Battery liquid cooling plate with variable runner structure

Abstract

The application relates to a battery liquid cooling plate, in particular to a battery liquid cooling plate with a variable flow channel structure, which comprises a flow channel base plate, a first heat exchange flow channel and a second heat exchange flow channel are formed in the flow channel base plate and are independent of each other and realize fluid interaction through controllable communication units; the first heat exchange flow channel is composed of a main stem flow channel arranged in a serpentine shape along a first direction; the second heat exchange flow channel is composed of multiple auxiliary branch flow channels arranged in parallel with the main stem flow channel; the controllable communication units are arranged between the main stem flow channel and the auxiliary branch flow channel in sequence along the flow direction. Through the construction of the composite flow channel network composed of the main stem flow channel and the auxiliary branch flow channel, and the integration of the independently addressable and controllable logical communication units and the asymmetric turbulence structure group, the dynamic reconstruction of the cooling flow path topological structure and the local fine regulation and control of the heat exchange intensity are realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to battery liquid cooling plates, and more particularly to a battery liquid cooling plate with a variable flow channel structure. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of electric vehicles, energy storage systems, and other fields, electrochemical devices such as lithium-ion batteries are widely used due to their high energy density. However, batteries continuously generate heat during charging and discharging. If this heat cannot be dissipated in a timely and even manner, it will lead to uneven temperature distribution within the battery module, forming localized overheating (hot spots). This not only accelerates battery performance degradation and shortens lifespan but may also trigger thermal runaway, posing serious safety hazards. Therefore, an efficient battery thermal management system, especially a liquid cooling system, is crucial for ensuring that battery packs operate safely, stably, and efficiently within their optimal temperature range.

[0003] As the core heat exchange component of a battery liquid cooling system, the performance of the liquid cooling plate directly determines the effectiveness of thermal management. Currently, most common battery liquid cooling plates adopt a fixed flow channel design, such as a single serpentine flow channel or parallel flow channels. Although the serpentine flow channel has a long flow path and relatively sufficient heat exchange, it has high flow resistance and lacks targeted cooling for specific areas. Although the parallel flow channel has relatively low flow resistance, the flow distribution of each branch is easily affected by manufacturing errors and changes in flow resistance, making it difficult to adaptively adjust according to the real-time and non-uniform temperature field of the battery module. Fundamentally, these traditional fixed flow channel liquid cooling plates lack dynamic adjustment capabilities, and their cooling strategies are static and pre-set. When the battery operates under complex conditions, its heat generation power and temperature distribution change dynamically in both space and time. Fixed cooling flow paths cannot respond to these changes and cannot achieve precise, on-demand cooling of local hot spots with low energy consumption. Often, in order to suppress the highest temperature, the system has to be maintained at a high pump power, resulting in energy waste.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field for a novel liquid cooling plate structure that can actively adapt to dynamic changes in the battery temperature field. Developing an intelligent liquid cooling plate with variable flow channels and on-demand directional distribution of cooling flow, capable of precisely aligning with the heat load distribution of the battery module, can efficiently eliminate local hot spots while considering the overall energy consumption of the system. This has significant practical application value for improving the overall performance, safety, and energy efficiency of battery packs. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this application is to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology, which has a fixed cooling channel configuration and is difficult to adapt to the uneven heating conditions of battery modules, and to achieve dynamic distribution of cooling flow on demand and precise control of local heat exchange intensity.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application discloses a battery liquid cooling plate with a variable flow channel structure. The liquid cooling plate includes a flow channel substrate, in which a first heat exchange channel and a second heat exchange channel are formed that are independent of each other and achieve fluid interaction through a controllable communication unit.

[0007] The first heat exchange channel is configured as a main channel arranged in a serpentine pattern along the first direction.

[0008] The second heat exchange channel is configured as multiple auxiliary branch channels arranged parallel to the main channel. The controllable connecting units are sequentially arranged between the main channel and the auxiliary branch channels along the flow direction.

[0009] The controllable connectivity unit is configured to selectively establish or block fluid pathways between the main flow channel and the corresponding auxiliary branch flow channels in a controlled manner.

