Power battery heat exchangers, power battery systems, and electric vehicles

Abstract

Power battery heat exchanger, power battery system, and electric vehicle. The power battery heat exchanger includes a connector, a first header assembly and a second header assembly separately arranged in a first direction, and a plurality of harmonic pipes arranged between the first header assembly and the second header assembly and separately arranged in a second direction. The first header assembly includes a first header and a second header. The inlet of the connector communicates separately with a first end of a part of the harmonic pipes by the first header, and the outlet of the connector communicates separately with a first end of other harmonic pipes by the second header. The second ends of the plurality of harmonic pipes communicate with each other by the second header assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - reference to Related Applications This disclosure claims the priority and benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. 202210772688.X, filed on June 30, 2022, and entitled "POWER BATTERY HEAT EXCHANGER, POWER BATTERY SYSTEM, AND ELECTRIC VEHICLE". The entire content of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of power battery technology, and more particularly, to a power battery heat exchanger, a power battery system, and an electric vehicle.

Background Art

[0003] In the prior art, the header assembly of a heat exchanger for direct cooling of power batteries is usually formed by a plurality of circular tubes and three - channel tubes. Further, the header assembly generally does not heat or cool the battery system, resulting in heating loss or cooling loss, and reducing the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The object of this disclosure is to provide a power battery heat exchanger, a power battery system, and an electric vehicle. The power battery heat exchanger arranges a first header and a second header as a first header assembly. In this way, the number of pipelines of the first header assembly is reduced, which has high space utilization, reduces ineffective heat exchange, improves the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger, and reduces material costs.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] To achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of this disclosure, a power battery heat exchanger is provided, and a connector including an inlet and an outlet, A first manifold assembly and a second manifold assembly are spaced apart in a first direction, wherein the first manifold assembly includes a first manifold and a second manifold, The connector includes a plurality of harmonica tubes positioned between a first manifold assembly and a second manifold assembly, and spaced apart in a second direction. Each harmonica tube has a first end and a second end facing each other. The inlet of the connector communicates with the first ends of several harmonica tubes through the first manifold, and the outlet of the connector communicates with the first ends of other harmonica tubes through the second manifold. The second ends of the plurality of harmonica tubes communicate through the second manifold assembly.

[0006] In some cases, the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

[0007] In some cases, in the second direction, at least the two outermost harmonica tubes are in communication with the first manifold.

[0008] In some cases, the number of harmonica tubes is even, and the number of harmonica tubes connected to the first manifold is equal to the number of harmonica tubes connected to the second manifold.

[0009] In some cases, there are eight harmonica tubes, and in the second direction, the four innermost harmonica tubes are connected to the second manifold, while the other four harmonica tubes are connected to the first manifold.

[0010] In some cases, there are eight harmonica tubes, and in the second direction, the two outermost and two innermost harmonica tubes are connected to the first manifold, while the other four harmonica tubes are connected to the second manifold.

[0011] Depending on the circumstances, the second manifold assembly may include a third manifold and a fourth manifold. The third manifold is connected to the second ends of four adjacent harmonica tubes, and the fourth manifold is connected to the second ends of four other adjacent harmonica tubes.

[0012] In some cases, the powered battery heat exchanger further includes a steam chamber positioned on the side of a plurality of harmonica tubes, the plurality of harmonica tubes being fixedly connected to the steam chamber.

[0013] In some cases, the first manifold is provided with a plurality of first strip holes extending in the longitudinal direction of the first manifold, and the harmonica tubes are fixedly connected to the first strip holes in order to communicate the plurality of flow channels of the harmonica tubes with the first manifold, and / or The second manifold is provided with a plurality of second strip holes extending in the longitudinal direction of the second manifold, and the harmonica tubes are fixed and connected to the second strip holes in order to connect the plurality of flow channels of the harmonica tubes to the second manifold.

[0014] Depending on the configuration, the connector may include a liquid inlet communicating with an inlet and a liquid outlet communicating with an outlet, the liquid inlet communicating with a first manifold through a first connecting pipe, and the liquid outlet communicating with a second manifold through a second connecting pipe.

