Thermal management system, battery pack, and thermal management method

Abstract

The present application discloses a thermal management system, a battery pack, and a thermal management method. The thermal management system comprises: a first circuit in communication with a second circuit, wherein the first circuit is a cooling-medium circulation circuit inside a battery pack, the second circuit is a cooling-medium circulation circuit outside the battery pack, and the first circuit and the second circuit form a total circuit; and a switching device, arranged in the total circuit, and used to block the second circuit and connect the first circuit when the battery pack is abnormal. In this way, when the battery pack has thermal runaway, the temperature inside the battery pack can be reduced to avoid thermal propagation, thereby improving the safety of the battery pack.

Description

Thermal management system, battery pack and thermal management method

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202410175754.4, filed on February 7, 2024, entitled “Thermal management system, battery pack and thermal management method,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to a thermal management system, a battery pack, and a thermal management method. Background Art

[0004] When thermal runaway occurs in a battery pack, if it is not handled in a timely manner, it may cause heat diffusion. Once diffusion occurs, serious secondary disasters may occur.

[0005] Therefore, a solution that can improve the safety of battery packs is needed. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present application provides a thermal management system, a battery pack, and a thermal management method, which can cool the interior of the battery pack when thermal runaway occurs in the battery pack, thereby improving the safety of the battery pack.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present application provides a thermal management system, comprising: a first circuit, the first circuit being connected to a second circuit, the first circuit being a cooling medium circulation circuit inside the battery pack, the second circuit being a cooling medium circulation circuit outside the battery pack, the first circuit and the second circuit forming a total circuit; a switching device, arranged in the total circuit, for blocking the second circuit and connecting the first circuit when the battery pack is abnormal.

[0008] Therefore, the on-off device can block the cooling medium circulation loop outside the battery pack and only connect the cooling medium circulation loop inside the battery pack when the battery pack is abnormal. This can cool the inside of the battery pack when thermal runaway occurs, avoid heat diffusion, and improve the safety of the battery pack.

[0009] In some embodiments, the thermal management system further includes: a control unit electrically connected to the on-off device, configured to control the on-off device to block the second circuit and connect the first circuit when the battery pack is abnormal.

[0010] In this way, the on-off device can be precisely controlled by the control unit.

[0011] In some embodiments, the thermal management system also includes: a monitoring unit, electrically connected to the control unit, for monitoring the status of the battery pack and sending the status of the battery pack to the control unit; the control unit is used to control the on-off device to block the second circuit and connect the first circuit when the status of the battery pack indicates that the battery pack is abnormal.

[0012] In this way, the status of the battery pack can be monitored in real time by the monitoring unit, so that when the battery pack is abnormal, the control unit can promptly control the on-off device to block the second circuit and connect the first circuit.

[0013] In some embodiments, the on-off device includes: a first pressure-driven component, which is arranged at the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit.

[0014] In this way, by setting the first pressure driving component at the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit, the first pressure driving component can block the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit when the pressure in the total circuit is less than the second threshold, thereby simplifying the system structure.

[0015] In some embodiments, the on-off device further includes: a second pressure driving component, which is arranged on the circuit section between the cooling medium inlet of the first circuit and the cooling medium outlet of the first circuit.

[0016] In this way, by setting a second pressure driving component on the loop section between the cooling medium inlet of the first loop and the cooling medium outlet of the first loop, the second pressure driving component can connect the loop section between the cooling medium inlet of the first loop and the cooling medium outlet of the first loop when the pressure in the total loop is less than the second threshold value, thereby more precisely controlling the on and off of the loop.

[0017] In some embodiments, the on-off device includes: a first temperature driving component, which is arranged at the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit.

[0018] In this way, by setting the first temperature driving component at the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit, the first temperature driving component can block the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit when the temperature in the total circuit is greater than the third threshold, thereby simplifying the system structure.

[0019] In some embodiments, the on-off device further includes: a second temperature driving component, which is arranged on the circuit section between the cooling medium inlet of the first circuit and the cooling medium outlet of the first circuit.

[0020] In this way, by setting a second temperature driving component on the loop section between the cooling medium inlet of the first loop and the cooling medium outlet of the first loop, the second temperature driving component can connect the loop section between the cooling medium inlet of the first loop and the cooling medium outlet of the first loop when the temperature in the total loop is greater than the third threshold value, thereby more finely controlling the on and off of the loop.

[0021] In some embodiments, the thermal management system further includes: a cooling medium circulation drive device, which is arranged in the main circuit.

[0022] In this way, the cooling medium circulation can be driven by the cooling medium circulation driving device to cool the inside and / or outside of the battery pack to prevent the spread of thermal runaway.

[0023] In some embodiments, the thermal management system further includes: a power module electrically connected to the on-off device.

[0024] In this way, by arranging the power module to be electrically connected to the switching device, power can be supplied to the switching device.

[0025] In some embodiments, the thermal management system further includes: a power module electrically connected to the cooling medium circulation drive device.

[0026] In this way, by arranging the power supply module to be electrically connected to the cooling medium circulation driving device, power can be supplied to the cooling medium circulation driving device.

[0027] In some embodiments, the power supply module includes: a first power supply, electrically connected to the first end of the voltage conversion device; a voltage conversion device, the second end of the voltage conversion device is electrically connected to the on-off device and / or the cooling medium circulation drive device, and is used to convert the voltage of the first power supply into a voltage compatible with the on-off device and / or the cooling medium circulation drive device.

