Water-cooled integrated charger

Abstract

The present invention relates to a water-cooled integrated charger, and provides a charger including a charging / discharging jig for charging and discharging a battery, a water-cooled power supply unit that supplies power to the charging / discharging jig and is cooled by water, and a chiller that is connected to the water-cooled power supply unit via a water supply pipe and a drain pipe and discharges the thermal energy generated from the water-cooled power supply unit to the outside.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a water-cooled integrated charger-discharger. The present invention also relates to a water-cooled integrated charger-discharger of a type that prevents dew condensation in a power supply unit and cools a jig. [Background Art]

[0002] In processes such as battery activation, a charger-discharger is used to charge and discharge a battery. Since the power supply unit of the charger-discharger generates heat, an air-cooled structure using air has conventionally been employed to cool the power supply unit, and for example, a heat sink and a cooling fan are used to cool the power supply unit.

[0003] However, the conventional air-cooled structure has the following problems. First, in the conventional air-cooled structure, heat generated by the power supply unit is released into the internal (indoor) space. Second, the released heat increases the temperature of the internal space, which makes it necessary to add additional air conditioning equipment. Third, size reduction is difficult due to the presence of the heat sink for cooling the power supply unit. Fourth, heat generation from wiring is also a problem. Fifth, the integration density of equipment in the same area is reduced. [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a charger-discharger that can prevent a temperature increase in an internal space caused by heat generation from a power supply unit and wiring, and can increase the integration density of equipment while achieving size reduction.

[0005] Another object of the present invention is to provide a charger-discharger that can cool a jig while preventing dew condensation in a water-cooled power supply unit that may occur due to the application of a water-cooled structure. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0006] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the present invention provides a charger / discharger comprising: a charge / discharge jig for charging and discharging a battery; a water-cooled power supply unit that supplies power to the charge / discharge jig and is cooled by water; and a chiller connected to the water-cooled power supply unit via a water supply pipe and a drain pipe, which releases thermal energy generated from the water-cooled power supply unit to the outside.

[0007] The water-cooled power supply unit in the present invention may include a first fan that supplies cooled air from inside to the charge / discharge jig.

[0008] In this invention, the first fan is positioned adjacent to the cell tab of the battery and the gripper of the charge / discharge jig, and can cool the cell tab and the gripper.

[0009] In the present invention, the water-cooled power supply unit is positioned above and below the charge / discharge jig, respectively, and the first fan may be positioned below the upper water-cooled power supply unit and above the lower water-cooled power supply unit.

[0010] The charger / discharger according to the present invention further includes a temperature sensor that measures the temperature in the space in which the charge / discharge jig is located, and can adjust the speed of the first fan according to the temperature.

[0011] In the present invention, the charging and discharging jig may include a second fan positioned on its side.

[0012] The charger / discharger according to the present invention may further include a cooling tower connected to the chiller via feedpipes and drainpipes.

[0013] In the present invention, the water-cooled power supply unit may include a power module and a cooling module that is in contact with the power module and has a cooling water channel inside.

[0014] In the present invention, multiple charge / discharge jigs and multiple water-cooled power supply units can be arranged in multiple stages in at least one of the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0015] In the present invention, the length of the wiring connecting the charge / discharge jig and the water-cooled power supply unit may be 1.5 m or less. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] In this invention, by configuring a water-cooled power supply unit below the charge / discharge jig, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the internal space from rising due to heat generated by the power supply unit and wiring, thereby achieving miniaturization while increasing the integration density of the equipment. Furthermore, by releasing the heat generated by the power supply unit to the outside, temperature control of the internal space becomes easier, which may have the effect of reducing the load on the internal air conditioning equipment. In addition, since the length of the wiring is shortened, power efficiency is improved and the installation area of ​​the equipment can be reduced.

