Liquid cooling structure and battery pack

Abstract

To prevent a cell from expanding due to heat, improving the assembly efficiency of a battery pack.SOLUTION: A liquid-cooled structure 100 includes a support plate 10 for supporting a cell, and a vertical plate 20 that is arranged perpendicular to the support plate and includes a main body and a plurality of expandable ribs 22 arranged within the main body, and a liquid-cooled flow path 23 through which a liquid coolant flows is formed within the main body, and the plurality of expandable ribs are arranged at intervals within the liquid-cooled flow path, each expandable rib being connected between opposing side walls of the liquid-cooled flow path, and that divides the liquid-cooled flow path into a plurality of sub-flow paths.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims the priority of a Chinese patent application with an application number of 2024210161691, which was filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration on May 10, 2024. All the contents of this application are incorporated herein by reference. This application relates to the technical field of batteries, and particularly to a liquid cooling structure and a battery pack.

Background Art

[0002] With the progress of battery technology, the energy batteries currently used in the energy storage industry are developing in the direction of high energy density, large capacity, and fast charge and discharge. Due to the requirements of high energy density applications and the influence of arranging batteries as a pack, a large amount of heat is generated in a short time during the fast charge and discharge of the battery pack, causing the temperature of the battery pack to rise and unevenly distribute.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] In order to cool the battery pack during the charge and discharge process, usually, a liquid cooling plate is provided at the bottom of the battery pack, and the battery pack is cooled by heat exchange between the liquid cooling plate and the battery pack.

[0004] The current liquid cooling form is not applicable to the current cell-to-pack (CTP) assembly method.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a support plate for supporting cells, and A liquid cooling structure is provided, comprising: a vertical plate provided perpendicular to the support plate, including a main body and a plurality of expandable ribs provided within the main body, a liquid cooling channel through which a liquid coolant flows formed within the main body, the plurality of expandable ribs provided at intervals within the liquid cooling channel, each expandable rib connected between opposing side walls of the liquid cooling channel, and a vertical plate that divides the liquid cooling channel into a plurality of sub-channels.

[0006] In the second aspect, the present application is: The present invention provides a battery pack including the above-described liquid cooling structure and a plurality of cells arranged sequentially on the support plate of the liquid cooling structure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] A vertical plate through which the liquid coolant flows is provided, enabling heat exchange between the liquid coolant and the cell, thereby cooling the cell during the charge and discharge process. Furthermore, expandable ribs are provided within the vertical plate, and when the cell expands due to heat, the expandable ribs are compressed. Since the expandable ribs have a certain structural strength, the cell cannot compress the expandable ribs indefinitely, and thus the vertical plate provides an expansion prevention effect when the cell expands due to heat. In addition, by providing a support plate to support the cell, the liquid cooling structure and the cell can be assembled as a single module and used directly in the assembly of the CTP, thereby improving the assembly efficiency of the battery pack. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view of the liquid-cooled structure of the embodiment of the present application. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a left side view of the liquid-cooled structure. [Figure 3] This is an enlarged schematic diagram of part I in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a reference diagram showing the liquid cooling structure in use. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The present application will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0010] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the liquid-cooled structure 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a support plate 10 and a vertical plate 20.

[0011] Of these, the support plate 10 is used to support the cell 200, and the vertical plate 20 is provided perpendicular to the support plate 10 to circulate the liquid coolant and enable heat exchange between the liquid coolant and the cell 200. The vertical plate 20 includes a main body 21 and a plurality of expandable ribs 22 provided inside the main body 21. A liquid cooling channel 23 through which the liquid coolant flows is provided inside the main body 21, and the plurality of expandable ribs 22 are provided at intervals within the liquid cooling channel 23. Each expandable rib 22 is connected between the opposing side walls of the liquid cooling channel 23, dividing the liquid cooling channel 23 into a plurality of sub-channels 231.

[0012] In the liquid cooling structure 100 described above, a vertical plate 20 through which the liquid coolant flows is provided, enabling heat exchange between the liquid coolant and the cell 200, thereby cooling the cell 200 during the charge and discharge process. Additionally, expandable ribs 22 are provided within the vertical plate 20, and when the cell 200 expands due to heat, the expandable ribs 22 are compressed. Since the expandable ribs 22 have a certain structural strength, the cell 200 cannot compress the expandable ribs 22 indefinitely, and thus the vertical plate 20 provides an expansion prevention effect when the cell 200 expands due to heat. Furthermore, by providing a support plate 10 to support the cell 200, the liquid cooling structure 100 and the cell 200 can be assembled as a single module and used directly in the assembly of the CTP, thereby improving the assembly efficiency of the battery pack.