[0028] In this way, the voltage of the first power supply can be converted into a voltage that is compatible with the switching device and / or the cooling medium circulation drive device through the voltage conversion device, avoiding the inability to power the switching device and / or the cooling medium circulation drive device due to voltage incompatibility.

[0029] In some embodiments, the rated capacity of the first power supply is higher than the first threshold.

[0030] In this way, since the higher the rated capacity, the more electricity the first power supply can store, using the first power supply with a rated capacity higher than the first threshold can support the cooling medium circulation for a longer time.

[0031] In a second aspect, the present application provides a battery pack, which includes a thermal management system as shown in any one of the embodiments in the first aspect.

[0032] On the third aspect, the present application provides a thermal management method, including: using an on-off device to block the second circuit and connect the first circuit when the battery pack is abnormal, the first circuit is connected to the second circuit, the first circuit is a cooling medium circulation circuit inside the battery pack, and the second circuit is a cooling medium circulation circuit outside the battery pack. The first circuit and the second circuit form a total circuit, and the on-off device is arranged in the total circuit.

[0033] Therefore, the on-off device can block the cooling medium circulation loop outside the battery pack and only connect the cooling medium circulation loop inside the battery pack when the battery pack is abnormal. This can cool the inside of the battery pack when thermal runaway occurs, avoid heat diffusion, and improve the safety of the battery pack.

[0034] In some embodiments, when the battery pack is abnormal, the second circuit is blocked and the first circuit is connected by the on-off device, including: when the battery pack is abnormal, the control unit controls the on-off device to block the second circuit and connect the first circuit.

[0035] In this way, the on-off device can be precisely controlled by the control unit.

[0036] In some embodiments, when the battery pack is abnormal, the control unit controls the on-off device to block the second circuit and connect the first circuit, including: monitoring the status of the battery pack through the monitoring unit, and sending the status of the battery pack to the control unit; when the status of the battery pack indicates that the battery pack is abnormal, the control unit controls the on-off device to block the second circuit and connect the first circuit.

[0037] In this way, the status of the battery pack can be monitored in real time by the monitoring unit, so that when the battery pack is abnormal, the control unit can promptly control the on-off device to block the second circuit and connect the first circuit.

[0038] In some embodiments, the on-off device includes a first pressure-driven component, which is arranged at the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit. The on-off device blocks the second circuit and connects the first circuit when the battery pack is abnormal, including: blocking the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit when the pressure in the total circuit is less than a second threshold value through the first pressure-driven component.

[0039] In this way, by setting the first pressure driving component at the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit, the first pressure driving component can block the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit when the pressure in the total circuit is less than the second threshold, thereby simplifying the system structure.

[0040] In some embodiments, the on-off device also includes a second pressure-driven component, which is arranged on the circuit section between the cooling medium inlet of the first circuit and the cooling medium outlet of the first circuit. The method also includes: connecting the circuit section through the second pressure-driven component when the pressure in the total circuit is less than a second threshold.

[0041] In this way, by setting a second pressure driving component on the loop section between the cooling medium inlet of the first loop and the cooling medium outlet of the first loop, the second pressure driving component can connect the loop section between the cooling medium inlet of the first loop and the cooling medium outlet of the first loop when the pressure in the total loop is less than the second threshold value, thereby more precisely controlling the on and off of the loop.

[0042] In some embodiments, the on-off device includes a first temperature-driven component, which is arranged at the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit. The on-off device blocks the second circuit and connects the first circuit when the battery pack is abnormal, including: blocking the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit when the temperature in the total circuit is greater than a third threshold value through the first temperature-driven component.

[0043] In this way, by setting the first temperature driving component at the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit, the first temperature driving component can block the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit when the temperature in the total circuit is greater than the third threshold, thereby simplifying the system structure.

[0044] In some embodiments, the on-off device also includes a second temperature driving component, which is arranged on the circuit section between the cooling medium inlet of the first circuit and the cooling medium outlet of the first circuit. The method also includes: connecting the circuit section by the second temperature driving component when the temperature in the total circuit is greater than a third threshold.

[0045] In this way, by setting a second temperature driving component on the loop section between the cooling medium inlet of the first loop and the cooling medium outlet of the first loop, the second temperature driving component can connect the loop section between the cooling medium inlet of the first loop and the cooling medium outlet of the first loop when the temperature in the total loop is greater than the third threshold value, thereby more finely controlling the on and off of the loop.

[0046] In some embodiments, the method further includes: connecting the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit by the first pressure-driven component when the pressure in the total circuit is greater than or equal to a second threshold.

[0047] In this way, by setting the first pressure-driven component at the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit, the first pressure-driven component can connect the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit when the pressure in the total circuit is greater than or equal to the second threshold, thereby simplifying the system structure.

[0048] In some embodiments, the method further includes: blocking the circuit segment by a second pressure-driven component when the pressure in the total circuit is greater than or equal to a second threshold.

[0049] In this way, by setting a second pressure driving component on the loop section between the cooling medium inlet of the first loop and the cooling medium outlet of the first loop, the second pressure driving component can block the loop section between the cooling medium inlet of the first loop and the cooling medium outlet of the first loop when the pressure in the total loop is greater than or equal to the second threshold, thereby more finely controlling the on and off of the loop.

