Battery system with heat dissipation and circulation function

Abstract

To provide a battery system including a housing, a battery module, a fluid channel, and a plurality of tubes.SOLUTION: In a battery system, an injecting port and an extraction port are provided on both sides inside a housing, respectively, and a battery module is arranged in the housing. The battery module includes a battery fixed frame for accommodating a plurality of cells. A fluid channel is disposed above the battery fixed frame, and in communication with a fluid injection device. Each of tubes is fixed to the battery fixed frame, and has an upper end extending into the fluid channel and including an upper opening, and a lower end including at least one side opening facing the corresponding cells. The fluid channel is in communication with a space in a location where the battery cells exist via the tubes. A fluid is injected into the fluid channel via the injection port, and flows into a location where the battery cells exist via the tubes. Thereafter, the fluid is extracted through the extraction port.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery system, and more particularly to a battery system having a heat dissipation and circulation function. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, electric vehicles are gradually gaining popularity with the demand for environmental protection and carbon dioxide reduction. Therefore, many automobile manufacturers are entering the development of electric vehicles to seize business opportunities in the electric vehicle market. The power source of an electric vehicle is a battery such as a lithium battery. In order to enhance the driving range of an electric vehicle, a battery module having a considerable number of cells is usually installed in the electric vehicle to provide sufficient power for the electric vehicle.

[0003] Please refer to Figures 1, 2 and 3. These are a plan view, a front view and a side view of a conventional battery module installed in a housing. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a battery module 100 can be placed in a housing 15, and the housing 15 protects the structure of the battery module 100. The battery module 100 includes a plurality of cells 11 and a battery fixing frame 13 for accommodating and fixing the cells 11.

[0004] The cells 11 of the battery module 100 generate heat during charging and discharging and the temperature rises. In order to release the heat generated by the charging and discharging of the cells 11, a blower fan 151 and an intake fan 153 are usually installed on both sides of the housing 15. The battery module 100 is disposed between the blower fan 151 and the intake fan 153. The blower fan 151 blows cold air from the outside toward the position where the cells 11 of the battery module 100 are located, and the blown cold air becomes hot air after passing through the cells 11 that have generated heat. The intake fan 153 then sucks in the hot air and releases it to the outside. In this way, the temperature of the cells 11 that have generated heat during charging and discharging can be reduced through the blowing of air by the blower fan 151 and the intake of hot air by the intake fan 153.

[0005] The gaps between the cells 11 provided in the battery fixing frame 13 are very small, and high flow resistance is formed, so that the efficiency of flow of cool air between the cells 11 is very poor. That is, the sent cool air can only flow to places with low flow resistance, such as the cells 11 provided near the blower fan 151 or the outer periphery of the battery fixing frame 13. Therefore, the cells 11 located farther from the blower fan 151 and on the inner side of the battery fixing frame 13 cannot receive the blown cool air. Therefore, the cells 11 farther from the blower fan 151 are more likely to become overheated during charging and discharging. An overheated cell 11 is easily worn out or poses a risk of explosion, which affects the service life of the cell 11.

[0006] In the above heat dissipation system, cool air flows in from the blower fan 151 and exchanges heat with each cell 11 that passes through. Therefore, the air received by the cell 11 located at the rear end of the wind direction is air that has completed heat exchange with the cell 11 located at the front end. Therefore, the temperature of each cell 11 inside the entire battery module 100 shows a temperature gradient that tends to increase depending on the distance from the position of the blower fan 151. As a result, the deterioration rate of the cell 11 located at the rear end of the wind direction is much faster than that of the cell 11 located at the front end of the wind direction. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an improvement in heat dissipation circulation applied to a battery module, and to make it possible to effectively and uniformly guide cold fluid (air or liquid) flowing in from the outside to the location of each cell during charging and discharging of the cells of the battery module and the subsequent heat dissipation process, thereby enabling the cells that have generated heat during charging and discharging to be uniformly cooled by direct contact with the initial cold fluid. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention provides a battery system with a heat dissipation and circulation function. The system includes a housing with an inlet on one side and an outlet on the other side, a battery module disposed in the housing and located between the inlet and the outlet, including a plurality of cells, and a battery fixing frame for containing and fixing the plurality of cells, a fluid passage with low flow resistance located around the battery fixing frame and communicating with the inlet, and a plurality of tubes vertically inserted into the battery fixing frame, each of which has an upper end extending to the fluid passage and including an upper end opening, and a lower end of each of which has at least one side opening facing the corresponding cell, and the fluid passage communicates with a space where the plurality of cells are located through the tubes. When the cells of the battery module perform charging and discharging and during the subsequent heat dissipation process, a cold fluid is injected into the fluid passage through the inlet. The cold fluid then flows into the space where the cells are located in the battery fixing frame through the tubes protruding into the fluid passage. The cold fluid then blows or flows toward the location where the cells are located. This allows the cold fluid to dissipate heat from the cells that have generated heat. The cold fluid then absorbs the heat generated by the charging and discharging of the cells and becomes hot fluid. Finally, the hot fluid is discharged to the outside through the outlet, dissipating heat from the battery module.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the fluid passage communicates with the inlet through a fluid guiding unit, which is a communicating pipe or a fluid guiding structure composed of multiple guard plates, and is the only inlet for allowing the cold fluid to flow into the fluid passage.

