Indirect cooling liquid heat exchanger

Abstract

The application provides an indirect cooling liquid heat exchange device, relates to the technical field of energy storage heat exchange, and comprises an outer shell, a top cover, a mounting cavity, a first cold plate, a first cold cavity, a liquid inlet pipe, a second cold plate, a liquid conveying mechanism and a liquid outlet pipe. The first cold plate and the second cold plate are cooperatively arranged to realize multi-surface contact heat exchange of lithium battery groups in the shell. Compared with the traditional single-surface heat exchange mode, the heat exchange area is increased, the heat exchange is more uniform, the local overheating phenomenon of the surface of the battery group is effectively avoided, meanwhile, air can flow through the air channel, the first gap area and the second gap area, the heat of the first gap area is reduced, heat exchange is realized through the first cold plate, the temperature distribution in the device is more uniform, and the stable operation of the lithium battery group is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of energy storage and heat exchange technology, and in particular to an indirect coolant heat exchange device. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of new energy vehicles and energy storage systems, lithium battery packs, as core energy storage output components, are of paramount importance in terms of performance and safety. During the charging and discharging process, lithium battery packs generate a large amount of heat. If this heat cannot be dissipated in time, the temperature will rise sharply. This will not only accelerate internal chemical reactions and trigger side reactions, causing capacity decay and increased internal resistance, and shortening the service life, but also create local hot spots due to differences in the heat dissipation conditions of internal cells, exacerbating performance degradation, triggering thermal runaway, and threatening the safety of personnel and equipment.

[0003] Currently, traditional lithium battery pack cooling methods mainly rely on single-sided heat exchange, such as the common single-sided liquid cooling. Although single-sided liquid cooling improves heat dissipation efficiency to some extent, it only cools one side of the battery pack, resulting in uneven temperature distribution and the risk of localized overheating. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application provides an indirect coolant heat exchange device, which aims to solve the problems of uneven heat dissipation and local overheating in the lithium battery pack.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application provides an indirect coolant heat exchange device, including a housing and a top cover. An installation cavity is formed between the top cover and the housing. The device also includes a first cold plate connected inside the installation cavity. The first cold plate has a first cold cavity inside. One side of the first cold plate is connected to an inlet pipe extending to the outside of the housing. A second cold plate is fixedly connected to the top of the first cold plate. A liquid delivery mechanism is provided between the other sides of the first cold plate and the second cold plate. An outlet pipe extending to the outside of the housing is connected to the second cold plate.

[0006] In some implementations, the infusion mechanism includes a pump mounted on the housing, with a first connecting pipe connecting one side of the pump to a first cold plate and a second connecting pipe connecting the other side of the pump to a second cold plate.

[0007] In some implementation schemes, the first cold plate and the first cold cavity are both planar structures. The first cold plate and the second cold plate include multiple vertical pieces and multiple arc-shaped pieces. The arc-shaped pieces are connected between each pair of adjacent vertical pieces to form a continuous and smooth serpentine channel. The second connecting pipe is connected to the inlet of the serpentine channel, and the liquid outlet pipe is connected to the outlet of the serpentine channel.

[0008] In some implementations, a plurality of equidistantly arranged first heat-conducting sheets are fixedly connected to the top of the first cold plate, and the first heat-conducting sheets are located between two adjacent vertical sheets. The surface of the second cold plate is fitted with a matching second heat-conducting sheet.

[0009] In some implementations, the top of the second cold plate is lower than the top of the outer shell, and when the top cover overlaps with the outer shell, a first gap area is reserved between the second cold plate and the bottom of the top cover.

[0010] In some implementations, multiple pads are fixedly connected between the bottom of the first cold plate and the bottom wall of the outer shell, and the first cold plate is in close contact with the inner wall of the outer shell.

[0011] In some implementations, a second gap area is reserved between the first cold plate and the bottom wall of the outer shell through a pad, and the outer shell is provided with a plurality of air channels that are connected between the first gap area and the second gap area.

[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, this application has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art:

[0013] This application employs a method of cooperating between the first and second cold plates to achieve multi-faceted heat exchange of the lithium battery pack inside the casing. Compared to the traditional single-face heat exchange method, this method increases the heat exchange area, making the heat exchange more uniform and effectively avoiding local overheating of the battery pack surface. At the same time, air can circulate in the air channel, the first gap area, and the second gap area, reducing the heat in the first gap area and achieving heat exchange through the first cold plate, making the internal temperature distribution of the device more uniform and ensuring the stable operation of the lithium battery pack. Attached Figure Description

[0014] To more clearly illustrate the related technologies or the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the related technologies or the embodiments of this application will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0015] Figure 1 This is an exploded structural diagram of an indirect coolant heat exchange device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0016] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the second cold plate;

[0017] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the connection structure between the first heat-conducting sheet and the first cold plate;

[0018] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the connection structure between the first cold plate and the liquid inlet pipe;

[0019] Figure 5 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the connection structure between the first cold plate and the first connecting pipe;

[0020] Figure 6 for Figure 1 A magnified view of the structure at point A in the middle;

[0021] Figure 7 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the connection structure between the inner shell and the top plate.