[0050] In some embodiments, the method further includes: connecting the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit by the first temperature driving component when the temperature in the total circuit is less than or equal to a third threshold.

[0051] In this way, by setting the first temperature driving component at the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit, the first temperature driving component can connect the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit when the temperature in the total circuit is less than or equal to the third threshold, thereby simplifying the system structure.

[0052] In some embodiments, the method further includes: blocking the circuit segment by the second temperature-driven component when the temperature in the total circuit is less than or equal to a third threshold.

[0053] In this way, by setting a second temperature driving component on the loop section between the cooling medium inlet of the first loop and the cooling medium outlet of the first loop, the second temperature driving component can block the loop section between the cooling medium inlet of the first loop and the cooling medium outlet of the first loop when the temperature in the total loop is less than or equal to the third threshold value, thereby more finely controlling the on and off of the loop.

[0054] In some embodiments, the method further includes: driving the circulation of the cooling medium in the first circuit and / or the second circuit by a cooling medium circulation driving device.

[0055] In this way, the cooling medium circulation can be driven by the cooling medium circulation driving device to cool the inside and / or outside of the battery pack to prevent the spread of thermal runaway. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0056] The features, advantages and technical effects of exemplary embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0057] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a thermal management system according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0058] FIG2 is a second schematic diagram of a thermal management system provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0059] FIG3 is a third schematic diagram of a thermal management system provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0060] FIG4 is a fourth schematic diagram of a thermal management system provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0061] FIG5 is a fifth schematic diagram of a thermal management system provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0062] FIG6 is a sixth schematic diagram of a thermal management system provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0063] FIG7 is a seventh schematic diagram of a thermal management system provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0064] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a battery pack according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0065] FIG9 is a second schematic diagram of a battery pack provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0066] FIG10 is a flow chart of a thermal management method provided in some embodiments of the present application.

[0067] In the accompanying drawings, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0068] The following embodiments of the technical solution of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present application and are therefore only examples and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application.

[0069] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs; the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application; the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned figure descriptions are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0070] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the technical terms "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish different objects and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the quantity, specific order, or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is more than two, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0071] References herein to "embodiments" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it constitute an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive of other embodiments. It is understood, both explicitly and implicitly, by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0072] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is simply a description of the association relationship between associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent the following three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0073] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "multiple" refers to more than two (including two). Similarly, "multiple groups" refers to more than two groups (including two groups), and "multiple pieces" refers to more than two pieces (including two pieces).

[0074] As mentioned in the background art, when thermal runaway occurs in a battery pack, if it is not promptly handled, it may cause heat diffusion, which, once diffused, may result in serious secondary disasters. Therefore, a solution that can improve the safety of battery packs is needed.

[0075] In response to the above technical problems, in an embodiment of the present application, the on-off device can block the cooling medium circulation loop outside the battery pack when the battery pack is abnormal, and only connect the cooling medium circulation loop inside the battery pack. In this way, when the battery pack has thermal runaway, the inside of the battery pack can be cooled, heat diffusion can be avoided, and the safety of the battery pack can be improved.

[0076] The thermal management system, battery pack and thermal management method provided in the embodiments of the present application are introduced in detail below.

[0077] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a thermal management system provided in some embodiments of the present application.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 1 , the thermal management system may include: a first circuit 110 and a switching device 120 .

[0079] The first circuit 110 may be connected to the second circuit 200 . The first circuit 110 may be a cooling medium circulation circuit inside the battery pack, and the second circuit 200 may be a cooling medium circulation circuit outside the battery pack. The first circuit 110 and the second circuit 200 may form a total circuit.

[0080] The on-off device 120 may be provided in the main circuit, and may be used to block the second circuit 200 and connect the first circuit 110 in the event of an abnormality in the battery pack.

[0081] Here, the cooling medium circulation loop may contain a cooling medium, and illustratively, the cooling medium may be water.

[0082] By circulating the cooling medium through the cooling medium circulation loop, the temperature of the location where the cooling medium circulation loop is located can be reduced. Specifically, by circulating the cooling medium through the first loop 110, the temperature inside the battery pack can be reduced. By circulating the cooling medium through the second loop 200, the temperature outside the battery pack can be reduced. By circulating the cooling medium through the total loop, the temperature inside and outside the battery pack can be reduced.

[0083] Exemplarily, the thermal management system may be applied to a vehicle, with the overall circuit being a cooling medium circulation circuit for the entire vehicle.

[0084] A battery pack abnormality may be thermal runaway of the battery pack. For example, a battery pack abnormality may be a battery pack temperature exceeding a temperature threshold. The temperature threshold may be set based on actual needs.

[0085] Specifically, when thermal runaway does not occur in the battery pack, the cooling medium can be circulated in the main circuit; when thermal runaway occurs in the battery pack, the cooling medium can be circulated in the first circuit.

[0086] Therefore, the on-off device can block the cooling medium circulation loop outside the battery pack and only connect the cooling medium circulation loop inside the battery pack when the battery pack is abnormal. This can cool the inside of the battery pack when thermal runaway occurs, avoid heat diffusion, and improve the safety of the battery pack.

