Integrated cooling device and electric vehicle

Abstract

An integrated cooling device (1) and an electric vehicle. The integrated cooling device (1) is used for a battery pack (2) and a power distribution assembly (3). The battery pack (2) and the power distribution assembly (3) are located in the same layer. The integrated cooling device (1) comprises a cooling plate assembly. The cooling plate assembly comprises a battery cooling plate (12) and a power distribution cooling plate (13). The cooling plate assembly is adapted to be assembled on one side of the battery pack (2) and one side of the power distribution assembly (3). The battery cooling plate (12) is adapted to correspond to the battery pack (2) in position so as to take away heat emitted by the battery pack (2); and the power distribution cooling plate (13) is adapted to correspond to the power distribution assembly (3) in position so as to take away heat emitted by the power distribution assembly (3).

Description

Integrated cooling device and electric vehicle

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application is based on the Chinese patent application with application number 202322027268.1 and application date of July 28, 2023, and claims the priority of the above-mentioned Chinese patent application. The entire content of the above-mentioned Chinese patent application is hereby introduced into this application as a reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to an integrated cooling device for a battery pack and a power distribution assembly, and an electric vehicle using the integrated cooling device. Background Art

[0004] With the rapid development of new energy vehicles, the number of components inside the car that require power distribution and heat dissipation has increased significantly, which requires structural layout design of various heat-generating and distribution components to reduce the space they occupy while ensuring their heat dissipation effect.

[0005] In the prior art, there are cooling integrated devices for various combinations of different components such as valves, water pumps, water tanks, etc., and there are also cooling integrated devices for similar electrical components. However, the inventors of this application found in the process of realizing this application that there are no cooling integrated devices for different types of electrical components in the prior art.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present invention aims to solve one of the technical problems in the related art at least to a certain extent.

[0008] To this end, one object of the present invention is to provide an integrated cooling device.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide an electric vehicle.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present application, an integrated cooling device is provided for a battery pack and a power distribution assembly, wherein the battery pack and the power distribution assembly are arranged on the same layer, comprising:

[0011] A cooling plate assembly, comprising a battery cooling plate and a power distribution cooling plate;

[0012] The cooling plate assembly is suitable for being assembled on one side of the battery pack and the power distribution assembly. The battery cooling plate is suitable for corresponding to the position of the battery pack to take away the heat generated by the battery pack. The power distribution cooling plate is suitable for corresponding to the position of the power distribution assembly to take away the heat generated by the power distribution assembly.

[0013] According to the integrated cooling device of the embodiment of the present application, the battery pack and the power distribution assembly are arranged on the same layer on one side of the flat plate, and the battery cooling plate and the power distribution cooling plate are arranged in close contact on the other side of the flat plate. At the same time, the cold runner of the battery cooling plate is set at a position corresponding to the battery pack, and the cold runner of the power distribution cooling plate is set at a position corresponding to the power distribution assembly, so that the heat of the battery pack and the power distribution assembly is transferred to the battery cooling plate and the power distribution cooling plate through the flat plate, integrating the battery pack cooling system and the power distribution integrated cooling system into one, saving the occupied space and reducing the number of components used for cooling, while achieving rapid cooling of the battery pack and the power distribution assembly, ensuring the safe and efficient operation of key components of the circuit, and effectively reducing the overall operating cost.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present application, an electric vehicle is provided, comprising:

[0015] A battery pack and a power distribution assembly, wherein the battery pack is the power battery of the electric vehicle, and the power distribution assembly is the electric control system of the electric vehicle;

[0016] An integrated cooling device, wherein the integrated cooling device is the above-mentioned integrated cooling device.

[0017] According to the electric vehicle of the embodiment of the present application, the power battery and the electronic control system of the electric vehicle are centrally thermally managed through an integrated cooling device, and the power battery, the electronic control system and the integrated cooling device can be packaged together, which is beneficial to the space design of the vehicle.

