A novel high-energy-efficiency liquid cooling plate PACK box structure

Abstract

The utility model discloses a novel high energy -efficient liquid cooling plate PACK box structure, aims at solving the existing liquid cooling plate only to the single side of battery cooling makes the temperature difference existing in the battery, and further influences battery performance and service life, and traditional liquid cooling plate dismounts maintenance is more difficultly problem. The utility model discloses through spacing a plurality of liquid cooling plates in the box, also set up the sheath and divide the liquid cooling plate with the box inner chamber, make the two side surfaces of battery respectively with two side sheaths and fit, through two side liquid cooling plate and sheath heat exchange to the two sides of battery simultaneously, compared with traditional single side heat dissipation, this mode makes battery heat dissipation more uniform, reduces the temperature difference in the battery, and because the sheath divides the liquid cooling plate with the box inner chamber, when the liquid cooling plate appears the leakage phenomenon, the leaked cooling medium also can not directly flow into the box and pollute the battery and other electronic components, and the liquid cooling plate and the box can be detachably connected and are provided with a quick release structure, so that the dismounting replacement of the liquid cooling plate becomes more convenient.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of liquid cooling systems, and more specifically, it relates to a novel high-efficiency liquid cooling plate PACK housing structure. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid iterative development of new energy battery pack technology in fields such as new energy vehicles and energy storage equipment, core performance indicators such as battery energy density and cycle life, as well as safety during use, have increasingly become the focus of industry attention. During the continuous charging and discharging process of a battery pack, the internal cells generate a large amount of heat due to chemical reactions and resistive losses. If this heat cannot be dissipated in time through an efficient heat dissipation system, it will not only lead to a decrease in battery activity and charging and discharging efficiency, significantly shortening the battery's lifespan, but may also cause thermal runaway due to excessively high local temperatures, resulting in serious safety accidents such as fires and explosions.

[0003] Currently, there are three main heat dissipation methods commonly used in new energy battery pack heat dissipation solutions: natural cooling, air cooling, and liquid cooling. Liquid cooling utilizes the circulating flow of a cooling medium to absorb and transfer heat. Due to its highly efficient heat exchange capacity, its heat dissipation performance far surpasses that of natural cooling and air cooling, making it widely used in new energy vehicles and large-scale energy storage devices where heat dissipation requirements are high. However, traditional liquid-cooled plate battery pack structures have significant design shortcomings. Typically, the liquid cooling plate is fixed at the bottom of the battery pack. This layout means that the liquid cooling plate can only provide targeted heat dissipation for the cells in the bottom area of ​​the battery pack. For the cells in the upper and side parts of the battery pack, heat is difficult to transfer quickly to the bottom liquid cooling plate, resulting in uneven temperature distribution throughout the battery pack and significantly limited heat dissipation. This temperature difference not only leads to a decrease in the charging and discharging consistency of cells in different areas but also accelerates the aging of cells in high-temperature areas, severely affecting the overall performance and lifespan of the entire battery pack.

[0004] Furthermore, traditional water-cooling structures also present difficulties in installation and maintenance. The traditional bottom liquid cooling plate is usually assembled with the battery box using an integrated fixed structure. When the liquid cooling plate fails and needs repair or replacement, it is often necessary to first remove the external protective structure of the battery pack, and then disassemble the battery cell modules inside the battery box layer by layer. The entire operation process is cumbersome and complicated, which not only consumes a lot of manpower and time costs, but may also cause secondary damage to the battery cells or other components during the disassembly process.

[0005] Based on the above, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a novel high-efficiency liquid-cooled plate PACK enclosure structure to solve the aforementioned problems. Utility Model Content

[0006] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide a novel high-efficiency liquid-cooled plate PACK housing structure. This invention arranges multiple liquid-cooled plates spaced apart inside the housing, with each side of the battery respectively attached to two liquid-cooled plates. The liquid-cooled plates on both sides simultaneously exchange heat with the battery. Compared to traditional single-sided heat dissipation, this method results in more uniform heat dissipation and reduces internal temperature differences within the battery. The liquid-cooled plates are detachably connected to the housing and are equipped with a quick-release structure, making the removal and replacement of the liquid-cooled plates more convenient.

[0007] The above-mentioned technical objective of this utility model is achieved through the following technical solution: a novel high-efficiency liquid-cooled plate PACK box structure, including a box, on which a plurality of liquid-cooled plates are provided, and cooling grooves for the flow of cooling medium are provided on the liquid-cooled plates. The plurality of liquid-cooled plates are spaced apart in the box, and a placement cavity for placing batteries is formed between two adjacent liquid-cooled plates. When the battery is installed in the placement cavity, the two sides of the battery are respectively attached to the two sides of the liquid-cooled plates. The liquid-cooled plates are detachably connected to the box, and the box is provided with a quick-release structure for the liquid-cooled plates.