[0087] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG. 2 , the thermal management system may further include: a control unit 130 .

[0088] The control unit 130 can be electrically connected to the on-off device 120 and can be used to control the on-off device 120 to block the second circuit and connect the first circuit when the battery pack is abnormal.

[0089] Here, the control unit 130 may be a battery management system (BMS), or the BMS may include the control unit 130 .

[0090] Specifically, the BMS can control the on-off device 120 to block the second circuit and connect the first circuit when the battery pack is abnormal.

[0091] In this way, the on-off device can be precisely controlled by the control unit.

[0092] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG3 , the thermal management system may further include: a monitoring unit 140 .

[0093] The monitoring unit 140 may be electrically connected to the control unit 130 and may be used to monitor the status of the battery pack and send the status of the battery pack to the control unit 130;

[0094] The control unit 130 may be configured to control the on-off device 120 to block the second circuit and connect the first circuit when the battery pack status indicates that the battery pack is abnormal.

[0095] Here, the monitoring unit 140 may be a BMS, or the BMS may include the monitoring unit 140 .

[0096] The state of the battery pack may refer to the temperature of the battery pack.

[0097] Specifically, the monitoring unit 140 can monitor the status of the battery pack and send the status of the battery pack to the control unit 130. Then, the control unit 130 can determine whether the battery pack is abnormal based on the status of the battery pack. If so, the on-off device 120 can be controlled to block the second circuit and connect the first circuit; if not, the on-off device 120 can be not controlled to block the second circuit and connect the first circuit.

[0098] In addition, in some embodiments of the present application, the monitoring unit 140 can also monitor the status of the battery pack and determine whether the battery pack is abnormal based on the status of the battery pack. If so, a trigger signal is sent to the control unit 130 to trigger the control unit 130 to control the on-off device 120 to block the second circuit and connect the first circuit; if not, no trigger signal is sent to the control unit 130.

[0099] In this way, the status of the battery pack can be monitored in real time by the monitoring unit, so that when the battery pack is abnormal, the control unit can promptly control the on-off device to block the second circuit and connect the first circuit.

[0100] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG. 4 , the on-off device may include: a first pressure driving component 121 .

[0101] The first pressure driving assembly 121 may be disposed at the connection point between the first circuit 110 and the second circuit 200 .

[0102] Here, the first pressure driving component 121 may be a pressure driving plate.

[0103] The first pressure driving component 121 can be used to block the connection between the first circuit 110 and the second circuit 200 when the pressure in the total circuit is less than a second threshold.

[0104] The second threshold can be set according to actual needs.

[0105] If the pressure in the total circuit is greater than or equal to the second threshold, it can be indicated that the battery pack is normal; if the pressure in the total circuit is less than the second threshold, it can be indicated that the battery pack is abnormal.

[0106] Specifically, the first pressure driving component 121 can block the connection between the first circuit 110 and the second circuit 200 when the pressure in the total circuit is less than the second threshold value, so that the cooling medium circulates in the first circuit 110; and connect the connection between the first circuit 110 and the second circuit 200 when the pressure in the total circuit is greater than or equal to the second threshold value, so that the cooling medium circulates in the total circuit.

[0107] In this way, by setting the first pressure driving component at the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit, the first pressure driving component can block the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit when the pressure in the total circuit is less than the second threshold, thereby simplifying the system structure.

[0108] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG. 5 , the on-off device may further include: a second pressure driving component 122 .

[0109] The second pressure-driven assembly 122 may be disposed on a circuit segment between a cooling medium inlet of the first circuit 110 and a cooling medium outlet of the first circuit 110 .

[0110] Here, the second pressure-driven component 122 may be a pressure-driven plate.

[0111] The second pressure-driven assembly 122 may be configured to connect the circuit section between the cooling medium inlet of the first circuit 110 and the cooling medium outlet of the first circuit 110 when the pressure in the entire circuit is less than a second threshold.

[0112] Specifically, the second pressure-driven component 122 can connect the circuit section between the cooling medium inlet of the first circuit 110 and the cooling medium outlet of the first circuit 110 when the pressure in the total circuit is less than the second threshold value, so that the cooling medium circulates in the first circuit 110, and block the circuit section between the cooling medium inlet of the first circuit 110 and the cooling medium outlet of the first circuit 110 when the pressure in the total circuit is greater than or equal to the second threshold value.

[0113] In some embodiments of the present application, when the pressure in the total circuit is less than the second threshold value, the first pressure-driven component 121 can block the connection between the first circuit 110 and the second circuit 200, and the second pressure-driven component 122 can connect the circuit section between the cooling medium inlet of the first circuit 110 and the cooling medium outlet of the first circuit 110; when the pressure in the total circuit is greater than or equal to the second threshold value, the first pressure-driven component 121 can connect the connection between the first circuit 110 and the second circuit 200, and the second pressure-driven component 122 can block the circuit section between the cooling medium inlet of the first circuit 110 and the cooling medium outlet of the first circuit 110.

[0114] In this way, by setting a second pressure driving component on the loop section between the cooling medium inlet of the first loop and the cooling medium outlet of the first loop, the second pressure driving component can connect the loop section between the cooling medium inlet of the first loop and the cooling medium outlet of the first loop when the pressure in the total loop is less than the second threshold value, thereby more precisely controlling the on and off of the loop.

