Thermal management system, battery pack, and vehicle

Abstract

A thermal management system, a battery pack, and a vehicle. The thermal management system comprises a liquid intake manifold (10), a liquid output manifold (20) and at least two liquid-cooling plates (30), wherein a main liquid inlet (11) and at least two liquid inlets (121) are spaced apart on the liquid intake manifold (10) in sequence; a main liquid outlet (21) and at least two liquid outlets (221) are spaced apart on the liquid output manifold (20) in sequence; and the at least two liquid-cooling plates (30) are spaced apart in a preset direction, and the liquid inlets (121), the liquid-cooling plates (30) and the liquid outlets (221) correspond to each other on a one-to-one basis and are in communication with each other in sequence. The thermal management system comprises at least one of the following configurations: the cross-sectional area of the liquid inlet (121) close to the main liquid inlet (11) is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the liquid inlet (121) away from the main liquid inlet (11); alternatively, the liquid flow space of the liquid-cooling plate (30) close to the main liquid inlet (11) is smaller than the liquid flow space of the liquid-cooling plate (30) away from the main liquid inlet (11).

Description

Thermal management system, battery pack and vehicle

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on October 21, 2024, with application number 202422543971.2. The entire contents of the above application are incorporated by reference into this application.

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of battery technology, for example, to a thermal management system, a battery pack and a vehicle.

[0004] Background Art

[0005] In order to meet the high power requirements of commercial vehicles and trucks, each battery pack is designed with multiple layers of battery modules to meet the power requirements. Each layer of battery module is designed with a corresponding liquid cooling plate for heat exchange.

[0006] Technical issues

[0007] In the related art, since different liquid cooling plates generally have coolant introduced into them through the same main liquid inlet, the coolant passes through a longer pipe when flowing to the liquid cooling plate farther from the main liquid inlet. During this period, heat exchange with the outside air is inevitable, causing the temperature of the liquid entering the liquid cooling plate farther from the main liquid inlet to be slightly higher, resulting in poor heat exchange effect on the battery module, causing uneven temperature of the entire battery pack and affecting the service life of the battery pack.

[0008] Technical Solutions

[0009] The present application provides a thermal management system, comprising: a total liquid inlet pipe, on which a total liquid inlet and at least two liquid inlets are sequentially arranged at intervals; a total liquid outlet pipe, on which a total liquid outlet and at least two liquid outlets are sequentially arranged at intervals; at least two liquid cooling plates, spaced apart along a preset direction, each liquid cooling plate being connected to a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet; wherein the thermal management system includes at least one of the following arrangements: a cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid inlet close to the total liquid inlet is smaller than a cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid inlet far from the total liquid inlet; or a liquid flow space in the liquid cooling plate close to the total liquid inlet is smaller than a liquid flow space in the liquid cooling plate far from the total liquid inlet.

[0010] The present application also provides a battery pack, comprising: a thermal management system; and at least two stacked battery modules, wherein a battery module is placed on the upper side of each liquid cooling plate, and the liquid cooling plate is configured to exchange heat with the corresponding battery module.

[0011] The present application also provides a vehicle, comprising a vehicle body and a battery pack arranged on the vehicle body.

[0012] Beneficial effects

[0013] The thermal management system provided by the present application has a cross-sectional area of ​​at least two liquid inlets gradually increasing in the flow direction of the liquid along the main liquid inlet pipe, so that more coolant flows into the corresponding liquid cooling plate per unit time. That is, the farther the liquid cooling plate is from the main liquid inlet, the more liquid flows into the liquid cooling plate, compensating for the effect of the slightly higher temperature of the liquid flowing into the liquid cooling plate far from the main liquid inlet on the decrease in heat exchange capacity, or, along the flow direction of the liquid in the main liquid inlet pipe, the flow space in at least two liquid cooling plates gradually increases, so that the space for accommodating coolant in the distant liquid cooling plate is increased. That is to say, under the same contact area, more coolant exchanges heat with the battery module, which can also compensate for the effect of the slightly higher temperature of the liquid flowing into the liquid cooling plate far from the main liquid inlet on the decrease in heat exchange capacity, thereby making the heat exchange capacity of the liquid cooling plates from near to far from the main liquid inlet tend to be consistent, thereby ensuring that the operating temperature of the battery module tends to be consistent, improving the temperature uniformity of the entire battery pack, and extending the life of the battery pack.