[0008] By adopting the above technical solution, the inlet and outlet of the cooling tank on the liquid cooling plate are connected to an external heat exchanger. By spaced-out liquid cooling plates inside the casing, the two sides of the battery are respectively attached to two liquid cooling plates. Heat exchange is carried out on both sides of the battery simultaneously through the liquid cooling plates on both sides. Compared with the traditional single-sided heat dissipation, this method makes the heat dissipation of the battery more uniform and reduces the internal temperature difference of the battery. The liquid cooling plates are detachably connected to the casing and are equipped with a quick-release structure, making the removal and replacement of the liquid cooling plates more convenient.

[0009] The present invention is further configured such that: a number of sleeves corresponding to the liquid cooling plates are fixedly connected to the housing; an installation cavity for storing the liquid cooling plates is provided inside the sleeves; a through groove communicating with the installation cavity is provided on the side wall of the housing; the sleeves isolate the liquid cooling plates from the inner cavity of the housing; the liquid cooling plates are tightly fitted to the inner wall of the installation cavity; and the two sides of the battery are respectively fitted to the adjacent two side sleeves.

[0010] The present invention is further configured such that: the quick-release structure includes a mounting plate fixedly connected to the liquid cooling plate, the mounting plate is provided with a plurality of bolts threadedly connected to the housing, and the mounting plate is provided with through holes for the bolt screws to pass through.

[0011] The present invention is further provided with a leak-proof gasket between the mounting plate and the housing.

[0012] The present invention is further configured such that the inlet and outlet of the cooling tank are both located on one side of the mounting plate, and the mounting plate is provided with an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe respectively connected to the inlet and outlet.

[0013] The present invention is further configured such that: a plurality of connecting pipes are provided on the box body, and the two ends of the connecting pipes are respectively connected to the water inlet pipe and the water outlet pipe on two adjacent mounting plates.

[0014] In summary, this utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0015] 1. By placing liquid cooling plates on both sides of the battery, the cooling medium can flow more evenly through the battery, improving the uniformity of temperature distribution inside the battery, thereby improving battery performance and lifespan.

[0016] 2. The pull-out installation design of the side-mounted liquid cooling plate and sheath makes the installation and maintenance of the liquid cooling plate more convenient, and the liquid cooling plate can be repaired or replaced without disassembling the entire battery box.

[0017] 3. A reliable sealing structure is formed by using a sheath and sealing gasket to ensure that the cooling medium will not leak and improve battery safety. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention. Figure 1 The diagram shows the overall structure of the case, with the liquid cooling plate located inside the mounting groove.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention. Figure 2 The diagram shows the overall structure of the case, with the liquid cooling plate protruding from the mounting groove.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention. Figure 3 This shows the structural relationship between the housing, sheath, and liquid cooling plate;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention. Figure 4 This shows the overall structure of the liquid cooling plate;

[0022] Figure 5 for Figure 4 The enlarged view of Part A shows the connection relationship between the inlet / outlet pipe and the connecting pipe.

[0023] In the diagram: 1. Housing; 2. Liquid cooling plate; 3. Cooling tank; 4. Mounting cavity; 5. Sheath; 6. Placement cavity; 7. Mounting plate; 8. Through hole; 9. Water inlet pipe; 10. Water outlet pipe; 11. Connecting pipe; 12. Through groove; 13. Snap-fit ​​part. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of this utility model, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.

[0025] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", "top / bottom", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They 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. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0026] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "provided with," "set up / connected," "connection," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be a connection within 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.

[0027] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] A novel high-efficiency liquid-cooled plate PACK enclosure structure, such as Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the enclosure includes a housing 1, which is made of aluminum alloy (such as 6-series aluminum alloy) in a single piece. Compared to a traditional steel housing 1, aluminum alloy has a lower density (approximately 2.7 g / cm³). 3 The low density of aluminum alloy reduces the weight of the casing by more than 40%, facilitating transportation. Furthermore, through proper alloy composition (such as the addition of magnesium and silicon) and aging treatment, the tensile strength of aluminum alloy can reach over 300 MPa, providing continuous and stable structural protection for the internal battery modules. More importantly, aluminum alloy possesses a high thermal conductivity of over 200 W / (m·K), which allows for rapid heat transfer from the battery during operation to the outside of the casing.