[0015] A second aspect of the present disclosure further provides a power battery system, which includes a power battery. The power battery system further includes the aforementioned power battery heat exchanger. The power battery heat exchanger is positioned on the surface of the power battery and is configured to heat and / or cool the power battery.

[0016] A third aspect of this disclosure further provides an electric vehicle, which includes the aforementioned power battery system.

[0017] Through the aforementioned technical solution, namely the power battery heat exchanger of this disclosure, the first manifold assembly is arranged as a first manifold and a second manifold, the first manifold and the second manifold communicating with the inlet and outlet of a connector, respectively. In this way, the refrigerant entering through the inlet passes through the first manifold, then directly enters several harmonica tubes, is combined by the second manifold assembly, flows into the remaining harmonica tubes, finally passes through the second manifold, and flows out through the outlet of the connector, forming a circuit. The multiple harmonica tubes exchange heat with the power battery through a steam chamber to heat or cool the power battery. In the power battery heat exchanger of this disclosure, the first manifold assembly includes only the first manifold and the second manifold. In this way, the number of lines in the first manifold assembly is reduced overall, space utilization is improved, ineffective heat exchange is reduced, the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger is improved, and material costs are reduced.

[0018] Other features and benefits of this disclosure are described in detail in the following specific embodiments.

[0019] The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of this disclosure, constitute part of this specification, and are used to illustrate this disclosure together with the following specific embodiments, but are not intended to limit this disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0020] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a conventional power battery heat exchanger. [Figure 2] This is a schematic top view of the structure of a conventional power battery heat exchanger. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a power battery system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, showing the installation of a power battery heat exchanger and power batteries. [Figure 4] Figure 3 is an exploded view of the power battery system. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram of the refrigerant flow in a power battery heat exchanger according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] It is a schematic diagram of the refrigerant flow in a power battery heat exchanger according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] It is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a connector of a power battery heat exchanger according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first header assembly in a power battery heat exchanger according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] It is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a harmonic pipe of a power battery heat exchanger according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] It is a block diagram of the structure of an electric vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] The following will describe specific embodiments of the present disclosure in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely used to illustrate and explain the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0022] In this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, directional terms used, such as “up,” “down,” “left,” and “right,” generally mean the top, bottom, left, and right of the attached drawings; “inner,” and “outer,” mean “inner,” and “outer,” with respect to the contours of the corresponding components; “X” means the first direction; and “Y” means the second direction. Furthermore, terms used in this disclosure, such as “first,” “second,” “third,” and “fourth,” are for distinguishing one element from another and do not imply any order or importance. In addition, where the following descriptions are made in relation to the attached drawings, unless otherwise stated, the same reference numerals in different attached drawings represent the same or similar elements. The definitions herein are used solely to illustrate and illustrate the disclosure and should not be construed as limitations on this disclosure.

[0023] A conventional heat exchanger for direct cooling of a power battery is shown in Figures 1 and 2. The heat exchanger is formed mainly by welding a harmonica tube 10, a manifold assembly 20, a tail manifold 30, a connector 40, and a steam chamber 50. The connector 40 is connected to the vehicle's overall air conditioning system. The connector 40, manifold assembly 20, tail manifold 30, and harmonica tube 10 are welded together to form a heat exchanger with an internal flow channel. The steam chamber 50 is welded and fixed to the harmonica tube 10. Currently, the heat exchanger is connected to the entire vehicle through a two-hole connector, and the harmonica tube is used as a component that exchanges heat with the battery in the entire heat exchanger. To maximize the performance of the heat exchanger, the harmonica tube covers the power battery. Therefore, the connection between the connector and the harmonica tube needs to be made through a connecting tube assembly. The manifold assembly 20 of the heat exchanger is formed by nine circular tubes and two three-channel tubes. Furthermore, the manifold assembly cannot directly contact the battery and cannot heat or cool the battery system, resulting in heat loss or cooling loss and reducing the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger.

