A dual liquid-cooled battery system

Abstract

This utility model discloses a dual liquid-cooled battery system, including a shunt mechanism disposed between the battery module and the insulation cabinet to assist in external cooling of the battery module; a liquid cooling component to connect all the cavities of the cells within the battery module and form a liquid cooling channel; an insulation cabinet and coolant to block electric arcs and cool the battery module from the outside; a liquid cooling pump and a BMS, wherein the BMS controls the flow rate of the liquid cooling pump and the shunt pump of the shunt mechanism based on the collected cell temperature, thereby driving the circulation speed of the coolant inside and outside the liquid cooling channel. The insulation cabinet and liquid cooling component of this utility model work together to cool the battery module in two ways: one is that the coolant in the insulation cabinet submerges the battery module and the liquid cooling component, maintaining a constant low temperature to cool the battery module from the outside; the other is that the coolant circulates in the module's liquid cooling channel to cool the inside of the battery module, enabling the coolant to cool the cells in a timely manner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of battery manufacturing, specifically to a dual liquid-cooled battery system. Background Technology

[0002] Battery modules generate a significant amount of heat during prolonged operation. Failure to dissipate this heat promptly can shorten battery life and even cause battery swelling. Current technologies often employ liquid cooling plates at the bottom of the cells or between individual cells to dissipate heat. However, these liquid cooling plates are typically single-piece designs, resulting in low heat dissipation efficiency and uneven cooling. This leads to temperature differences within the cell module, causing overcharging and over-discharging of different cells, thus reducing battery safety. Furthermore, using liquid cooling plates can result in inconsistent temperatures across the cells, leading to inaccurate temperature readings and trapping heat inside the battery, further compromising battery safety. Utility Model Content

[0003] This utility model addresses the problems in the prior art by disclosing a dual liquid-cooled battery system. The system utilizes a heat preservation cabinet and a liquid-cooling component to cool the battery module in two ways: first, the coolant in the heat preservation cabinet submerges the battery module and the liquid-cooling component, maintaining a constant low temperature and cooling the battery module from the outside; second, the coolant circulates within the module's liquid-cooling channels to cool the internal components of the battery module. These two cooling methods significantly increase the speed at which the coolant enters the battery cell, ensuring timely cooling of the battery cell.

[0004] This utility model is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0005] This utility model first provides a package including

[0006] The current shunt mechanism is located between the battery module and the insulation cabinet to assist in external cooling of the battery module;

[0007] Liquid cooling components are used to connect all the cavities of the cells in the battery module and form liquid cooling channels;

[0008] Insulation cabinets and coolant are used to block electric arcs and cool the battery module from the outside.

[0009] The liquid cooling pump and BMS control the flow rate of the liquid cooling pump and the flow distribution mechanism based on the collected cell temperature, thereby driving the circulation speed of the coolant inside and outside the liquid cooling channel.

[0010] As a further improvement, the battery module includes several horizontal and vertical cell groups, each cell group including several cells arranged in parallel, and these cells are fixed with a strap-type or frame-type structure, with each cell having a cavity inside for the passage of coolant.

[0011] As a further improvement, the shunt mechanism includes a shunt body with a cavity structure, a shunt pump installed on the top of the shunt body, and several shunt interfaces inside the shunt body. The shunt interfaces are used to extend to the space between two adjacent layers of cells in the battery module. The shunt pump transmits signals to the external battery management system (BMS).

[0012] As a further improvement, the splitter body has a structure that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, with the splitter interfaces arranged sequentially from top to bottom. The height between two adjacent splitter interfaces is the same, and the number of splitter interfaces on each layer is the same.

[0013] As a further improvement, the cross-section of the diversion body is an inverted isosceles trapezoidal structure.

[0014] As a further improvement, the cross-section of the diversion body is an inverted isosceles triangle structure.

[0015] As a further improvement, the liquid cooling assembly includes a shunt pipe, a liquid cooling pipe, a manifold, and a branch pipe. The water nozzles of two adjacent cells in the cell group are connected through the branch pipe, and the cavities of each cell are connected in series to form a cell cooling channel. The upper and lower cell groups are connected in series through the liquid cooling pipe, and the cell groups in front and back layers are connected in series through the shunt pipe. The liquid cooling pipe and the shunt pipe are connected, so that each cell of the battery module is connected in series in the module liquid cooling channel.

