Insert type battery cooling system and cooling block

Abstract

The present invention relates to a battery insertable cooling system, and more specifically, to a battery insertable cooling system that can improve battery cooling efficiency by increasing the contact area between the battery cell and the cooling block by configuring the shape of the battery cooling block in a form that inserts the battery.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery insertable cooling system, and more specifically, to a battery insertable cooling system that can improve battery cooling efficiency by increasing the contact area between the battery cell and the cooling block by configuring the shape of the battery cooling block in a form that inserts the battery. Background Technology

[0002] Vehicles currently use fossil energy such as petroleum as a power source; however, as fossil energy reserves are gradually decreasing and cause environmental pollution due to exhaust gases, electric vehicles that use electricity as a power source are being developed.

[0003] The structure of a battery used in an electric vehicle typically consists of a plurality of battery cells composed of lithium-ion secondary batteries, a battery module in which a plurality of said battery cells are connected, and a plate-shaped battery pack formed by connecting said battery modules in series and / or parallel.

[0004] Since battery modules generate heat during charging or discharging, electric vehicles typically include a battery cooling system alongside the battery, and this system is designed to allow the flow of cooling fluid. The cooling fluid absorbs the heat emitted by the battery module to regulate its temperature.

[0005] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating a conventional battery cooling system. Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional battery cooling system is configured such that a cooling block is positioned on the lower side of a plate-shaped battery pack in which a plurality of battery cells are connected, thereby absorbing heat from the upper side of the battery pack.

[0006] Here, the cooling efficiency of the battery pack is poor because the contact area between the battery pack and the cooling block is limited to the area of ​​the lower side of the battery pack. To cope with the increased density and heat generation of electric vehicle batteries through continuous future research and development, it is required to introduce a cooling system with a structure that expands the contact area between the battery pack and the cooling block.

[0007] Furthermore, conventional battery cooling systems cool based on the bottom surface, which can lead to large temperature variations within the battery cells due to their low thermal conductivity. Such temperature variations within the battery cells can result in reduced charging and discharging efficiency.

[0008] Therefore, there is a need to develop a battery cooling system that solves the aforementioned problem and provides sufficient cooling performance by implementing a structural design that increases the contact area between the battery cell and the cooling block. Prior art literature

[0009] Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-2269252 Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-2269290 The problem to be solved

[0010] The present invention has been devised to solve the aforementioned problems, and the objective of the present invention is to provide a battery insertable cooling system that improves the cooling performance of a battery cell by increasing the contact area between the battery cell and the cooling block.

[0011] In addition, the objective of the present invention is to provide a battery insertable cooling system capable of reducing temperature variations within a battery cell by cooling the battery cell in various directions. means of solving the problem

[0012] A battery insertable cooling system according to one embodiment of the present invention may include: a cooling block having a straight slot formed therein; a plurality of battery cells disposed in the slot; a heat transfer member interposed between the cooling block and the battery cells; and a support plate located below the cooling block to fix the cells.

[0013] In one embodiment, the cooling block may have a plurality of slots formed therein.

[0014] In one embodiment, the cooling block may be provided with a space inside through which the cooling fluid can move.

[0015] In one embodiment, the cooling block may have an inlet through which a cooling fluid passes; and an outlet.

[0016] In one embodiment, the battery cell may be composed of a cylindrical battery cell.

[0017] In one embodiment, the heat transfer member may be composed of a thermally conductive material.

[0018] In one embodiment, the support plate may be composed of an electrically insulating material.

[0019] In one embodiment, the support plate may have a plurality of openings into which the battery cell is inserted.

[0020] A battery insertable cooling block according to one embodiment of the present invention may include: a main body having a certain plate shape; a slot formed on the inner side of the main body; an inlet for introducing a cooling fluid into the interior of the main body; and an outlet for discharging the cooling fluid to the outside of the main body.

[0021] In one embodiment, the main body may be provided with a space inside through which the cooling fluid can move.

[0022] In one embodiment, the slot may be formed in a straight line and may be composed of a plurality of slots.

[0023] In one embodiment, the slot accommodates a plurality of battery cells inside, and the battery cells can be cooled by the cooling fluid flowing inside the main body.

[0024] A battery insertable cooling block according to another embodiment of the present invention may include: a main body having a certain plate shape; a slot formed inside the main body; a heat transfer member disposed inside the slot; an inlet for introducing a cooling fluid into the main body; and an outlet for discharging the cooling fluid to the outside of the main body.