[0018] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description which follows, or may be learned by practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG1 is an exploded view of an integrated cooling device according to an embodiment of the present application, a battery pack, and a power distribution assembly;

[0020] FIG2 is a partial enlarged view of the battery pack and the power distribution assembly in the embodiment of FIG1 ;

[0021] FIG3 is a partial enlarged schematic diagram of the flat plate, battery cooling plate and power distribution cooling plate in the embodiment of FIG1 ;

[0022] FIG4 is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of the inlet and outlet interfaces of the cooling channel in the embodiment of FIG1 ; and

[0023] FIG. 5 shows another arrangement of the inflow port and the outflow port in FIG. 4 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The following describes the specific implementation of the embodiment of the present application in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific implementation described herein is only used to illustrate and explain the embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the embodiment of the present application.

[0025] The integrated cooling device 1 of the present application is used for the integrated cooling of the battery pack 2 and the power distribution assembly 3. The assembly of one embodiment is shown in Figure 1. The integrated cooling device 1 of this embodiment and the battery pack 2, the power distribution assembly 3 and other auxiliary components are centrally arranged in the shell 6, so that the cooling systems of the battery pack 2 and the power distribution assembly 3 are integrated into one, saving the occupied space and reducing the number of components used for cooling.

[0026] The integrated cooling device 1 of the present application is used for a battery pack 2 and a power distribution assembly 3. The battery pack 2 and the power distribution assembly 3 are arranged on the same floor. The integrated cooling device 1 includes a cooling plate assembly, which includes a battery cooling plate 12 and a power distribution cooling plate 13. The cooling plate assembly is suitable for installation on one side of the battery pack 2 and the power distribution assembly 3. The battery cooling plate 12 is suitable for corresponding to the position of the battery pack 2 to remove heat generated by the battery pack 2. The power distribution cooling plate 13 is suitable for corresponding to the position of the power distribution assembly 3 to remove heat generated by the power distribution assembly 3.

[0027] Among them, the integrated cooling device 1 is used to exchange heat with the battery pack 2 and the power distribution assembly 3, the battery cooling plate 12 can exchange heat with the battery pack 2, and the power distribution cooling plate 13 can exchange heat with the power distribution assembly 3.

[0028] In order to further save space and quickly dissipate the heat generated by the battery pack 2 and / or the power distribution assembly 3 during operation, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG2 , the battery pack 2 and the power distribution assembly 3 are arranged on the same layer and fixed to one side of the integrated cooling device 1. At the same time, as shown in FIG2 , the integrated cooling device 1 may also include: a flat plate 11, one side of the flat plate 11 is used to fit and fix the battery pack 2 and the power distribution assembly 3, so that the heat of the heating elements of the power distribution assembly 3 and the battery pack 2 is transferred through the flat plate 11, and the cooling plate assembly is fitted and arranged on the other side of the flat plate 11. The battery pack 2 and the power distribution assembly 3 are arranged on the upper side of the flat plate 11 as shown in FIG3 (not shown), while the battery cooling plate 12 and the power distribution cooling plate 13 of the integrated cooling device 1 are fitted and arranged on the other side of the flat plate 11.

[0029] Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, one outer surface of the integrated cooling device 1 is preferably a smooth, flat surface (i.e., flat plate 11), to which the battery pack 2 and power distribution assembly 3 are preferably attached and fixed to facilitate heat transfer between the battery pack 2 and power distribution assembly 3. Simultaneously, the battery cooling plate 12 and power distribution cooling plate 13 are attached and positioned on the other side of flat plate 11, allowing the heat transferred from the flat plate 11 to be quickly removed through the cold flow channels on the battery cooling plate 12 and power distribution cooling plate 13.

[0030] Combining Figures 2 and 3, the position of the battery pack 2 in Figure 2 corresponds to the position of the battery cooling plate 12 in Figure 3, or the position of the cold runner of the battery cooling plate 12, to facilitate the removal of heat emitted by the battery pack 2. Similarly, the position of the power distribution assembly 3 in Figure 2 corresponds to the position of the cold runner of the power distribution cooling plate 13 in Figure 3, to facilitate the removal of heat emitted by the power distribution assembly 3.

[0031] In order to speed up the heat dissipation process, the battery cooling plate 12 and the power distribution cooling plate 13 can be cooled by liquid cooling or direct cooling, and the coolant in the cold flow channel can be a gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant or a refrigerant liquid.