[0017] Furthermore, according to the present invention, condensation in the water-cooled power supply can be prevented by maintaining a constant temperature of the water-cooled power supply through a fan, and the jig can be cooled by supplying the cooled air from the power supply to the jig. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This is a front view of a conventional air-cooled charger / discharger. [Figure 2] This is a front view of the water-cooled integrated charger / discharger according to the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a partial plan view of the water-cooled integrated charger / discharger according to the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a partial front view of the water-cooled integrated charger / discharger according to the present invention. [Figure 5] This is an exploded front view of the water-cooled integrated charger / discharger according to the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a side view of the positive electrode side of the water-cooled integrated charger / discharger according to the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a side view of the negative electrode side of the water-cooled integrated charger / discharger according to the present invention. [Figure 8] This is a front view of the water-cooled power supply unit according to the present invention. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view of the cooling module according to the present invention. [Figure 10]It is a front view of a water-cooled integrated charger-discharger including an external cooling tower according to the present invention. [Figure 11] It is a front view of a modular water-cooled integrated charger-discharger including a plurality of charge-discharge jigs and a plurality of water-cooled power supply units arranged in multiple stages vertically and horizontally according to the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] Referring to Fig. 1, a conventional air-cooled charger-discharger includes: a storage frame 1 partitioned into a plurality of spaces; one or more charge-discharge jigs 2 arranged on one side (left side) of the storage frame 1; one or more power supply units 3 arranged on the other side (right side) of the storage frame 1; a maintenance passage 4 arranged in the center of the storage frame 1; and one or more cooling fans (not shown) arranged on one side or both sides of the power supply unit 3.

[0021] However, as described above, due to the air-cooled structure of the conventional air-cooled charger-discharger, heat generated by the power supply units 3 is directly discharged to the internal (indoor) space. In addition, the temperature of the internal space rises due to the discharged heat, which necessitates additional air conditioning equipment. Furthermore, it is difficult to reduce the size because of the heat dissipation plate for cooling the power supply units 3.

[0022] In addition, the charge-discharge jigs 2 and the power supply units 3 are separately arranged and are far apart on opposite sides, so the length of the wiring connecting the charge-discharge jigs 2 and the power supply units 3 is as long as about 8 m, and heat generation caused by the long wiring is also a problem accordingly. Moreover, since the charge-discharge jigs 2 and the power supply units 3 are separately arranged on opposite sides, the power supply units 3 themselves are large in size, and the maintenance passage 4 is also included, the equipment density per the same area is reduced.

[0023] Referring to Fig. 2, the water-cooled charger-discharger according to the present invention includes a storage frame 10, a charge-discharge jig 20, a water-cooled power supply unit 30, a chiller 40, a water supply pipe 50, a drainage pipe 51, and the like. Most of these components can be made of metal or the like.

[0024] The storage frame 10 is a column that houses the charge / discharge jig 20 and the water-cooled power supply unit 30, and supports their weight. It may be divided into multiple spaces, and each storage space can house the charge / discharge jig 20 and the water-cooled power supply unit 30 together. The front and back of the storage frame 10, specifically the front and back of the storage spaces, can be opened. The storage frame 10 can be made of metal such as iron.

[0025] The size of each storage space is not particularly limited, but in order to reduce the installation area, the charging / discharging jig 20 and the water-cooled power supply unit 30 may be housed together, leaving some extra space. The number of storage spaces is also not particularly limited; for example, there may be two or more in the vertical direction as shown in Figure 2, or there may be about 5 to 15 in the vertical direction and about 3 to 9 in the horizontal direction as shown in Figure 11.

[0026] The charge / discharge jig 20 is for charging and discharging batteries, and can be a standard charge / discharge jig, or a charge / discharge jig that can accommodate multiple batteries and charge / discharge them simultaneously. The charge / discharge jig 20 can receive power by being connected to a water-cooled power supply unit 30 via wiring.

[0027] The water-cooled power supply unit 30 is for supplying power to the charge / discharge jig 20 and is characterized by being water-cooled. The water-cooled power supply unit 30 may be positioned above and / or below the charge / discharge jig 20. The water-cooled power supply unit 30 and the charge / discharge jig 20 may be in direct contact or positioned closely together or adjacent to each other with the horizontal frame 12 in between, and such an arrangement may be called an integrated type.

