A liquid-cooled battery module

Abstract

This application relates to the field of new energy battery pack technology, and in particular to a liquid-cooled battery module, including a liquid-cooled tray and a battery pack with the liquid-cooled tray. The liquid-cooled tray includes a liquid-cooled plate, which has a liquid-cooled cavity. The liquid-cooled cavity is provided with several liquid-cooled baffles, which divide the liquid-cooled cavity into several interconnected flow equalization and distribution sections. The liquid-cooled plate is provided with a sealing plate assembly, a liquid inlet assembly, and a liquid outlet assembly. The liquid inlet assembly includes a metal liquid inlet pipe and a liquid inlet connector connected to the liquid-cooled cavity. The liquid outlet assembly includes a metal liquid outlet pipe and a liquid outlet connector connected to the liquid-cooled cavity. The liquid inlet assembly and the liquid outlet assembly are located on the same side along the length of the liquid-cooled plate. The liquid-cooled baffles effectively extend the flow path of the coolant, thereby increasing the heat exchange time between the coolant and the battery cell. At the same time, it avoids the use of plastic pipes, effectively simplifies the installation steps, reduces leakage, and improves the stability of the battery module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of new energy battery pack technology, and in particular to a liquid-cooled battery module. Background Technology

[0002] As an energy storage device in new energy vehicles or energy storage systems, battery packs are frequently charged and discharged. During charging and discharging, the cells inside the battery pack generate a large amount of heat. To prevent thermal runaway and heat propagation, the heat generated by the cells needs to be dissipated in a timely manner.

[0003] Current battery packs typically use aluminum extruded liquid cooling plates for heat dissipation. These plates have linearly arranged cooling chambers, with inlets and outlets connected to opposite ends along their length. Coolant enters from one end, flows through the cooling chambers, and exits from the other end. This liquid cooling structure has several drawbacks. First, the coolant has a short travel distance within the cooling chambers, resulting in insufficient heat exchange time with the battery cells and inefficient coolant utilization. Second, the inlets and outlets are connected to the liquid cooling plate via plastic tubing, requiring operators to completely insert the tubing into the ports for installation. This process is complex, time-consuming, and carries the risk of leakage over extended periods. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a liquid-cooled battery module, which aims to improve the insufficient utilization rate of coolant and the easy leakage problem in related technologies, and improve the heat exchange efficiency and stability of the battery module.

[0005] This application provides a liquid-cooled battery module, including a liquid-cooled tray and a battery pack disposed on the liquid-cooled tray; the liquid-cooled tray includes a liquid-cooled plate, the liquid-cooled plate has a liquid-cooled cavity, the liquid-cooled cavity is provided with a plurality of liquid-cooled baffles, the plurality of liquid-cooled baffles divide the liquid-cooled cavity into a plurality of interconnected flow equalization and diversion sections; the liquid-cooled plate is provided with a sealing plate assembly, a liquid inlet assembly, and a liquid outlet assembly; the liquid inlet assembly includes a metal liquid inlet pipe communicating with the liquid-cooled cavity and a liquid inlet connector; the liquid outlet assembly includes a metal liquid outlet pipe communicating with the liquid-cooled cavity and a liquid outlet connector; the liquid inlet assembly and the liquid outlet assembly are located on the same side along the length direction of the liquid-cooled plate.

[0006] Furthermore, the sealing plate assembly includes a front sealing plate, a rear sealing plate, and a side sealing plate fixedly connected to the liquid cooling plate; the front sealing plate, the rear sealing plate, and the side sealing plate surround to form a mounting cavity for placing and limiting the battery pack, and the battery pack is fixedly disposed in the mounting cavity.

[0007] Furthermore, the liquid-cooled tray also includes a reinforcing assembly disposed on the liquid-cooled plate. The reinforcing assembly includes a front reinforcing plate, a rear reinforcing plate, and a middle reinforcing plate fixedly installed on the liquid-cooled plate. The front reinforcing plate, the rear reinforcing plate, and the middle reinforcing plate further divide the mounting cavity into several sub-mounting cavities. The battery pack is fixedly disposed in the sub-mounting cavities.