[0024] As shown in Figures 3 to 9, in order to achieve the aforementioned objective, a first aspect of the present disclosure provides a power battery heat exchanger 1000, which includes a connector 400, a steam chamber 500, a first manifold assembly 200 and a second manifold assembly 300 spaced apart in a first direction X, and a plurality of harmonica tubes 100 positioned between the first manifold assembly 200 and the second manifold assembly 300 and spaced apart in a second direction Y. The plurality of harmonica tubes 100 are connected to the steam chamber 500. The first direction X is perpendicular to the second direction Y. The harmonica tubes 100 include a first end 101 and a second end 102 facing each other. The first manifold assembly 200 includes a first manifold 210 and a second manifold 220. The connector 400 includes an inlet 401 and an outlet 402. The inlet 401 of connector 400 communicates with the first ends 101 of several harmonica tubes 100 through the first manifold 210. The outlet 402 of connector 400 communicates with the first ends 101 of other harmonica tubes 100 through the second manifold 220. The second ends 102 of several harmonica tubes 100 communicate through the second manifold assembly 300.

[0025] Through the aforementioned technical solution, namely the power battery heat exchanger 1000 of this disclosure, the first manifold 210 and the second manifold 220 are arranged as a first manifold assembly 200, and the first manifold 210 and the second manifold 220 are in communication with the inlet 401 and outlet 402 of the connector 400, respectively. In this way, the refrigerant entering through the inlet 401 passes through the first manifold 210 and then directly enters several harmonica tubes 100, is combined by the second manifold assembly 300, flows into the remaining harmonica tubes 100, finally passes through the second manifold 220, and flows out through the outlet 402 of the connector 400 to form a circuit. The multiple harmonica tubes 100 exchange heat with the power battery 600 through the steam chamber 500 to heat or cool the power battery 600. In the power battery heat exchanger 1000 of this disclosure, the first manifold assembly 200 includes only the first manifold 210 and the second manifold 220. In this way, the number of conduits in the first manifold assembly 200 as a whole is reduced, which has a high degree of space utilization, avoids inefficient heat exchange, improves the heat exchange efficiency of the power battery heat exchanger 1000, and reduces material costs.

[0026] It should be noted that the inlet 401 and outlet 402 of the connector 400 are configured for the inflow and outflow of refrigerant throughout the power battery heat exchanger 1000. The harmonica tube 100 has multiple flow channels 110 inside. The connector 400, the first manifold 210, the second manifold 220, the harmonica tube 100, and the second manifold assembly 300 are assembled and welded together, and the channels in the components communicate with each other to form channels for the flow of refrigerant in the power battery heat exchanger 1000. To increase the heat exchange area of ​​the power battery heat exchanger 1000 as a whole, the steam chamber 500 and the harmonica tube 100 are welded together.

[0027] It should be noted that the first direction X is perpendicular to the second direction Y. Specifically, the extending directions of the multiple harmonica tubes 100 are perpendicular to the extending directions of the first manifold 210, the second manifold 220, and the second manifold assembly 300, which promotes uniformity of the refrigerant flow from the manifold into the harmonica tubes 100.

[0028] In some embodiments, the first direction X and the second direction Y may not be perpendicular but instead form an angle, which may also satisfy the aforementioned communication requirement. For example, the harmonica tube 100 may extend in the first direction X, and the first manifold tube 210 and the second manifold tube 220 may extend in the second direction Y, with the angle between the first direction X and the second direction Y being 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°, 105°, 120°, 135°, 150°, 165°, etc.

[0029] As shown in Figure 3, the power battery 600 employs a long-battery transverse arrangement solution. The two ends of the power battery 600 are the positive electrode 610 and the negative electrode 620, respectively. The positive electrode 610 of the power battery 600 is positioned toward the negative electrode 620 in a direction that coincides with the second direction Y of the power battery heat exchanger 1000. When the power battery 600 is hot, the temperatures of the positive and negative electrodes at the two ends of the power battery 600 are higher than the temperature at the center. Therefore, when the power battery 600 cools down, the cooling of the two ends of the power battery 600 must be considered first.