[0016] As a further improvement, the branch tube is a U-shaped tube, with two branch tubes installed between two adjacent cells, and the two branch tubes are connected.

[0017] As a further improvement, the manifold includes a manifold body, which is a hollow cavity structure for passing coolant. The inner side of the manifold body is provided with several manifold chambers, and each manifold chamber is provided with several branch pipes. One branch pipe is used to connect with the manifold and the water nozzle of the battery cell, and the other branch pipes are used to connect with the water nozzle of the battery cell.

[0018] As a further improvement, the body of the shunt tube can be a rectangular cavity, an arc-shaped cavity, or a corrugated cavity.

[0019] The features and beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0020] (1) The heat preservation cabinet and liquid cooling component set in this utility model work together to cool the battery module in two ways. One way is that the coolant in the heat preservation cabinet submerges the battery module and the liquid cooling component, and the coolant keeps the battery module at a constant low temperature and cools it from the outside. The other way is that the coolant circulates in the module's liquid cooling channel to cool the inside of the battery module. The two cooling methods greatly improve the speed at which the coolant enters the battery cell, so that the coolant can cool the battery cell in time.

[0021] (2) This utility model has a compact structure that fits inside the heat preservation cabinet, occupying little space; and through multiple methods, it greatly improves the cooling efficiency. The coolant installed inside the heat preservation cabinet can effectively block electric arcs, thus improving electrical safety.

[0022] (3) In this utility model, the external coolant enters the inlet pipe of the liquid cooling pipe through the liquid cooling pump. One path enters the liquid cooling channel of each cell group in the vertical direction from top to bottom through the inlet pipe and then converges to the outlet pipe of the liquid cooling pipe. The other path enters the liquid cooling channel of each cell group in the horizontal direction and then converges to the outlet pipe of the liquid cooling pipe and is finally discharged. The simultaneous vertical and horizontal flow of coolant greatly increases the speed at which coolant enters the cell, so that the coolant can cool the cell in time. When the BMS detects that the cell temperature is too high through the temperature sensor, it can control the shunt pump and the external liquid cooling pump to increase the flow rate of coolant in time to achieve the purpose of timely cooling. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the dual liquid-cooled battery system described in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the dual liquid-cooled battery system described in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the diversion mechanism described in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the battery module and the liquid cooling component according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Enlarged view of section A in the middle;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the diversion pipe described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0031] 1-Insulation cabinet; 2-Diverting mechanism; 21-Diverting body; 22-Diverting pump; 23-Diverting interface; 3-Battery module; 31-Battery cell; 4-Diverting pipe; 41-Diverting pipe body; 42-Diverting cavity; 421-First diverting cavity; 422-Second diverting cavity; 43-First pipe interface; 44-Second pipe interface; 45-Third pipe interface; 46-Fourth pipe interface; 5-Liquid cooling pipe; 6-Manifold; 7-Branch pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To facilitate understanding of this utility model, a more comprehensive description of this utility model will be provided below, along with embodiments of this utility model, but this does not limit the scope of this utility model.

[0033] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0034] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0035] A dual liquid-cooled battery system, such as Figures 1 to 6As shown, the device includes a heat preservation cabinet 1 and a diversion mechanism 2, a battery module 3, a liquid cooling assembly, and a coolant inside. The diversion mechanism 2 is located between the battery module 3 and the heat preservation cabinet 1, with one side attached to the inner wall of the heat preservation cabinet 1 and the diversion interface 21 on the other side located between two adjacent cell layers of the battery module 3, allowing the coolant to fully penetrate into the interior of the battery module 3. The liquid cooling assembly connects the cooling water channels inside and outside the battery module 3, realizing a large circulation of the liquid cooling water channels. The coolant is used to block electric arcs and cool the battery module 3 from the outside.