[0008] Furthermore, the front reinforcing plate, the rear reinforcing plate, and the middle reinforcing plate are all provided with corresponding matching grooves; the matching grooves are filled with an adhesive layer; the adhesive layer abuts against the battery pack.

[0009] Furthermore, the adapter grooves are uniformly arranged along the length direction of the front reinforcing plate, the rear reinforcing plate, and the middle reinforcing plate.

[0010] Furthermore, the front sealing plate has holes for mounting the liquid inlet connector and the liquid outlet connector; the liquid inlet connector and the liquid outlet connector pass through and are fixedly mounted in the holes.

[0011] Furthermore, the plurality of liquid-cooled baffles are arranged parallel to each other; the plurality of flow equalization and diversion sections are connected end to end; the metal inlet pipe is connected to the flow equalization and diversion section at one end of the width direction of the liquid-cooled plate, and the metal inlet pipe is connected to the flow equalization and diversion section at the other end of the width direction of the liquid-cooled plate.

[0012] Furthermore, the battery pack includes several cells arranged side by side.

[0013] The beneficial effects of this application are: 1. A liquid-cooled battery module of this application, on the one hand, by setting a liquid-cooling baffle in the liquid-cooling cavity, the liquid-cooling cavity is divided into several flow equalization and distribution sections by the liquid-cooling baffle. When the coolant enters the liquid-cooling cavity through the liquid outlet component and the liquid inlet component, the coolant moves along the flow equalization and distribution section under the obstruction of the liquid-cooling baffle. Under the action of the liquid-cooling baffle, the flow path of the coolant can be effectively extended, thereby increasing the heat exchange time between the coolant and the battery cell and increasing the utilization rate of the coolant. On the other hand, the liquid inlet component and the liquid outlet component are connected to the liquid-cooling cavity by setting a liquid inlet pipe and a liquid outlet pipe made of metal material, and with the liquid inlet connector and liquid outlet connector set on the same side, the use of plastic material pipes is avoided, which effectively simplifies the installation steps and avoids the leakage caused by plastic material, thereby improving the stability of the battery module.

[0014] 2. In a liquid-cooled battery module of this application, the front cover plate is provided with holes for accommodating the liquid inlet and liquid outlet connectors. The holes are used to fix and limit the liquid inlet and liquid outlet connectors, so that the liquid inlet and liquid outlet connectors remain stable after installation, avoiding shaking or even falling off due to external movement interference, and further increasing the stability of the liquid-cooled battery module in use.

[0015] 3. A liquid-cooled battery module of this application, by setting a reinforcing component, can strengthen the structural strength of the liquid-cooled tray and reduce the deformation of the liquid-cooled tray caused by external forces; at the same time, the reinforcing plate is provided with a corresponding fitting groove, which on the one hand provides space for the battery pack to be installed, and on the other hand can cooperate with the filling functional adhesive layer to make the installation of the battery pack more stable, or increase the heat exchange area between the battery pack and the liquid-cooled tray, thereby further improving the cooling efficiency of the liquid-cooled battery module. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a liquid-cooled battery module provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the liquid-cooled tray in the embodiments of this application; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the liquid-cooled tray in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the mating structure of the liquid cooling plate, the liquid inlet assembly, and the liquid outlet assembly in the embodiments of this application. Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of part A in the diagram.

[0017] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Liquid-cooled tray; 11. Liquid-cooled plate; 111. Liquid-cooled cavity; 1111. Flow equalization and distribution section; 112. Liquid-cooled baffle; 12. Sealing plate assembly; 121. Front sealing plate; 122. Rear sealing plate; 123. Side sealing plate; 13. Liquid inlet assembly; 131. Metal liquid inlet pipe; 132. Liquid inlet connector; 14. Liquid outlet assembly; 141. Metal liquid outlet pipe; 142. Liquid outlet connector; 15. Reinforcing assembly; 151. Front reinforcing plate; 152. Rear reinforcing plate; 153. Middle reinforcing plate; 154. Adaptor groove; 155. Adhesive layer; 2. Battery pack. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0019] It should be noted that although functional modules are divided in the device schematic diagram and a logical order is shown in the flowchart, in some cases, the steps shown or described may be performed in a different order than the module division in the device or the order in the flowchart. The terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and the aforementioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0020] Unless otherwise defined, 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 application belongs. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments of this application only and is not intended to limit this application.

