Combined temperature control panel and battery pack

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a composite temperature control panel and a battery pack. The composite temperature control panel includes a temperature control layer and a protective layer, the temperature control layer lowers / increases the temperature of the battery pack, the protective layer is laminated and fixed to the temperature control layer, the protective layer includes a heat insulating layer, the heat insulating layer is made of a heat insulating material, the protective layer has an attachment part, the attachment part extends at least to the outside of the temperature control layer and is connected to the outside. The composite temperature control panel according to the present disclosure has an attachment part that extends at least to the outer periphery of the temperature control layer, and the attachment part is an external connection structure, solving the problem that the connection part is easily deformed and improving the reliability of the connection.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This disclosure claims priority to a Chinese patent application bearing application number 202121466629.7 and entitled “Composite Temperature Control Panel and Battery Pack” filed with the China National Intellectual Property Office on June 29, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of batteries, and more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a combined temperature control panel and battery pack. [Background technology]

[0003] With the shortage of traditional energy and environmental problems becoming more and more prominent, the development of new energy vehicles that can replace traditional automobiles is attracting more and more attention from people. As a core component of new energy vehicles, the safety issue of battery packs is very important. The internal temperature of the battery pack directly affects its safety, and even affects the use safety of the entire vehicle. In order to improve the safety of the battery pack, it is necessary to control the temperature of the internal structure, so it is important to improve the heat dissipation performance of the entire structure.

[0004] A battery pack mainly includes a battery module, which generates a certain amount of heat during normal operation of the battery module, which increases the temperature inside the battery module. If the temperature is too high, a certain safety risk will occur, and the battery may leak, exhaust, smoke, and other phenomena. In serious cases, the battery may burn violently and explode. In addition, the use environment of the battery pack is complex, and if the environmental temperature is too low, it is disadvantageous to the normal operation of the battery pack. In order to prevent the above risks, a temperature control panel is often used to dissipate heat / keep warm for the battery module. The temperature control panel in the prior art is manufactured using an aluminum alloy, which has a high thermal conductivity, so that the heat dissipation of the temperature control panel is too fast, which is disadvantageous to the heat retention performance of the battery pack. In addition, the temperature control panel is directly friction-welded to other structures of the battery pack, and the connection points between them are easily deformed, which shortens the service life. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a combined temperature control panel and battery pack to solve at least one of the problems described in the background art. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A composite temperature control panel applied to a battery pack according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes a temperature control layer and a protective layer, The temperature control layer lowers / increases the temperature of the battery pack, the protective layer is laminated and fixed to the temperature control layer, the protective layer includes a thermal insulation layer, the thermal insulation layer being made of a thermal insulation material; The protective layer has an attachment portion that extends to at least the outer periphery of the temperature control layer and is connected to the outside.

[0007] Preferably, the entire temperature control layer is fitted into the insulating layer, the material strength of the insulating layer is greater than the material strength of the temperature control layer, and the portion of the insulating layer extending to the outer periphery of the temperature control layer is the mounting portion.

[0008] Preferably, the protective layer further includes a protective layer, and the material strength of the protective layer is higher than the material strength of the thermal insulation layer.

[0009] Preferably, the thermal conductivity of the insulating layer is lower than the thermal conductivity of the protective layer.

[0010] Preferably, the protective layer further includes a foam layer, the foam layer being disposed between the insulating layer and the protective layer.

[0011] Preferably, the temperature control layer is made of an aluminum alloy material, the heat insulation layer is made of a glass fiber material, the protective layer is made of a carbon fiber material, and the foam layer is made of polyurethane, phosphoenolpyruvate, or polyvinyl chloride.

[0012] Preferably, the temperature control layer comprises a first temperature control layer and a second temperature control layer, the first temperature control layer and the second temperature control layer engaged to form a flow path structure, the flow path structure conducting the liquid matrix.

[0013] A battery pack according to a second aspect of the present disclosure includes: a tray, a battery module, and the composite temperature control panel according to the first aspect; The tray is connected to the mounting portion and forms a sealed cavity with the composite temperature control panel, and the battery module is disposed within the cavity and in contact with the temperature control layer.