[0025] In another embodiment, the heat transfer member may have a plurality of openings formed therein.

[0026] In another embodiment, the heat transfer member may be fitted with a battery cell inserted into the opening. Effects of the invention

[0027] According to the present invention, by increasing the contact area between the battery cell and the cooling block, the cooling performance of the battery cell can be improved.

[0028] In addition, according to the present invention, cooling the battery cell in various directions can have the effect of reducing the temperature variation inside the battery cell. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0029] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a conventional battery cooling system. FIG. 2 is an exploded view illustrating the configuration of a battery insertable cooling system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating a battery cell inserted into a battery insertable cooling system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating the structure of a battery insertable cooling block according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0030] The detailed description of the present invention is intended to fully explain the invention to those skilled in the art. Throughout the specification, when a part is described as “comprising” a certain component or “featuring” a certain structure and shape, this does not mean that other components are excluded or other structures and shapes are excluded unless specifically stated otherwise, but rather that other components, structures, and shapes may be included.

[0031] The present invention is capable of various modifications and may have various embodiments, and specific embodiments are presented and described in detail in the detailed description. However, this is not intended to limit the scope of the invention by the embodiments, and it should be understood that it includes all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0033] Battery Insertable Cooling System

[0034] FIG. 2 is an exploded view illustrating the configuration of a battery insertable cooling system (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating a form in which a battery cell (20) is inserted into the battery insertable cooling system (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the battery insertable cooling system (100) may be largely composed of a cooling block (10), a battery cell (20), a heat transfer member (30), and a support plate (40). The description of each component and detailed configuration is as follows.

[0036] The cooling block (10) may be composed of a flat plate housing. Here, the cooling block (10) may be composed of a housing having a space inside through which a cooling fluid can move.

[0037] In one embodiment, the cooling block (10) may have a plurality of straight slots (11) formed therein. Here, the slots (11) are configured to extend in a certain direction with a certain width and can form a space capable of accommodating a battery cell (20) to be described later.

[0038] In one embodiment, the cooling block (10) may have an inlet (13) and an outlet (14) formed therein so that a cooling fluid can pass through it. The inlet (13) and the outlet (14) may be configured as openings of a certain size, and it is preferable that they be formed on surfaces facing each other so that the cooling fluid can circulate and be discharged inside the cooling block (10).

[0040] The battery cell (20) can be composed of a lithium-ion battery, which is commonly used in electric vehicles. Here, the battery cell (20) can be configured in a cylindrical or prismatic shape.

[0041] In one embodiment, it should be noted that the battery cell (20) may be placed within the slot (11) of the cooling block (10), and that it is sufficient if it is placed within the slot (11), and that the shape of the battery cell (20) is not limited to any particular configuration.

[0043] The heat transfer member (30) is interposed between the cooling block (10) and the battery cell (20) and performs the role of transferring heat emitted from the battery cell (20) to the outside and to the cooling block (10). To perform this role, the heat transfer member (30) may be composed of a thermally conductive material. Here, the thermally conductive material may include a metal material such as aluminum with excellent thermal conductivity, a thermally conductive polymer composition, and a carbon composite such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, or graphite.

[0044] In one embodiment, the heat transfer member (30) may serve to fill the remaining space where the battery cell (20) is not placed inside the slot (11). Here, the heat transfer member (30) may be configured to fill all the remaining space of the slot (11) so that no empty space is formed between the cooling block (10) and the battery cell (20) in order to increase heat transfer efficiency.

[0046] The support plate (40) serves to secure the battery cell (20) placed in the slot (11). To perform this role, the support plate (40) may include a plurality of openings into which the battery cell (20) can be inserted and may be located at the bottom of the cooling block (10). Here, the battery cell (20) can be inserted into the opening formed in the support plate (40) and fitted together.

[0047] In one embodiment, the support plate (40) may be made of an electrically insulating material to prevent leakage of the battery cell (20). Here, the electrically insulating material may include a polymer material such as rubber or plastic.

[0049] In one embodiment, each component of the battery insertable cooling system (100) described above can be assembled by fitting without connecting members such as screws or bolts, thereby having excellent manufacturability and assembly.