[0014] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery pack provided by some implementations of the present application;

[0016] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a thermal management system provided by some implementations of the present application;

[0017] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a main liquid inlet pipe and a main liquid outlet pipe provided in some implementations of the present application;

[0018] FIG4 is a side view of a thermal management system provided by some implementations of the present application;

[0019] FIG5 is an enlarged view of point A in FIG4 ;

[0020] FIG6 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid cooling plate in a thermal management system provided by some implementations of the present application;

[0021] FIG7 is an enlarged view of point B in FIG6;

[0022] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle provided by some implementations of the present application.

[0023] In the picture:

[0024] 100, vehicle; 110, vehicle body; 120, battery pack; 10, main liquid inlet pipe; 11, main liquid inlet port; 12, liquid inlet connector; 121, liquid inlet port; 13, first sub-pipe;

[0025] 20. Main liquid outlet pipe; 21. Main liquid outlet; 22. Liquid outlet connector; 221. Liquid outlet; 23. Second sub-pipe;

[0026] 30. Liquid cooling plate; 31. Flat plate; 32. Flow channel plate; 321. Edge; 322. Protrusion; 323. Recess; 33. Liquid inlet pipe; 34. Liquid outlet pipe;

[0027] 40. First adapter; 50. Second adapter;

[0028] 200. Battery module.

[0029] Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, the present application provides a battery pack comprising at least two stacked battery modules 200. The at least two battery modules 200 are thermally managed by a thermal management system to ensure that the operating temperature of the battery modules 200 is stable within a certain range. The thermal management system includes at least two liquid cooling plates 30, one for each battery module 200, to exchange heat with adjacent battery modules 200. To simplify the piping setup, at least two liquid cooling plates 30 are supplied with liquid through a common main liquid inlet pipe 10, and the heat-exchanged liquid is discharged through a common main liquid outlet pipe 20. The main liquid inlet pipe 10 is provided with a main liquid inlet 11 and at least two liquid inlet connectors 12 at intervals. The main liquid inlet 11 and the liquid inlet connectors 12, as well as the adjacent two liquid inlet connectors 12, are connected via a first sub-pipe 13. The main liquid outlet pipe 20 is provided with a main liquid outlet 21 and at least two liquid outlet connectors 22 at intervals. The main liquid outlet 21 and the liquid outlet connectors 22, as well as the adjacent two liquid outlet connectors 22, are connected via a second sub-pipe 23. The liquid inlet connectors 12, the liquid cooling plates 30, and the liquid outlet connectors 22 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence and are connected in sequence. It is understood that the coolant enters the main liquid inlet 11, first passes through the liquid inlet connector 12 closest to the main liquid inlet 11, and enters the corresponding liquid cooling plate 30. The coolant then flows a distance before entering the next layer of liquid cooling plates 30, and so on.

[0031] In the process of the coolant entering the liquid cooling plates 30 of different layers from the main liquid inlet pipe 10 in sequence, due to the distance, when the liquid enters the liquid cooling plate 30 closer to the main liquid inlet 11, the temperature is lower, and the heat exchange effect with the corresponding battery module 200 is better. When the liquid enters the liquid cooling plate 30 farther from the main liquid inlet 11, due to the longer pipeline, the coolant exchanges heat with the external environment and the temperature rises. The heat exchange effect with the corresponding battery module 200 is poor, resulting in different operating temperatures of different battery modules 200 in the battery pack, shortening the service life of the battery pack.

[0032] The present application provides a thermal management system that balances the heat exchange capacity of each layer of liquid cooling plate 30, ensuring a roughly consistent degree of heat exchange for each battery module 200, thereby balancing the operating temperature of each battery module 200 and extending the service life of the battery pack. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the arrows in the upper and lower directions in Figure 3 indicate the flow direction of the coolant. In this thermal management system, a main liquid inlet 10 is provided with a main liquid inlet 11 and at least two liquid inlets 121, spaced apart in sequence; a main liquid outlet 21 and at least two liquid outlets 221 are spaced apart in sequence on the main liquid outlet 20. In Figure 3, the liquid outlet 221 is on the back side, indicated by an arrow. In some embodiments, the thermal management system may include at least one of the following configurations: the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid inlet 121 near the main liquid inlet 11 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid inlet 121 farther from the main liquid inlet 11; or the liquid flow space within the liquid cooling plate 30 near the main liquid inlet 11 is smaller than the liquid flow space within the liquid cooling plate 30 farther from the main liquid inlet 11.