[0022] The labels in the above figures are as follows: 1. Outer shell; 2. Top cover; 3. Mounting cavity; 4. First cold plate; 41. First cold cavity; 42. Liquid inlet pipe; 43. First heat-conducting plate; 5. Second cold plate; 51. Vertical plate; 52. Arc-shaped plate; 53. Serpentine channel; 54. Liquid outlet pipe; 55. Second heat-conducting plate; 6. Liquid pump; 61. First connecting pipe; 62. Second connecting pipe; 7. Pad; 8. Air channel. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Example 1: Refer to Figures 1-6 An indirect coolant heat exchange device includes a housing 1 and a top cover 2. A closed mounting cavity 3 is formed between the top cover 2 and the housing 1 for accommodating and mounting a lithium battery pack.

[0024] The device also includes a first cold plate 4 connected inside the mounting cavity 3. The first cold plate 4 has a first cold cavity 41 inside. One side of the first cold plate 4 is connected to an inlet pipe 42 extending to the outside of the outer shell 1. A second cold plate 5 is fixedly connected to the top of the first cold plate 4. An infusion mechanism is provided between the other side of the first cold plate 4 and the second cold plate 5. The infusion mechanism includes a pump 6 mounted on the outer shell 1. One side of the pump 6 is connected to the first cold plate 4 via a first connecting pipe 61. The other side of the pump 6 is connected to the second cold plate 5 via a second connecting pipe 62. An outlet pipe 54 extending to the outside of the outer shell 1 is connected to the second cold plate 5. The first cold plate 4 and the first cold cavity 41 are both planar structures. The first cold plate 4 and the second cold plate 5 include multiple vertical pieces 51 and multiple arc-shaped pieces 52. The arc-shaped pieces 52 are connected between each pair of adjacent vertical pieces 51 to form a continuous and smooth serpentine channel 53. The second connecting pipe 62 is connected to the inlet of the serpentine channel 53, and the outlet pipe 54 is connected to the outlet of the serpentine channel 53.

[0025] This design helps the lithium battery pack to be installed between the top of the first cold plate 4 and the surface of the second cold plate 5, forming multi-faceted contact and thus achieving efficient heat exchange. During the operation of the device, the coolant first flows into the interior of the first cold chamber 41 through the inlet pipe 42. Under the action of the coolant, the first cold plate 4 can exchange heat with the bottom of the battery pack. Subsequently, the pump 6 is started, and the coolant in the first cold chamber 41 is transported to the serpentine channel 53 in the second cold plate 5 through the first connecting pipe 61 and the second connecting pipe 62, and finally flows out from the outlet pipe 54. In this way, the second cold plate 5 can exchange heat with the surface of the battery pack. Compared with the traditional single-sided heat exchange method, the first cold plate 4 and the second cold plate 5 work together to increase the heat exchange area of ​​the battery pack, making the heat exchange more uniform and effectively avoiding the phenomenon of local overheating on the surface of the battery pack.

[0026] It should be noted that in actual use, the inlet pipe 42 and the outlet pipe 54 are generally connected to an external liquid delivery device to form a circulation loop. Through this design, the coolant can flow continuously and stably within the system, achieving recycling and thus effectively improving cooling efficiency. This allows the lithium battery pack to operate in a stable and suitable temperature environment, extending its service life. It should be noted that the specific method by which the inlet pipe 42 and the outlet pipe 54 form a circulation loop with the external liquid delivery device is existing technology and will not be elaborated here.

[0027] Example 2: Refer to Figure 3 Based on the above embodiment 1, a plurality of first heat-conducting sheets 43 are fixedly connected to the top of the first cold plate 4 at equal intervals. The first heat-conducting sheets 43 are located between two adjacent vertical sheets 51. The surface of the second cold plate 5 is fitted with a matching second heat-conducting sheet 55. The purpose of this design is to improve the heat conduction efficiency of the first cold plate 4 and the second cold plate 5, so that the first cold plate 4 and the second cold plate 5 can work together better to achieve efficient and uniform heat dissipation of the lithium battery pack from multiple sides, reduce local overheating, extend its service life and improve its working stability.