[0051] Battery Insertable Cooling Block

[0052] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a battery insertable cooling block (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, the battery insertable cooling block (10) may be composed of a slot (11), a main body (12), an inlet (13), and an outlet (14). The description of each of the above components is as follows.

[0054] The main body (12) is formed in a certain plate shape and may be configured as a housing having a certain space inside through which the cooling fluid can move so that the cooling fluid flows in a horizontal direction.

[0056] The slots (11) can be formed in a linear fashion on the inner side of the main body (12). Here, the slots (11) can be formed in a size capable of accommodating multiple battery cells of various shapes, such as cylindrical or rectangular.

[0057] In one embodiment, a plurality of battery cells accommodated inside the slot (11) can be cooled by a cooling fluid flowing inside the main body (12).

[0059] The inlet (13) and the outlet (14) serve to allow cooling fluid to flow into and out of the main body (12), and for this purpose, they are configured to be open in a certain size and can be formed on each of the surfaces facing each other of the main body (12).

[0060] In one embodiment, a cooling fluid may be introduced into the main body (12) through an inlet (13) formed on one side of the main body, pass through the slots (11) to absorb heat from the battery cells placed inside the slots (11), and be discharged through an outlet (14) formed on the other side of the main body.

[0061] A battery insertable cooling block (10) according to another embodiment of the present invention may further include a heat transfer member (30) disposed inside a slot (11).

[0062] In one embodiment, the heat transfer member (30) may have a plurality of openings formed therein, and a battery cell may be inserted into the openings and fitted together. Here, the heat transfer member (30) serves as a heat transfer medium between the battery cell and the main body (12), and for this purpose, it may be composed of a metal material such as aluminum with excellent thermal conductivity, a thermally conductive polymer composition, and a carbon composite such as graphene, carbon nanotube, or graphite.

[0064] Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments above, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and changes can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the following claims. Explanation of the symbols

[0065] 100: Battery-insertable cooling system 10: Cooling block 11: Slot 12: Main body 13: Inlet 14: Outlet 20: Battery cell 30: Heat transfer member 40: Support plate

Claims

Claim 1 A battery insertable cooling system comprising: a cooling block having a straight slot formed therein; a plurality of battery cells disposed in the slot; a heat transfer member interposed between the cooling block and the battery cells; and a support plate located below the cooling block to fix the cells, wherein the cooling block comprises a main body having an internal space formed therein for a cooling fluid to flow in a horizontal direction, an inlet formed on one side, and an outlet formed on the other side. Claim 2 A battery insertable cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the cooling block is characterized by having a plurality of slots formed therein. Claim 3 delete Claim 4 delete Claim 5 A battery insertable cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the battery cell is composed of a cylindrical battery cell. Claim 6 A battery-insertable cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the heat transfer member is composed of a thermally conductive material. Claim 7 A battery insertable cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the support plate is composed of an electrically insulating material. Claim 8 A battery insertion type cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the support plate is characterized by having a plurality of openings formed therein into which the battery cell is inserted. Claim 9 A battery insertable cooling block characterized by comprising: a main body formed in a fixed plate shape and having a space formed therein through which a cooling fluid can move so that the cooling fluid flows in a horizontal direction; a slot formed on the inner side of the main body; an inlet formed on one side of the main body for introducing a cooling fluid into the interior; and an outlet formed on the other side of the main body for discharging the cooling fluid to the outside. Claim 10 delete Claim 11 A battery insertable cooling block according to claim 9, characterized in that the slot is formed in a straight line and consists of a plurality of slots. Claim 12 A battery insertable cooling block according to claim 9, wherein the slot accommodates a plurality of battery cells internally, and the battery cells are cooled by the cooling fluid flowing inside the main body. Claim 13 A battery insertable cooling block characterized by comprising: a main body formed in a fixed plate shape and having a space formed therein through which a cooling fluid can move so that the cooling fluid flows in a horizontal direction; a slot formed on the inner side of the main body; a heat transfer member disposed inside the slot; an inlet formed on one side of the main body for introducing a cooling fluid into the interior; and an outlet formed on the other side of the main body for discharging the cooling fluid to the exterior. Claim 14 In claim 13, the above-mentioned heat transfer member is a battery-insertable cooling block characterized by having a plurality of openings formed therein. Claim 15 In claim 14, the above-mentioned heat transfer member is a battery insertable cooling block characterized by having a battery cell inserted into the opening and fitted therein.

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