[0010] The controllable communication unit is characterized by comprising a three-way interface formed on the main flow channel, an electrically controlled switching valve, and a connecting flow channel.

[0011] One end of the connecting channel is connected to the tee interface, and the other end is connected to the corresponding auxiliary branch channel. The electrically controlled switching valve is located at the connecting channel or the tee interface; Specifically, the electronically controlled switching valve has at least two operating modes: in the first mode, the main flow channel is connected to the auxiliary branch flow channel via the controllable connection unit to form a parallel flow split; in the second mode, the controllable connection unit is closed, and the main flow channel and the auxiliary branch flow channel are isolated from each other.

[0012] The electrically controlled switching valve is preferably a three-way solenoid valve. Each electrically controlled switching valve in the controllable interconnection unit is connected to a controller, which independently drives each electrically controlled switching valve to switch operating modes based on the real-time received battery temperature field distribution information.

[0013] During the operation of the liquid cooling plate, when the controller detects an increase in heat load in a predetermined area of ​​the battery module, it sends a command to the controllable interconnection unit corresponding to that area, causing its electronically controlled switching valve to switch to the first mode. At this time, part of the cooling medium is diverted from the main flow channel to the corresponding auxiliary branch flow channel via the opened connecting flow channel. This effectively increases the volumetric flow rate of the cooling medium flowing through the high-heat area, reduces the system flow resistance by utilizing parallel flow paths, and achieves on-demand directional allocation of cooling capacity through precise flow control, while extending the equivalent heat transfer time of the cooling medium in the high-heat area, thereby achieving precise temperature control of local hot spots.

[0014] To further enhance heat transfer performance in the basic flow channels, asymmetric turbulence structures are incorporated into local sections of the main flow channels and / or auxiliary branch flow channels. Specifically, these asymmetric turbulence structures consist of multiple irregularly shaped protruding units extending from the inner wall of the flow channels. These protruding units are asymmetrically distributed across the cross-section of the flow channels, and their shapes are either oblique waves or airfoils. By periodically disturbing the flow boundary layer of the cooling medium, these irregularly shaped protruding units induce longitudinal vortices of controllable intensity, thereby enhancing the convective heat transfer process with minimal increase in system pump power.

[0015] Furthermore, the liquid cooling plate also integrates at least one pressure balancing device, which is a micro accumulator or elastic diaphragm, used to absorb pressure pulsations caused by dynamic switching of flow paths, maintain system pressure stability, and ensure the accuracy of flow distribution in each parallel flow path.

[0016] Compared with existing technologies, this application constructs a composite flow channel network consisting of a main flow channel and auxiliary branch flow channels, and integrates independently addressable and controllable logical connectivity units and asymmetric turbulence structure groups, thereby achieving dynamic reconstruction of the cooling flow path topology and localized fine-tuning of heat transfer intensity. This synergistic mechanism combining active control and passive enhancement enables the liquid cooling plate to adaptively match the dynamic thermal load of the battery, significantly improving the ability to manage temperature uniformity and prevent thermal runaway.

[0017] The beneficial effects listed above are not exhaustive of all advantages. Other potential beneficial effects and detailed technical implementation methods will be further disclosed in the embodiments or other descriptive sections of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0018] A better understanding of various aspects of this disclosure will be achieved by reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The positions, dimensions, and extents of the structures shown in the drawings, etc., do not always represent actual positions, dimensions, and extents. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one embodiment disclosed in this application.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a local main flow channel with an asymmetric turbulence structure group in one embodiment of the present application. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be presented in many different ways and is not limited to the embodiments described below; in fact, the embodiments described below are intended to make the disclosure more complete and to fully illustrate the scope of protection of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should also be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in various ways to provide further additional embodiments.

[0021] It should be understood that the same reference numerals denote the same elements in all the accompanying drawings. For clarity, the dimensions of certain features may be modified in the drawings.

[0022] It should be understood that the terminology used in this specification is for describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit this disclosure. All terms used in this specification (including technical and scientific terms) have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art, unless otherwise defined. For the sake of brevity and / or clarity, techniques, methods, and apparatus known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail; however, where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and apparatus should be considered part of this specification.