[0030] In some embodiments, in the second direction Y, at least the two outermost harmonica tubes 100 communicate with the first manifold 210. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the first ends 101 of at least the leftmost and rightmost harmonica tubes 100 communicate with the first manifold 210 to function as channels for the refrigerant to enter first, which provides the best cooling effect. The first ends 101 of the other harmonica tubes 100 located in the center communicate with the second manifold 220 and function as channels for the refrigerant to exit last. The cooling effect is slightly lower than that of the two outermost harmonica tubes 100 to meet the actual operating requirements of the power battery 600 and to minimize the temperature difference of the power battery 600. It should be noted that the second ends 102 of the multiple harmonica tubes 100 communicate through the second manifold assembly 300. In this way, the multiple harmonica tubes 100 are connected to form a flow of refrigerant.

[0031] In light of the aforementioned temperature characteristics of the power battery 600, which are relatively high temperatures at the two ends and relatively low temperatures in the center, the flow direction of the refrigerant in the harmonica tubes 100 of the power battery heat exchanger 1000 is redesigned. The aforementioned power battery heat exchanger 1000 is connected to the air conditioning system. In other words, the refrigerant in the air conditioning system enters through the inlet 401 of the connector 400, flows to the first manifold 210, is then distributed from the first manifold 210 to the left and right outermost harmonica tubes 100 or the harmonica tubes 100 closest to the outside, flows through the second manifold assembly 300 and other harmonica tubes 100 to the original second manifold 220, and then flows out to the air conditioning system through the outlet 402 of the connector 400. The power battery heat exchanger 1000 is mostly unconnected and is connected in parallel to the vehicle-wide air conditioning system through the connector 400. When the power battery system requires a temperature reduction, the air conditioning control unit controls the refrigerant to flow to the power battery heat exchanger 1000, which has the effect of lowering the temperature of the power battery 600.

[0032] Similarly, if the temperature of the power battery 600 is relatively low and heating is required, the refrigerant enters through the outlet 402 of the connector 400, flows through the second manifold 220 and the multiple harmonica tubes 100 in the central position, flows through the second manifold assembly 300 and the other outer harmonica tubes 100 to the original first manifold 210, and then flows out through the inlet 401 of the connector 400 to the air conditioning system, so that heating of the power battery can be carried out.

[0033] It should be noted that both the first manifold 210 and the second manifold 220 may be made of aluminum tubing, or they may be made of other metallic materials, such as copper or an aluminum alloy.

[0034] To further improve the uniformity of cooling and heating of the power battery heat exchanger 1000, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the number of harmonica tubes 100 is even, and the number of harmonica tubes 100 connected to the first manifold 210 is equal to the number of harmonica tubes 100 connected to the second manifold 220. This corresponds to the ability to maintain substantially equal flow rates of refrigerant flowing into the harmonica tubes 100 and flow rates of refrigerant flowing out of the harmonica tubes 100. In other words, if the flow direction of refrigerant in different harmonica tubes 100 is set according to the characteristics of the power battery 600 to accommodate the different temperatures at the two ends of the power battery 600 and the central portion of the power battery 600, then the flow rate and pressure drop across the power battery heat exchanger 1000 can be maintained to some extent uniform.

