Battery thermal management system structure and battery pack

Abstract

The present invention provides a battery thermal management system structure and battery pack that have a simple structure, precisely control the temperature around the cell to maintain it within an appropriate operating range, ensure the operating performance of the cell, and extend the lifespan of the cell. [Solution] The structure of the liquid cooling channel is such that a liquid cooling channel is provided within a direct cooling plate 110, and the direct cooling plate 110 is provided with a liquid supply port 410 and a liquid drain port 420, respectively, which communicate with the liquid cooling channel including a liquid supply line 430 and a liquid drain line 440, and the liquid supply port and liquid drain port are provided on the same side of the direct cooling plate, and the temperature control assembly includes a controller, a temperature sensor, a flow control valve 230 and a heating film, and the controller is signal-connected to the temperature sensor, the flow control valve and the heating film, respectively.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims the priority of a Chinese patent application with the application number 202423304500.2 filed with the Chinese Patent Office on December 30, 2024, and incorporates all the contents of the above application by reference into this application.

[0002] This application relates to the technical field of battery devices, for example, to a battery thermal management system structure and a battery pack.

Background Art

[0003] With the rapid development of new energy vehicles such as electric vehicles, the requirements of pure electric vehicle users for the cruising range and charging rate of vehicles are becoming increasingly high. The energy of the battery is also becoming increasingly large, and the heat generated during the operation of the battery is becoming increasingly large. At the same time, with the increase in the number of cells and the charging rate, it becomes more difficult to control the temperature consistency. Furthermore, in a low-temperature environment, it is necessary to heat the battery to ensure the normal operation of the battery in order to provide sufficient driving force for devices such as vehicles.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Conventional battery thermal management systems have problems such as non-uniform heat dissipation or heating, low efficiency, complex structure, and difficulty in controlling the temperature difference across the entire cell. They cannot effectively implement thermal management processing for the cell, which is disadvantageous for ensuring the normal operation of the cell and also results in low safety during the operation process of the cell.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] This application provides a battery thermal management system structure and a battery pack that have a simple structure, can accurately control the temperature near the cell to maintain it within an appropriate operating range, ensure the operating performance of the cell, and extend the service life of the cell.

[0006] In one aspect, this application The system comprises a direct cooling plate and a temperature control assembly, the top surface of the direct cooling plate being connected to the bottom surface of the cell, a liquid cooling channel being provided within the direct cooling plate, the direct cooling plate being provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet communicating with the liquid cooling channel, and the liquid inlet and liquid outlet being located on the same side of the direct cooling plate. The temperature control assembly includes a controller, a temperature sensor, a flow control valve, and a heating film, wherein the controller is signal-connected to the temperature sensor, the flow control valve, and the heating film, respectively; the temperature sensor is located on one side of the cell; the flow control valve is located at the liquid inlet; the flow control valve is connected to the liquid cooling flow path; and the heating film is located directly between the cooling plate and the cell. To provide a battery thermal management system structure.