[0115] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG6 , the on-off device may include: a first temperature driving component 123 .

[0116] The first temperature driving component 123 may be disposed at a connection point between the first circuit 110 and the second circuit 200 .

[0117] Here, the first temperature driving component 123 may be a temperature driving sheet.

[0118] The first temperature driving component 123 may be configured to block the connection between the first circuit 110 and the second circuit 200 when the temperature in the total circuit is greater than a third threshold.

[0119] The third threshold can be set according to actual needs.

[0120] If the temperature in the total circuit is less than or equal to the third threshold, it may indicate that the battery pack is normal; if the temperature in the total circuit is greater than the third threshold, it may indicate that the battery pack is abnormal.

[0121] Specifically, the first temperature driving component 123 can block the connection between the first circuit 110 and the second circuit 200 when the temperature in the total circuit is greater than the third threshold value, so that the cooling medium circulates in the first circuit 110; when the temperature in the total circuit is less than or equal to the third threshold value, connect the connection between the first circuit 110 and the second circuit 200, so that the cooling medium circulates in the total circuit.

[0122] In this way, by setting the first temperature driving component at the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit, the first temperature driving component can block the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit when the temperature in the total circuit is greater than the third threshold, thereby simplifying the system structure.

[0123] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG. 7 , the switching device may further include: a second temperature driving component 124 .

[0124] The second temperature driving component 124 may be disposed on a circuit segment between a cooling medium inlet of the first circuit 110 and a cooling medium outlet of the first circuit 110 .

[0125] Here, the second temperature driving component 124 may be a temperature driving sheet.

[0126] The second temperature driving component 124 may be configured to connect the circuit section between the cooling medium inlet and the cooling medium outlet of the first circuit 110 when the temperature in the total circuit is greater than a third threshold.

[0127] Specifically, the second temperature driving component 124 can connect the circuit section between the cooling medium inlet of the first circuit 110 and the cooling medium outlet of the first circuit 110 when the temperature in the total circuit is greater than the third threshold value, so that the cooling medium circulates in the first circuit 110, and block the circuit section between the cooling medium inlet of the first circuit 110 and the cooling medium outlet of the first circuit 110 when the temperature in the total circuit is less than or equal to the second threshold value.

[0128] In some embodiments of the present application, when the temperature in the total circuit is greater than a third threshold value, the first temperature driving component 123 can block the connection between the first circuit 110 and the second circuit 200, and the second temperature driving component 124 can connect the circuit section between the cooling medium inlet of the first circuit 110 and the cooling medium outlet of the first circuit 110; when the temperature in the total circuit is less than or equal to the third threshold value, the first temperature driving component 123 can connect the connection between the first circuit 110 and the second circuit 200, and the second temperature driving component 124 can block the circuit section between the cooling medium inlet of the first circuit 110 and the cooling medium outlet of the first circuit 110.

[0129] In this way, by setting a second temperature driving component on the loop section between the cooling medium inlet of the first loop and the cooling medium outlet of the first loop, the second temperature driving component can connect the loop section between the cooling medium inlet of the first loop and the cooling medium outlet of the first loop when the temperature in the total loop is greater than the third threshold value, thereby more finely controlling the on and off of the loop.

[0130] In some embodiments of the present application, the thermal management system may further include: a cooling medium circulation drive device.

[0131] The cooling medium circulation drive device can be arranged in the main circuit.

[0132] Here, the cooling medium circulation driving device can be arranged in the circuit section between the cooling medium inlet of the first circuit and the cooling medium outlet of the first circuit. The cooling medium circulation driving device can be used to drive the cooling medium circulation in the first circuit and / or the second circuit.

[0133] Specifically, under normal circumstances, that is, when the battery cell has not experienced thermal runaway, the total circuit is filled with cooling medium, but the cooling medium in the total circuit does not circulate. When thermal runaway occurs in the battery cell, the cooling medium circulation driving device drives the cooling medium circulation in the total circuit, that is, drives the cooling medium circulation in the first circuit and / or the second circuit.

[0134] In this way, the cooling medium circulation can be driven by the cooling medium circulation driving device to cool the inside and / or outside of the battery pack to prevent the spread of thermal runaway.

[0135] In some embodiments of the present application, the thermal management system may further include: a power module.

[0136] The power module may be electrically connected to the switching device.

[0137] Here, the power module can be used to supply power to the switching device.

[0138] Likewise, the power module may also be electrically connected to the cooling medium circulation drive device.

[0139] The power module can be used to power the cooling medium circulation drive device.

[0140] For example, according to the design of the on-off device and the cooling medium circulation driving device in the thermal management system, a power module may be provided to supply power to the on-off device and / or the cooling medium circulation driving device.

[0141] Specifically, the power module can be a low-voltage power supply or a high-voltage power supply, and can be a power supply outside the battery pack or a power supply inside the battery pack.

[0142] In this way, by arranging the power supply module to be electrically connected to the switching device and / or the cooling medium circulation driving device, power can be supplied to the switching device and / or the cooling medium circulation driving device.

[0143] In some embodiments of the present application, the power supply module may include: a first power supply and a voltage conversion device.