[0028] Example 3: Refer to Figure 1 and Figure 6Based on the above embodiment one, the difference is that the top of the second cold plate 5 is lower than the top of the outer shell 1. When the top cover 2 overlaps with the outer shell 1, a first gap area is reserved between the bottom of the second cold plate 5 and the top cover 2. Multiple pads 7 are fixedly connected between the bottom of the first cold plate 4 and the bottom wall of the outer shell 1. The first cold plate 4 and the inner wall of the outer shell 1 are in close contact with each other. A second gap area is reserved between the first cold plate 4 and the bottom wall of the outer shell 1 through the pads 7. Multiple air channels 8 are opened on the outer shell 1, which are located between the first gap area and the second gap area. Since the lithium battery pack is installed between the top of the first cold plate 4 and the surface of the second cold plate 5, the heat in the first gap area is relatively high, while the second gap area corresponds to the bottom of the first cold plate 4. The temperature of the second gap area is lower. Air can circulate through the air channels 8 between the first gap area and the second gap area, thereby reducing the heat in the first gap area. Heat exchange is achieved with the help of the first cold plate 4, reducing the temperature of the first gap area, making the internal temperature distribution of the entire device more uniform, and ensuring the stable operation of the lithium battery pack.

[0029] It should also be noted that in actual use, a vent valve is installed on the top of the top cover 2. When the lithium battery pack experiences internal short circuits, overcharging, or other situations, it will trigger a violent chemical reaction that produces a large amount of gas, causing the internal gas pressure to rise sharply and exceed the safety threshold. At this time, the vent valve can promptly release the excess gas inside, preventing serious safety accidents such as the shell 1 rupturing or exploding due to excessive pressure, thereby ensuring the safety of the entire energy storage device and the surrounding environment.

[0030] It should be noted that the several embodiments shown above in this application are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. It should also be noted that in the textual description of this application, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply such an actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements may include not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus; and, without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0031] Furthermore, those skilled in the art can implement or use this application by practicing the several embodiments shown above. Various modifications to the embodiments shown above will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments not shown without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not to be limited to the several embodiments shown above, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An indirect coolant heat exchange device, comprising: The outer casing (1) and the top cover (2), wherein a mounting cavity (3) is formed between the top cover (2) and the outer casing (1), characterized in that it further comprises: A first cold plate (4) is connected inside the mounting cavity (3). The first cold plate (4) has a first cold cavity (41) inside. One side of the first cold plate (4) is connected to an inlet pipe (42) extending to the outside of the outer shell (1). A second cold plate (5) is fixedly connected to the top of the first cold plate (4). A liquid delivery mechanism is provided between the other side of the first cold plate (4) and the second cold plate (5). An outlet pipe (54) extending to the outside of the outer shell (1) is connected to the second cold plate (5).

2. The indirect coolant heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, The infusion mechanism includes a pump (6) mounted on the housing (1), one side of the pump (6) is connected to the first cold plate (4) by a first connecting pipe (61), and the other side of the pump (6) is connected to the second cold plate (5) by a second connecting pipe (62).

3. The indirect coolant heat exchanger according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first cold plate (4) and the first cold cavity (41) are both planar structures. The first cold plate (4) and the second cold plate (5) include multiple vertical pieces (51) and multiple arc-shaped pieces (52). The arc-shaped pieces (52) are connected between each two adjacent vertical pieces (51) to form a continuous and smooth serpentine channel (53). The second connecting pipe (62) is connected to the inlet of the serpentine channel (53), and the liquid outlet pipe (54) is connected to the inlet and outlet of the serpentine channel (53).

4. The indirect coolant heat exchanger according to claim 3, characterized in that, The top of the first cold plate (4) is fixedly connected with a plurality of first heat-conducting sheets (43) arranged at equal intervals. The first heat-conducting sheets (43) are located between two adjacent vertical sheets (51). The surface of the second cold plate (5) is fitted with a matching second heat-conducting sheet (55).

5. The indirect coolant heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the second cold plate (5) is lower than the top of the outer shell (1). When the top cover (2) overlaps with the outer shell (1), a first gap area is reserved between the bottom of the second cold plate (5) and the top cover (2).

6. The indirect coolant heat exchanger according to claim 5, characterized in that, Multiple pads (7) are fixedly connected between the bottom of the first cold plate (4) and the bottom wall of the outer shell (1), and the first cold plate (4) and the inner wall of the outer shell (1) are in contact with each other.

7. The indirect coolant heat exchanger according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first cold plate (4) has a second gap area reserved between the pad (7) and the bottom wall of the outer shell (1). The outer shell (1) has a plurality of air channels (8) that are connected between the first gap area and the second gap area.

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