[0014] Preferably, the tray and the mounting portion are connected by a combination of a sealant and fasteners.

[0015] Preferably, the tray is provided with a sealant receiving groove, and the sealant is filled in the sealant receiving groove. Effect of the Invention

[0016] Regarding the technical effects of the present disclosure, the composite temperature control panel of the present disclosure has an attachment portion that extends to at least the outer periphery of the temperature control layer, and the attachment portion serves as an external connection structure, solving the problem of the temperature control layer being easily deformed when used for connection, and improving the reliability of the connection.

[0017] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] The drawings, which form a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the specification, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a partial laminate structure of a composite temperature control panel according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of a partially exploded view of a composite temperature control panel according to the present disclosure; [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the connection of a composite temperature control panel and a tray according to the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram showing the connection of a composite temperature control panel and a tray according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] 1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a composite temperature control panel and a tray connected by a sealant and fasteners according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that unless otherwise specifically described, the relative arrangement of parts and steps, formulas and numerical values ​​described in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0021] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure and its application or uses.

[0022] Techniques and devices known to those skilled in the art are not discussed in detail, but where appropriate, said techniques and devices should be considered part of the specification.

[0023] In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be construed as exemplary only and not limiting, and thus other examples of the example embodiments may have different values.

[0024] It should be noted that similar symbols and letters represent similar things in the following drawings, so that once something is defined in one drawing, there is no need to further discuss it in the subsequent drawings.

[0025] Regarding the working principle of the temperature control panel (liquid cooling panel), the excess heat generated by the operation of the battery is transferred by contact with the surface of the panel-type aluminum-based device, and the liquid cooling system utilizes the characteristic that the heat exchange rate of the liquid flow is large to transfer a large amount of heat by the liquid flow, and finally the heat is carried away by the cooling liquid flowing through the internal flow path of the device. The battery module in the battery pack has certain requirements for the temperature control panel. First, it needs to have a large heat dissipation ability, so that it can quickly remove the heat generated in the module and prevent a sudden temperature rise; second, it needs to be highly reliable, and while the vehicle is running on the road, the battery pack in the operating state needs to pass tests in various relatively severe operating environments such as vibration, impact, high and low temperatures; and finally, the heat dissipation design needs to be accurate, so that the temperature difference in the system is avoided to be too large, and the operating temperature has an important impact on the performance and deterioration of the battery.

[0026] To address the above problems, the design of temperature control panels in the prior art generally uses the technology of embedding copper tubes in aluminum substrates, that is, milling grooves are processed on the aluminum substrate by computer numerical control technology, and then the copper tubes already bent into the required shape are pressed onto the aluminum substrate by a press machine, and then soldered. This solves the problem of heat dissipation because the thermal conductivity of the aluminum substrate is high. However, high thermal conductivity also means that the temperature control panel dissipates heat too quickly, which is unfavorable for heat retention. In terms of reliability and heat dissipation design, the connection method between the temperature control panel and the external structure in the prior art generally uses friction stir welding, and the aluminum material has a yield strength of about 50 MPa, a tensile strength of about 150 MPa, and is soft, so the connection points with the external structure are easily deformed.

[0027] In order to solve the above problems, the composite temperature control panel of the present disclosure, which is applied to a battery pack, includes a temperature control layer 11 and a protective layer, the temperature control layer 11 lowers / raises the temperature of the battery pack, the protective layer is laminated and fixed to the temperature control layer 11, the protective layer includes an insulating layer 12, the insulating layer 12 is made of an insulating material, the protective layer has an attachment portion 121, and the attachment portion 121 extends to at least the outer periphery of the temperature control layer 11 and is connected to the outside.

