Direct cooling plate and energy storage system

Abstract

The application relates to a direct cooling plate and an energy storage system, and relates to the technical field of battery cooling. The direct cooling plate comprises a first sub-plate and a second sub-plate which are connected, and a meandering flow channel is formed between the two. The meandering flow channel comprises liquid inlet sub-flow channels and liquid outlet sub-flow channels which are connected and staggered layer by layer. The liquid outlet sub-flow channel is provided with an outlet section, a flow disturbance member is arranged on the flow path of the outlet section, and the flow disturbance member is in contact with the refrigerant in the flow. The structure produces disturbance to the refrigerant through the flow disturbance member, is beneficial to dispersing the gas-liquid stratification state in the refrigerant evaporation process, weakens the influence of the gas heat insulation layer, improves the local heat exchange efficiency of the outlet section, and realizes balanced control of the overall temperature field of the cooling plate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery cooling technology, and in particular to a direct cooling plate and energy storage system. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, direct refrigerant cooling (direct cooling) is gradually becoming the mainstream battery thermal management solution to replace traditional liquid cooling due to its advantages such as high heat exchange efficiency and compact structure. However, the direct cooling plates of existing technologies are limited by the length of their internal flow channels and their arrangement, which can easily lead to overheating in the end area, resulting in significant temperature differences between cells in the vertical direction, affecting the consistency and cycle life of the battery system. Utility Model Content

[0003] This application provides a direct cooling plate and an energy storage system to at least partially solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, according to a first aspect of this application, a direct cooling plate is provided, comprising a plate body with a spiral flow channel inside, the spiral flow channel including a liquid inlet sub-channel and a liquid outlet sub-channel that are connected to each other, the liquid inlet sub-channel and the liquid outlet sub-channel being arranged alternately layer by layer along the thickness vertical direction of the plate body;

[0005] The liquid outlet channel has an outlet section, and a flow disturbance element is provided on the flow path of the outlet section.

[0006] By adopting the above technical solution, and by setting up staggered inlet and outlet sub-channels within the plate, a loop-shaped heat exchange path arrangement for the refrigerant is achieved in the loop-shaped channel. This facilitates the formation of a hot-cold alternating flow pattern and improves the overall temperature uniformity of the direct-cooling plate. Furthermore, by setting up a flow-disrupting element at the outlet section of the outlet sub-channel, the flow state of the refrigerant can be effectively disturbed, breaking the gas insulation layer formed by the refrigerant rising under high dryness, thereby enhancing the heat exchange capacity of the terminal area, improving the overheating problem, and ultimately improving the cell temperature difference control capability and system consistency.

[0007] In one embodiment, multiple spoilers are provided within the outlet section along the extension direction of the outlet section.

[0008] By adopting the above technical solution, multiple turbulence-inducing components are set along the extension direction in the outlet section, which can form continuous disturbances in the refrigerant flow path. This not only significantly increases the local turbulence intensity, but also continuously suppresses refrigerant buoyancy and keeps the liquid refrigerant in the effective heat exchange zone, which helps to further reduce the thermal resistance of the outlet section and improve the heat exchange efficiency of the entire direct-cooling plate outlet section.

[0009] In one embodiment, the turbulence-disrupting element includes baffles, and a plurality of baffles are evenly spaced along the extension direction of the outlet section.

[0010] By adopting the above technical solution, multiple baffles are evenly spaced in the outlet section, which can form a periodic turbulence structure during the refrigerant flow. This causes the refrigerant to frequently change its local velocity and direction during the flow, effectively increasing the coverage of the flow disturbance, enhancing the residence time of the liquid refrigerant on the heat exchange surface, further strengthening the gas-liquid two-phase mixing efficiency, and alleviating the heat exchange degradation problem caused by local gas phase accumulation.

[0011] In one embodiment, the width of the baffle is less than the channel width of the outlet section; and / or, the thickness of the baffle is less than the channel height of the outlet section.

[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, the width of the baffle is smaller than the width of the outlet section and / or the thickness of the baffle is smaller than the height of the outlet section, making it less likely for flow blockage to form in the outlet section. This allows the refrigerant turbulence target to be achieved without significantly increasing flow resistance, maintaining the overall smooth flow of refrigerant in the outlet section, avoiding a sharp drop in flow velocity or excessive local pressure drop, while ensuring the stability of processing and manufacturing and the versatility of the structure.