[0021] Reference Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 This application provides a liquid-cooled battery module, including a liquid-cooled tray 1 and a battery pack 2 on which the liquid-cooled tray 1 is mounted. The liquid-cooled tray 1 is used to dissipate heat and cool the battery pack 2 during operation. Specifically, the battery pack 2 includes a plurality of cells arranged side by side, which are placed and fixed on the liquid-cooled tray 1. The battery pack 2 is prior art and can be purchased; its structure and working principle will not be described in detail here.

[0022] Reference Figure 2 as well as Figure 3 The liquid-cooled tray 1 includes a liquid-cooled plate 11, which has a liquid-cooled cavity 111 filled with coolant to cool the battery pack 2. To improve the utilization rate of the coolant, the liquid-cooled cavity 111 is provided with several liquid-cooled baffles 112, which divide the liquid-cooled cavity 111 into several interconnected flow equalization and diversion sections 1111. In this embodiment, the several liquid-cooled baffles 112 are arranged parallel to each other, and the several flow equalization and diversion sections 1111 are connected end to end.

[0023] Specifically, the liquid-cooled baffle 112 is vertically disposed within the liquid-cooled cavity 111. It can be made of stamped metal plate and fixed to the liquid-cooled cavity 111 by welding. It is used to guide the coolant to form a multi-segment reversible flow path. The flow equalization and diversion section 1111 is an independent flow channel unit extending along the length direction of the liquid-cooled plate 11, which is divided by the liquid-cooled baffle 112. Several parallel liquid-cooled baffles 112 form a flow equalization and diversion section 1111. In this embodiment, there are four flow equalization and diversion sections 1111. The four flow equalization and diversion sections 1111 are connected end to end through the baffle ends, so that the coolant flows through each flow equalization and diversion section 1111 in sequence.

[0024] After entering the liquid-cooled cavity 111, the coolant is blocked by the liquid-cooled baffle 112 and flows back along the flow equalization and diversion section 1111, increasing the flow path length to several times the length of the liquid-cooled plate 11. As the coolant flows through each flow equalization and diversion section 1111, it continuously exchanges heat with the battery pack 2 that is in close contact with the liquid-cooled plate 11, and is eventually discharged. This design effectively extends the residence time of the coolant within the liquid-cooled plate 11, improving the heat exchange efficiency and utilization rate between the coolant and the battery cells.

[0025] The liquid cooling plate 11 is provided with a sealing plate assembly 12, a liquid inlet assembly 13, and a liquid outlet assembly 14. The sealing plate assembly 12 is used to form a closed mounting cavity above the liquid cooling plate 11 for mounting the battery pack 2. The liquid inlet assembly 13 and the liquid outlet assembly 14 are used to connect the liquid cooling cavity 111 for coolant circulation.

[0026] The sealing plate assembly 12 includes a front sealing plate 121, a rear sealing plate 122, and a side sealing plate 123 fixedly connected to the liquid cooling plate 11. The front sealing plate 121, rear sealing plate 122, and side sealing plate 123 enclose to form a mounting cavity for placing and limiting the battery pack 2, and the battery pack 2 is fixedly disposed in the mounting cavity. The liquid inlet assembly 13 includes a metal liquid inlet pipe 131 and a liquid inlet connector 132 communicating with the liquid cooling cavity 111. The liquid outlet assembly 14 includes a metal liquid outlet pipe 141 and a liquid outlet connector 142 communicating with the liquid cooling cavity 111. The liquid inlet assembly 13 and the liquid outlet assembly 14 are located on the same side along the length of the liquid cooling plate 11.

