Structure that increases battery module cooling plate performance

Abstract

The invention relates to a pin and / or plate type structure that can be easily installed, which increases the efficiency of the cooling plate that provides cooling of the battery modules used in electric vehicles, which ensures a homogeneous heat distribution inside the battery pack, which reduces battery aging by preventing the batteries in the module from overheating, and which increases the efficiency of the cooling plate.

Description

[0001] STRUCTURE THAT INCREASES BATTERY MODULE COOLING PLATE PERFORMANCE

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The invention relates to a pin and / or plate type structure that can be easily installed, which increases the efficiency of the cooling plate that provides cooling of the battery modules used in electric vehicles, which ensures a homogeneous heat distribution inside the battery pack, which reduces battery aging by preventing the batteries in the module from overheating, and which increases the efficiency of the cooling plate.

[0004] PRIOR ART

[0005] Electric vehicles are increasing their share in the market day by day, and investment in their technology is increasing. Batteries, which are energy sources, are one of the most important components of electric cars. In addition to being the most important factor determining the range and performance of the vehicle, its lifespan also stands out as the biggest factor in the cost of the vehicle. Among existing battery technologies, Li-ion batteries are widely preferred in existing electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles due to their many advantages such as high specific energy, low weight, and long service life. However, it is generally accepted that devices using Li-ion batteries in the past have risks due to heating problems during operation. Operating the battery in a temperature range higher or lower than the manufacturer's recommended temperature range may cause cell damage and thermal defects. This may affect the operating performance, capacity, and life of the batteries, and may cause the cell to overheat and catch fire or explode. Due to this reason, for the efficient and long-lasting life of the batteries, cooling systems should be kept in the temperature range that is specified.

[0006] In the known art, battery modules used in electric vehicles are cooled by two cooling systems: Air cooling systems using a fan and liquid cooling systems using a cooling plate. Fan air cooling systems are a type of cooling created by taking air from the external environment into the battery pack, thanks to the ventilation channels on the sides of the battery casing. In air cooling systems, air flow rate, flow path, and placement of ventilation ducts next to the battery packs are the issues that directly affect the cooling performance. Fan cooling is not sufficient to cool the battery pack, especially in summer months or hot climate conditions.

[0007] Liquid cooling systems that use a cooling plate become more useful in hot weather conditions. In some of the liquid cooled battery packs, cooling plates can be placed between, under, or above the battery cells. Cooling fluid is passed through these plates and heat is transferred by contact of the battery cells with the plate and then the cells are cooled. The advantages of using liquid cooling in electric vehicles are the high thermal conductivity of the cooling liquid, its ability to keep the battery in the optimum operating temperature range in all climatic conditions due to its high heat transfer coefficient, its compactness, and the fact that the battery pack takes up less space compared to the air-cooling system. For a liquid cooling system, the number of channels, inlet mass flow rate, flow direction, and channel width can be considered as important factors affecting its efficiency. Due to their structure, battery cells cannot heat up and cool down homogeneously. A heat distribution occurs within the cell. This causes the temperatures of the battery cells to be distributed differently in terms of the volume of the casing. In known liquid cooling systems, homogeneous cooling cannot be achieved because the cooling plates are not able to distribute heat within the cells properly. Failure to ensure homogeneous heat distribution causes premature aging of battery cells and loss of performance.

[0008] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The invention relates to a pin and / or plate type structure that provides a homogeneous distribution of heat into the battery cells and thus provides homogeneous cooling in the liquid cooling system used in batteries of electric vehicles. The system subject to the invention has a structure that will facilitate the transfer of heat by the cooling plates to the cells and ensure homogeneous cooling. This structure includes a pin and / or plate type structure with various cross-sectional shapes that contact the cooling plate and ensure homogeneous distribution of heat within the battery cells. This pin and / or plate type structure can be applied to battery modules containing any battery type, whether cylindrical or pouch / prismatic type, with the possibility of easy assembly. The pin and / or plate type structure comes into contact with any type of cooling plate, ensuring homogeneous cooling of the batteries not only the parts that the cooling plate comes into contact with, but also the parts that it cannot contact. LIST OF FIGURES

[0010] Figure 1. Schematic View of the Battery Cooling Module and Cooling Plate Used in the Prior Art

[0011] Figure 2. Schematic View Showing the Pin and / or Plate Type Structure of the Invention Integrated into the Standard Battery Cooling Plate