[0144] Wherein, the first power supply may be electrically connected to the first end of the voltage conversion device;

[0145] The voltage conversion device can be electrically connected to the switching device and / or the cooling medium circulation drive device at the second end of the voltage conversion device, and can be used to convert the voltage of the first power supply into a voltage compatible with the switching device and / or the cooling medium circulation drive device.

[0146] Here, if the voltage of the first power supply is not compatible with the switching device, the voltage of the first power supply can be converted into a voltage compatible with the switching device and / or the cooling medium circulation drive device by a voltage conversion device.

[0147] For example, if the first power supply is a high voltage power supply, it is necessary to reduce the voltage of the first power supply to be compatible with the switching device and / or the cooling medium circulation drive device through a voltage conversion device.

[0148] In this way, the voltage of the first power supply can be converted into a voltage that is compatible with the switching device and / or the cooling medium circulation drive device through the voltage conversion device, avoiding the inability to power the switching device and / or the cooling medium circulation drive device due to voltage incompatibility.

[0149] In some embodiments of the present application, the rated capacity of the first power supply may be higher than the first threshold.

[0150] Here, the higher the rated capacity, the more electricity the first power source can store, and the longer the time it can supply power to the switching device.

[0151] The first threshold can be set according to actual needs.

[0152] In this way, since the higher the rated capacity, the more electricity the first power supply can store, using the first power supply with a rated capacity higher than the first threshold can support the cooling medium circulation for a longer time.

[0153] In the event of an abnormality in the battery pack, the power supply can be adjusted according to the thermal management requirements, the power supply requirements of the on-off device and / or the cooling medium circulation drive device, and the electrical parameters of the power supply, for example, the power module can be switched or the parameters of the power module can be adjusted. Specifically, the thermal management system can be set to supply power to the cooling medium circulation through a low-voltage power supply to start the cooling medium circulation, but the low-voltage power supply is difficult to support the cooling medium circulation for a long time. When the remaining power of the low-voltage power supply is low, the heat cannot be absorbed in a timely and sufficient manner, and the risk of heat diffusion is greatly increased, which may cause more serious secondary disasters.

[0154] Based on this, in some embodiments of the present application, when the remaining power of the low-voltage power supply is lower than the fourth threshold, the high-voltage power supply can be controlled to be electrically connected to the on-off device, and the on-off device can be powered by the high-voltage power supply.

[0155] Here, the fourth threshold can be set according to actual needs.

[0156] The remaining power of the high-voltage power supply may be higher than that of the low-voltage power supply. The rated capacity of the high-voltage power supply may be higher than that of the low-voltage power supply.

[0157] If the voltage of the high-voltage power supply is not compatible with the switching device, the voltage of the high-voltage power supply may be converted into a voltage compatible with the switching device by a voltage conversion device.

[0158] In this way, by switching to the high voltage power supply to power the on-off device when the power of the low voltage power supply is lower than the fourth threshold, the cooling medium circulation can be supported for a longer time and the risk of heat diffusion can be reduced.

[0159] In addition, when the battery pack is abnormal, the on-off device blocks the cooling medium circulation loop outside the battery pack and only connects the cooling medium circulation loop inside the battery pack. This can reduce the temperature inside the battery pack while reducing the power consumption by reducing the range of cooling medium circulation, thereby supporting a longer period of cooling medium circulation and avoiding the spread of thermal runaway inside the battery pack.

[0160] The present application also provides a battery pack, which may include a thermal management system as provided in any of the above embodiments. The battery pack may be used in a vehicle.

[0161] In some examples of the present application, the structure of the battery pack may be as shown in FIG8 and FIG9 .

[0162] An embodiment of the present application further provides a thermal management method. The execution entity of the thermal management method may be a BMS or a thermal management system as provided in any of the above embodiments. The thermal management method provided in the embodiment of the present application is introduced below.

[0163] FIG10 is a flow chart of a thermal management method provided in some embodiments of the present application.

[0164] As shown in FIG10 , the thermal management method may include the following steps:

[0165] S1010 , when the battery pack is abnormal, the on-off device blocks the second circuit and connects the first circuit.

[0166] Among them, the first circuit can be connected to the second circuit, the first circuit can be a cooling medium circulation circuit inside the battery pack, and the second circuit can be a cooling medium circulation circuit outside the battery pack. The first circuit and the second circuit can form a total circuit, and the on-off device can be set in the total circuit.

[0167] Therefore, the on-off device can block the cooling medium circulation loop outside the battery pack and only connect the cooling medium circulation loop inside the battery pack when the battery pack is abnormal. This can cool the inside of the battery pack when thermal runaway occurs, avoid heat diffusion, and improve the safety of the battery pack.

[0168] In some embodiments of the present application, S1010 may include:

[0169] When the battery pack is abnormal, the control unit controls the on-off device to block the second circuit and connect the first circuit.

[0170] In this way, the on-off device can be precisely controlled by the control unit.

[0171] In some embodiments of the present application, S1010 may include:

[0172] Monitor the status of the battery pack through the monitoring unit and send the status of the battery pack to the control unit;

[0173] When the state of the battery pack indicates that the battery pack is abnormal, the control unit controls the on-off device to block the second circuit and connect the first circuit.

[0174] In this way, the status of the battery pack can be monitored in real time by the monitoring unit, so that when the battery pack is abnormal, the control unit can promptly control the on-off device to block the second circuit and connect the first circuit.