[0013] In one embodiment, the baffle is elongated, and the length direction of the baffle is consistent with the extension direction of the portion of the outlet segment in which it is located.

[0014] By adopting the above technical solution, the baffle can ensure the turbulence effect while conforming to the main flow path of the refrigerant, effectively control the local flow field distribution and reduce dead zone liquid accumulation, and at the same time have good mechanical stability, which makes it easy to achieve consistent processing quality through mold forming or batch assembly.

[0015] In one embodiment, the inlet end of the liquid inlet channel and the outlet end of the liquid outlet channel are far apart from each other.

[0016] By adopting the above technical solution, the inlet end of the liquid inlet channel and the outlet end of the liquid outlet channel are set at positions far apart from each other, which helps to extend the effective flow path of the refrigerant in the direct cooling plate, achieve sufficient heat exchange, and avoid the problem of uneven heat exchange caused by short-circuit flow of refrigerant, thereby improving the uniformity of temperature distribution and cooling efficiency.

[0017] In one embodiment, the connecting portion between the inlet sub-channel and the outlet sub-channel is S-shaped.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solutions, not only can the refrigerant be guided through the interior of the loop channel in a more complex path, but the refrigerant can also be tumbled, stirred and disturbed during the flow process, thereby disrupting the gas-liquid stratification state, improving the mixing degree and phase change efficiency, and enhancing the heat exchange performance of the terminal and superheated sections.

[0019] In one embodiment, at least one of the multiple corners of the loop channel is a rounded transition.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, at least one of the multiple corners of the loop flow channel adopts a rounded corner transition design, which can effectively reduce flow resistance, avoid local flow velocity drop or dead zone caused by sharp corners, help improve overall flow stability and refrigerant flow efficiency, facilitate processing and manufacturing, reduce the risk of fatigue cracking of the direct cooling plate, and extend service life.

[0021] In one embodiment, the plate body includes a first sub-plate and a second sub-plate that overlap each other, wherein the thickness of the first sub-plate ranges from 0.9 mm to 1.1 mm; and / or the thickness of the second sub-plate ranges from 1.1 mm to 1.3 mm.

[0022] By adopting the above technical solution, and by setting the thickness of the first sub-board and the second sub-board within a specific range, the direct cooling plate as a whole has a good balance between structural strength and thermal conductivity. The thinner first sub-board can improve the thermal contact efficiency with the battery cell, while the slightly thicker second sub-board helps to withstand the pressure of refrigerant flow and improve the structural support, thereby achieving synergistic optimization of heat dissipation capacity and structural reliability.

[0023] In one embodiment, the first sub-board and the second sub-board are configured to be connected by a stamping brazing process.

[0024] By adopting the above technical solution, the first sub-plate and the second sub-plate are connected by a stamping and brazing process, which not only ensures a strong structural bond and excellent airtightness, but also has a mature manufacturing foundation and is compatible with automated production processes. This helps to achieve mass production and low-cost manufacturing of direct-cooling plate products, and improves the economy and repeatability of the entire energy storage system in commercial applications.

[0025] In one embodiment, the first sub-plate has a flow channel groove, and the first sub-plate is configured to cover the lower surface of the second sub-plate to define the loop flow channel through the second sub-plate and the flow channel groove.

[0026] By adopting the above technical solution, by opening a flow channel groove on the first sub-plate and covering the first sub-plate with a second sub-plate, the surface of the second sub-plate and the flow channel groove on the first sub-plate form a loop flow channel, thereby achieving the effect of convenient and stable loop flow channel forming.

[0027] According to a second aspect of this application, an energy storage system is provided, including the direct cooling plate described in the first aspect.

[0028] The beneficial effects of the embodiments of this application are as follows:

[0029] 1. This application incorporates flow disruptors at the outlet section of the liquid outlet channel of a direct-cooling plate, and further arranges multiple flow disruptors at uniform intervals along the extension direction of the outlet section to form a periodic flow disruptor structure. This continuously disturbs the gas-liquid stratification state generated by the refrigerant during evaporation, which helps to break the heat insulation layer structure formed by the accumulation of gaseous refrigerant at the top and promotes the redistribution of liquid refrigerant throughout the entire cross-sectional area. The flow disruptors are in direct contact with the refrigerant, enhancing the lateral movement and mixing flow of the refrigerant without significantly increasing the pressure drop, thus alleviating the problem of local stagnation of refrigerant in the outlet section area. Simultaneously, through the optimization of the size and matching of the arrangement of the flow disruptors, dead zones and large-scale local overheating areas are avoided, effectively improving the heat exchange efficiency at the end of the cold plate. This structure is particularly suitable for operating environments with high dryness and insufficient refrigerant evaporation at the tail end of the channel, improving the utilization efficiency of the refrigerant evaporation potential to a certain extent, enhancing the cold plate's temperature control capability for the battery cells, and providing strong support for the operation of high-performance, low-temperature differential energy storage systems.