[0023] Unless otherwise specified, the singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in this specification include the plural forms. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “containing” used in this specification indicate the presence of the claimed feature but do not exclude the presence of one or more other features. The term “and / or” used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items.

[0024] See attached document Figure 1 and 2This embodiment of a variable flow channel structure battery liquid cooling plate includes a flow channel substrate 1, which is made of thermally conductive aluminum alloy through an extrusion molding process. The substrate 1 has independent first heat exchange channels 2 and second heat exchange channels 3 formed internally by machining or casting, which are interconnected by controllable communication units 4 to achieve fluid interaction. The first heat exchange channel 1 is configured as a main flow channel arranged in a serpentine pattern along a first direction. The main flow channel has a rectangular cross-section with a width of 5 mm to 10 mm and a depth of 3 mm to 6 mm. The second heat exchange channel 2 is configured as an auxiliary branch flow channel. The cross-section of the channel is circular with a diameter of 2 mm to 4 mm. Controllable connecting units 4 are arranged at equal intervals or non-uniformly according to the heat load distribution along the flow direction between the main channel and the auxiliary branch channels. Each controllable connecting unit 4 includes a three-way interface formed on the main channel, an electrically controlled switching valve, and a connecting channel. The inner diameter of the connecting channel is 1.5 mm to 3 mm. One end of the connecting channel is connected to the three-way interface by welding or sealing adhesive, and the other end is connected to the corresponding auxiliary branch channel in a similar manner. The electrically controlled switching valve is located at the connecting channel or the three-way interface and has at least two working modes.

[0025] Preferably, the electrically controlled switching valve is a three-way solenoid valve, with its three ports connected to the upstream, downstream, and connecting channels of the auxiliary branch flow channel via threaded connections or quick-connect fittings. Each electrically controlled switching valve is connected to a controller 5 via a cable. The controller 5 communicates with multiple temperature sensors arranged on or inside the battery module. The temperature sensors are negative temperature coefficient thermistors or thermocouples to obtain real-time battery temperature field distribution information. Based on a preset temperature threshold and control algorithm, the controller independently drives each electrically controlled switching valve to switch working modes, thereby realizing dynamic reconstruction of the cooling flow path and fine control of local heat transfer intensity.

[0026] Furthermore, in the first mode, the electronically controlled switching valve connects the main flow channel with the auxiliary branch flow channel via the controllable connection unit to form a parallel flow split. In the second mode, the controllable connection unit is closed, thereby isolating the main flow channel and the auxiliary branch flow channel from each other. This design is based on the principle of matching the battery heat load distribution through flow split control, so that the cooling medium can be accurately split to a specific area according to the heat load requirements.

[0027] The cooling medium is an aqueous solution of ethylene glycol or silicone oil, with a flow rate ranging from 0.5 liters / minute to 2 liters / minute.

[0028] Based on this, when the controller 5 detects that the temperature of the predetermined area of ​​the battery module exceeds 50 degrees Celsius through the temperature sensor, it sends a command to the controllable interconnection unit 4 corresponding to that area, causing its electronically controlled switching valve to switch to the first mode. At this time, part of the cooling medium is diverted from the main flow channel to the corresponding auxiliary branch flow channel through the opened connecting flow channel. This effectively increases the volumetric flow rate of the cooling medium flowing through the high-heat area, reduces the system flow resistance by using parallel flow paths, and realizes the on-demand directional distribution of cooling capacity through precise control of diversion, and extends the equivalent heat exchange time of the cooling medium in the high-heat area, thereby achieving precise temperature control of local hot spots.

[0029] Subsequently, in order to further improve the heat transfer performance on the basic flow channel, an asymmetric turbulence structure group 6 is set in a selected section of the main flow channel and / or auxiliary branch flow channel. The asymmetric turbulence structure group 6 is composed of multiple irregular protrusion units protruding from the inner wall of the flow channel. These irregular protrusion units are formed by electrochemical etching or laser processing and are asymmetrically distributed on the cross-section of the flow channel. Their shape is oblique wave or airfoil. The tilt angle of the oblique wave is 30 degrees to 60 degrees, and the angle of attack of the airfoil is 10 degrees to 25 degrees.