[0013] In some embodiments, the liquid-cooled structure 100 is made of a metallic material, such as an aluminum alloy. Aluminum alloys have excellent ductility and properties that allow them to avoid rupture by plastically deforming under stress. Therefore, when the cell 200 expands due to heat, the expansion ribs 22 in the liquid-cooled channel 23 are compressed. The expansion ribs 22 have a certain structural strength and also have a compression prevention effect on the cell 200. As the amount of expansion of the battery gradually decreases, the expansion ribs 22 restore the main body 21 to its original state. In some embodiments, the liquid-cooled structure 100 can also be made of polyamide (PA, commonly known as nylon). In this case as well, it has corrosion resistance and flame retardancy while maintaining support strength for the cell 200.

[0014] In some embodiments, the liquid-cooled structure 100 is made of an aluminum alloy material and can be formed by extrusion molding, thereby facilitating the formation of the expansion and contraction ribs 22 within the liquid-cooled channel 23.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2, in some embodiments, when expansion ribs 22 are provided, the expansion ribs 22 are provided at an angle to the opposing side walls of the liquid cooling channel 23. In this way, the inclined expansion ribs 22 are compressed and deformed when the cell 200 expands due to heat, thereby causing a certain amount of expansion in the cell 200 and ensuring the safe use of the cell 200.

[0016] Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the inclination angle of the expandable rib 22 is between 30° and 60°, meaning that the angle θ between the expandable rib 22 and the side wall of the liquid cooling channel 23 is between 30° and 60°. In this way, the expandable rib 22 can deform quickly when compressed by the expansion of the cell 200, while simultaneously ensuring a certain support effect against the side wall of the liquid cooling channel 23. The support plate 10 has a certain anti-expansion effect against the expansion of the cell 200. Here, the angle θ between the expandable rib 22 and the side wall of the liquid cooling channel 23 may be set to 30°, 35°, 40°, 45°, 50°, 55°, or 60°, but is not limited to these.

[0017] In some embodiments, the angle θ formed between the telescopic rib 22 and the side wall of the liquid cooling channel 23 is set to 45°, so that when the telescopic rib 22 is compressed due to the expansion of the cell 200, it is guaranteed to deform quickly, and it is also guaranteed that the vertical plate 20 has good structural strength and an anti-expansion effect on the cell 200.

[0018] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, in some embodiments, the range of the thickness M of the telescopic rib 22 is 1.0 - 2.5 mm, so that the telescopic rib 22 has certain structural strength, the entire vertical plate 20 has certain structural strength, and it is not very easy to deform due to the expansion and compression of the cell 200, and the anti-expansion effect on the cell 200 is also guaranteed. Therefore, even when the cell 200 expands due to heat, the structure of the cell 200 will not be damaged, and the cycle life of the cell 200 is improved.

[0019] Here, the thickness M of the telescopic rib 22 may be set to values such as 1.0 mm, 1.5 mm, 2.0 mm, or 2.5 mm, but it is not limited here.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 1 - 3, in some embodiments, in extreme situations, when the cell 200 expands excessively, in order to avoid excessive deformation caused by the compression of the main body 21, the vertical plate 20 further includes a plurality of limiting ribs 24. The limiting ribs 24 are provided on at least one side wall of the liquid cooling channel 23, and the plurality of telescopic ribs 22 and the plurality of limiting ribs 24 are provided alternately one by one. In this way, by providing the limiting ribs 24, the limiting distance at which the opposite side walls of the liquid cooling channel 23 approach each other is limited, and when the cell 200 expands excessively, it is avoided that the main body 21 is excessively compressed, causing damage to the cell 200 or the liquid cooling structure 100.

[0021] In some embodiments, the limiting ribs 24 are provided on the opposite side walls of the liquid cooling channel 23. In this way, when the main body 21 is compressed by the cell 200, the limiting ribs 24 abut against the opposite side walls of the liquid cooling channel 23, thereby achieving the effect of preventing excessive expansion of the cell 200.