[0007] In another embodiment, the present application, The above-described battery thermal management system structure further includes a case and a battery module, the battery module includes a plurality of cells arranged side by side, the direct cooling plate and the case are integrally molded structures, the case includes a frame connected to the direct cooling plate, the frame and the direct cooling plate form surrounding a placement cavity, a beam is provided within the placement cavity, the beam divides the placement cavity into a battery chamber configured for the placement of the battery module and an electrical chamber configured for the placement of electronic components. We will provide additional battery packs. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The battery thermal management system structure of this invention connects the top surface of the direct cooling plate to the bottom surface of the cell, and circulates the coolant in the liquid cooling channel through the coolant inlet and outlet. The direct cooling plate rapidly cools the cell, effectively reducing the amount of heat generated during the cell's operation, thus avoiding performance degradation due to cell overheating and preventing safety issues. A temperature control assembly is provided, with a temperature sensor on one side of the cell to detect the temperature near the cell in real time, and the corresponding temperature signal is fed back to the controller. The controller controls the flow rate of the coolant by controlling the flow control valve, or activates a heating film to heat the cell, thereby precisely controlling the temperature near the cell to maintain it within an appropriate operating range, ensuring the cell's operating performance and extending its service life. By providing the coolant inlet and outlet on the same side of the direct cooling plate, it is advantageous to achieve temperature neutralization of the coolant's inflow and outflow, and avoids the impact on the cell's operating performance caused by a large temperature difference between cells near the inlet and cells near the outlet. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is an exploded schematic diagram of a partial structure of a battery thermal management system in several embodiments. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of the liquid cooling channel structure in several embodiments. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a branch pipe group in several embodiments. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram of the drainage pipeline structure in several embodiments. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram of the battery pack structure in several embodiments. [Figure 6] These are schematic diagrams of the structure of a battery pack (battery module omitted) in several embodiments. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram of the gasket structure in several embodiments. [Figure 8] These are schematic diagrams of the case structure in several embodiments. [Figure 9] Figure 8 is an enlarged schematic diagram of section A. [Figure 10] This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wall-penetrating head and connecting nozzle in several embodiments. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the battery thermal management system structure of this embodiment comprises a direct cooling plate 110 and a temperature control assembly. The top surface of the direct cooling plate 110 is connected to the bottom surface of the cell 310, a liquid cooling channel 400 is provided inside the direct cooling plate 110, and a liquid supply port 410 and a liquid drain port 420 are provided on the direct cooling plate 110, respectively, communicating with the liquid cooling channel 400. The liquid supply port 410 and the liquid drain port 420 are provided on the same side of the direct cooling plate 110. The temperature control assembly includes a controller 240, a temperature sensor 210, a flow control valve 230, and a heating film 220. The controller 240 is signal-connected to the temperature sensor 210, the flow control valve 230, and the heating film 220, respectively. The temperature sensor 210 is located on one side of the cell 310, the flow control valve 230 is located at the liquid inlet 410, and the flow control valve 230 is connected to the liquid cooling flow path 400. The heating film 220 is located directly between the cooling plate 110 and the cell 310. Here, the structure and principle of the flow control valve 230 are the same as those of commonly used flow control valves.

[0011] In this embodiment, the top surface of the direct cooling plate 110 is connected to the bottom surface of the cell 310, and the coolant is circulated in the liquid cooling channel 400 via the liquid supply port 410 and the liquid discharge port 420. As a result, the direct cooling plate 110 rapidly cools the cell 310, effectively reducing the amount of heat generated during the operation of the cell 310, thereby avoiding performance degradation due to overheating of the cell 310 and preventing safety issues. Preferably, a temperature control assembly is further provided, with a temperature sensor 210 installed on one side of the cell 310 to detect the temperature near the cell 310 in real time, and the corresponding temperature signal is fed back to the controller 240. The controller 240 controls the flow rate of the coolant by controlling the flow control valve 230, or activates the heating film 220 to perform heating, thereby precisely controlling the temperature near the cell 310 to maintain it within an appropriate operating range, ensuring the operational performance of the cell 310 and extending its service life. Preferably, by providing the liquid inlet 410 and the liquid outlet 420 directly on the same side of the cooling plate 110, it is advantageous to achieve temperature neutralization of the coolant entering and leaving the cooling plate, and to avoid the impact on the working performance of the cells 310 due to an excessively large temperature difference between the cells 310 near the liquid inlet 410 and the cells 310 near the liquid outlet 420.