[0030] Preferably, the height of the irregular protrusion unit is 0.1 to 0.3 times the hydraulic diameter of the flow channel, and they are arranged with a period of 0.5 to 2 times the length of the flow channel. The irregular protrusion unit induces longitudinal vortices with controllable intensity by periodically disturbing the flow boundary layer of the cooling medium, thereby increasing the convective heat transfer coefficient by 15% to 30% without increasing the pump power of the system.

[0031] Understandably, this passive heat transfer enhancement design, combined with the aforementioned active diversion control, not only increases the flow rate when a local flow path is opened, but also simultaneously improves the heat transfer efficiency per unit volume in that local area, forming a dual enhancement mechanism.

[0032] Understandably, the liquid cooling plate can also integrate a pressure balancing device 7. This pressure balancing device 7 includes a miniature accumulator or elastic diaphragm located at pressure-sensitive locations in the flow channel system. These pressure-sensitive locations are preferably near the input end of the main flow channel and the converging output end of each auxiliary branch flow channel. The miniature accumulator 6 has a bellows-type or piston-type structure with a volume of 5 ml to 15 ml. The elastic diaphragm is made of silicone rubber or fluororubber with a thickness of 0.5 mm to 1 mm. It is used to absorb pressure pulsations caused by dynamic switching of the flow path, control the system pressure fluctuation within ±5%, maintain system pressure stability, ensure the accuracy of flow distribution in each parallel flow path, and thus ensure the reliability of cooling control.

[0033] Finally, by constructing a composite flow channel network consisting of main flow channels and auxiliary branch flow channels, and integrating independently addressable and controllable logical interconnection units and asymmetric turbulence structure groups, dynamic reconstruction of the cooling flow channel topology and local fine-tuning of heat transfer intensity were achieved. This synergistic mechanism combining active control and passive enhancement enables the liquid cooling plate to adaptively match the dynamic thermal load of the battery, keeping the maximum temperature difference of the battery module lower and significantly improving the ability to manage temperature uniformity and prevent thermal runaway.

[0034] While exemplary embodiments of this disclosure have been described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes and modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Therefore, all changes and modifications are included within the scope of protection of this disclosure as defined by the claims. This disclosure is defined by the appended claims, and equivalents of those claims are also included.

Claims

1. A battery liquid cooling plate with a variable flow channel structure, characterized in that, The liquid cooling plate includes a flow channel substrate, in which a first heat exchange channel and a second heat exchange channel are formed that are independent of each other and achieve fluid interaction through a controllable communication unit. The first heat exchange channel is configured as a main channel arranged in a serpentine pattern along the first direction. The second heat exchange channel is configured as multiple auxiliary branch channels arranged in parallel with the main channel; The controllable connecting units are arranged sequentially between the main flow channel and the auxiliary branch flow channel along the flow direction; The controllable connectivity unit is configured to selectively establish or block fluid pathways between the main flow channel and the corresponding auxiliary branch flow channels in a controlled manner.

2. The battery liquid cooling plate with a variable flow channel structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The controllable connection unit includes a three-way interface formed on the main flow channel, an electrically controlled switching valve, and a connecting flow channel; One end of the connecting channel is connected to the tee interface, and the other end is connected to the corresponding auxiliary branch channel. The electrically controlled switching valve is located at the connecting channel or the tee interface.

3. The battery liquid cooling plate with a variable flow channel structure as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The electrically controlled switching valve is a three-way solenoid valve; the electrically controlled switching valve in each controllable connection unit is connected to a controller.

4. The battery liquid cooling plate with a variable flow channel structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Within a portion of the main flow channel and / or auxiliary branch flow channels, an asymmetric flow disturbance structure group is provided.

5. The battery liquid cooling plate with a variable flow channel structure as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The asymmetric turbulence structure group consists of multiple irregularly shaped protruding units that protrude from the inner wall of the flow channel. These irregularly shaped protruding units are asymmetrically distributed on the cross-section of the flow channel, and their shapes are oblique waves or airfoils.

6. The battery liquid cooling plate with a variable flow channel structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid cooling plate also integrates at least one pressure balancing device, which is a micro accumulator or elastic diaphragm, used to absorb pressure pulsations caused by dynamic switching of the flow path.

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