[0032] In order to form a circulation channel for the coolant, the integrated cooling device of the present application may further include a thermal management component (not shown), which forms a closed and circulatory battery cooling channel and a distribution cooling channel with the cold flow channels of the battery cooling plate 12 and the distribution cooling plate 13 through the inflow interface and the outflow interface respectively. The arrangement of its interfaces can be as shown in Figure 3 or Figure 5. As an example, a battery cooling channel is formed with the battery cooling plate 12 through the first inflow interface 41 and the first outflow interface 51, and a distribution cooling channel is formed with the distribution cooling plate 13 through the second inflow interface 42 and the second outflow interface 52, so that the heat transferred by the flat plate 11 is taken out.

[0033] The common point of the arrangement of Figure 3 and Figure 5 is that the inlet interface of the cold runner of the battery cooling plate 12 and the inlet interface of the cold runner of the distribution cooling plate 13 are both arranged at one corner of the flat plate 11, and the outflow interface of the cold runner of the battery cooling plate 12 and the outflow interface of the cold runner of the distribution cooling plate 13 are both arranged at the other corner of the flat plate 11 away from the inflow interface, so that the high-temperature end of the cold runner of the battery cooling plate 12 and the high-temperature end of the cold runner of the distribution cooling plate 13 are on the same side, and at the same time, the low-temperature end of the cold runner of the battery cooling plate 12 and the low-temperature end of the cold runner of the distribution cooling plate 13 are on the same side.

[0034] As an example, the first inlet port 41 and the second inlet port 42 are both arranged at one corner position of the flat plate 11, and the first outlet port 51 and the second outlet port 52 are both arranged at another corner position of the flat plate 11 to avoid the coolant in the battery cooling channel and the power distribution cooling channel from affecting each other.

[0035] The difference between the arrangements shown in Figures 3 and 5 is that in Figure 3, the interfaces between the battery cooling plate 12 and the cold flow channel formed by the thermal management component, and the interfaces between the power distribution cooling plate 13 and the cold flow channel formed by the thermal management component, are integrated. That is, the interface for the flow inflow into the battery cooling plate 12 and the interface for the flow inflow into the power distribution cooling plate 13 are integrated into the integrated access port 4 in Figure 3, while the interface for the flow outflow from the battery cooling plate 12 and the interface for the flow outflow from the power distribution cooling plate 13 are integrated into the integrated access port 5 in Figure 3. In contrast, in the arrangement shown in Figure 5, both the input and output interfaces are single inflow / outflow interfaces. For example, the interface for the flow inflow into the battery cooling plate 12 is the first inflow interface 41 shown in Figure 5, the interface for the flow inflow into the power distribution cooling plate 13 is the second inflow interface 42, the interface for the flow outflow from the battery cooling plate 12 is the first outflow interface 51 shown in Figure 5, and the interface for the flow outflow from the power distribution cooling plate 13 is the second outflow interface 52.

[0036] As an example, the first inflow port 41 and the second inflow port 42 are integrated dual-port inlets 4, which receive low-temperature coolant from the thermal management component and direct it to the battery cooling channel and the power distribution cooling channel, respectively. Furthermore, the first outflow port 51 and the second outflow port 52 are integrated dual-port outlets 5, which respectively direct high-temperature coolant from the battery cooling channel and the power distribution cooling channel to the thermal management component.

[0037] It should be noted that the inlet and outlet ports only need to be positioned apart and are not limited to the designated corners shown in Figures 3 and 5. That is, if the position indicated by reference numeral 4 in Figure 3 is the inlet port, then the position indicated by reference numeral 5 is the outlet port; if the position indicated by reference numeral 4 in Figure 3 is the outlet port, then the position indicated by reference numeral 5 is the inlet port. Similarly, if reference numerals 41 and 42 in Figure 5 are the outlet ports, then reference numerals 51 and 52 in Figure 5 are the inlet ports.

[0038] Furthermore, the inflow / outflow interfaces of the battery cooling plate 12 and the power distribution cooling plate 13 can be single-channel independent interfaces or dual-channel integrated interfaces as shown in FIG4 . When the inflow / outflow interfaces are dual-channel integrated interfaces, their layout is shown in FIG3 ; when the inflow / outflow interfaces are single-channel independent interfaces, their layout is shown in FIG5 .

[0039] In some embodiments, the first inlet 41, the first outlet 51, the second inlet 42, and the second outlet 52 are fixed to the plate 11 by welding. Typically, to reserve sufficient space for the cold runners of the battery cooling plate 12 and the power distribution cooling plate 13, the first inlet 41, the first outlet 51, the second inlet 42, and the second outlet 52 are arranged on the side of the plate 11 facing away from the battery cooling plate 12, and preferably in a corner. Brazing is preferably used for the welding.