[0035] As shown in Figure 5, in some embodiments, the number of harmonica tubes 100 is eight. In the second direction, the four innermost harmonica tubes 100 are in communication with the second manifold 220, and the other four harmonica tubes 100 are in communication with the first manifold 210. The first ends 101 of the two leftmost harmonica tubes 100 and the two rightmost harmonica tubes 100 are in communication with the first manifold 210, the first ends 101 of the four harmonica tubes 100 in the central position are in communication with the second manifold 220, and the second ends 102 of the eight harmonica tubes 100 are in communication through the second manifold assembly 300. During the cooling process, the refrigerant of the air conditioning system enters through the inlet 401 of the connector 400 and flows through the first manifold 210 to the four harmonica tubes 100 on the left and right sides, respectively. The refrigerant merges in the second manifold assembly 300 at the second ends 102 of the four harmonica tubes 100, then flows into the second manifold 220 through the four harmonica tubes 100 that are in communication with the second manifold assembly 300 and are centrally located, and flows back into the original air conditioning system through the outlet 402 of the connector 400. During the flow process, the refrigerant first enters the two leftmost harmonica tubes 100 and the two rightmost harmonica tubes 100, cooling the two ends of the power battery 600 which have relatively high temperatures, so that the power battery 600 can reach the appropriate temperature range most rapidly. Next, the four harmonica tubes 100 in the central position cool the central position of the battery, which can also satisfy the temperature requirements of the power battery 600. During the heating process, the flow direction is exactly the opposite. Specifically, the coolant enters through the outlet 402 of the connector 400 and exits through the inlet 401 of the connector 400 so that heating of the battery can be carried out. Compared with the prior art, in the first manifold assembly 200 of this disclosure, the number of flow-shifting tubes is simplified and heat loss is avoided. Thus, the heat dissipation requirements can be satisfied through the aforementioned eight harmonica tubes 100 in combination with the steam chamber 500.

[0036] As shown in Figure 6, in some other embodiments, the number of harmonica tubes 100 is eight. In the second direction, the two outermost harmonica tubes 100 and the two innermost harmonica tubes 100 communicate with the first manifold 210, respectively, while the other four harmonica tubes 100 communicate with the second manifold 220, respectively. In the second direction Y, the first ends 101 of the leftmost and rightmost harmonica tubes 100, as well as the two harmonica tubes closest to the center, communicate with the first manifold 210, respectively, while the first ends 101 of the remaining four harmonica tubes 100 communicate with the second manifold 220, respectively, and the second ends 102 of the eight harmonica tubes 100 communicate with the second manifold assembly 300, respectively. During the cooling process, the refrigerant of the air conditioning system enters through the inlet 401 of the connector 400 and flows through the first manifold 210 to the four harmonica tubes 100, namely the rightmost one, the leftmost one, and the two closest to the center. The refrigerant then merges in the second manifold assembly 300 at the second ends 102 of the four harmonica tubes 100, and then flows into the second manifold 220 through the two harmonica tubes 100 that are in communication with the second manifold assembly 300 and are located between the leftmost harmonica tube 100 and the harmonica tube 100 closest to the center, and the two harmonica tubes 100 that are located between the rightmost harmonica tube 100 and the harmonica tube 100 closest to the center, and finally flows back into the original air conditioning system through the outlet 402 of the connector 400. During the flow process, the coolant first enters the leftmost harmonica tube 100, the rightmost harmonica tube 100, and the harmonica tube 100 closest to the center, cooling the two ends of the power battery 600, which have relatively high temperatures, and the area closest to the center, which has a low tendency to dissipate heat. In this way, the power battery can reach the appropriate temperature range most rapidly. The other four harmonica tubes 100 then cool the area between the two ends and the central part of the battery, further satisfying the temperature requirements of the power battery 600. During the heating process, the flow direction is exactly the opposite. Specifically, the coolant enters through the outlet 402 of the connector 400 and exits through the inlet 401 of the connector 400, so that heating of the battery can be carried out.Further details are not provided herein.