[0028] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in this embodiment, a composite temperature control panel 1 in which a temperature control layer 11 and a protective layer are combined is used. The structure of the temperature control layer 11 may be a form in which copper piping is added to an aluminum substrate, or a piping plate material for flowing a liquid matrix may be used, and this disclosure is not limited thereto. The liquid matrix (e.g., a cooling liquid) can flow through a pipe through the temperature control layer 11 to lower or raise the temperature of the battery pack. The protective layer is provided with a mounting portion 121 that extends at least to the outer periphery of the temperature control layer 11 and is connected to the outside, that is, to other structures of the battery pack, such as the tray 2 (shown in FIG. 3), and the mounting portion 121 mainly serves the functions of connection and fixation. In this embodiment, the protective layer extends at least to the outside of the temperature control layer 11, and the entire periphery of the protective layer may extend to the outer periphery of the temperature control layer to form the mounting portion 121, or two edges or a part of the edges of the protective layer may extend to the outside of the temperature control layer to form the mounting portion 121. By making the mounting portion 121 an external connection structure, the problem of the connection portion being easily deformed can be avoided, the reliability of the connection can be made higher, and a certain level of support can be achieved for the temperature control layer 11 .

[0029] The protective layer further includes an insulating layer 12 made of insulating material, which can block heat from the temperature control panel 1 and mitigate the temperature exchange between the temperature control layer 11 and the external environment, thereby providing better insulation and heat retention to the temperature control panel 1.

[0030] In this embodiment, the temperature control layer 11 and the protective layer may be laminated and fixed by a stamping process. On the one hand, the stamping process can bond and fix the two more securely, and on the other hand, the pressure of the stamping process is small and does not crush the flow path for flowing the liquid matrix inside the temperature control layer 11. In the stamping process, a part of the area (i.e., the mounting part 121) that is connected to the external structure (e.g., the tray 2) can be left around the protective layer. In this embodiment, since the temperature control layer 11 is not directly connected to the outside, the rigidity at the connection point can be strengthened and the reliability of the connection can be improved.

[0031] Preferably, as shown in Figure 1, the entire temperature control layer 11 is fitted into the insulating layer 12, the material strength of the insulating layer 12 is higher than the material strength of the temperature control layer 11, and the portion of the insulating layer 12 extending to the outer periphery of the temperature control layer 11 is the mounting portion 121.

[0032] Specifically, in the stamping process, the entire temperature control layer 11 may be directly fitted into the heat insulating layer 12, and the outer periphery of the heat insulating layer 12 includes the temperature control layer 11, and any part extending to the outer periphery of the temperature control layer 11 can be connected to the outside as the mounting part 121. The heat insulating layer 12 uses a material stronger than the temperature control layer 11, so the connection part is stronger, and such a fitting method not only makes the connection part between the temperature control panel 1 and the battery pack less likely to deform, but also better protects the entire temperature control layer 11 from damage to the structure of the temperature control layer 11, and can extend the service life of the temperature control panel 1.

[0033] Preferably, the protective layer further includes a protective layer 14, the temperature control layer 11, the insulating layer 12 and the protective layer 14 being laminated in order, and the material strength of the protective layer 14 is higher than the material strength of the insulating layer 12.

[0034] Specifically, in actual use, the protective layer 14 is located outside the temperature control layer 11 and the insulation layer 12, and since the protective layer 14 has a material strength higher than that of the insulation layer 12 and the temperature control layer 11, it improves the rigidity of the entire temperature control panel 1 and can effectively resist impacts from the external environment, such as stone impacts.

[0035] Preferably, the thermal conductivity of the insulating layer 12 is lower than the thermal conductivity of the protective layer 14 .

[0036] Specifically, since the thermal conductivity of the insulating layer 12 is lower than that of the protective layer 14, it can effectively block the diffusion of heat from the temperature control layer 11 to the protective layer 14, or can block the transmission of external temperature to the temperature control layer 11 through the protective layer 14, thereby providing a better heat retention effect.

[0037] Preferably, the protective layer further includes a foam layer 13 , which is disposed between the insulation layer 12 and the protective layer 14 .

[0038] Specifically, during the stamping process, the foam layer 13 may be directly manufactured with the insulating layer 12 by an in-line foaming process, and the foam layer 13 plays a heat-insulating role for the temperature control layer 11 together with the insulating layer 12. Generally, since the material of the foam layer 13 has a low thermal conductivity, its heat-insulating performance is better.