[0029] The housing 1 is equipped with several liquid cooling plates 2. The liquid cooling plates 2 are made of aluminum alloy with high thermal conductivity through extrusion molding process. The liquid cooling plates 2 are integrated with cooling channels 3 for the flow of cooling medium. The cooling channels 3 are arranged in a meandering manner. The cross-section of the cooling channels 3 is a flat rectangle similar to a capsule and a running track. Multiple liquid cooling plates 2 are distributed at intervals in the housing 1. A placement cavity 6 for placing batteries is formed between two adjacent liquid cooling plates 2. When the battery is installed in the placement cavity 6, the two sides of the battery are respectively attached to the two liquid cooling plates 2. The liquid cooling plates 2 are detachably connected to the housing 1. The housing 1 is equipped with a quick-release structure for the liquid cooling plates 2.

[0030] Furthermore, the housing 1 is integrally formed with sleeves 5, the number and position of which correspond to the liquid cooling plate 2. The sleeves 5 are machined to form mounting cavities 4 for storing the liquid cooling plate 2. The inner wall of the mounting cavity 4 is precision milled to ensure that the flatness error of the contact surface with the liquid cooling plate 2 is controlled within 0.1mm, providing a basic guarantee for subsequent sealing and heat conduction efficiency. The side wall of the housing 1 is provided with a through groove that communicates with the mounting cavity 4. The sleeve is connected to the outside of the housing through the through groove. The sleeve 5 can isolate the liquid cooling plate 2 from the inner cavity of the housing 1. The overall shape of the liquid cooling plate 2 is the same as the shape of the inner cavity of the mounting cavity 4 and the size is completely matched, so that the liquid cooling plate 2 and the inner wall of the mounting cavity 4 are tightly fitted. The outer surface of the liquid cooling plate 2 is anodized to enhance the surface hardness.

[0031] After the battery module is installed, the two sides of the battery are respectively attached to the two adjacent protective sleeves 5. It should be mentioned that the battery module usually includes a battery pack composed of multiple batteries. The top and bottom sides of the battery pack are usually covered with covers. The width of the covers is often larger than that of the batteries, which makes the overall shape of the battery module similar to the I-shape. There are recesses on both the left and right sides of the battery pack. The protective sleeves 5 are located in these recesses and are attached to the sides of the multiple batteries in the battery pack.

[0032] Furthermore, the quick-release structure includes a mounting plate 7 welded to the liquid cooling plate 2. The mounting plate 7 is provided with several bolts (not shown in the figure) that are threaded to the housing 1. The mounting plate 7 is machined with through holes 8 for the bolt screws to pass through. The housing 1 is machined with threaded holes that are threaded to the bolts. When the liquid cooling plate 2 is inserted into the protective sleeve 5, the liquid cooling plate 2 is fixed to the housing 1 by multiple bolts, ensuring that the liquid cooling plate 2 forms a tight mechanical connection and thermal coupling with the housing 1 after installation.

[0033] Furthermore, a leak-proof gasket (not shown in the figure) is provided between the mounting plate 7 and the housing 1. The leak-proof gasket is a fluororubber sealing ring with an "O" or "U" shaped cross section. When the bolts are tightened, the mounting plate 7 applies a squeezing force to the leak-proof gasket, causing it to compress and deform, and fit tightly against the mounting plate and the housing respectively. The compression of the leak-proof gasket (controlled at 20%-30%) achieves initial sealing. High-temperature resistant silicone sealant can also be evenly applied to the gap between the mating surfaces on the inner side of the leak-proof gasket. After curing, it forms an elastic sealing layer. The double sealing structure can effectively resist the pressure fluctuations of the cooling medium and the vibration and impact during battery operation, preventing the leakage of the cooling medium.

[0034] Furthermore, the inlet and outlet of the cooling tank 3 are both located on one side of the mounting plate 7. The mounting plate 7 is machined with an inlet pipe 9 and an outlet pipe 10 that are respectively connected to the inlet and outlet. The inlet pipe 9 and the outlet pipe 10 adopt a standardized quick-connect structure design, which facilitates connection with external heat exchangers or cooling circulation systems.

[0035] Furthermore, the housing 1 is provided with several connecting pipes 11. The two ends of the connecting pipes 11 are respectively connected to the water inlet pipes 9 and water outlet pipes 10 on two adjacent mounting plates 7. Both the water inlet pipes and the water outlet pipes are provided with annular grooves. Both ends of the connecting pipes are provided with snap-fit ​​parts 13 that fit into the annular grooves. The cooling slots on multiple liquid cooling plates are connected in series to form a whole through multiple connecting pipes.