[0012] As shown in the figure, in some embodiments, the liquid cooling channel 400 includes a liquid supply line 430 and a liquid drain line 440, the liquid supply line 430 is connected to a liquid inlet 410, the liquid supply line 430 includes a plurality of branch lines 431, the plurality of branch lines 431 are uniformly arranged in parallel directly below the cell 310, achieving uniform cooling of the cell 310, avoiding large temperature differences between the cells 310, and is advantageous in ensuring the working performance of the cell 310. Furthermore, the first end of the drainage pipe 440 is connected to the end of each of the multiple branch pipe groups 431 away from the liquid inlet 410, and the second end of the drainage pipe 440 is connected to the drain outlet 420. The coolant enters the supply pipe 430 from the liquid inlet 410, exchanges heat with the cell 310 to cool the cell 310, flows to the end away from the liquid inlet 410 and enters the drainage pipe 440, and is discharged in the reverse direction through the drainage pipe 440 to the liquid inlet 410 closer to the drain outlet 420. This is advantageous for achieving temperature neutralization between the supply pipe 430 and the drainage pipe 440, reducing the temperature difference of the direct cooling plate 110 and enabling uniform cooling of the cell 310, thereby reducing the temperature difference between the cells 310 and advantageous for ensuring the working performance of the cell 310.

[0013] As shown in Figure 3, in some embodiments, the branch pipe group 431 includes a plurality of liquid separator pipes bent and connected to one another, the liquid separator pipes include a first main pipe 4311 and a plurality of first branch pipes 4312, the plurality of first branch pipes 4312 are connected in parallel to one another, and both ends of the plurality of first branch pipes 4312 are each connected to the first main pipe 4311, improving the uniformity of the flow and distribution of the coolant and improving the uniformity of the overall cooling. At the same time, the design of a plurality of alternately distributed liquid cooling channels 400 effectively achieves temperature neutralization, reduces the temperature difference throughout the cell 310, maintains the uniform temperature of the cell 310, and ensures the working performance of the cell 310.

[0014] As shown in Figure 4, in some embodiments, the drainage pipeline 440 includes a second main pipe 441 and a plurality of second branch pipes 442, the plurality of second branch pipes 442 are connected in parallel to each other, and both ends of the plurality of second branch pipes 442 are connected to the second main pipe 441. After the coolant exchanges heat with the cell 310 in the supply pipeline 430 to cool the cell 310, the temperature of the coolant rises, and by providing a plurality of second branch pipes 442 in the drainage pipeline 440, the coolant is divided and recirculated, which is advantageous in preventing the operating temperature of the cell 310 near the drainage pipeline 440 from becoming too high due to excessive concentration of high-temperature coolant, and is advantageous in maintaining temperature uniformity throughout the cell 310 and ensuring the working performance of the cell 310.

[0015] In some embodiments, the supply line 430 is provided directly inside the cooling plate 110, and the drain line 440 is provided directly outside the cooling plate 110. This allows the coolant to enter the supply line 430 from the supply port 410, rapidly cool the cells 310 located directly inside the cooling plate 110, and reduce their temperature. After heat exchange is complete, the coolant is discharged from the drain line 440 on the outside of the cooling plate 110, ensuring that the coolant is fully utilized and improving the efficiency of coolant use.

[0016] On the one hand, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 10, a battery pack is provided. The battery pack 100 includes the above-mentioned battery thermal management system structure. The battery pack 100 further includes a case 120 and a battery module 300. The battery module 300 includes a plurality of cells 310 arranged in parallel. The direct cooling plate 110 and the case 120 have an integrally formed structure, which is advantageous for improving the same overall strength and ensuring the stability of the overall structure of the battery pack 100. The case 120 includes a frame 121 connected to the direct cooling plate 110. The frame 121 and the direct cooling plate 110 enclose an arrangement cavity 130. A beam 140 is provided in the arrangement cavity 130. The beam 140 partitions the arrangement cavity 130 into a battery chamber 131 configured to arrange the battery module 300 and an electrical chamber 132 configured to arrange electronic components, so as to avoid the mutual influence between the battery module 300 and the electronic components.