[0040] The thermal management component and the cold flow channel of the battery cooling plate 12 using direct cooling are connected by the inflow / outflow interface to form a battery cooling flow channel. The cooling process is as follows: the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant enters the battery direct cooling plate (i.e., the battery cooling plate 12) through the battery direct cooling joint (inflow interface), and the heat of the battery cells of the battery pack 2 is transferred to the flat plate 11 through heat conduction. The liquid refrigerant in the battery direct cooling plate absorbs heat and evaporates, and the heat is taken out through the flow of the refrigerant. The refrigerant flows out of the battery direct cooling plate through the battery direct cooling joint (outflow interface) and enters the cold flow channel in the thermal management component, thereby taking out the heat emitted by the battery cell.

[0041] If the battery cooling plate 12 is cooled by liquid cooling, then in the above cooling process, the refrigerant is replaced by coolant, and the battery direct cooling plate and battery direct cooling joint should be replaced by corresponding components suitable for liquid cooling.

[0042] Similar to the above-mentioned battery cooling channel, the power distribution cooling channel is formed by the cold channel of the thermal management component and the power distribution cooling plate 13 connected by the inlet / outlet interface. It can also adopt direct cooling or liquid cooling. Its work flow can also refer to the above-mentioned battery cooling channel work flow, which will not be repeated here.

[0043] It should be noted that the cooling channel of the battery cooling plate 12 should be designed according to the heat generation of the battery cells and distribution power components of the battery pack 2, and pass through the corresponding positions of the battery cells and distribution power components in sequence; at the same time, the cooling channel of the distribution cooling plate 13 should also be designed according to the heat generation of the heating elements of the distribution assembly 3, and pass through the corresponding positions of each heating element in sequence.

[0044] In some embodiments, the integrated cooling device 1 further includes a housing 6 , which is used to isolate the battery pack 2 , the power distribution assembly 3 , and the integrated cooling device 1 from the outside world to protect the operation safety of the integrated cooling device 1 .

[0045] In some embodiments, the integrated cooling device 1 further includes a tray 7 and transverse and longitudinal beams 8, as shown in FIG1 . Both are fixed to the housing 6 to provide support and reinforcement. Furthermore, the tray 7 and transverse and longitudinal beams 8 are fixed to the housing 6 and are used to support the flat panel 11, the battery cooling plate 12, and the power distribution cooling plate 13.

[0046] In some embodiments, the integrated inlet 4 and the integrated outlet 5 are fixed to the flat plate 11 by welding. Typically, to reserve sufficient space for the cold runners of the battery cooling plate 12 and the power distribution cooling plate 13, the integrated inlet 4 and the integrated outlet 5 are arranged on the side of the flat plate 11 facing away from the battery cooling plate 12, and preferably in a corner. Brazing is preferably used for welding.

[0047] In some embodiments, the battery cooling plate 12 and the power distribution cooling plate 13 are both molded, which are lightweight and quick to form; the flat plate 11 is directly cut, and the flat plate 11 is in close contact with the battery pack 2 and the power distribution assembly 3 to facilitate heat conduction.

[0048] Compared with the prior art, the technical advantages of the integrated cooling device of this embodiment are:

[0049] (1) The battery pack cooling system is integrated with the power distribution integrated cooling system, saving space and reducing the number of components used for cooling;

[0050] (2) The battery pack 2 and the power distribution assembly 3 are arranged on the same layer and are respectively fixed to one side of the flat plate 11, which is conducive to heat conduction; the arrangement and design of the cooling channels of the battery cooling plate 12 and the power distribution cooling plate 13 are conducive to the rapid dissipation of heat, while achieving rapid cooling of the battery pack 2 and the power distribution assembly 3, ensuring the safe and efficient operation of key components of the circuit;

[0051] (3) The heating elements of the battery pack 2 and the power distribution assembly 3 are centrally managed by thermal management components, further reducing the number of parts, improving space utilization, and reducing overall costs.