[0030] 2. This application employs a loop-shaped flow channel structure with alternating inlet and outlet sub-channels, and incorporates an "S"-shaped connecting section within its path, staggered with the inlet and outlet ends. This allows the refrigerant to flow continuously within the cold plate along a unidirectional, closed, and layered alternating path. This structure extends the actual flow path of the refrigerant within the cold plate, effectively preventing uneven flow distribution and localized refrigerant short-circuiting. The "S"-shaped connecting structure causes the refrigerant to reverse direction during interlayer flow, promoting lateral disturbance and streamline distortion, enhancing flow disturbance and gas-liquid mixing near the heat exchange wall, and thus improving the overall temperature field uniformity. Attached Figure Description

[0031] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0032] To gain a more complete understanding of this application and its beneficial effects, the following description will be provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals in the following description denote the same parts.

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the direct cooling plate provided in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure;

[0034] Figure 2 This is an internal schematic diagram of the direct cooling plate provided in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0035] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0036] 1. Board body; 11. First sub-board; 12. Second sub-board;

[0037] 2. U-shaped flow channel; 21. Inlet flow channel; 22. Outlet flow channel; 221. Outlet section;

[0038] 3. Aerodynamic components; 31. Baffles. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the protection scope of this application.

[0040] Firstly, this application provides a direct cooling plate; please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The direct-cooling plate includes a first sub-plate 11 and a second sub-plate 12, which overlap each other. A loop-shaped flow channel 2 for refrigerant flow is constructed between the first sub-plate 11 and the second sub-plate 12. This loop-shaped flow channel 2 includes an interconnected inlet sub-channel 21 and an outlet sub-channel 22, which are staggered and arranged layer by layer. By alternating the inlet and outlet paths of the refrigerant in space, a heat exchange effect of alternating hot and cold is achieved. During the flow process, the heat exchange fluid (i.e., the refrigerant) passes sequentially through the inlet sub-channel 21 and the outlet sub-channel 22, absorbing and releasing heat between layers. This results in a relatively balanced temperature field in both the horizontal and vertical directions of the entire direct-cooling plate, reducing temperature gradient changes between the battery cells.

[0041] In some optional embodiments, the plate 1 includes a first sub-plate 11 and a second sub-plate 12 that overlap each other; further, the first sub-plate 11 has a flow channel groove, and the first sub-plate 11 is configured to overlap the lower surface of the second sub-plate 12, so as to define a loop-shaped flow channel 2 by the second sub-plate 12 and the flow channel groove. It can be understood that by opening a flow channel groove and overlapping the lower surface of the second sub-plate 12, the first sub-plate 11, together with the second sub-plate 12 and the flow channel groove, defines a loop-shaped flow channel 2. This structural design is beneficial for achieving a precise and controllable flow channel forming method while ensuring the stability of the flow channel cross-sectional dimensions, thereby improving the consistency of the refrigerant flow path and the guiding effect. At the same time, this structure facilitates the efficient forming of the flow channel groove using mature processing technologies such as stamping, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost, and enhancing the sealing performance between the plates 1. This is beneficial for improving the overall structural stability and heat exchange efficiency of the cold plate, meeting the dual requirements of cooling performance and processability in various practical application environments.

[0042] For example, to further optimize the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerant in the terminal region during evaporation, an outlet section 221 is provided in the liquid outlet channel 22, and a flow disturbance element 3 is arranged on the flow path of the outlet section 221. The purpose of the flow disturbance element 3 is to intervene in the flow state of the refrigerant, especially addressing the problem of the gradual increase in gas-liquid dryness after refrigerant evaporation and the formation of a heat insulation layer by the accumulation of gaseous refrigerant above the channel. By directly contacting the refrigerant, the flow path is disturbed to a certain extent. During the refrigerant flow, the flow disturbance element 3 guides the refrigerant streamline to undergo local reversal, bypassing, or splitting, thereby making the liquid refrigerant evenly distributed throughout the entire cross-sectional area. This is beneficial for disrupting the low thermal conductivity heat insulation layer structure formed by the accumulation of gaseous refrigerant in the upper part, improving the contact efficiency between the refrigerant and the metal channel, enhancing heat exchange capacity, and reducing temperature stagnation and thermal resistance accumulation in the outlet section 221.