[0037] The second manifold assembly 300 can be constructed using any suitable structure and can also be formed using a tube having two sealed ends extending in a second direction Y. The tube includes, but is not limited to, an aluminum tube. As shown in Figure 6, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the second manifold assembly 300 includes a third manifold 310 and a fourth manifold 320. The third manifold 310 communicates with the second ends 102 of four adjacent harmonica tubes 100. The fourth manifold 320 communicates with the second ends 102 of four other adjacent harmonica tubes 100. That is, the third manifold 310 communicates with the second ends 102 of the four left-hand harmonica tubes 100. During cooling, the refrigerant flows from the two harmonica tubes 100 on two sides into a third manifold 310, and the refrigerant in the third manifold 310 flows into the two central harmonica tubes 100. Furthermore, a fourth manifold 320 communicates with the second ends 102 of the four harmonica tubes 100 on the right side. During cooling, the refrigerant flows from the two harmonica tubes 100 on two sides into a fourth manifold 320, and the refrigerant in the fourth manifold 320 flows into the two central harmonica tubes 100. During heating, the flow direction is exactly the opposite. It is also understood that the eight harmonica tubes 100 may be divided into left and right groups in order to avoid affecting the flow rate distribution of the refrigerant in each harmonica tube 100 as a result of the merging when the refrigerant flows into the second manifold assembly 300, and to further improve the flow stability during cooling or heating.

[0038] In some embodiments, the second manifold assembly 300 may be a straight pipe extending in a second direction. The two ends of the straight pipe are sealed, and the second ends 102 of the multiple harmonica pipes 100 are connected to the straight pipe at intervals. In this way, it is possible for the refrigerant to flow into some of the harmonica pipes 100 and out of others. It should be noted that, in order to achieve the aforementioned effect of improving the stability of the internal flow rate, a block seal member may be placed at the center of the straight pipe, and the straight pipe may be divided into two sections. The four harmonica pipes 100 on the left communicate with one of the sections, and the four harmonica pipes 100 on the right communicate with the other section, which also serves the purpose of stabilizing the flow rate.

[0039] To improve the reliability of the connection between the first manifold 210 and the second manifold 220 to the harmonica tube 100, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the first manifold 210 is provided with a plurality of first strip holes 211 extending in the longitudinal direction of the first manifold 210, and the harmonica tube 100 is fixedly connected to the first strip holes 211 to communicate the plurality of flow channels 110 of the harmonica tube 100 with the first manifold 210. The first manifold 210 is provided with a plurality of first strip holes 211 corresponding to the width of the harmonica tube 100. The harmonica tube 100 is incorporated into the first strip holes 211 and connected to the first strip holes 211 by welding.

[0040] In some embodiments, the second manifold 220 is provided with a plurality of second strip holes 221 extending in the longitudinal direction of the second manifold 220, and the harmonica tube 100 is fixedly connected to the second strip holes 221 to communicate the plurality of flow channels 110 of the harmonica tube 100 with the second manifold 220. The second manifold 220 is provided with a plurality of second strip holes 221 corresponding to the width of the harmonica tube 100. The harmonica tube 100 is incorporated into the second strip holes 221 and connected to the second strip holes 221 by welding.

[0041] As shown in Figure 9, it should be noted that one end of the harmonica tube 100 is bent downwards relative to the portion connecting the harmonica tube 100 to the steam chamber 500 and connected to the first manifold assembly 200, in order to enclose the power battery 600 when connected to the power battery 600. The other end may be a straight section, i.e., the straight section and the portion connected to the steam chamber 500 may be in the same plane, i.e., the other end is not bent and is directly connected to the second manifold assembly 300.

[0042] The connector 400 can be configured in any suitable manner. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the connector 400 may include an inlet 401, an outlet 402, a liquid inlet 403 communicating with the inlet 401, and a liquid outlet 404 communicating with the outlet 402. The liquid inlet 403 communicates with a first manifold 210 through a first connecting pipe 230, and the liquid outlet 404 communicates with a second manifold 220 through a second connecting pipe 240. The connector 400 is connected to the piping of an air conditioning system through the inlet 401 and outlet 402 of the connector 400. For example, the connector may ultimately be connected to the air conditioning and heating piping of the vehicle's cab, insofar as heat exchange of the power battery 600 is performed, or to other corresponding piping that can achieve air conditioning and heating.