[0033] In the thermal management system, the farther the liquid inlet 121 is from the main liquid inlet 11, the larger the cross-sectional area is, so that more cooling liquid flows into the corresponding liquid cooling plate 30 per unit time. That is, the farther the liquid cooling plate 30 is from the main liquid inlet 11, the more liquid flows into the liquid cooling plate 30, compensating for the effect of the slightly higher temperature of the liquid flowing into the liquid cooling plate 30 far from the main liquid inlet on the decrease in heat exchange capacity. In some embodiments, the liquid flow space in the liquid cooling plate 30 that is farther away from the main liquid inlet 11 is larger, so that the space for cooling liquid that can be accommodated in the distant liquid cooling plate 30 is increased. That is to say, under the same contact area, more cooling liquid is used for heat exchange with the battery module 200, which can also compensate for the effect of the slightly higher temperature of the liquid flowing into the liquid cooling plate 30 far from the main liquid inlet on the decrease in heat exchange capacity, thereby making the heat exchange capacity of the liquid cooling plates 30 from near to far from the main liquid inlet 11 tend to be consistent, thereby ensuring that the operating temperature of the battery module 200 tends to be consistent, improving the temperature uniformity of the entire battery pack, and extending the life of the battery pack.

[0034] In a possible implementation, the cross-sectional areas of the liquid outlet 221 and the liquid inlet 121 of the same liquid cooling plate 30 are the same, which is conducive to the stable flow of liquid in the same liquid cooling plate 30 .

[0035] In a possible implementation, the cross-sections of the liquid inlet 121 and the liquid outlet 221 are both circular, which can minimize the resistance to the liquid flowing in the main liquid inlet pipe 10 or the main liquid outlet pipe 20 .

[0036] In one possible implementation, as shown in FIG2 , the main liquid inlet 11 and the main liquid outlet 21 are located at the same end of the liquid cooling plate 30. In other possible implementations, the main liquid inlet 11 and the main liquid outlet 21 are located at opposite ends of the liquid cooling plate 30, which is not limited here.

[0037] As shown in Figures 2 and 6, the thermal management system also includes a first adapter 40 and a second adapter 50. The liquid cooling plate 30 has a liquid inlet pipe 33 and a liquid outlet pipe 34. Each liquid inlet pipe 33 is connected to the corresponding liquid inlet 121 through a first adapter 40, and each liquid outlet pipe 34 is connected to the corresponding liquid outlet 221 through a second adapter 50.

[0038] As shown in Figures 2 and 6 , both the first adapter 40 and the second adapter 50 are arranged in a cubical configuration. The axis of the liquid inlet pipe 33 is perpendicular to the axis of the liquid inlet 121 and is connected to two perpendicular side surfaces of the first adapter 40. The axis of the liquid outlet pipe 34 is perpendicular to the axis of the liquid outlet 221 and is connected to two perpendicular side surfaces of the second adapter 50. This configuration effectively connects the two mutually perpendicular pipes, creating a simpler and neater appearance. Of course, the first adapter 40 and the second adapter 50 can also be hoses, which is not limited here.

[0039] As shown in Figures 4-7, the liquid cooling plate 30 includes a stacked flat plate 31 and a flow channel plate 32. The flow channel plate 32 is recessed in a direction away from the flat plate 31 to form a recess 323 that serves as a flow channel. In some possible implementations, the flow channel configuration includes at least one of the following: the flow channel height within the liquid cooling plate 30 near the main liquid inlet 11 is smaller than the flow channel height within the liquid cooling plate 30 away from the main liquid inlet 11; or the flow channel width within the liquid cooling plate 30 near the main liquid inlet 11 is smaller than the flow channel width within the liquid cooling plate 30 away from the main liquid inlet 11. This configuration expands the liquid flow space within the liquid cooling plate 30 away from the main liquid inlet 11.

[0040] The flat plate 31 and the flow channel plate 32 are connected by brazing. It is understood that brazing the edges 321 of the flat plate 31 and the flow channel plate 32, as well as the protrusions 322 formed by the concavity of the flow channel plate 32, provides excellent welding stability for the liquid cooling plate 30 and minimizes deformation, which helps ensure that the battery pack dimensions are within tolerance.

[0041] The present application also provides a battery pack, comprising: the thermal management system described above; and at least two stacked battery modules 200, with one battery module 200 placed on the upper side of each liquid cooling plate 30, and the liquid cooling plate 30 being configured to exchange heat with the corresponding battery module 200.

[0042] The battery pack of the present application, by adopting a thermal management system, can balance the temperature of each battery module 200, improve the temperature uniformity of the entire battery pack, and extend the service life of the battery pack.