[0043] In some embodiments, combined with Figure 1 , Figure 2 Multiple turbulence-disrupting elements 3 are arranged along the extension direction of the outlet section 221. By distributing multiple turbulence-disrupting elements 3 along the flow direction, not only can continuous turbulence be achieved, but also periodic local turbulence can be formed in the entire outlet section 221. This is beneficial to enhance the turbulence intensity of the refrigerant during the flow process, making the gas-liquid mixture more complete and the distribution of the liquid refrigerant on the flow cross section more uniform. This, to a certain extent, suppresses the problem of reduced heat exchange capacity caused by gas-liquid phase separation of the refrigerant.

[0044] For example, the flow-disrupting component 3 includes baffles 31, each baffle 31 being discretely arranged, with a certain interval maintained between multiple baffles 31 along the outlet section 221, and the spacing being relatively uniform. This uniformly spaced arrangement ensures that the refrigerant is continuously but not violently disturbed by the baffles 31 during flow, avoiding adverse effects such as excessively high local pressure drop and velocity attenuation caused by an overly dense flow-disrupting structure. Simultaneously, since the disturbance effect formed by each baffle 31 is spatially dispersed, it helps improve the flow stability and heat exchange capacity of the refrigerant throughout the outlet section 221.

[0045] For example, to ensure that the intervention of the baffle 31 on the refrigerant is within an appropriate range, avoiding excessive restriction of refrigerant flow or blockage of the flow channel, the width of each baffle 31 is set within a small ratio range relative to the flow channel width and height of the outlet section 221. The width of the baffle 31 is smaller than the flow channel width of the outlet section 221; and / or, the thickness of the baffle 31 is smaller than the flow channel height of the outlet section 221. Specifically, the width of the baffle 31 is smaller than the lateral width of the outlet section 221, and the thickness of the baffle 31 is smaller than the vertical height of the outlet section 221, so that it creates moderate disturbance without significantly changing the mainstream path of the refrigerant, improving the ability to regulate the gas-liquid distribution while maintaining smooth flow. In addition, this structure can also adapt to refrigerants with different flow velocities and different dryness fractions, improving its applicability and engineering compatibility through flexible layout and tolerant flow channel characteristics.

[0046] For example, the baffle 31 is elongated, and its length direction is aligned with the extension direction of the portion of the outlet section 221 in which it is located. The elongated design of the baffle 31 increases the turbulence area without increasing the pressure drop, allowing the refrigerant to generate stable flow around the baffle 31, thereby extending the residence time of the refrigerant in the local area of ​​the outlet section 221. The alignment of the baffle 31's length direction with the flow direction helps reduce abrupt changes in flow resistance, decreases the separation vortex structure at the tail of the flow, and further improves the refrigerant's flow efficiency.

[0047] In some implementations, combined Figure 1 , Figure 2 The inlet end of the liquid inlet channel 21 and the outlet end of the liquid outlet channel 22 are located at opposite ends of the direct cooling plate structure, i.e., far apart from each other, forming a long-path heat exchange mode in the longitudinal direction. After the refrigerant enters from the inlet end of the liquid inlet channel 21, it must pass through multiple staggered layers of channels to reach the outlet end of the liquid outlet channel 22. This structure can extend the flow path of the refrigerant in the direct cooling plate, which helps to prolong the heat exchange contact time, realize a more comprehensive heat absorption and transfer process, reduce the overheating phenomenon caused by local heat load concentration, and enhance the cooling uniformity of the entire direct cooling plate.

[0048] In some implementations, combined Figure 1 , Figure 2 The connection between the liquid inlet channel 21 and the liquid outlet channel 22 is S-shaped. This facilitates the directional change of the refrigerant flow between different stages, thereby creating local disturbances and disrupting the stability of the original streamlines. The S-shaped structure can cause the refrigerant to generate effects such as overturning and vortexing, promoting the mixing of the two-phase refrigerant. At the same time, it allows the gaseous refrigerant to re-engage with the heat exchange surface to a certain extent, improving the heat exchange efficiency in the low dryness region and reducing the thermal resistance caused by gas-liquid phase separation.