[0010] In one embodiment of the invention, the tube is the only outlet for cold fluid from the fluid passageway.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the fluid passage includes a square-shaped passage formed by an upper plate, a pair of side plates, and a bottom plate. One end of the fluid passage is an open end communicating with the fluid guiding unit, and the other end is a closed end where a guard plate is disposed. The upper end of each tube penetrates the bottom plate and enters the fluid passage.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the fluid passage becomes a cold region when a cold fluid is injected into the fluid passage via an inlet. The cold fluid injected into the inlet can be cold air or a chilled liquid.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, when the cells are charged or discharged, a high temperature region is formed in the space where the cells are present.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the battery system further includes a blower, the blower including an inlet and an outlet, the outlet being connected to one side of the fluid passage, the blower sucking in the cold fluid injected from the inlet via the inlet and discharging the cold fluid to the fluid passage via the outlet.

[0015] In one embodiment of the invention, the inlet is located on a fluid injector and the extraction port is located on a fluid extractor.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the fluid injector is a blower fan or a fluid injector pump, and the fluid extractor is a suction fan or a fluid extractor pump.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the number of tubes installed, the length of each tube, the diameter of the upper end opening of each tube, and the number of side openings of each tube are designed according to the temperature of the area where the cell is located during charging and discharging. Effect of the Invention

[0018] In this way, the battery system of the present invention uses the design of the fluid passage and the tube body to allow the cold air without heat exchange in the fluid passage in the low temperature region to be directly injected onto the surface of each cell, and allows all the cells in each high temperature region to directly contact the cold air without heat exchange, thereby achieving a uniform heat dissipation effect, thereby avoiding the risk of damage or explosion of the cells due to overheating during charging and discharging, and enhancing the safety of the use of the battery system. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional plan view of a conventional battery module installed in a housing. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional front view of a conventional battery module installed in a housing. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of a conventional battery module installed in a housing. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional plan view of an embodiment of a battery system according to the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional front view of an embodiment of a battery system according to the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of an embodiment of a battery system according to the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic enlarged view of the fluid flow within the battery system of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the structure of the tube according to the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional plan view of another embodiment of a battery system according to the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional front view of another embodiment of a battery system according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Please refer to FIG. 4, FIG. 5, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7. These are respectively a plan view, a front view, and a side view of an embodiment of a battery system of the present invention, and a schematic enlarged view of a fluid flow in the battery system of the present invention. The battery system 200 of the present invention is applied to a battery module 300 to perform heat dissipation for the battery module during charging and discharging. As shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5, the battery system 200 of the present invention includes a housing 21. A fluid injection device 211 having an inlet is provided on one side inside the housing 21, and a fluid extraction device 213 having an extraction port is provided on the other corresponding side. The battery module 300 is disposed in the housing 21 and is located between the inlet of the fluid injection device 211 and the extraction port of the fluid extraction device 213. In one embodiment of the present invention, the fluid injection device 211 is a blower fan, and the fluid extraction device 213 is a suction fan. Alternatively, in another embodiment of the present invention, the fluid injection device 211 is a fluid injection pump, and the fluid extraction device 213 is a fluid extraction pump. Cold fluid is injected into the battery module 300 through an inlet of the fluid injection device 211 and hot fluid is extracted through an outlet of the fluid extraction device 213 .

[0021] The battery module 300 includes a plurality of cells 31 and a battery fixing frame 33 for accommodating and fixing the cells 31. The battery fixing frame 33 includes a first fixing unit 331 and a second fixing unit 332. The first fixing unit 331 and the second fixing unit 332 each include a plurality of fixing holes (not shown). One end of each cell 31 is fitted into the fixing hole of the first fixing unit 331, and the other end is fitted into the fixing hole of the second fixing unit 332. This allows each cell 31 to be fixed between the first fixing unit 331 and the second fixing unit 332. Also, the cells 31 are kept spaced apart from each other.