[0175] In some embodiments of the present application, the on-off device may include a first pressure-driven component, which may be disposed at a connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit. S1010 may include:

[0176] When the pressure in the total circuit is less than a second threshold value, the connection between the first circuit and the second circuit is blocked by the first pressure driving component.

[0177] In this way, by setting the first pressure driving component at the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit, the first pressure driving component can block the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit when the pressure in the total circuit is less than the second threshold, thereby simplifying the system structure.

[0178] Based on this, in some embodiments of the present application, the on-off device may further include a second pressure-driven component, which may be disposed on a circuit segment between a cooling medium inlet and a cooling medium outlet of the first circuit. The method may further include:

[0179] The circuit segments are connected when the pressure in the total circuit is less than a second threshold value through the second pressure driving component.

[0180] Specifically, S1010 may include: when the pressure in the total circuit is less than a second threshold, blocking the connection between the first circuit and the second circuit by a first pressure-driven component, and connecting the circuit section by a second pressure-driven component.

[0181] In this way, by setting a second pressure driving component on the loop section between the cooling medium inlet of the first loop and the cooling medium outlet of the first loop, the second pressure driving component can connect the loop section between the cooling medium inlet of the first loop and the cooling medium outlet of the first loop when the pressure in the total loop is less than the second threshold value, thereby more precisely controlling the on and off of the loop.

[0182] In some embodiments of the present application, the on-off device may include a first temperature-driven component, which may be disposed at a connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit. S1010 may include:

[0183] When the temperature in the total circuit is greater than a third threshold value, the first temperature-driven component blocks the connection between the first circuit and the second circuit.

[0184] In this way, by setting the first temperature driving component at the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit, the first temperature driving component can block the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit when the temperature in the total circuit is greater than the third threshold, thereby simplifying the system structure.

[0185] Based on this, in some embodiments of the present application, the on-off device may further include a second temperature driving component, which may be disposed on a circuit segment between a cooling medium inlet and a cooling medium outlet of the first circuit. The method may further include:

[0186] The circuit segment is connected when the temperature in the total circuit is greater than a third threshold value through the second temperature-driven component.

[0187] Specifically, S1010 may include: when the temperature in the total circuit is greater than a third threshold, blocking the connection between the first circuit and the second circuit by a first temperature driving component, and connecting the circuit section by a second temperature driving component.

[0188] In this way, by setting a second temperature driving component on the loop section between the cooling medium inlet of the first loop and the cooling medium outlet of the first loop, the second temperature driving component can connect the loop section between the cooling medium inlet of the first loop and the cooling medium outlet of the first loop when the temperature in the total loop is greater than the third threshold value, thereby more finely controlling the on and off of the loop.

[0189] In addition, in some embodiments of the present application, the method may further include:

[0190] When the pressure in the total circuit is greater than or equal to the second threshold value, the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit is connected by the first pressure driving component.

[0191] In this way, by setting the first pressure-driven component at the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit, the first pressure-driven component can connect the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit when the pressure in the total circuit is greater than or equal to the second threshold, thereby simplifying the system structure.

[0192] In some embodiments of the present application, the method may further include:

[0193] The circuit segment is blocked by the second pressure-driven component when the pressure in the total circuit is greater than or equal to a second threshold.

[0194] In this way, by setting a second pressure driving component on the loop section between the cooling medium inlet of the first loop and the cooling medium outlet of the first loop, the second pressure driving component can block the loop section between the cooling medium inlet of the first loop and the cooling medium outlet of the first loop when the pressure in the total loop is greater than or equal to the second threshold, thereby more finely controlling the on and off of the loop.

[0195] In some embodiments of the present application, the method may further include:

[0196] When the temperature in the total circuit is less than or equal to a third threshold value, the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit is connected by the first temperature driving component.

[0197] In this way, by setting the first temperature driving component at the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit, the first temperature driving component can connect the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit when the temperature in the total circuit is less than or equal to the third threshold, thereby simplifying the system structure.

[0198] In some embodiments of the present application, the method may further include:

[0199] The circuit segment is blocked by the second temperature-driven component when the temperature in the total circuit is less than or equal to a third threshold.

[0200] In this way, by setting a second temperature driving component on the loop section between the cooling medium inlet of the first loop and the cooling medium outlet of the first loop, the second temperature driving component can block the loop section between the cooling medium inlet of the first loop and the cooling medium outlet of the first loop when the temperature in the total loop is less than or equal to the third threshold value, thereby more finely controlling the on and off of the loop.

[0201] In some embodiments of the present application, the method may further include:

[0202] The cooling medium circulation in the first circuit and / or the second circuit is driven by a cooling medium circulation driving device.

[0203] In this way, the cooling medium circulation can be driven by the cooling medium circulation driving device to cool the inside and / or outside of the battery pack to prevent the spread of thermal runaway.

[0204] The specific processes of the above-mentioned method embodiments can be found in the above-mentioned system embodiments and will not be described in detail here.

[0205] Although the present application has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, various modifications may be made thereto and components may be replaced with equivalents without departing from the scope of the present application. In particular, the various technical features described in the various embodiments may be combined in any manner as long as there are no structural conflicts. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A thermal management system comprising: a first circuit, the first circuit being connected to a second circuit, the first circuit being a cooling medium circulation circuit inside the battery pack, the second circuit being a cooling medium circulation circuit outside the battery pack, the first circuit and the second circuit forming a total circuit; The on-off device is provided in the main circuit and is used to block the second circuit and connect the first circuit when the battery pack is abnormal.