[0028] Compared to the conventional air-cooled structure shown in Figure 1, the water-cooled structure according to the present invention allows the charge / discharge jig 20 and the water-cooled power supply unit 30 to be housed integrally in the housing frame 10, thus reducing the overall installation area to approximately one-third of that of the conventional air-cooled structure. Furthermore, since heat sinks and the like are unnecessary, the size of the water-cooled power supply unit 30 itself can be reduced to approximately half that of the conventional air-cooled power supply unit. In addition, because the charge / discharge jig 20 and the water-cooled power supply unit 30 are arranged in close proximity or adjacent to each other, the length of the wiring connecting the charge / discharge jig 20 and the water-cooled power supply unit 30 can be shortened from approximately 8m in the conventional case to 1.5m or less.

[0029] The chiller 40 is for releasing the thermal energy generated from the water-cooled power supply unit 30 to the outside, particularly to an external cooling tower, and may be equipped with a normal refrigerant cycle and pumps to supply cooling water to the water-cooled power supply unit 30. The chiller 40 can be connected to the water-cooled power supply unit 30 via a water supply pipe 50 and a drain pipe 51, but if the chiller 40 is connected to multiple water-cooled power supply units 30, the water supply pipe 50 and the drain pipe 51 can be branched into multiple pipes.

[0030] Referring to Figures 3 to 7, condensation may occur in the water-cooled power supply unit 30 during heat dissipation by water cooling. However, in the present invention, a first fan 36 is provided in the water-cooled power supply unit 30 to prevent condensation. The internal air of the water-cooled power supply unit 30 can be circulated through the first fan 36 to maintain a constant temperature. Specifically, condensation may occur when the water-cooled power supply unit 30 is configured, but outside air enters from the output (wiring) part of the water-cooled power supply unit 30, and the first fan 36 is installed at the top and / or bottom of the water-cooled power supply unit 30 to create airflow and prevent condensation.

[0031] Referring to Figures 4, 6, and 7, the housing frame 10 may consist of multiple vertical frames 11 and multiple horizontal frames 12 to form multiple housing spaces. The vertical frames 11 are equipment outer shell columns and may be located at both ends when viewed from the front. Referring to Figure 4, the horizontal frames 12 may have multiple through-holes 13 through which air cooled inside the water-cooled power supply unit 30 can move to the charge / discharge jig 20. Each through-hole 13 may be located at the position of each first fan 36. The size of the through-holes 13 may be the same as or smaller than that of the first fan 36. The vertical frames 11 may not have any additional through-holes.

[0032] Referring to Figures 3 to 7, the charge / discharge jig 20 consists of a jig block 21, a gripper 22, a tray holder 23, a cell tray 24, a second fan 25, a temperature sensor 26, and the like. Referring to Figures 4 to 7, multiple charge / discharge jigs 20 can be stacked in multiple layers in a single storage space.

[0033] The jig blocks 21 may be positioned at both ends of the charge / discharge jig 20 and may be formed in a block shape.

[0034] The gripper 22 is for gripping the battery cell 70 and supplying power to the battery cell 70, and may also be described as a clip. The battery cell 70 may be a pouch-type battery cell. The gripper 22 may be located inside both jig blocks 21. The gripper 22 is divided into a positive electrode gripper 22a and a negative electrode gripper 22b, which are connected to the positive electrode cell tab 71a and the negative electrode cell tab 71b, respectively.

[0035] The tray support 23 supports the cell tray 24 and may be placed beneath the cell tray 24.

[0036] The cell tray 24 is where the battery cells 70 are placed and may be located above and / or below the battery cells 70. Referring to Figure 3, multiple battery cells 70 may be arranged vertically in the cell tray 24 at regular intervals. Referring to Figure 5, etc., the battery cell 70 may have a positive electrode cell tab 71a and a negative electrode cell tab 71b.

[0037] The second fan 25 is a cooling fan for releasing heat generated by the cell tab 71 to the outside and suppressing the temperature rise inside the battery cell 70, and may be positioned on the side of the charge / discharge jig 20, preferably multiple fans may be positioned on both sides of the charge / discharge jig 20. Also, referring to Figures 6 and 7, multiple second fans 25 may be positioned from the front to the rear. When multiple charge / discharge jigs 20 are stacked in multiple layers in a single storage space, the second fan 25 may be positioned between two adjacent charge / discharge jigs 20, for example, the second fan 25 may be provided between the first and second stage charge / discharge jigs 20 as shown.