[0017] In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a heating film 220 is provided in the battery chamber 131. One end of the heating film 220 passes through the beam 140, reaches the electrical chamber 132, and is connected to the electronic components. The electronic components perform operations such as power supply and driving on the heating film 220. A gasket 150 is provided between the beam 140 and the heating film 220. By providing the gasket 150, it can effectively prevent the beam 140 from pressing the heating film 220 due to factors such as flatness or expansion of the cell 310 and damaging the heating film 220.

[0018] In some embodiments, the pitch between the bottom of the beam 140 and the direct cooling plate 110 is set as X, the thickness of the heating film 220 is set as Y, and the thickness of the gasket 150 is set as Z. By setting X > Y + 1 mm, Y + 0.4 mm ≤ Z ≤ X - 0.4 mm, the pitch between the bottom of the beam 140 and the direct cooling plate 110, the thickness of the heating film 220, and the thickness of the gasket 150 form a good relationship, ensuring an effective partition between the battery chamber 131 and the electrical chamber 132 by the beam 140, and reducing the pressing impact on the heating film 220 by the beam 140. The gasket 150 has a corresponding protective effect and can further ensure the normal operation of the entire battery pack 100.

[0019] In some embodiments, at least one horizontal beam 160 is provided in the battery chamber 131. The horizontal beam 160 partitions the battery chamber 131 into at least two partition chambers 1311, partitions the battery modules 300, and arranges them in the corresponding partition chambers 1311, reducing the mutual influence between the battery modules 300 and facilitating the thermal management of the battery modules 300. One heating film 220 is provided in each partition chamber 1311. The plurality of heating films 220 are connected in series with each other, realizing synchronous heating of the battery modules 300 in different partition chambers 1311, ensuring the temperature difference of the entire battery pack 100, ensuring that the temperature differences of the operations of the battery modules 300 in the plurality of partition chambers 1311 are maintained as consistent as possible, and ensuring the operation performance of the battery modules 300.

[0020] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the case 120 is further provided with a wall-penetrating head 170, which is drilled into the frame 121, with the end of the wall-penetrating head 170 located outside the placement cavity 130 connected to an external coolant device, and the end of the wall-penetrating head 170 located inside the placement cavity 130 connected to a fluid inlet 410 and a fluid outlet 420, respectively, by a connecting nozzle 180. Here, a flow control valve 230 may be provided between the wall-penetrating head 170 and the external coolant device, and is configured to regulate the flow rate of the coolant introduced by the external coolant device and thereby regulate the cooling rate of the coolant, thereby achieving the effect of regulating the operating temperature of the cell 310 in the placement cavity 130.

[0021] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 10, the side of the connecting nozzle 180 connected to the wall-penetrating head 170 is provided with a liquid supply port 181 communicating with a liquid supply port 410 and a liquid drain port 182 communicating with a liquid drain port 420, respectively. A sealing material 190 is provided inside the liquid supply port 181 and the liquid drain port 182 to achieve sealing and waterproofing. In actual operation, the sealing material 190 employs an O-ring structure to effectively achieve sealing and waterproofing effects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0022] 100 Battery Pack 110 Direct Cooling Plate 120 cases 121 frames 130 placement cavities 131 Battery Room 1311 Compartment 132 Electrical Room 140 beams 150 Gasket 160 horizontal beam 170 Wall-penetrating head 180 connection nozzles 181 Liquid supply hole 182 Drainage holes 190 sealant 210 Temperature Sensor 220 Heating Film 230 Flow control valve 240 controllers 300 Battery Modules 310 cells 400 Liquid cooling channel 410 Liquid supply port 420 Drain port 430 Liquid supply line 431 branch group 4311 1st supervisor 4312 First branch pipe 440 Drainage pipe 441 2nd supervisor 442 Second branch pipe