[0036] Working principle: All liquid cooling plates 2 are interconnected through multiple connecting pipes 11. The inlet pipes 9 and outlet pipes 10 on the two outermost liquid cooling plates 2 that are not covered by the connecting pipes 11 are then connected to an external heat exchanger. The multiple connecting pipes 11 connect all cooling tanks 3 in series, facilitating the circulation of the cooling medium between the multiple liquid cooling plates 2 and the heat exchanger. By arranging the liquid cooling plates 2 at intervals inside the housing 1, and then covering the liquid cooling plates 2 with sheaths 5 to separate them from the inner cavity of the housing 1, the two sides of the battery are respectively in contact with the outer walls of the two sheaths 5. When the cooling medium flows, the sheaths 5 exchange heat with the battery, and then transfer the heat energy to the liquid cooling plates 2. The flowing cooling medium absorbs the heat energy and transports it to the heat exchanger for heat dissipation, thereby achieving a uniform heat dissipation effect on the battery.

[0037] Compared to traditional single-sided battery cooling systems, conventional liquid cooling systems often employ a single liquid cooling plate at the bottom or top, resulting in uneven heat conduction. This can lead to a temperature difference of 5-8°C between the top and bottom of the cell, accelerating the electrochemical reaction rate by over 30% in high-temperature areas and slowing down the reaction in low-temperature areas. In contrast, the side-mounted liquid cooling plate in this design utilizes a longitudinally distributed multi-plate structure, combined with a meandering cooling channel and a series layout of multiple cooling channels, achieving precise flow control. This ensures that the cooling medium flows evenly across the key heat-generating areas on the side of the battery, strictly controlling the temperature difference between different areas within the battery pack to within ±2°C. This uniform temperature control increases the utilization rate of active materials in all areas of the cell to over 95%, avoiding the capacity decay differences caused by localized overheating in traditional structures (where the decay rate varies by 15%-20% in different areas), thus improving battery performance stability and lifespan.

[0038] Furthermore, traditional bottom or top liquid cooling structures require dedicated heat dissipation space within the battery pack, increasing the height of the housing 1 by 15%-20%, making it unsuitable for space-constrained scenarios. The side-mounted liquid cooling plate 2 in this design cleverly utilizes the side gaps of the battery module to arrange the heat dissipation structure. The sheath 5 and liquid cooling plate 2 do not require additional vertical space, reducing the overall volume of the battery housing 1 by more than 10% compared to traditional liquid cooling structures. This allows the battery pack to flexibly adapt to the installation size requirements of various application scenarios such as new energy vehicle chassis and energy storage containers.

[0039] Traditional liquid cooling plates often suffer from cooling medium leakage due to welding defects or aging of the sealing structure. This can range from affecting heat dissipation efficiency to causing safety accidents such as battery short circuits. This solution strengthens sealing performance through both materials and processes: one side of the liquid cooling plate's flow channel is sealed with a 0.8mm thick aluminum plate using laser welding, with the weld width controlled at 0.3-0.5mm and the weld strength exceeding 90% of the base material; the other side is welded with an mounting plate, and a precision docking structure connects the inlet and outlet pipes to the inlet and outlet respectively, keeping the overall leakage rate below 0.005ml / h. Simultaneously, a capsule-shaped sheath 5 forms a circumferential fixing structure for the liquid cooling plate, providing lateral sealing protection and preventing loosening of the interface due to external vibration. This reduces the risk of cooling medium leakage at the source and significantly improves the safety of the battery system.

[0040] Furthermore, since the sheath 5 separates the liquid cooling plate 2 from the housing 1, when the liquid cooling plate 2 leaks, the cooling medium will be blocked by the sheath 5 and will not directly affect the battery. The cooling medium will be sealed inside the sheath to prevent leakage and contact with the battery, which could cause short circuits and other hazards. The anti-leakage gasket can also prevent the cooling medium from flowing out of the channel and causing damage to other electronic components outside the housing 1.