[0038] The temperature sensor 26 is for measuring the temperature in the space where the charge / discharge jig 20 is located, and by measuring the temperature in the space within the jig and adjusting the speed of the first fan 36 in response to temperature changes, the jig space temperature can be adjusted and maintained. One or more temperature sensors 26 may be provided in appropriate locations, for example, on the jig 20 or the housing frame 10.

[0039] Referring to Figures 3 to 7, the water-cooled power supply unit 30 may be equipped with a first fan 36, output terminals 37a and 37b, wiring 38a, 38b, 38c, and 38d. Similar to the charge / discharge jig 20, multiple water-cooled power supply units 30 can be stacked in multiple layers in a single storage space. The external case of the water-cooled power supply unit 30 can be made of metal such as aluminum. The water-cooled power supply unit 30 can be in close contact with the horizontal frame 12 for cooling and air transfer. Also, referring to Figure 4, each water-cooled power supply unit 30 may be connected to a water supply pipe 50 to which chilled water is supplied from the chiller 40 and a drain pipe 51 to which hot water is discharged to the chiller 40 side.

[0040] The first fan 36 is a cooling fan for supplying air cooled inside the water-cooled power supply unit 30 to the charge / discharge jig 20. For this purpose, the water-cooled power supply unit 30 may include an empty space inside, the air in the empty space can be cooled by water cooling, and the cooled air can be released through the fan 36 into the space on the charge / discharge jig 20 side.

[0041] The first fan 36 is positioned adjacent to the cell tab 71 of the battery cell 70 and the gripper 22 of the charge / discharge jig 20, and can cool the cell tab 71 and the gripper 22. In this way, cooled air from the water-cooled power supply unit 30 can be supplied to the gripper 22 and cell tab 71 of the charge / discharge jig 20 to regulate the ambient temperature of the charge / discharge jig 20. The temperature sensor 26 measures the ambient temperature of the jig, and the speed of the fan 36 can be adjusted to maintain a constant temperature.

[0042] Referring to Figure 4, the water-cooled power supply unit 30 may be positioned above and below the charge / discharge jig 20, respectively, and the first fan 36 may be positioned below the upper water-cooled power supply unit 30 and above the lower water-cooled power supply unit 30. For example, the first fan 36 may be positioned at both corners of the water-cooled power supply unit 30 when viewed from the front, and as referring to Figures 6 and 7, multiple fans may be positioned from the front to the rear, but the position and number of the first fan 36 are not particularly limited.

[0043] The first fan 36 can create an upward and downward airflow to prevent condensation in the water-cooled power supply unit 30. Specifically, outside air enters the space where the output wiring of the water-cooled power supply unit 30 is connected, and the first fan 36 is used to create an airflow in the direction of the charge / discharge jig 20, thereby keeping the temperature of the space constant and preventing condensation in the water-cooled power supply unit 30.

[0044] Furthermore, the first fan 36 can supply air cooled by the water-cooled power supply unit 30 to the charging / discharging jig 20 space and the gripper 22 and cell tab 71 areas for cooling. During battery charging and discharging, the temperature of the cell tab 71 area is relatively high due to contact resistance, etc., but the first fan 36 in the water-cooled power supply unit 30 can cool the tab 71 area. For example, with respect to the multi-layer jig 20 illustrated in Figure 4, the fan 36 of the water-cooled power supply unit 30 positioned below can cool the tab 71 area of ​​the first stage jig 20, while the water-cooled power supply unit 30 positioned above can cool the tab 71 area of ​​the second stage jig 20 by positioning the first fan 36 in the opposite direction relative to the lower power supply unit.