[0043] In the prior art, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the heat exchanger is formed primarily by welding together a harmonica tube 10, a manifold assembly, a tail manifold, a connector 40, and a steam chamber 50. The connector 40 connects to the vehicle's overall air conditioning system. The connector 40, the manifold assembly, and the harmonica tube 10 are welded together to form a heat exchanger having flow channels inside. The steam chamber 50 is welded and fixed to the harmonica tube 10. The manifold assembly includes a total of nine tubes: two connecting tubes, two three-channel valves, four diverting tubes, manifold 1, and two manifold 2. The connector 40 is connected to the two three-channel valves, respectively, through the two connecting tubes. The three-channel valves are further connected to the two manifold 2 through the left and right diverting tubes, which have diverting functions. The 3-channel valve is connected to the manifold 1 through two flow-diverting pipes, which have left and right flow-dividing functions. As shown in Figure 2, the inlet and outlet are incorporated into the connector 40. For example, the manifold assembly can be formed by nine circular pipes. The manifold assembly functions as a transition assembly between the connector 40 and the harmonica pipes 10 and plays a role in distributing the flow rate from the connector 40 to the harmonica pipes 10. As shown in Figure 2, the refrigerant flows in from the inlet of the connector 40 and is divided into a left flow channel and a right flow channel, each of which is further divided into two flow channels. Finally, in the manifold 1, the refrigerant flows into four flow channels to the harmonica pipes 10. The flow channels flow to the tail manifold and then back into the manifold 2 of the original manifold assembly from the other four harmonica pipes 10. The four flow channels combine to form two flow channels, then combine to form one flow channel, and flow out from the outlet of the connector.

[0044] Compared to the solutions in the prior art described above, the power battery heat exchanger 1000 provided in this disclosure reduces the number of conduits in the manifold assembly of the heat exchanger from the original nine to four. In this way, the amount of material used is reduced, and manufacturing costs are lowered. Furthermore, the original nine conduits on the manifold assembly are located outside the power battery 600, so they do not have the effect of lowering the temperature of the battery. Now, with the number of conduits in the manifold assembly reduced to four, ineffective heat exchange is reduced and the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger can be improved.

[0045] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a power battery system 2000 is further provided, comprising a power battery 600. The power battery system 2000 further comprises the aforementioned power battery heat exchanger 1000. The power battery heat exchanger 1000 is positioned on the surface of the power battery 600 and is configured to heat and / or cool the power battery 600. The heater of the power battery 600, i.e., the harmonica tube 100 and the steam chamber 500, may be positioned on the upper surface of the power battery 600 or on the lower surface of the power battery 600, insofar as cooling or heating of the power battery 600 can be performed. Furthermore, the positioning of the power battery heat exchanger 1000 on the surface of the power battery 600 can be understood as being positioned directly or indirectly on the surface of the power battery 600. For example, the power battery heat exchanger 1000 may be attached to the surface of the power battery 600, or a thermally conductive adhesive may be placed between the power battery heat exchanger 1000 and the power battery 600. The power battery heat exchanger 1000 is bonded to the surface of the power battery 600 through the thermally conductive adhesive.

[0046] The orientation of the two ends of the power cell 600 (i.e., the orientation of the anode 610 of the power cell 600 facing the cathode 620) coincides with the second orientation of the power cell heat exchanger 1000. Specifically, in the second orientation, the two outermost harmonica tubes 100 correspond to the two ends of the power cell 600 to improve the cooling performance at the two ends of the power cell 600 when cooling is required, and to improve the heating performance at the central position of the battery when heating is required.

[0047] As shown in Figure 10, according to a third aspect of this disclosure, an electric vehicle 3000 is further provided. The electric vehicle 3000 includes the aforementioned power battery system 2000. Thus, the electric vehicle 3000 also has the advantages of the aforementioned power battery system 2000. Further details are not described again herein.

[0048] Optional embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific details of the embodiments described above, and several simple modifications may be made to the technical solutions of the present disclosure within the scope of the technical concept of the present disclosure, and such simple modifications are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0049] Furthermore, it should be noted that the specific technical features described in the above-described embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. To avoid unnecessary repetition, various possible combinations are not further described in this disclosure.