[0052] An embodiment of the present application provides an electric vehicle including an integrated cooling device 1 of the present application. The electric vehicle comprises the integrated cooling device 1, a battery pack 2, and a power distribution assembly 3. The power distribution assembly 3 is the electric vehicle's electronic control system, and the battery pack 2 is the electric vehicle's power battery. The integrated cooling device 1 is the aforementioned integrated cooling device 1.

[0053] The power battery and the electronic control system of the electric vehicle are centrally thermally managed through the integrated cooling device 1 of the present application, and the power battery, the electronic control system and the integrated cooling device 1 can be packaged together, which is beneficial to the space design of the vehicle.

[0054] It should also be noted that the terms "comprises," "includes," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, commodity, or apparatus that includes a series of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or includes elements inherent to such process, method, commodity, or apparatus. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprises a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, commodity, or apparatus that includes the element.

[0055] The above are merely embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various changes and variations. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application should all be included within the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. An integrated cooling device (1), used for a battery pack (2) and a power distribution assembly (3), wherein the battery pack (2) and the power distribution assembly (3) are arranged on the same layer, wherein: include: A cooling plate assembly, the cooling plate assembly comprising a battery cooling plate (12) and a power distribution cooling plate (13); The cooling plate assembly is suitable for being assembled on one side of the battery pack (2) and the power distribution assembly (3); the battery cooling plate (12) is suitable for corresponding to the position of the battery pack (2) to take away the heat generated by the battery pack (2); the power distribution cooling plate (13) is suitable for corresponding to the position of the power distribution assembly (3) to take away the heat generated by the power distribution assembly (3).

2. The integrated cooling device (1) according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: a flat plate (11); One side of the flat plate (11) is used to fit and fix the battery pack (2) and the power distribution assembly (3) so that the heat of the heating element of the power distribution assembly (3) and the battery pack (2) is transferred through the flat plate (11), and the cooling plate assembly is arranged in a fit on the other side of the flat plate (11).

3. The integrated cooling device (1) according to claim 2, wherein: It also includes a heat management component, which forms a battery cooling flow channel with the battery cooling plate (12) through a first inflow interface (41) and a first outflow interface (51), and forms a power distribution cooling flow channel with the power distribution cooling plate (13) through a second inflow interface (42) and a second outflow interface (52), so that the heat transferred by the plate (11) can be taken out.

4. The integrated cooling device (1) according to claim 3, wherein: The first inflow interface (41) and the second inflow interface (42) are both arranged at one corner position of the plate (11), and the first outflow interface (51) and the second outflow interface (52) are both arranged at another corner position of the plate (11), so as to avoid mutual influence between the coolant of the battery cooling channel and the power distribution cooling channel.

5. The integrated cooling device (1) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein: The first inflow interface (41), the first outflow interface (51), the second inflow interface (42), and the second outflow interface (52) are all welded to the flat plate (11), and are arranged on a side of the flat plate (11) facing away from the battery cooling plate (12).

6. The integrated cooling device (1) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein: The first inflow interface (41) and the second inflow interface (42) are integrated access ports (4) with dual interfaces, and coolant in a low temperature state is connected from the thermal management component and introduced into the battery cooling channel and the power distribution cooling channel respectively through the integrated access ports (4) with dual interfaces; and The first outflow interface (51) and the second outflow interface (52) are integrated outlets (5) with dual interfaces, respectively conducting high-temperature coolant from the battery cooling channel and the power distribution cooling channel to the thermal management component.

7. The integrated cooling device (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein: It also includes a shell (6) for isolating the battery pack (2), the power distribution assembly (3), and the integrated cooling device (1) from the outside world to protect the safe operation of the integrated cooling device.

8. The integrated cooling device (1) according to claim 7, wherein: It also includes a tray (7) fixed to the shell (6) and used to support the flat plate (11), the battery cooling plate (12) and the power distribution cooling plate (13).

9. The integrated cooling device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The battery cooling plate (12) and the power distribution cooling plate (13) are cooled by liquid cooling or direct cooling, and the coolant used is a gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant or a refrigerant liquid.

10. An electric vehicle, wherein: include: A battery pack (2) and a power distribution assembly (3), wherein the battery pack (2) is a power battery of the electric vehicle, and the power distribution assembly (3) is an electric control system of the electric vehicle; An integrated cooling device (1), wherein the integrated cooling device (1) is the integrated cooling device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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