[0045] Referring to Figure 4, the direction of airflow cooled by the water-cooled power supply unit 30 is indicated by arrows. The first fan 36 of the upper water-cooled power supply unit 30 blows air downward toward the jig 20, the first fan 36 of the lower water-cooled power supply unit 30 blows air upward toward the jig 20, and the second fans 25 located on both sides of the jig 20 can blow air horizontally toward the vertical frame 11. The vertical frame 11 has no other through holes, and the heat generated by the cell 70 (hot air) can be discharged to the wall surface of the vertical frame 11. Finally, air can be discharged from the open front and rear of the housing space.

[0046] Output terminals 37a and 37b are where the power is output, and as shown in Figures 6 and 7, multiple terminals can be arranged on both sides of the water-cooled power supply unit 30. They are divided into the anode (+) output terminal 37a in Figure 6 and the cathode (-) output terminal 37b in Figure 7. An empty space can be formed at the output area on the side of the water-cooled power supply unit 30.

[0047] Wirings 38a, 38b, 38c, and 38d are used to electrically connect the grippers 22 to the output terminals 37a and 37b. They are divided into the first wire 38a, which connects the first stage positive gripper 22a to the first stage positive output terminal 37a; the second wire 38b, which connects the second stage positive gripper 22a to the second stage positive output terminal 37a; the third wire 38c, which connects the first stage negative gripper 22b to the first stage negative output terminal 37b; and the fourth wire 38d, which connects the second stage negative gripper 22b to the second stage negative output terminal 37b. Multiple wires are composed depending on the number of grippers 22 and output terminals 37a and 37b.

[0048] Referring to Figure 8, the water-cooled power supply unit 30 may include a power module 31 and a cooling module 32. The power module 31 may have a low-profile hexahedron shape and may contain one or more power supplies. The cooling module 32 may have a lower-profile hexahedron shape than the power module 31, i.e., a thin plate shape (cooling plate form).

[0049] The power module 31 and the cooling module 32 may be arranged in close contact with each other for cooling efficiency. Specifically, the cooling module 32 may be arranged in close contact with at least one of the six faces of the hexahedral power module 31, preferably including the larger top and bottom faces. Furthermore, to increase the contact area, it is preferable that the cooling module 32 contacts the entire surface area of ​​one face of the power module 31.

[0050] Referring to Figure 9, the cooling module 32 may have an internal cooling water channel 33 through which cooling water supplied from the chiller 40 flows. The flow pattern of the cooling water channel 33 is not particularly limited, but preferably it may have a zigzag pattern as illustrated in the drawing to increase the residence time of the cooling water. Both ends of the cooling water channel 33 are connected to an inlet 34 and an outlet 35, respectively, and the inlet 34 and outlet 35 may be connected to a water supply pipe 50 and an outlet 51, respectively.

[0051] The water-cooled power supply unit 30 shown in Figures 8 and 9 is applicable to at least one embodiment among Figures 2 to 7, 10, and 11.

[0052] Referring to Figure 10, the charger / discharger according to the present invention may further include a cooling tower 60. The cooling tower 60 is for finally releasing the thermal energy generated from the water-cooled power supply unit 30 and may be connected to the chiller 40 via a water supply pipe 52 and a drain pipe 53, and can release the heat transferred from the chiller 40 to the outside. The cooling tower 60 is preferably installed outside to prevent the temperature of the interior (indoor) space from rising.

[0053] Referring to Figure 11, multiple charge / discharge jigs 20 and water-cooled power supply units 30 can be arranged in multiple stages in at least one of the vertical and horizontal directions. In the drawing, they are arranged in an array such as 5 to 15 rows and 3 to 9 columns, but the number of rows and columns is not limited thereto. At the bottom, one common chiller 40 is placed in each column and can be connected to multiple water-cooled power supply units 30 stacked vertically in that column. A single cooling tower 60 may be placed outside (outdoors) and connected to multiple chillers 40.

[0054] The configurations in Figures 10 and 11 may include at least one of the configurations in Figures 2 to 8.

[0055] The present invention aims to reduce ambient temperature deviations during charging and discharging by using a water-cooled structure. To achieve this, a water-cooled power supply unit is configured below the charging / discharging jig, and heat can be released to the outside space (cooling tower) using a chiller. Furthermore, the distance between the jig and the power supply unit is shortened, and the length of wiring can be reduced from the conventional approximately 8m to 1.5m or less. In addition, when the power supply unit is modularized, it can be operated independently or in parallel, and capacity can be easily expanded.