[0022] In some embodiments, the vertical cross-section of the limiting rib 24 is trapezoidal, while in other embodiments, the vertical cross-section of the limiting rib 24 may have a shape such as hemispherical or square.

[0023] In some embodiments, in the flow direction of the liquid coolant, the limiting rib 24 may have a continuous strip structure, whereby the limiting rib 24 is easily formed within the liquid cooling channel 23. In some embodiments, the limiting rib 24 may have a multi-stage structure with spaced intervals in sequence, whereby a certain disturbing effect can be produced on the liquid coolant, and the heat exchange efficiency between the liquid coolant and the cell 200 can be improved.

[0024] Specifically, the limiting ribs 24 are provided on both side walls of the liquid cooling channel 23, and the limiting ribs 24 are alternately provided on the opposing side walls of the liquid cooling channel 23 in sequence. Thus, by alternately providing the limiting ribs 24 on both side walls in sequence, the structural strength of each side wall of the liquid cooling channel 23 is improved, and also, each side wall has an anti-expansion effect on the cell 200.

[0025] Here, in the direction perpendicular to the flow direction of the liquid coolant, the width a of the limiting rib 24 is 0.1 to 0.9 times the width b of the liquid cooling channel 23. Thus, according to the expansion amount of the cell 200, an expansion space is provided for the cell 200, and also, the safe expansion range of the cell 200 is guaranteed. The width a of the limiting rib 24 may be set to values such as 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, or 0.9 times the width b of the liquid cooling channel 23, but is not limited herein.

[0026] In some embodiments, the width a of the limiting rib 24 is set to 0.5 times the width b of the liquid cooling channel 23, thereby preventing the cell 200 from expanding excessively and also avoiding the risk that the expansion of the cell 200 is excessively restricted and the cell explodes.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, in some embodiments, the support plate 10 needs to support the cell 200, form a liquid cooling channel 23 through which the liquid coolant flows, and enable heat exchange between the liquid coolant and the cell 200. For this reason, the cell 200 needs to be in contact with the surface of the vertical plate 20. Therefore, the vertical plate 20 is required to have sufficient support strength. For this reason, the main body 21 includes at least a flow section 25 and a support section 26 from top to bottom, the flow section 25 becoming the liquid cooling channel 23, and the support section 26 having a solid structure and being connected between the flow section 25 and the support plate 10. By making the support section 26 located at the lower end solid, the structural strength of the vertical plate 20 is ensured.

[0028] In some embodiments, since the upper end of the vertical plate 20 is in contact with the air, the main body 21 further includes a blocking section 27 to ensure the liquid cooling effect of the liquid coolant within the vertical plate 20, the blocking section 27 is provided at the end of the flow section 25 away from the support section 26, and the blocking section 27 is a solid structure, that is, the upper end of the main body 21 is also a solid structure, thereby blocking the liquid coolant from the air above the main body 21, avoiding heat exchange between the liquid coolant and the hot air above, and ensuring the heat exchange effect of the liquid coolant.

[0029] In this case, when a support section 26 and a blocking section 27 are provided, the height H1 of the support section 26 and the height H2 of the blocking section 27 are each 0.05 to 0.1 times the height H of the main body 21. In this way, sufficient liquid coolant flows into the flow section 25 while ensuring the support strength of the support section 26 and the heat exchange blocking effect of the blocking section 27, thereby achieving a good heat exchange effect between the liquid coolant and the cell 200.

[0030] For example, if the main body 21 is set to 100 mm, and the height of the support section 26 and the height of the blocking section 27 are both 0.5 of the height of the main body 21, then the height H1 of the support section 26 and the height H2 of the blocking section 27 are both 5 mm, and the height of the liquid cooling channel 23 provided in the flow section 25 becomes 100 - 5 * 2 = 90 mm, thereby ensuring the amount of liquid coolant flowing in the liquid cooling channel 23.

[0031] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, in some embodiments, when a liquid cooling structure 100 is provided, it includes two support plates 10. That is, support plates 10 are provided on both opposing sides of the vertical plate 20, so that the two support plates 10 support two battery packs, thereby taking advantage of the characteristic that heat exchange is possible on both sides of the vertical plate 20 to make full use of energy. In addition, by providing two support plates 10, it becomes possible to support more cells 200, and when the entire liquid cooling structure 100 is modularized, the amount of power supplied by the entire battery pack is increased when the CTP is later molded.