[0050] Furthermore, the various embodiments of this disclosure may be combined as appropriate, as long as they do not deviate from the spirit of this disclosure, and such combinations should also be considered part of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A power battery heat exchanger (1000), A connector (400) having an inlet (401) and an outlet (402), A first manifold assembly (200) and a second manifold assembly (300) are arranged spaced apart in a first direction, wherein the first manifold assembly (200) comprises a first manifold (210) and a second manifold (220), and the first manifold assembly (200) and the second manifold assembly (300) are arranged spaced apart in a first direction, The connector (400) comprises a plurality of harmonica tubes (100) arranged between the first manifold assembly (200) and the second manifold assembly (300), and spaced apart in a second direction, wherein each harmonica tube (100) has a first end (101) and a second end (102) facing each other, the inlet (401) of the connector (400) communicates with the first ends (101) of several of the harmonica tubes (100) through the first manifold (210), the outlet (402) of the connector (400) communicates with the first ends (101) of other harmonica tubes (100) through the second manifold (220), and the second ends (102) of the plurality of harmonica tubes (100) communicate through the second manifold assembly (300). A power battery heat exchanger (1000) in which at least two outermost harmonica tubes (100) corresponding to the positive electrode (610) and negative electrode (620) of the power battery (600) are in communication with the first manifold (210) in the second direction.

2. The power battery heat exchanger (1000) according to claim 1, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

3. The power battery heat exchanger (1000) according to claim 1, wherein the number of harmonica tubes (100) is even, and the number of harmonica tubes (100) connected to the first manifold (210) is equal to the number of harmonica tubes (100) connected to the second manifold (220).

4. The power battery heat exchanger (1000) according to claim 1, wherein the number of harmonica tubes (100) is eight, and in the second direction, the four innermost harmonica tubes (100) are in communication with the second manifold (220), and the other four harmonica tubes (100) are in communication with the first manifold (210).

5. The power battery heat exchanger (1000) according to claim 1, wherein the number of harmonica tubes (100) is eight, and in the second direction, the two outermost harmonica tubes (100) and the two innermost harmonica tubes (100) are in communication with the first manifold (210), and the other four harmonica tubes (100) are in communication with the second manifold (220).

6. The second manifold assembly (300) comprises a third manifold (310) and a fourth manifold (320), The power battery heat exchanger (1000) according to claim 5, wherein the third manifold (310) communicates with the second ends (102) of four adjacent harmonica tubes (100), and the fourth manifold (320) communicates with the second ends of four other adjacent harmonica tubes (100).

7. The power battery heat exchanger (1000) according to claim 1, further comprising a steam chamber (500) arranged on the side surface of the plurality of harmonica tubes (100), wherein the plurality of harmonica tubes (100) are fixedly connected to the steam chamber (500).

8. The first manifold (210) is provided with a plurality of first strip holes (211) extending in the longitudinal direction of the first manifold (210), and the harmonica tube (100) is fixedly connected to the first strip holes (211) so that the plurality of flow channels (110) of the harmonica tube (100) communicate with the first manifold (210), and / or The power battery heat exchanger (1000) according to claim 1, wherein the second manifold (220) is provided with a plurality of second strip holes (221) extending in the longitudinal direction of the second manifold (220), and the harmonica tube (100) is fixedly connected to the second strip holes (221) so that the plurality of flow channels (110) of the harmonica tube (100) communicate with the second manifold (220).

9. The power battery heat exchanger (1000) according to claim 1, wherein the connector (400) comprises a liquid inlet (403) communicating with the inlet (401) and a liquid outlet (404) communicating with the outlet (402), the liquid inlet (403) communicating with the first manifold (210) through a first connecting pipe (230), and the liquid outlet (404) communicating with the second manifold (220) through a second connecting pipe (240).

10. A power battery system (2000) comprising a power battery (600), further comprising a power battery heat exchanger (1000) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the power battery heat exchanger (1000) is positioned on the surface of the power battery (600) and is configured to heat and / or cool the power battery (600).

11. An electric vehicle (3000) comprising the power battery system (2000) described in claim 10.

Images