[0056] Compared to conventional air-cooled structures, the present invention reduces the size of the power supply unit by applying a water-cooling system, allowing it to be placed under the jig, etc. The number of cooling fans for cooling the power supply unit is reduced from approximately 24 in the conventional system to approximately 2, reducing the overall equipment size. The wiring length is reduced from approximately 8m in the conventional system to 1.5m or less. The temperature rise in the jig space due to wiring heat is suppressed, and the rise in indoor temperature is suppressed by releasing heat to an external cooling tower via a chiller. The temperature of the power supply unit can be adjusted to a constant temperature regardless of operation.

[0057] As described above, in the present invention, by applying a water-cooled chiller, the heat generated from the power supply unit is released to an external cooling tower, the rapid temperature rise during operation of the power supply unit is suppressed by supplying cooling water at a constant temperature, the effect of the internal space temperature rise due to the heat generated by the power supply unit during charging / discharging operations is fundamentally eliminated, and as an advantage obtained by shortening the length of wiring compared to the conventional technology, the effect of wiring is minimized even when the current capacity is high, the heat generated by the power supply unit is released to the outside, and the temperature deviation of the internal space can be improved in the future.

[0058] Furthermore, in this invention, condensation in the water-cooled power supply can be prevented by maintaining a constant temperature in the water-cooled power supply through a fan, and the jig can be cooled by supplying the cooled air from the power supply to the jig. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0059] 1, 10: Storage frame, 2, 20: Charge / discharge jig, 3: Power supply unit, 4: Maintenance passage, 11: Vertical frame, 12: Horizontal frame, 13: Through hole, 21: Jig block, 22: Gripper, 22a: Positive electrode gripper, 22b: Negative electrode gripper, 23: Tray holder, 24: Cell tray, 25: Second fan, 26: Temperature sensor, 30: Water-cooled power supply unit, 31: Power module, 32: Cooling module, 33: Cooling water passage, 34: Water inlet, 35: Drain outlet, 36: First fan, 37a, 37b: Output terminals, 38a, 38b, 38c, 38d: Wiring, 40: Chiller, 50, 52: Water inlet pipe, 51, 53: Drain pipe, 60: Cooling tower, 70: Battery cell, 71, 71a, 71b: Cell tab

Claims

1. A charge / discharge jig for charging and discharging batteries, A water-cooled power supply unit that supplies power to the aforementioned charge / discharge jig and is cooled by water, A first fan supplies cooled air from inside the water-cooled power supply unit to the charge / discharge jig, A charger / discharger that includes a charger / discharger.

2. The charger / discharger according to claim 1, wherein the first fan is positioned adjacent to the cell tabs of the battery and the grippers of the charge / discharge jig to cool the cell tabs and the grippers.

3. The charger / discharger according to claim 1, wherein the water-cooled power supply units are arranged above and below the charge / discharge jig, and the first fan is arranged below the upper water-cooled power supply unit and above the lower water-cooled power supply unit.

4. The charger / discharger according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature in the space in which the charge / discharge jig is located, and the speed of the first fan being adjusted according to the temperature.

5. The charge / discharge jig is further comprising a second fan positioned on its side, according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The water-cooled power supply unit is connected to a chiller via a water supply pipe and a drain pipe, and the chiller discharges the heat energy generated from the water-cooled power supply unit to the outside, The charger / discharger according to claim 1, further comprising a cooling tower connected to the chiller via the water supply pipe and the drain pipe.

7. The charger / discharger according to claim 1, wherein the water-cooled power supply unit includes a power module and a cooling module that is in contact with the power module and has a cooling water channel inside.

8. The charger / discharger according to claim 1, wherein multiple charge / discharge jigs and multiple water-cooled power supply units are arranged in multiple stages in at least one of the vertical and horizontal directions.

9. The charger / discharger according to claim 1, wherein the length of the wiring connecting the charge / discharge jig and the water-cooled power supply unit is 1.5 m or less.

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