[0032] In the liquid cooling structure 100 described above, a limiting rib 24 is further provided on the side wall of the liquid cooling passage 23. When the cell 200 is in an extreme state, the limiting rib 24 prevents the cell 200 from being damaged by excessive expansion. The main body 21 is configured as a blocking section 27, a flow section 25, and a support section 26. The solid blocking section 27 blocks heat exchange between the liquid coolant and the air above, thereby preventing a decrease in the heat exchange effect of the liquid coolant. The solid support section 26 ensures the support strength of the entire vertical plate 20.

[0033] As shown in Figure 4, another embodiment of the present invention also provides a battery pack including the liquid-cooled structure 100 and a plurality of cells 200.

[0034] Of these, multiple cells 200 are arranged in sequence on the support plate 10 of the liquid cooling structure 100.

[0035] In some embodiments, multiple cells 200 are arranged in sequence along the longitudinal direction of the cells 200. That is, the large surface of each cell 200 is in close contact with the vertical plate 20. In this way, the contact area between the large surface of the cell 200 and the vertical plate 20 is sufficient, and a cooling effect on the cell 200 is guaranteed. Furthermore, when the cell 200 expands due to heat, it expands toward the large surface, so the contact of the large surface of the cell 200 with the vertical plate 20 has the effect of preventing deformation of the cell 200 on the vertical plate 20. In some embodiments, when the cells 200 are arranged on the support plate 10, they may be provided in the thickness direction of the cell 200, thereby allowing more cells 200 to be arranged and ensuring a sufficient power supply. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0036] 100 liquid cooling structure 10 Support plate 20 vertical plates 21 Main unit 22 Stretch Rib 23 Liquid cooling channel 231 Subchannel 24 Restriction Ribs 25 Distribution Section 26 Support Section 27 Blocking Section 200 cells

Claims

1. A liquid-cooled structure (100), A support plate (10) for supporting the cell (200), The vertical plate (20) is provided perpendicular to the support plate (10) and includes a main body (21) and a plurality of expandable ribs (22) provided within the main body (21), a liquid cooling channel (23) through which a liquid coolant flows formed within the main body (21), the plurality of expandable ribs (22) are provided at intervals within the liquid cooling channel (23), each expandable rib (22) is connected between opposing side walls of the liquid cooling channel (23), and the vertical plate (20) divides the liquid cooling channel (23) into a plurality of sub-channels (231), The vertical plate (20) further includes a plurality of limiting ribs (24), the limiting ribs (24) are provided on opposing side walls of the liquid cooling channel (23), the plurality of expansion ribs (22) and the plurality of limiting ribs (24) are provided alternately one by one, and the limiting ribs (24) are provided sequentially and alternately on opposing side walls of the liquid cooling channel (23), thus forming a liquid cooling structure (100).

2. The liquid cooling structure (100) according to claim 1, wherein the width of the restricting rib (24) in a direction perpendicular to the flow direction of the liquid coolant is 0.1 to 0.9 times the width of the liquid cooling channel (23).

3. The liquid cooling structure (100) according to claim 1, wherein the expandable rib (22) is provided at an inclination with respect to the side wall of the liquid cooling channel (23).

4. The liquid-cooled structure (100) according to claim 3, wherein the inclination angle of the expansion rib (22) is between 30° and 60°.

5. The liquid-cooled structure (100) according to claim 1, wherein the thickness range of the expansion rib (22) is 1.0 to 2.5 mm.

6. The liquid cooling structure (100) according to claim 1, wherein the main body (21) includes at least a flow section (25) and a support section (26) from top to bottom, the flow section (25) is the liquid cooling flow path (23), and the support section (26) is a solid structure and is connected between the flow section (25) and the support plate (10).

7. The liquid-cooled structure (100) according to claim 6, wherein the main body (21) further includes a blocking section (27), the blocking section (27) is provided at an end of the flow section (25) away from the support section (26), and the blocking section (27) has a solid structure.

8. The liquid cooling structure (100) according to claim 7, wherein the height of the support section (26) and the height of the blocking section (27) are each 0.05 to 0.1 times the height of the main body (21).

9. It is a battery pack, A liquid-cooled structure (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, A battery pack comprising a plurality of cells (200) arranged in order on the support plate (10) of the liquid cooling structure (100).

10. The battery pack according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of cells (200) are arranged in order in the longitudinal direction of the cells (200).

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