[0043] As shown in Figure 1, a liquid cooling plate 30 is sandwiched between two adjacent battery modules 200. The upper surface of each liquid cooling plate 30 is flat, enabling heat exchange with the battery module 200 above it. The lower surface of the liquid cooling plate 30 also contacts the battery module 200 below it, thereby cooling the battery module 200 below it.

[0044] As shown in FIG8 , the present application further provides a vehicle 100 comprising a vehicle body 110 and a battery pack 120 according to the above embodiment, mounted on the vehicle body. By utilizing a battery pack 120 with higher temperature uniformity to provide electrical energy, the vehicle 100 avoids localized overheating at the location where the battery pack 120 is installed, thereby improving the user experience.

Claims

1. A thermal management system comprising: A main liquid inlet pipe (10), wherein a main liquid inlet (11) and at least two liquid inlets (121) are sequentially arranged at intervals on the main liquid inlet pipe (10); A total liquid outlet pipe (20), wherein the total liquid outlet pipe (20) is sequentially and spaced apart from each other and provided with a total liquid outlet (21) and at least two liquid outlets (221); At least two liquid cooling plates (30) are spaced apart along a preset direction, and each of the liquid cooling plates (30) is connected to a liquid inlet (121) and a liquid outlet (221); The thermal management system includes at least one of the following configurations: a cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid inlet (121) close to the total liquid inlet (11) is smaller than a cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid inlet (121) away from the total liquid inlet (11); or a liquid flow space in the liquid cooling plate (30) close to the total liquid inlet (11) is smaller than a liquid flow space in the liquid cooling plate (30) away from the total liquid inlet (11).

2. The thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein: The cross-sectional areas of the liquid outlet (221) and the liquid inlet (121) of the same liquid cooling plate (30) are the same.

3. The thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein: The cross-sections of the liquid inlet (121) and the liquid outlet (221) are both circular.

4. The thermal management system according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein: The liquid cooling plate (30) comprises a flat plate (31) and a flow channel plate (32) that are stacked and connected, and the flow channel plate (32) is recessed in a direction away from the flat plate (31) to form a flow channel; The flow channel is configured to be at least one of the following: a flow channel height in the liquid cooling plate (30) close to the total liquid inlet (11) is smaller than a flow channel height in the liquid cooling plate (30) away from the total liquid inlet (11); or a flow channel width in the liquid cooling plate (30) close to the total liquid inlet (11) is smaller than a flow channel width in the liquid cooling plate (30) away from the total liquid inlet (11).

5. The thermal management system according to claim 4, wherein: The flat plate (31) and the flow channel plate (32) are connected by brazing.

6. The thermal management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a first adapter (40) and a second adapter (50), each of the liquid cooling plates (30) having a liquid inlet pipe (33) and a liquid outlet pipe (34), each of the liquid inlet pipes (33) and the corresponding liquid inlet port (121) being connected via a first adapter (40), and each of the liquid outlet pipes (34) and the corresponding liquid outlet port (221) being connected via a second adapter (50).

7. The thermal management system according to claim 6, wherein: The first adapter (40) and the second adapter (50) are both arranged in a cubic shape. The axial direction of the liquid inlet pipe (33) is perpendicular to the axial direction of the liquid inlet (121) and is respectively connected to two perpendicular side surfaces of the first adapter (40). The axial direction of the liquid outlet pipe (34) is perpendicular to the axial direction of the liquid outlet (221) and is respectively connected to two perpendicular side surfaces of the second adapter (50).

8. The thermal management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The total liquid inlet (11) and the total liquid outlet (21) are located at the same end of the liquid cooling plate (30); or The total liquid inlet (11) and the total liquid outlet (21) are located at opposite ends of the liquid cooling plate (30).

9. A battery pack comprising: The thermal management system according to any one of claims 1 to 8; as well as At least two stacked battery modules (200) are provided, one battery module (200) being placed on the upper side of each liquid cooling plate (30), and the liquid cooling plate (30) is configured to perform heat exchange with the corresponding battery module (200).

10. The battery pack according to claim 9, wherein: A liquid cooling plate (30) is sandwiched between two adjacent battery modules (200), and the liquid cooling plate (30) is further configured to perform heat exchange with the battery module (200) below the liquid cooling plate (30).

11. A vehicle comprising a vehicle body (110) and a battery pack (120) according to claim 9 or 10 arranged on the vehicle body (110).

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