2. The thermal management system according to claim 1, further comprising: A control unit is electrically connected to the on-off device and is used to control the on-off device to block the second circuit and connect the first circuit when the battery pack is abnormal.

3. The thermal management system according to claim 2, further comprising: a monitoring unit, electrically connected to the control unit, configured to monitor a status of the battery pack and send the status of the battery pack to the control unit; The control unit is configured to control the on-off device to block the second circuit and connect the first circuit when the state of the battery pack indicates that the battery pack is abnormal.

4. The thermal management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The on-off device comprises: The first pressure driving component is arranged at the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit.

5. The thermal management system according to claim 4, wherein the switching device further comprises: The second pressure driving component is arranged on the circuit section between the cooling medium inlet of the first circuit and the cooling medium outlet of the first circuit.

6. The thermal management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The on-off device comprises: The first temperature driving component is arranged at the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit.

7. The thermal management system according to claim 6, wherein the switching device further comprises: The second temperature driving component is arranged on the circuit section between the cooling medium inlet of the first circuit and the cooling medium outlet of the first circuit.

8. The thermal management system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: The cooling medium circulation driving device is arranged in the total circuit.

9. The thermal management system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising: A power module is electrically connected to the switching device.

10. The thermal management system according to claim 8 or 9, further comprising: The power supply module is electrically connected to the cooling medium circulation drive device.

11. The thermal management system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The power module includes: a first power supply electrically connected to the first terminal of the voltage conversion device; The voltage conversion device, the second end of which is electrically connected to the switching device and / or the cooling medium circulation drive device, is used to convert the voltage of the first power supply into a voltage compatible with the switching device and / or the cooling medium circulation drive device.

12. The thermal management system according to claim 11, wherein: The rated capacity of the first power supply is higher than a first threshold.

13. A battery pack comprising the thermal management system according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

14. A thermal management method, comprising: When the battery pack is abnormal, the on-off device blocks the second circuit and connects the first circuit. The first circuit is connected to the second circuit. The first circuit is a cooling medium circulation circuit inside the battery pack, and the second circuit is a cooling medium circulation circuit outside the battery pack. The first circuit and the second circuit form a total circuit, and the on-off device is arranged in the total circuit.

15. The thermal management method according to claim 14, wherein: The method of blocking the second circuit and connecting the first circuit by the on-off device when the battery pack is abnormal includes: When the battery pack is abnormal, the control unit controls the on-off device to block the second circuit and connect the first circuit.

16. The thermal management method according to claim 15, wherein: The control unit controls the on-off device to block the second circuit and connect the first circuit when the battery pack is abnormal, including: monitoring the status of the battery pack by a monitoring unit, and sending the status of the battery pack to the control unit; When the state of the battery pack indicates that the battery pack is abnormal, the control unit controls the on-off device to block the second circuit and connect the first circuit.

17. The thermal management method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein: The on-off device includes a first pressure-driven component, which is arranged at the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit. When the battery pack is abnormal, the on-off device blocks the second circuit and connects the first circuit, including: When the pressure in the total circuit is less than a second threshold value, the connection between the first circuit and the second circuit is blocked by the first pressure driving component.

18. The thermal management method according to claim 17, wherein: The on-off device further includes a second pressure drive assembly, the second pressure drive assembly being disposed on a circuit segment between a cooling medium inlet of the first circuit and a cooling medium outlet of the first circuit, and the method further includes: The circuit segment is connected when the pressure in the total circuit is less than the second threshold value through the second pressure driving component.

19. The thermal management method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein: The on-off device includes a first temperature driving component, which is arranged at the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit. When the battery pack is abnormal, the on-off device blocks the second circuit and connects the first circuit, including: When the temperature in the total circuit is greater than a third threshold value, the connection between the first circuit and the second circuit is blocked by the first temperature-driven component.

20. The thermal management method according to claim 19, wherein the switching device further comprises a second temperature driving component, the second temperature driving component being disposed on a circuit segment between a cooling medium inlet of the first circuit and a cooling medium outlet of the first circuit, the method further comprising: The circuit section is connected when the temperature in the total circuit is greater than the third threshold value through the second temperature-driven component.

21. The thermal management method according to claim 17, further comprising: When the pressure in the total circuit is greater than or equal to the second threshold value, the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit is connected by the first pressure driving component.

22. The thermal management method according to claim 18, further comprising: When the pressure in the total circuit is greater than or equal to the second threshold value, the circuit segment is blocked by the second pressure-driven component.

23. The thermal management method according to claim 19, further comprising: When the temperature in the total circuit is less than or equal to the third threshold value, the connection point between the first circuit and the second circuit is connected by the first temperature-driven component.

24. The thermal management method according to claim 20, further comprising: When the temperature in the total circuit is less than or equal to the third threshold value, the circuit segment is blocked by the second temperature-driven component.

25. The thermal management method according to any one of claims 14 to 24, further comprising: The cooling medium circulation in the first circuit and / or the second circuit is driven by a cooling medium circulation driving device.

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