[0036] A dual liquid-cooled battery system also includes a liquid-cooling pump and a BMS. The BMS is used to collect the internal temperature of the battery cell and control the flow rates of the liquid-cooling pump and the shunt pump. The liquid-cooling pump is used to drive the coolant to circulate within the liquid-cooling channel. Any existing pump capable of performing the above functions is acceptable.

[0037] The height of the coolant is greater than the height of the battery module 3 and the shunt mechanism 2. This ensures that the battery module 3 is completely immersed in the coolant, which is a constant-temperature liquid. On the one hand, it isolates oxygen, preventing the battery module 3 from burning and making the lithium battery safer. On the other hand, the coolant prevents external temperature differences from affecting the internal structure, avoiding heat loss. The insulation cabinet maintains the coolant at a constant temperature within the cabinet.

[0038] The coolant is a special solution with a voltage greater than 40KV / mm. The coolant can be mineral oil, silicone oil, or fluorinated liquid. Preferably, the heat preservation cabinet 1 is a sealed heat preservation cabinet filled with mineral oil.

[0039] The shunt mechanism 2 includes a shunt body 21, a shunt pump 22, and shunt interfaces 23. The shunt body 21 has a hollow structure, and the shunt pump 22 is installed on the top of the shunt body 21. The shunt pump 22 is used to promote the flow of liquid within the shunt body 21. Several shunt interfaces 23 are provided on the inner side of the shunt body 21, which extend to the space between two adjacent layers of cells in the battery module 3. The shunt pump 22 is connected to an external battery management system (BMS) via a wiring harness. The shunt mechanism 2 ensures that each layer of cells can fully contact the coolant. The BMS controls the power of the shunt pump 22 based on the collected cell temperature. When there is a large temperature difference between the cells, the shunt pump 22 can be turned on to equalize the battery temperature; when a cell experiences thermal runaway, the flow rate of the shunt pump 22 can be increased to reduce the temperature of the cell experiencing thermal runaway.

[0040] Since the diversion pump 21 is installed at the top of the diversion body 21, in order to maintain the same flow rate at each diversion interface 23, the diversion body 21 has a structure that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. The diversion interfaces 23 are arranged sequentially from top to bottom. To ensure that each diversion port 23 is located between two adjacent battery cell groups on the upper and lower layers for uniform cooling of the battery cell groups, the height between two adjacent diversion interfaces 23 is the same, and the number of diversion interfaces 23 on each layer is the same. The diversion pump 21 can be any common pump that can achieve this function, such as the Shanghai Sunshine Pump Industry IMC(CIH) series.

[0041] In some embodiments, the cross-section of the diversion body 21 is an inverted isosceles trapezoidal structure.

[0042] In other embodiments, the cross-section of the diversion body 21 is an inverted isosceles triangle structure.

[0043] The diversion mechanism 2 is made of 3-series aluminum or 6-series aluminum.

[0044] The number of current shunting mechanisms 2 is no more than 4. When the number of current shunting mechanisms 2 is 2, they are preferably installed on two opposite sides of the battery module 3.

[0045] The battery module 3 includes several horizontal and vertical cell groups, which are fixed together by a strap-type or frame-type structure. Each cell group includes several cells 31 arranged side-by-side, and these cells are fixed together by a strap-type or frame-type structure. Each cell 31 has an internal cavity for coolant, allowing coolant to pass directly through the center of the cell, or even directly through the cell itself. As an example, patent application CN117039262A discloses a feasible cell structure.

[0046] In one embodiment, the battery module 3 includes 9 layers of cell groups, with 6 cells in each layer, and two cell groups form a group, arranged in 2 rows and 3 columns.

[0047] The liquid cooling assembly includes a shunt pipe 4, a liquid cooling pipe 5, a manifold pipe 6, and a branch pipe 7. The water nozzles of two adjacent cells 31 are connected through the branch pipe 7, and the cavities of each cell 31 are connected in series to form a cell cooling channel. The upper and lower cell groups are connected in series through the liquid cooling pipe 5, and the front and rear cell groups are connected in series through the shunt pipe 4. The liquid cooling pipe 5 and the shunt pipe 4 are connected, so that each cell 31 of the battery module 3 is connected in series in the module liquid cooling channel.