[0012] Figure 3. Schematic View Showing the Position of the Pin and / or Plate Type Structure Subject to the Invention, Integrated into the System in addition to the Standard Battery Cooling Plate, within the Battery Package

[0013] Figure 4. Exploded View of the Mounting Set Showing the Pin and / or Plate Type Structure of the Invention Integrated into the Standard Battery Cooling Plate Figure 5. General View of the Mounting Set Showing the Pin and / or Plate Type Structure of the Invention Integrated into the Standard Battery Cooling Plate Figure 6. A-A Cross Section View Showing the Placement of the Pin and / or Plate Type Structure Subject to the Invention, Integrated into the System in addition to the Standard Battery Cooling Plate, within the Battery Package and the Contact Surface it Creates

[0014] Correspondence of the Numbers Shown in the Figures

[0015] 1 . Battery module casing

[0016] 2. Battery cells

[0017] 3. Cooling plate

[0018] 4. Pin and / or plate type structure

[0019] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The invention is based on battery cells (2) that provide efficient cooling by transferring the heat within the battery cells (2) placed within the battery module casing (1 ) homogeneously to the cooling plate (3), and the heat of the cooling plate (3) to the battery cells (2) homogeneously. It is characterized by a pin and / or plate type structure (4) placed between the cooling plate (3) in contact with the cooling plate (3).

[0021] The invention relates to the structure introduced to solve the homogeneous cooling problem experienced in liquid cooling systems used to cool battery modules used in electric vehicles and energy storage systems. In batteries using a liquid cooling system, battery modules basically consist of a battery module casing (1 ), battery cells (2) electrically connected in parallel and / or series within the battery module casing (1 ), and a cooling plate (3) used to cool these batteries. The battery cells (2) are placed inside the battery module casing (1 ) and the cooling plate (3) is placed on this casing in such a way that it touches one surface of the battery cells (2). Thanks to the cooling liquid circulated through the cooling plate (3), the battery cells (1 ) are cooled by heat transfer from the surface in contact with them. In this liquid system, since heat transfer starts from the surface of the battery cells (2) in contact with the cooling plate (3), the cooling performance decreases as the distance from the contact surface increases and homogeneous cooling cannot be achieved. Our invention consists of pin and / or plate type structures (4) that form a three-dimensional contact surface with battery cells (2) that work in contact with the battery cooling plate (3). These structures can be manufactured either separately from the cooling plate (3) or as a single piece. Pin and / or plate type structures (4) consisting of different geometries enter the gaps between each other inside the battery cells (2) and the heat in the cooling plate (3) is delivered homogeneously to all parts of the battery cells (2) to provide the widest contact surface. In this way, battery packs are cooled much better. These pin and / or plate type structures (4) are extending structures consisting of various complex shapes located between the battery cells (1 ) and working by contact with the cooling plate (3). Its purpose is to carry the heat from the cooling plate (3) into the battery pack. These pin structures (4) are suitable for use in pouch, radial, and prismatic battery cells of different geometries (1 ). The pin and / or plate type structure (4) contains at least one of the different geometric forms such as star, twist, cylindrical, rectangular, quadrangular, trapezoidal, and prism. The pin and / or plate type structure (4) can be integrated into the cooling plate (3) or can be adapted with an additional structure to the cooling plates (3) that do not already contain the pin and / or plate type structure (4).

Claims

CLAIMS1. It is a structure that increases the cooling efficiency to be used in the liquid systems used in the batteries of electric vehicles and ensures homogeneous distribution of heat, it is characterized by; a pin and / or plate type structure (4) provides efficient and homogeneous cooling by transferring the heat within the battery cells (2) placed inside the battery module casing (1 ) to the cooling plate (3), and the heat of the cooling plate (3) to the battery cells (2), a pin and / or plate type structure (4) that is placed in the spaces between the battery cells (2) in a way that increases the contact surface and in contact with the cooling plate (3) or can be produced together with the cooling plate (3).

2. It is the pin and / or plate type structure (4) mentioned in Claim 1 , it is characterized by; the structure is containing at least one of different geometric forms such as star, twist, cylindrical, rectangular, quadrangular, trapezoidal and prism, suitable for use in battery cells (1 ) of both radial and different geometries.

3. It is the pin and / or plate type structure (4) mentioned in Claim 1 , it is characterized by; being integral and / or independent of the cooling plate (3).

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