Claims

1. A direct cooling plate (110) whose top surface is connected to the bottom surface of a cell (310) and which has a liquid cooling channel (400) inside, wherein a liquid supply port (410) and a liquid drain port (420) are provided, respectively, that communicate with the liquid cooling channel (400), and the liquid supply port (410) and the liquid drain port (420) are provided on the same side of the direct cooling plate (110), A temperature control assembly comprising a controller (240), a temperature sensor (210), a flow control valve (230), and a heating film (220), wherein the controller (240) is signal-connected to the temperature sensor (210), the flow control valve (230), and the heating film (220), respectively, the temperature sensor (210) is provided on one side of the cell (310), the flow control valve (230) is provided at the liquid inlet (410), the flow control valve (230) is connected to the liquid cooling flow path (400), and the heating film (220) is provided between the direct cooling plate (110) and the cell (310), Battery thermal management system structure.

2. The liquid cooling channel (400) includes a supply line (430) and a drain line (440), the supply line (430) being connected to the supply port (410), the supply line (430) including a plurality of branch lines (431), the plurality of branch lines (431) being uniformly arranged in parallel directly below the cell (310), the first end of the drain line (440) being connected to the end of each of the plurality of branch lines (431) away from the supply port (410), and the second end of the drain line (440) being connected to the drain port (420). The battery thermal management system structure according to claim 1.

3. The group of branch pipes (431) includes a plurality of liquid-separating pipes that are bent and connected to one another, and the liquid-separating pipes include a first main pipe (4311) and a plurality of first branch pipes (4312), the plurality of first branch pipes (4312) are connected to one another in parallel, and both ends of the plurality of first branch pipes (4312) are each connected to the first main pipe (4311). The battery thermal management system structure according to claim 2.

4. The drainage pipeline (440) includes a second main pipe (441) and a plurality of second branch pipes (442), the plurality of second branch pipes (442) being connected in parallel to one another, and both ends of the plurality of second branch pipes (442) being connected to the second main pipe (441). The battery thermal management system structure according to claim 2.

5. The liquid supply line (430) is provided inside the direct cooling plate (110), and the drainage line (440) is provided outside the direct cooling plate (110). The battery thermal management system structure according to claim 2.

6. A battery thermal management system structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a case (120) and a battery module (300), wherein the battery module (300) includes a plurality of cells (310) arranged in a row, the direct cooling plate (110) and the case (120) are integrally molded structures, the case (120) includes a frame (121) connected to the direct cooling plate (110), the frame (121) and the direct cooling plate (110) form surrounding a placement cavity (130), a beam (140) provided within the placement cavity (130), the beam (140) dividing the placement cavity (130) into a battery chamber (131) configured for the placement of the battery module (300) and an electrical chamber (132) configured for the placement of electronic components. Battery pack.

7. The heating film (220) is provided in the battery chamber (131), one end of the heating film (220) passes through the beam (140), reaches the electrical chamber (132) and is connected to the electronic component, and a gasket (150) is provided between the beam (140) and the heating film (220). The battery pack according to claim 6.

8. Let X be the pitch between the bottom of the beam (140) and the direct cooling plate (110), let Y be the thickness of the heating film (220), and let Z be the thickness of the gasket (150). Then X > Y + 1 mm and Y + 0.4 mm ≤ Z ≤ X - 0.4 mm. The battery pack according to claim 7.

9. At least one transverse beam (160) is provided within the battery chamber (131), the transverse beam (160) divides the battery chamber (131) into at least two compartments (1311), one heating film (220) is provided in each of the compartments (1311), and the multiple heating films (220) are connected in series with each other. The battery pack according to claim 6.

10. A wall-penetrating head (170) is further provided in the case (120), the wall-penetrating head (170) is drilled into the frame (121), the end of the wall-penetrating head (170) located outside the placement cavity (130) is configured to connect to an external coolant device, and the end of the wall-penetrating head (170) located inside the placement cavity (130) is connected to the liquid supply port (410) and the liquid drain port (420) by connecting nozzles (180), respectively. The battery pack according to claim 6.

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