[0039] Preferably, the temperature control layer 11 is made of aluminum alloy 3003 material, the insulation layer 12 is made of glass fiber material, the protective layer 14 is made of carbon fiber material, and the foam layer 13 is made of polyurethane, phosphoenolpyruvate or polyvinyl chloride.

[0040] Specifically, the aluminum alloy material may be aluminum alloy 3003. Aluminum alloy 3003 is an aluminum manganese alloy material that has excellent rust-proofing properties, is soft, and can be easily bent into various structures, making it easy to manufacture structures such as flow channels. Its thermal conductivity efficiency can reach 237 W / (m·K). Using aluminum alloy 3003 as the material for the temperature control layer 11 can achieve higher heat dissipation.

[0041] Glass fiber is an inorganic non-metallic material with excellent performance, and has many varieties, excellent insulation, strong heat resistance, high corrosion resistance, and high mechanical strength, and can be used as a reinforcing material in composite materials, an electrical insulating material, and a heat insulating material. In this embodiment, the heat insulating layer 12 is made of glass fiber, which can better support the temperature control layer 11, and because of its high strength, the connection points are less likely to deform when connected to an external structure, and the service life of the temperature control panel 1 can be better ensured.

[0042] Carbon fiber is a high-strength, high-modulus fiber with a carbon content of more than 90%, and has properties such as high temperature resistance, abrasion resistance, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and corrosion resistance. Its graphite microcrystalline structure is preferentially oriented along the fiber axis, so it has high strength and modulus along the fiber axis. The protective layer 14 is made of carbon fiber material and is combined with the temperature control layer 11, the foam layer 13, and the insulation layer 12. On the one hand, it can improve the rigidity of the entire temperature control panel 1, and because of its high strength, it can effectively resist physical impacts caused by the external environment and protect the materials of the other layers of the temperature control panel 1. On the other hand, when glass fiber is selected for the insulation layer 12, the thermal conductivity of glass fiber is lower than that of carbon fiber, so the insulation layer 12 can better fulfill its insulation function.

[0043] The main function of the foam layer 13 is to provide heat retention, prevent the temperature change of the temperature control panel 1 from being affected by the external environment, and allow the temperature control layer 11 to rapidly control the overall temperature, thereby realizing rapid temperature adjustment of the battery module. Polyurethane is lightweight, has excellent soundproofing and heat insulation properties, excellent chemical resistance, excellent electrical properties, is easy to process, has low water absorption, and has excellent stability when used as a heat retention material. Similarly, phosphoenolpyruvic acid or polyvinyl chloride also has excellent heat retention properties.

[0044] Preferably, the temperature control layer 11 includes a first temperature control layer 111 and a second temperature control layer 112, the first temperature control layer 111 and the second temperature control layer 112 being engaged to form a flow path structure, which allows the liquid matrix to flow.

[0045] 2, the first temperature control layer 111 and the second temperature control layer 112 are engaged to form a flow path structure, which allows the liquid matrix (e.g., cooling liquid) to flow and better realize the effect of lowering or raising the temperature. The first temperature control layer 111 and the second temperature control layer 112 are brazed and welded to ensure the reliability of the entire temperature control panel 1.

[0046] A battery pack according to a second aspect of the present disclosure includes a tray 2, a battery module, and the composite temperature control panel 1 described in the first aspect, the tray 2 being connected to the mounting portion 121 and forming a sealed cavity together with the composite temperature control panel 1, and the battery module being installed in a temperature control layer 11 within the cavity.

[0047] Specifically, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the tray 2 is bonded to the composite cooling panel in this embodiment to form a sealed cavity, the battery module is placed in the cavity and contacts the temperature control layer 11, and when the battery module is operating, the temperature control panel 1 has a good cooling or heating effect on the battery module, ensuring the normal operation of the battery module and preventing damage caused by the battery being too high or too low in temperature, and the composite temperature control panel 1 has excellent heat retention performance and can provide the battery module with a stable temperature operating environment. Meanwhile, the composite temperature control panel 1 in this disclosure has higher strength and is further provided with a stronger protective layer on the outside, thereby improving the rigidity of the entire battery pack and effectively resisting impacts from the external environment, such as external strikes, and extending the service life of the battery pack.