[0048] The number of liquid cooling pipes 5 and distribution pipes 4 is at least two, including at least one liquid outlet pipe and at least one liquid inlet pipe.

[0049] In one or more embodiments, the battery cell assembly includes eight cells, numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 from one end to the other. Each cell 31 has a water nozzle at both ends, which serves as two connection ports for the cell cavity. At the first end, starting from the first cell, adjacent cells are connected via branch pipes 7, with the following connection methods: cell 1 is connected to both branch pipe 4 and liquid cooling pipe 5; cell 2 is connected to both; cells 3 and 4 are connected; and cells 5 and 6 are connected. At the second end, starting from the second cell, adjacent cells are connected via branch pipes, with the following connection methods: cells 2 and 3 are connected; cells 4 and 5 are connected; and cell 6 is connected to liquid cooling pipe 5 via a manifold 6. These pipe connections form a cell cooling channel. Since branch pipe 4 and liquid cooling pipe 5 are connected, when coolant enters from liquid cooling pipe 5, the coolant sequentially flows through cells 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 before returning to liquid cooling pipe 5.

[0050] In one or more embodiments, to save space and enable batch installation, the branch pipe 7 is a U-shaped pipe, with two branch pipes 7 installed between two adjacent cells, and the two branch pipes 7 are connected. This allows the coolant to flow from the upstream channel into the cavity of the cell 31. On the one hand, this increases the contact area with the coolant in the insulation cabinet, increasing heat exchange; on the other hand, it buffers the coolant in the cooling channel, preventing excessive pressure on the water nozzle, thereby extending the service life of the cell.

[0051] The splitter pipe 4 includes a splitter pipe body 41, a splitter cavity 42, a first pipe interface 43, a second pipe interface 44, a third pipe interface 45, and a fourth pipe interface 46. The splitter pipe body 41 is a hollow cavity structure for passing coolant. Several splitter cavities 42 are provided on the inner side of the splitter pipe body 41. Several branch pipes are provided on each splitter cavity 42. One branch pipe is used to connect with the manifold 6 and the water nozzle of the battery cell. The other branch pipes are used to connect with the water nozzle of the battery cell.

[0052] In one embodiment, the shunt tube body 4 is a rectangular cavity, which can fit against the edge of the battery module 3, effectively reducing the space occupied.

[0053] In another embodiment, the manifold body 4 has an arc-shaped or wave-shaped cavity with arc-shaped edges, which can reduce the impact of coolant on the inner wall of the manifold body 4 during circulation and extend the service life of the manifold body 4.

[0054] The number of shunt cavities 42 is determined based on the number of layers in each cell pack.

[0055] In one or more embodiments, the number of battery cell groups to be connected in series is three, which are respectively numbered as the first battery cell group, the second battery cell group, and the third battery cell group. The number of shunt chambers 42 in the shunt tube body 41 is two, namely the first shunt chamber 421 and the second shunt chamber 422. The first shunt chamber 421 is provided with a first pipe interface 43 and a second pipe interface 44. The second shunt chamber 422 is provided with a third pipe interface 44 and a fourth pipe interface 45. The first pipe interface 43 is connected to the manifold 6, the second pipe interface 44 is connected to the water nozzle of one battery cell in the first battery cell group (preferably connected to the battery cell at the edge to save pipe length), the third pipe interface 44 is connected to the water nozzle of one battery cell in the second battery cell group, and the fourth pipe interface 45 is connected to the water nozzle of one battery cell in the third battery cell group.

[0056] In one embodiment, six 1P8S battery modules are connected in series to form a 1P48 energy storage unit, increasing the voltage acquisition by 48 channels and the temperature acquisition by 36 channels; the liquid cooling pipeline is equipped with a busbar.