[0041] When maintenance is required or a problem is found that the liquid cooling plate 2 needs to be replaced, simply remove the connecting pipe 11 on the corresponding mounting plate 7, then use tools to remove the bolts on the mounting plate 7 to grasp the mounting plate and pull the liquid cooling plate 2 out of the protective sleeve 5. After cleaning the mounting cavity 4, the new liquid cooling plate 2 can be installed. With this design, the liquid cooling plate adopts an embedded assembly structure, and maintenance only requires removing the connecting pipe 11 and bolts to remove the liquid cooling plate 2 separately, without disassembling the entire battery pack (which involves more than 20 steps such as removing external protection, disconnecting wiring, and disassembling the casing 1), thus avoiding secondary damage to the battery module. This design simplifies the fault diagnosis process, allowing technicians to directly perform targeted inspections such as pressure testing and flow channel observation on the liquid cooling plate 2, avoiding the large-scale disassembly operations of traditional structures, significantly reducing the difficulty and labor intensity of maintenance operations, and making the disassembly and maintenance of the liquid cooling plate 2 more convenient.

[0042] Compared to the fixed connection design of the liquid cooling plate 2 and the housing 1 in traditional battery liquid cooling systems, the traditional design incurs high after-sales maintenance costs: when the liquid cooling plate 2 fails, it requires 3-5 technicians to work together for 3-5 hours to disassemble it, resulting in high labor costs; large-scale disassembly can easily lead to secondary failures such as stripped bolts and poor wiring contacts in the battery module, with additional expenses reaching more than 50% of the original repair costs; and the entire integrated component, including the housing 1, needs to be replaced, with material costs accounting for 30%-40% of the total battery pack cost. In this case, the liquid cooling plate 2 is designed for quick disassembly, allowing a single person to disassemble it in 30 minutes, reducing labor costs by more than 80%; the purchase cost of a single liquid cooling plate 2 is only 1 / 10 of that of traditional integrated components, resulting in a 90% reduction in material costs; at the same time, it avoids large-scale disassembly, eliminating the risk of secondary damage. For scenarios such as new energy vehicle operation and large-scale energy storage power stations, based on an average of 2-3 repairs per battery pack per year, the long-term cumulative savings in after-sales costs can reach hundreds of thousands or even millions of yuan, significantly improving the economic efficiency of the equipment throughout its entire life cycle.

[0043] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this utility model. The protection scope of this utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. All technical solutions falling within the scope of this utility model's concept are protected. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, any improvements and modifications made without departing from the principle of this utility model should also be considered within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A novel high-efficiency liquid-cooled plate PACK housing structure, comprising a housing (1), wherein a plurality of liquid-cooled plates (2) are disposed on the housing (1), and cooling grooves (3) for the flow of cooling medium are disposed on the liquid-cooled plates (2), characterized in that: Multiple liquid cooling plates (2) are spaced apart inside the housing (1). A placement cavity (6) for placing batteries is formed between two adjacent liquid cooling plates (2). When the battery is installed in the placement cavity (6), the two sides of the battery are respectively attached to the two liquid cooling plates (2). The liquid cooling plates (2) are detachably connected to the housing (1). The housing (1) is provided with a quick-release structure for the liquid cooling plates (2).

2. The novel high-efficiency liquid-cooled plate PACK enclosure structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing (1) is fixedly connected with sleeves (5) that correspond in number and position to the liquid cooling plate (2). The sleeves (5) are provided with an installation cavity (4) for storing the liquid cooling plate (2). The side wall of the housing (1) is provided with a through groove (12) that communicates with the installation cavity (4). The sleeves (5) isolate the liquid cooling plate (2) from the inner cavity of the housing (1). The liquid cooling plate (2) is tightly fitted to the inner wall of the installation cavity (4). The two sides of the battery are respectively fitted to the adjacent two side sleeves (5).

3. The novel high-efficiency liquid-cooled plate PACK enclosure structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The quick-release structure includes a mounting plate (7) fixedly connected to the liquid cooling plate (2), the mounting plate (7) is provided with a plurality of bolts threadedly connected to the housing (1), and the mounting plate (7) is provided with through holes (8) for the bolt screws to pass through.

4. The novel high-efficiency liquid-cooled plate PACK enclosure structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: A leak-proof gasket is provided between the mounting plate (7) and the housing (1).

5. The novel high-efficiency liquid-cooled plate PACK enclosure structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The inlet and outlet of the cooling tank (3) are both located on one side of the mounting plate (7), and the mounting plate (7) is provided with an inlet pipe (9) and an outlet pipe (10) that are respectively connected to the inlet and outlet.

6. The novel high-efficiency liquid-cooled plate PACK enclosure structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The housing (1) is provided with several connecting pipes (11), and the two ends of the connecting pipes (11) are respectively connected to the water inlet pipe (9) and the water outlet pipe (10) on two adjacent mounting plates (7).

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