[0027] Specifically, the front sealing plate 121, rear sealing plate 122, and side sealing plate 123 are plate-shaped structures fixed to the liquid cooling plate 11, which can be fixed by bolts or welding. The front sealing plate 121, rear sealing plate 122, and side sealing plate 123 form a battery mounting space, i.e., a mounting cavity, in which the battery pack 2 is fixedly installed. The metal inlet pipe 131 and the metal outlet pipe 141 are tubular structures made of stainless steel or aluminum alloy, which can be connected to the liquid cooling cavity 111 by welding or flange connection. The inlet connector 132 and the outlet connector 142 are used to connect to the external cooling system pipeline. One end of the inlet connector 132 in the length direction has an inlet interface, which is fixed and connected to the metal inlet pipe 131. The inlet interface and the metal inlet pipe 131 can be fixed by welding. The other end of the inlet connector 132 in the length direction has an inlet port connected to the inlet interface, which is connected to the external cooling system pipeline. The structure of the liquid outlet connector 142 is the same as that of the liquid inlet connector 132. One end of the liquid outlet connector 142 along its length is the liquid outlet interface, which is fixed and connected to the metal liquid outlet pipe 141. The other end of the liquid outlet connector 142 along its length is the liquid outlet, which is connected to the external cooling system pipeline. This design avoids the need for plastic hoses for connection, and even under long-term use, the liquid-cooled battery module is less prone to leakage. The liquid inlet assembly 13 and the liquid outlet assembly 14 are located on the same side along the length of the liquid cooling plate 11, which facilitates the assembly and connection of the liquid inlet assembly 13 and the liquid outlet assembly 14 by the operator.

[0028] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 To ensure the circulation path of the coolant, a metal inlet pipe 131 is connected to the flow equalization and distribution section 1111 at one end of the liquid cooling plate 11 in the width direction, and the metal inlet pipe 131 is also connected to the flow equalization and distribution section 1111 at the other end of the liquid cooling plate 11 in the width direction. With this configuration, when coolant is input, it enters from the flow equalization and distribution section 1111 at one end of the liquid cooling plate 11 in the width direction, flows through the flow equalization and distribution section 1111 in sequence, and then flows out from the flow equalization and distribution section 1111 at the other end of the liquid cooling plate 11 in the width direction.

[0029] To accommodate the installation of the liquid inlet connector 132 and the liquid outlet connector 142, the front cover plate 121 has holes for mounting the liquid inlet connector 132 and the liquid outlet connector 142; the liquid inlet connector 132 and the liquid outlet connector 142 pass through and are fixedly installed in the holes. The holes are used to fix and limit the liquid inlet connector 132 and the liquid outlet connector 142, ensuring that their positions remain stable after installation. This prevents shaking or even detachment due to external movement, such as interference from new energy vehicles during operation, thus increasing the stability of the liquid-cooled battery module.

[0030] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 as well as Figure 5 In addition, to increase the structural strength of the liquid-cooled battery module, the liquid-cooled tray 1 also includes a reinforcing component 15 disposed on the liquid-cooled plate 11. The reinforcing component 15 includes a front reinforcing plate 151, a rear reinforcing plate 152, and a middle reinforcing plate 153 fixedly installed on the liquid-cooled plate 11; the front reinforcing plate 151, the rear reinforcing plate 152, and the middle reinforcing plate 153 further divide the mounting cavity into several sub-mounting cavities, and the battery pack 2 is fixedly disposed in the sub-mounting cavities.

[0031] Meanwhile, the front reinforcing plate 151, the rear reinforcing plate 152 and the middle reinforcing plate 153 are all provided with corresponding matching grooves 154; the matching grooves 154 are evenly arranged along the length direction of the front reinforcing plate 151, the rear reinforcing plate 152 and the middle reinforcing plate 153, and the matching grooves 154 are filled with adhesive layer 155, which abuts against the battery pack 2.

[0032] The adapter groove 154 refers to a recessed structure set along the length direction of the corresponding reinforcing plate. It can be formed by stamping or milling. The adapter groove 154 is used to accommodate the adhesive layer 155 and restrict its flow direction. The adhesive layer 155 is an elastic adhesive material filled within the adapter groove 154. The adhesive layer 155 can be formed using different adhesives depending on the needs: for example, polyurethane adhesive for sealing, silicone adhesive for structural bonding, thermally conductive polyurethane adhesive for structural bonding, and thermally conductive silicone gel, etc. It is understood that one or more layers of adhesive layer 155 can also be coated on the liquid cooling plate 11, i.e., within the sub-mounting cavity, before the battery pack 2 is installed into the corresponding sub-mounting cavity.

