquid outlet 6 is used to connect to the outlet pipe of the cooling medium. The liquid inlet 5 of the upper cold plate 1 is connected to the liquid inlet 5 of the lower cold plate 1, and the liquid outlet 6 of the upper cold plate 1 is connected to the liquid outlet 6 of the lower cold plate 1. This allows the cooling medium to enter the interior of the upper and lower cold plates 1 for heat exchange.

[0045] It is understandable that by setting an inlet 5 and an outlet 6 on one side, a circulating cooling medium is introduced into the interior of the cold plate 1, while avoiding interference with the battery modules set on the upper and lower layers.

[0046] Furthermore, since a sealing support strip 2 is fixedly installed between the two cold plates 1, and the height of the sealing support strip 2 is greater than the sum of the flow channel depths in the two cold plates 1, there is a gap between the two cold plates 1. Therefore, a liquid inlet 5 and a liquid outlet 6 of the two cold plates 1 are fixedly connected to a liquid passage pipe 7 to prevent the cooling medium from entering the gap between the two cold plates 1.

[0047] Furthermore, the cooling medium enters the upper cold plate 1 through the liquid inlet 5 and also enters the lower cold plate 1 through the liquid inlet 5; however, there may be differences in the amount of cooling medium entering the upper cold plate 1 and the lower cold plate 1, resulting in different heat exchange conditions between the upper cold plate 1 and the lower cold plate 1.

[0048] To avoid this situation, such as Figure 3 As shown, a coolant distribution structure 8 is provided at the inlet 5 of the upper cold plate 1. The coolant distribution structure 8 includes a semi-circular coolant channel 81 and a dividing baffle 82. The coolant channel 81 is connected downward to the inlet 5 of the lower cold plate 1 via a liquid pipe 7. The coolant channel 81 is formed by a straight side and a semi-circular arc side, and a dividing baffle 82 is provided on the straight side of the coolant channel 81.

[0049] Furthermore, the length of the dividing baffle 82 is greater than the length of the straight side of the coolant passage 81. Since the cooling medium is liquid, when the cooling medium reaches the upper cold plate 1 from the inlet pipe, it fills the entire pipe and appears cylindrical; when the cooling medium passes through the dividing baffle 82, as... Figure 4 As shown, the cylindrical cooling medium is divided into two parts. One half of the cooling medium is the upper stream ①, which remains at the inlet 5 of the upper cold plate 1 and then enters the flow channel of the upper cold plate 1. The other half of the cooling medium is the lower stream ②, which flows down through the coolant channel 81 to the inlet 5 of the lower cold plate 1 and then enters the flow channel of the lower cold plate 1.

[0050] like Figure 5As shown, the cooling medium is evenly divided into an upper stream ① and a lower stream ② after entering the coolant distribution structure 8 at the inlet 5 of the upper cold plate 1. The upper stream ① exchanges heat in the upper cold plate 1, and the lower stream ② enters the lower cold plate 1 for heat exchange. After the two streams of coolant exchange heat, they merge back into one stream at the outlet 6 and then flow into the outlet pipe for discharge.

[0051] Furthermore, the initial conditions (i.e., flow rate and initial temperature) of the upper flow ① of coolant flowing into the upper cold plate 1 and the lower flow ② of coolant flowing into the lower cold plate 1 are basically the same. Therefore, the heat exchange conditions of the upper cold plate 1 and the lower cold plate 1 will be basically the same, which can effectively ensure the heat exchange balance between the upper cold plate 1 and the lower cold plate 1, thereby ensuring the temperature uniformity of the upper battery module and the lower battery module.

[0052] In this embodiment, the upper battery module and the lower battery module can be blade cells.

[0053] In this embodiment, the above-mentioned fixed connection is achieved by brazing.

[0054] Although the specific embodiments of the present utility model have been described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, this is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present utility model. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications or variations that can be made by those skilled in the art without creative effort based on the technical solution of the present utility model are still within the scope of protection of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A load-bearing cold plate structure for improving temperature uniformity within a power battery pack, characterized in that, It includes two cold plates, and a sealing support strip is fixed between the two cold plates along the circumferential edge of the cold plates; Each cold plate includes a heat spreader plate and a flow channel plate. A flow channel is provided between the heat spreader plate and the flow channel plate. The two cold plates are arranged opposite each other with the heat spreader plate facing outward. Protruding inlets and outlets are provided on the same side of the cold plate, and both inlets and outlets are connected to the flow channels inside the cold plate; a coolant distribution structure is provided in the inlet of the upper cold plate; so that the coolant is divided into two and enters the lower and upper cold plates respectively.

2. The load-bearing cold plate structure for improving temperature uniformity within a power battery pack as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The sealing support strip is made of aluminum or stainless steel.

3. The load-bearing cold plate structure for improving temperature uniformity within a power battery pack as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A flow channel groove is formed on the flow channel plate by stamping; a heat spreader plate covers the flow channel plate, forming a flow channel between the heat spreader plate and the flow channel plate.

4. The load-bearing cold plate structure for improving temperature uniformity within a power battery pack as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The heat spreader is a flat plate structure used to directly contact the bottom or top of the battery module; a sealing support strip is fixedly connected between the circumferential edges of the flow channel plate so that the two cold plates are arranged opposite each other.

5. A load-bearing cold plate structure for improving temperature uniformity within a power battery pack as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The height of the sealing support strip is greater than the sum of the flow channel depths in the two cold plates by a set length.

6. A load-bearing cold plate structure for improving temperature uniformity within a power battery pack as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid inlets of the two cold plates are connected by a liquid-passing pipe, and the liquid outlets are also connected by a liquid-passing pipe.

7. A load-bearing cold plate structure for improving temperature uniformity within a power battery pack as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The coolant distribution structure includes a semi-circular coolant channel opening and a dividing baffle.

8. A load-bearing cold plate structure for improving temperature uniformity within a power battery pack as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The coolant passage is connected downwards to the inlet of the lower cold plate via a liquid inlet pipe.

9. A load-bearing cold plate structure for improving temperature uniformity within a power battery pack as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The coolant passage opening is formed by a straight side and a semi-circular side, and a dividing baffle is provided on the straight side of the coolant passage opening.

10. A load-bearing cold plate structure for improving temperature uniformity within a power battery pack as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The length of the dividing baffle is greater than the length of the straight side of the coolant channel opening.

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