[0022] The battery system 200 further includes a fluid passage 23 and a plurality of tubes 25. The fluid passage 23 is a passage located around the battery fixing frame 33. For example, the fluid passage 23 is a passage separated from the upper side of the first fixing unit 331 of the battery fixing frame 33. Alternatively, the fluid passage 23 is a passage separated from the lower side of the second fixing unit 332 of the battery fixing frame 33. Alternatively, the fluid passage 23 is a passage separated from the left side or the right side of the battery fixing frame 33. In one embodiment of the present invention, the fluid passage 23 communicates with an injection port of the fluid injection device 211 through a fluid guiding unit 230. The fluid passage 23 includes a square-shaped passage formed by an upper plate 231, a pair of side plates 233, and a bottom plate 235. One end of this passage is an open end communicating with the fluid guiding unit 230, and the other end is a closed end where a guard plate 237 is disposed. The upper plate 231 may be a top plate of the housing, or may be an independent plate that is bridged over the side plate 233 and the guard plate 237. The side plate 233 is a plate that extends vertically from the ceiling surface of the first fixing unit 331. The bottom plate 235 may be configured as the ceiling surface of the first fixing unit 331, or may be a circuit board that controls the charging and discharging of the cells 31.

[0023] In one embodiment of the present invention, the fluid guiding unit 230 may be connected between the fluid passage 23 and the fluid injection device 211 in the form of a communicating pipe. In the present invention, the fluid guiding unit 230 is the only inlet for introducing the cold fluid into the fluid passage 23. Each tube 25 is vertically inserted into both the upper and lower sides of the first fixed unit 331, and is inserted into the intervals maintained between the cells 31. As shown in FIG. 4, one interval is maintained for every four cells 31, and the tube 25 can be inserted into this interval. In addition, the front end of the tube 25 can roughly correspond to the middle or rear part of the cell 31. Furthermore, please also refer to FIG. 8. The upper end of each tube 25 extends to the fluid passage 23 and includes an upper end opening 251. In addition, the lower end of each tube 25 is installed between the corresponding cells 31, and is provided with at least one side opening 253 facing the corresponding cell 31. Each of the fluid passages 23 communicates with the space where the multiple cells 31 are present through these tubes 25. The upper end of each of the tubes 25 extends through the bottom plate 235 to the fluid passage 23. In the present invention, the tubes 25 are the only outlets for the cold fluid to flow out of the fluid passage 23.

[0024] Next, during operation of the battery system 200, a cold fluid (e.g., cold air or a cooling liquid) is injected into the battery system 200 through the inlet of the fluid injection device 211, and extracted from the battery system 200 through the fluid extraction device 213. Specifically, during charging and discharging of the cells 31 of the battery module 300, the cells 31 generate heat and rise in temperature, forming a high-temperature region at the location where the cells 31 are present. In order to avoid damage caused by overheating of the cells 31 in the high-temperature region, the cold fluid is first injected into the fluid guiding unit 230 through the inlet of the fluid injection device 211, and is guided by the fluid guiding unit 230 to flow to the fluid passage 23. As a result, a low-temperature region is formed in the fluid passage 23 by the passage of the cold fluid. Next, the cold fluid enters the inside of each tube 25 through the upper end opening 251 of each tube 25 extending into the fluid passage 23. After entering each tube 25, the cold fluid is discharged downward from the side opening 253 of each tube 25 into the battery fixing frame 33, and is blown or flows toward the space between the corresponding cells 31. This allows the cold fluid to dissipate heat from the cells 31 that have generated heat. Next, the cold fluid becomes hot after absorbing heat generated by charging and discharging the cells 31. Finally, the fluid extractor 213 extracts the hot fluid from the extraction port and discharges it to the outside. By continuously circulating, the cold fluid is injected into the battery system 200 and the hot fluid is extracted from the battery system 200, thereby making it possible to effectively and uniformly lower the temperature of the battery module 300 during charging and discharging.

[0025] In addition, in the present invention, the number of tube bodies 25 installed, the length of each tube body 25, the diameter of the upper end opening 251 of each tube body 25, and the number of side openings 253 of each tube body 25 are designed according to the temperature of the area where the cell 31 is located during charging and discharging.

[0026] Thus, the battery system 200 of the present invention is able to guide the fluid that has not exchanged heat directly into the space where each cell 31 is located by designing the fluid passage 23 and the tube body 25, so that all the heat generated with the charging and discharging of each cell 31 can be effectively and uniformly removed by the fluid. This avoids the risk of the cells 31 being damaged or exploding due to overheating during charging and discharging, and enhances the safety of the use of the battery system 200.

[0027] Please refer to Figures 9 and 10. These are a plan view and a front view, respectively, of another embodiment of the battery system of the present invention. A blower 27 is further installed in the battery system 201 of this embodiment, and the blower 27 is used instead of the fluid guiding unit 230 of the above embodiment. The blower 27 includes an inlet 271 and an outlet 273. The outlet 273 is disposed in a direction perpendicular to the inlet 271. The outlet 273 of the blower 27 is connected to one side of the fluid passage 23. In this embodiment, the outlet 273 of the blower 27 is the only inlet that allows the cold fluid to flow into the fluid passage 23.