[0049] In some implementations, combined Figure 1 , Figure 2 To further reduce refrigerant flow resistance and improve structural reliability, at least one of the multiple corners in the loop channel 2 is designed with a rounded transition. The rounded corner structure avoids severe velocity attenuation, separation vortices, and stagnation zones when the refrigerant flows through sharp corners, while also reducing local pressure drop and overall flow resistance in the loop channel 2, thus improving refrigerant flow efficiency. Furthermore, the rounded transitions at the multiple corners in the loop channel 2 also provide good structural processing adaptability and fatigue performance, which helps reduce the risk of cracking caused by thermal expansion and contraction or high-frequency variable loads during long-term operation of the direct-cooling plate.

[0050] In some embodiments, the thickness of the first sub-plate 11 ranges from 0.9 mm to 1.1 mm, preferably 1.0 mm; the thickness of the second sub-plate 12 ranges from 1.1 mm to 1.3 mm, preferably 1.2 mm. This thickness distribution design gives the first sub-plate 11 good thermal conductivity, enabling it to more efficiently conduct the heat dissipated by the battery cell to the refrigerant side, while the second sub-plate 12 has stronger structural support capabilities, allowing it to withstand certain internal pressure and mechanical stress during refrigerant circulation, thus improving the overall reliability of the direct cooling plate.

[0051] In some embodiments, the first sub-plate 11 and the second sub-plate 12 are configured to be connected by a stamping brazing process. It is understood that stamping brazing combines the advantages of high forming precision and reliable sealing, making it suitable for mass production and the molding of complex flow channel structures. This process has a mature application base in the refrigeration field and heat exchanger manufacturing, and can control production costs while ensuring airtightness and welding strength. It also has high manufacturing consistency and a high yield rate, facilitating the application of this type of direct-cooling plate product in different energy storage battery system scenarios.

[0052] Secondly, this application also provides an energy storage system, including the direct cooling plate of the first aspect.

[0053] In the description of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0054] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0055] The embodiments, implementation methods, and related technical features of this application can be combined and substituted for each other without conflict.

[0056] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application in any way. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of this application without departing from the scope of the technical solution of this application shall still fall within the scope of the technical solution of this application.

Claims

1. A direct cooling plate, characterized in that, include: The plate body has a spiral flow channel inside, which includes a liquid inlet sub-channel and a liquid outlet sub-channel that are connected to each other. The liquid inlet sub-channel and the liquid outlet sub-channel are arranged in an alternating manner along the thickness of the plate body. The liquid outlet channel has an outlet section, and a flow disturbance element is provided on the flow path of the outlet section.

2. The direct cooling plate according to claim 1, characterized in that, Multiple spoilers are provided within the outlet section along the extension direction of the outlet section.

3. The direct cooling plate according to claim 2, characterized in that, The turbulence-disrupting component includes baffles, and multiple baffles are evenly spaced along the extension direction of the outlet section.

4. The direct cooling plate according to claim 3, characterized in that, The width of the baffle is less than the width of the outlet section; and / or the thickness of the baffle is less than the height of the outlet section.

5. The direct cooling plate according to claim 3, characterized in that, The baffle is elongated, and its length direction is consistent with the extension direction of the portion of the outlet section in which it is located.

6. The straight cooling plate according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The inlet end of the liquid inlet channel and the outlet end of the liquid outlet channel are far apart from each other.

7. The straight cooling plate according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The connection between the inlet sub-channel and the outlet sub-channel is S-shaped.

8. The straight cooling plate according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, At least one of the multiple corners of the meandering flow channel is a rounded transition.

9. The straight cooling plate according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The plate body includes a first sub-plate and a second sub-plate that overlap each other, wherein the thickness of the first sub-plate ranges from 0.9 mm to 1.1 mm; and / or the thickness of the second sub-plate ranges from 1.1 mm to 1.3 mm.

10. The direct cooling plate according to claim 9, characterized in that, The first sub-board and the second sub-board are configured to be connected by a stamping brazing process.

11. The direct cooling plate according to claim 9, characterized in that, The first sub-plate has a flow channel groove, and the first sub-plate is configured to cover the lower surface of the second sub-plate so as to define the loop flow channel by the second sub-plate and the flow channel groove.

12. An energy storage system, characterized in that, Includes the straight cooling plate according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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