[0057] The working principle of a dual liquid-cooled battery system is as follows:

[0058] The battery module 3 has a temperature sensor connected to the BMS signal, which is existing technology and will not be described in detail here. The cooling method of this application is divided into two types: one is that the coolant in the insulation cabinet 1 submerges the battery module and liquid cooling components, and the coolant maintains a constant low temperature to cool the battery module 3 from the outside; the other is that the coolant circulates in the module's liquid cooling channel to cool the inside of the battery module 3. The external coolant enters the inlet pipe of the liquid cooling pipe 5 through the liquid cooling pump. One path flows longitudinally from top to bottom into the cell liquid cooling channels of each layer of the cell group and then converges to the outlet pipe of the liquid cooling pipe. The other path flows laterally into the cell liquid cooling channels of each cell group and then converges to the outlet pipe of the liquid cooling pipe and is finally discharged. The simultaneous longitudinal and lateral flow of coolant greatly increases the speed at which coolant enters the cell, enabling the coolant to cool the cell in a timely manner. When the BMS detects that the cell temperature is too high through the temperature sensor, it can promptly control the shunt pump and the external liquid cooling pump to increase the coolant flow rate, achieving the purpose of timely cooling. The dual liquid-cooled battery system of this application has a compact structure housed within an insulation cabinet, occupying little space; and its cooling efficiency is greatly improved through multiple methods of temperature reduction. The coolant installed inside the insulation cabinet can effectively block electric arcs, improving electrical safety. The specific types of coolant in the insulation cabinet 1 and the coolant in the liquid cooling channel can be the same or different, but the same coolant is preferred.

[0059] It should be noted that the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A dual liquid-cooled battery system, characterized in that: include The current shunt mechanism is located between the battery module and the insulation cabinet to assist in external cooling of the battery module; Liquid cooling components are used to connect all the cavities of the cells in the battery module and form liquid cooling channels; Insulation cabinets and coolant are used to block electric arcs and cool the battery module from the outside. The liquid cooling pump and BMS control the flow rate of the liquid cooling pump and the flow distribution mechanism based on the collected cell temperature, thereby driving the circulation speed of the coolant inside and outside the liquid cooling channel.

2. The dual liquid-cooled battery system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The battery module includes several horizontal and vertical cell groups. Each cell group includes several cells arranged in parallel and fixed with a strap or frame structure. Each cell has a cavity inside for the passage of coolant.

3. The dual liquid-cooled battery system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shunt mechanism includes a shunt body with a cavity structure, a shunt pump installed on the top of the shunt body, and several shunt interfaces inside the shunt body. The shunt interfaces are used to extend to the space between two adjacent layers of cells in the battery module. The shunt pump transmits signals to the external battery management system (BMS).

4. The dual liquid-cooled battery system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The main body of the splitter has a structure that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. The splitter interfaces are arranged sequentially from top to bottom, and the height between two adjacent splitter interfaces is the same. The number of splitter interfaces on each layer is the same.

5. A dual liquid-cooled battery system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The cross-section of the diversion body is an inverted isosceles trapezoidal structure.

6. The dual liquid-cooled battery system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The cross-section of the diversion body is an inverted isosceles triangle structure.

7. A dual liquid-cooled battery system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The liquid cooling assembly includes a shunt pipe, a liquid cooling pipe, a manifold, and a branch pipe. The water nozzles of two adjacent cells in the cell group are connected through the branch pipe, and the cavities of each cell are connected in series to form a cell cooling channel. The cell groups in the upper and lower layers are connected in series through the liquid cooling pipe, and the cell groups in the front and rear layers are connected in series through the shunt pipe. The liquid cooling pipe and the shunt pipe are connected, so that each cell of the battery module is connected in series in the module liquid cooling channel.

8. A dual liquid-cooled battery system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The branch tube is a U-shaped tube, and two branch tubes are installed between two adjacent cells, and the two branch tubes are connected.

9. A dual liquid-cooled battery system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The manifold includes a manifold body, which is a hollow cavity structure for passing coolant. The inner side of the manifold body is provided with several manifold chambers, and each manifold chamber is provided with several branch pipes. One branch pipe is used to connect with the manifold and the water nozzle of the battery cell, and the other branch pipes are used to connect with the water nozzle of the battery cell.

10. A dual liquid-cooled battery system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The shunt tube body is a rectangular cavity, an arc cavity, or a corrugated cavity.

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