[0033] The uniformly distributed grooves 154 along the length of the reinforcing plate provide a regular spatial layout for the filling of the adhesive layer 155. After the adhesive is injected, a continuous and uniformly thick adhesive layer is formed along the grooves. When the battery pack 2 is pressed into the sub-mounting cavity, the adhesive layer 155 generates uniform contact pressure within the uniformly distributed grooves, resulting in a balanced distribution of mechanical fixing force between the battery pack 2 and the reinforcing plate. At the same time, the uniform filling of the adhesive layer 155 within the grooves forms a stable heat conduction path, allowing heat to be uniformly transferred to the liquid cooling tray 1 through the adhesive layer 155, preventing increased thermal resistance in localized areas due to missing adhesive layer 155.

[0034] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure have been specifically shown and described above. It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the detailed structures, arrangements, or implementations described herein; rather, this disclosure is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements contained within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A liquid-cooled battery module, characterized in that, The device includes a liquid-cooled tray (1) and a battery pack (2) on which the liquid-cooled tray (1) is disposed; the liquid-cooled tray (1) includes a liquid-cooled plate (11), the liquid-cooled plate (11) has a liquid-cooled cavity (111), the liquid-cooled cavity (111) is provided with a plurality of liquid-cooled baffles (112), the plurality of liquid-cooled baffles (112) divide the liquid-cooled cavity (111) into a plurality of interconnected flow equalization and diversion sections (1111); the liquid-cooled plate (11) is provided with a sealing plate assembly (12). The liquid inlet assembly (13) and the liquid outlet assembly (14) are connected to the liquid cooling cavity (111), and the liquid inlet assembly (131) includes a metal inlet pipe (131) and an inlet connector (132) connected to the liquid cooling cavity (111). The liquid outlet assembly (14) includes a metal outlet pipe (141) and an outlet connector (142) connected to the liquid cooling cavity (111). The liquid inlet assembly (13) and the liquid outlet assembly (14) are located on the same side of the length direction of the liquid cooling plate (11).

2. The liquid-cooled battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sealing plate assembly (12) includes a front sealing plate (121), a rear sealing plate (122), and a side sealing plate (123) fixedly connected to the liquid cooling plate (11); the front sealing plate (121), the rear sealing plate (122), and the side sealing plate (123) surround to form an installation cavity for placing and limiting the battery pack (2), and the battery pack (2) is fixedly disposed in the installation cavity.

3. A liquid-cooled battery module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The liquid-cooled tray (1) also includes a reinforcing component (15) disposed on the liquid-cooled plate (11). The reinforcing component (15) includes a front reinforcing plate (151), a rear reinforcing plate (152), and a middle reinforcing plate (153) fixedly installed on the liquid-cooled plate (11). The front reinforcing plate (151), the rear reinforcing plate (152), and the middle reinforcing plate (153) further divide the mounting cavity into several sub-mounting cavities. The battery pack (2) is fixedly disposed in the sub-mounting cavities.

4. A liquid-cooled battery module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The front reinforcing plate (151), the rear reinforcing plate (152) and the middle reinforcing plate (153) are each provided with a corresponding matching groove (154); the matching groove (154) is filled with an adhesive layer (155); the adhesive layer (155) abuts against the battery pack (2).

5. A liquid-cooled battery module according to claim 4, characterized in that, The adapter groove (154) is uniformly arranged along the length direction of the front reinforcing plate (151), the rear reinforcing plate (152) and the middle reinforcing plate (153).

6. A liquid-cooled battery module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The front sealing plate (121) has holes for mounting the liquid inlet connector (132) and the liquid outlet connector (142); the liquid inlet connector (132) and the liquid outlet connector (142) are inserted through and fixedly mounted in the holes.

7. A liquid-cooled battery module according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, A plurality of liquid-cooled baffles (112) are arranged in parallel to each other; a plurality of flow equalization and diversion sections (1111) are connected end to end; a metal inlet pipe (131) is connected to a flow equalization and diversion section (1111) at one end of the width direction of the liquid-cooled plate (11), and the metal inlet pipe (131) is connected to a flow equalization and diversion section (1111) at the other end of the width direction of the liquid-cooled plate (11).

8. A liquid-cooled battery module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery pack (2) includes several cells arranged side by side.

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