[0028] When the cells 31 of the battery system 201 are charged and discharged, the cold fluid is injected into the battery system 201 through the inlet of the fluid injection device 211. After the cold fluid is injected into the battery system 201, the blower 27 sucks the cold fluid injected from the inlet of the fluid injection device 211 through the inlet 271, and discharges the cold fluid to the fluid passage 23 through the outlet 272. The cold fluid then enters the inside of each tube 25 through the upper end opening 251 of each tube 25 extending into the fluid passage 23. After entering the inside of each tube 25, the cold fluid is discharged downward from the side opening 253 of each tube 25 into the inside of the battery fixing frame 33, and blows or flows toward the space between the corresponding multiple cells 31. As a result, the cold fluid is used to dissipate heat from the cells 31 that have generated heat. Next, the cold fluid becomes a hot fluid after absorbing the heat generated by the charging and discharging of the cells 31. Finally, the fluid extractor 213 extracts the hot fluid from the extraction port and discharges it to the outside. By continuously circulating, the cold fluid is injected into the battery system 201 and the hot fluid is extracted from the battery system 201, so that the temperature of the cells 31 can be effectively and uniformly lowered during charging and discharging.

[0029] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the scope of the present invention. That is, any equivalent modifications and supplements based on the shape, structure, features, and spirit described in the claims of the present invention are intended to be included in the claims of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 100 Battery Module 11 Cell 13 Battery fixing frame 15 Housing 151 Blower fan 153 Intake fan 200 Battery System 201 Battery System 21 Housing 211 Fluid injection device 213 Fluid extraction device 23 Fluid passage 230 Fluid guide unit 231 Upper Plate 233 Side Plate 235 Bottom Plate 237 Guard Plate 25 Body 251 Top opening 253 Side opening 27 Blower 271 Loading entrance 273 Exit 300 Battery Module 31 Cell 33 Battery fixing frame 331 First Fixed Unit 332 Second Fixed Unit

Claims

1. In a battery system having a heat dissipation and circulation function, a housing having an inlet on one side thereof and an outlet on another side thereof; a battery module disposed within the housing and positioned between the inlet and the outlet, the battery module including a plurality of cells and a battery fixing frame for receiving and fixing the plurality of cells; A fluid passage located around the battery fixing frame and communicating with the inlet through a fluid guiding unit, the fluid guiding unit being a communicating pipe or a fluid guiding structure composed of a plurality of guard plates, and being the only inlet for allowing the cold fluid to flow into the fluid passage; and a plurality of tubes each vertically inserted in the battery fixing frame, each of the tubes having an upper end extending to the fluid passage and having an upper end opening, and each of the tubes having at least one side opening on a side surface facing the corresponding cell; The fluid passage communicates with a space in which the plurality of cells are present through the plurality of pipes, A battery system in which the cold fluid is injected into the fluid passage through the inlet, passes through the tube and flows to a location where a plurality of the cells are located, and then the hot fluid is extracted through the extraction port.

2. The battery system of claim 1 , wherein the tube is the only outlet for the cold fluid from the fluid passage.

3. 2. The battery system according to claim 1, wherein the fluid passage includes a square-shaped passage formed by an upper plate, a pair of side plates, and a bottom plate, one end of the fluid passage being an open end communicating with the fluid guiding unit and the other end being a closed end at which a guard plate is disposed, and an upper end of each of the tubes penetrates the bottom plate and enters the fluid passage.

4. 2. The battery system of claim 1, wherein when the cold fluid is injected into the fluid passage through the inlet, the fluid passage becomes a low temperature region, and the cold fluid injected into the inlet is cold air or a cooled liquid.

5. The battery system according to claim 1 , wherein, when the plurality of cells are charged or discharged, a high-temperature region is formed in a space where the plurality of cells are present.

6. 2. The battery system of claim 1, further comprising a blower having an inlet and an outlet, the outlet of the blower being connected to one side of the fluid passage, and the blower sucking in the cold fluid injected from the inlet via the inlet and discharging the cold fluid to the fluid passage via the outlet.

7. The battery system of claim 1 , wherein the inlet is mounted to a fluid injector and the outlet is mounted to a fluid extractor.

8. The battery system according to claim 7, wherein the fluid injector is a blower fan or a fluid injector pump, and the fluid extractor is a suction fan or a fluid extractor pump.

9. 2. The battery system of claim 1, wherein the number of tubes, the length of each tube, the diameter of the upper end opening of each tube, and the number of side openings of each tube are designed according to the temperature of the area in which the cell is located during charging and discharging.

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