[0048] Preferably, the tray 2 and the mounting portion 121 are connected by a combination of a sealant and fasteners 21 .

[0049] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 5, the conventional welding method tends to shorten the service life of the connection between the tray 2 and the temperature control panel 1, but the installation of the mounting portion 121 in the present disclosure enhances the reliability of the connection between the temperature control panel 1 and the tray 2. In addition, the connection portion is reinforced by the fastener 21 and the sealant, making the connection between the two stronger.

[0050] Preferably, the tray 2 is provided with a sealant receiving groove 22, and the sealant is filled into the sealant receiving groove 22.

[0051] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, when the temperature control panel 1 and the tray 2 are sealed with a sealant, a sealant receiving groove 22 can be provided on the tray 2, and the sealant can be filled into the sealant receiving groove 22 for bonding. In this way, the sealant can be prevented from being pressed into other unnecessary connection parts or pushed into other structures during the bonding process, thereby improving the bonding quality.

[0052] In the above embodiments, the differences between the embodiments are described with emphasis. Different optimal features between the embodiments can be combined to form a more preferred embodiment, unless they are inconsistent, and for the sake of brevity, the description will be omitted here.

[0053] Although some specific embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail with reference to examples, those skilled in the art should understand that the above examples are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art should understand that the above examples can be modified without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is limited by the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1 Temperature Control Panel 11 Temperature control layer 111 First temperature control layer 112 Second temperature control layer 12 Thermal insulation layer 121 Mounting part 13 Foam layer 14 Protection layer 2 Tray 21 Fasteners 22 Sealant receiving groove

Claims

1. A composite temperature control panel for use in a battery pack, comprising: a temperature control layer; and a protective layer; The temperature control layer lowers or raises the temperature of the battery pack, the protective layer is laminated and fixed to the temperature control layer, the protective layer includes a thermal insulation layer, the thermal insulation layer being made of a thermal insulation material; A composite temperature control panel, wherein the protective layer has an attachment portion that extends at least to the outside of the temperature control layer and is connected to an external structure.

2. The composite temperature control panel of claim 1, characterized in that the entire temperature control layer is fitted into the insulation layer, the material strength of the insulation layer is higher than the material strength of the temperature control layer, and the portion of the insulation layer extending outside the temperature control layer is the mounting portion.

3. The composite temperature control panel of claim 1, wherein the protective layer further includes a protective layer, the temperature control layer, the insulation layer and the protective layer are stacked in order, and the material strength of the protective layer is higher than the material strength of the insulation layer.

4. 4. The composite temperature control panel of claim 3, wherein the thermal conductivity of the insulating layer is lower than the thermal conductivity of the protective layer.

5. 4. The composite temperature control panel of claim 3, wherein the protective layer further comprises a foam layer, the foam layer being disposed between the insulation layer and the protection layer.

6. 6. The composite temperature control panel of claim 5, wherein the temperature control layer is made of an aluminum alloy material, the heat insulation layer is made of a glass fiber material, the protection layer is made of a carbon fiber material, and the foam layer is made of polyurethane, phosphoenolpyruvate or polyvinyl chloride.

7. 2. The composite temperature control panel of claim 1, wherein the temperature control layer includes a first temperature control layer and a second temperature control layer, the first temperature control layer and the second temperature control layer engaged to form a flow path structure, the flow path structure conducting a liquid matrix.

8. A composite temperature control panel according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising a tray, a battery module, and a tray connected to the mounting portion, the tray forming a sealed cavity together with the composite temperature control panel, the battery module being installed in the cavity, and the battery module being in contact with the temperature control layer.

9. The battery pack according to claim 8 , wherein the tray and the mounting portion are connected by a combination of a sealant and a fastener.

10. The battery pack according to claim 9 , wherein the tray is provided with a sealant receiving groove, and the sealant is filled in the sealant receiving groove.

Images