Temperature regulator

Abstract

This temperature regulator comprises: a first flat plate part and a second flat plate part facing each other; a partition wall which partitions an area between the first flat plate part and the second flat plate part; and lid members which close openings in end portions along a second direction Y of the first flat plate part and the second flat plate part. The first flat plate part and the second flat plate part are provided between side surfaces of two cells adjacent to each other along a first direction. The ratio of the flow passage cross-sectional area of a connection portion positioned between a downstream end of a first flow passage and an upstream end of a second flow passage to the flow passage cross-sectional area of an introduction port into which fluid is introduced is greater than the reciprocal of a value obtained by dividing the length of a battery module along the first direction by four, and is equal to or less than the reciprocal of a value obtained by dividing the length of the battery module along the first direction by 40.

Description

temperature controller

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a temperature regulator capable of regulating the temperature of a battery.

[0002] In recent years, automobiles equipped with a motor as a driving source (such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), battery electric vehicles (BEVs), and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs)) have become widespread. These automobiles (hereinafter collectively referred to as "electric vehicles") are equipped with a battery (hereinafter simply referred to as a battery) for driving the motor.

[0003] Typically, batteries installed in electric vehicles are configured by housing a battery module, each of which has multiple cells arranged side by side, in a container. Therefore, when the battery is used, heat is generated and trapped inside the container, causing the temperature to rise. High temperatures in batteries can accelerate deterioration. Therefore, technologies for cooling batteries have been studied (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes a device for cooling a battery mounted on a vehicle. This device includes a plurality of cooling plates arranged along a battery module. Each cooling plate has an inlet port at one end and an outlet port at the other end. Fluid is introduced into each of these inlet ports from an inlet port provided in the battery module.

[0005] Chinese Patent Application Publication No. 114665188

[0006] In the device described in Patent Document 1, the closer each of the cooling plates is to the inlet, the greater the amount of fluid that flows through them, and the farther each plate is from the inlet, the less fluid that flows through them. This causes variations in the flow rate of fluid through each of the cooling plates, making it impossible to properly regulate the temperature of the battery module.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need for a temperature regulator that can appropriately regulate the temperature of the battery module.

[0008] A characteristic configuration of a temperature regulator according to the present disclosure is a temperature regulator for regulating the temperature of a battery including a battery module having a plurality of cells arranged along a first direction, the temperature regulator including: a first flat plate portion and a second flat plate portion that are provided between side surfaces of two adjacent cells along the first direction and that face each other along the first direction; a partition wall that partitions an area sandwiched between the first flat plate portion and the second flat plate portion in the first direction; and a cover member that closes open portions of ends of the first flat plate portion and the second flat plate portion that are along a second direction that intersects with the first direction. Between the first flat plate portion and the second flat plate portion, there is provided a first flow path that communicates with an inlet through which a fluid is introduced and through which the fluid flows; a second flow path that folds back to allow the fluid to flow and is connected to an outlet that discharges the fluid, and the side of the end along the second direction between the first flat plate portion and the second flat plate portion is configured to fold back to connect the downstream end of the first flow path opposite the inlet and the upstream end of the second flow path opposite the outlet, and the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the connection portion located between the downstream end of the first flow path and the upstream end of the second flow path to the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the inlet is greater than the reciprocal of the value obtained by dividing the length of the battery module along the first direction by 4 and is less than the reciprocal of the value obtained by dividing the length of the battery module along the first direction by 40.

[0009] If the cross-sectional area of ​​the connection portion located between the downstream end of the first flow path and the upstream end of the second flow path is too small, the flow resistance at the connection portion will be too large, resulting in unacceptable pressure loss. Therefore, as in the present configuration, by making the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the connection portion to the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the inlet greater than the reciprocal of the value obtained by dividing the length of the battery module along the first direction by 4, the pressure loss can be kept within an acceptable range. Furthermore, by making the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the connection portion to the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the inlet equal to or less than the reciprocal of the value obtained by dividing the length of the battery module along the first direction by 40, the flow resistance of the fluid flowing through the first flow path can be increased. Increasing the flow resistance of the fluid flowing through the first flow path reduces the amount of fluid flowing to the battery module located upstream along the first direction, and ensures that the fluid reaches the battery module located downstream along the first direction, thereby reducing the difference in flow rate between the upstream and downstream sides of the battery module. Thus, with this configuration, adjusting the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the connection portion relative to the length of the battery module without changing the number of parts enables equal flow distribution within the battery module.

[0010] 11 is a plan view of a battery using a temperature regulator; FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1; FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a temperature regulator cut along a first direction; FIG. 14 is an example of a case where the length of a battery module along the first direction is short; FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a flow rate difference of a fluid flowing through a temperature regulator when the length of a battery module along the first direction is short; FIG. 16 is an example of a case where the length of a battery module along the first direction is long; FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a relationship between the flow rate difference of a fluid flowing through a temperature regulator and a flow path cross-sectional area of ​​a connection portion; FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a flow rate difference of a fluid flowing through a temperature regulator when the length of a battery module along the first direction is short; FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a flow rate difference of a fluid flowing through a temperature regulator when the length of a battery module along the first direction is long; FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a lid according to another embodiment; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a temperature regulator with an opening covered by the lid member of FIG. 11.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of a temperature controller according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are examples for explaining the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. Therefore, the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0012] 1 to 3, a battery 1 using a temperature regulator 30 according to this embodiment includes a battery module 10 having a plurality of (24 in this embodiment) rectangular parallelepiped cells 12 aligned along a first direction X, and the plurality of (four in this embodiment) battery modules 10 are adjacently arranged along a second direction Y intersecting (orthogonal to) the first direction X. The temperature regulator 30 regulates the temperature of such a battery 1. Regulating the temperature of the battery 1 means maintaining the temperature of the battery 1 at a predetermined temperature (maintaining the temperature within a predetermined temperature range), and includes cooling the battery 1 when the temperature of the battery 1 is higher than the predetermined temperature, and warming up the battery 1 when the temperature of the battery 1 is lower than the predetermined temperature.

[0013] Here, the first direction X is the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, with X1 being the front direction of the vehicle and X2 being the rear direction of the vehicle. The second direction Y is the left-right direction of the vehicle, and the third direction Z is the up-down direction of the vehicle. The following description will be given taking as an example a case where a cooling circuit (not shown) including a radiator is disposed in the front of the vehicle and the battery 1 is housed in a battery housing space located at the bottom center of the vehicle.

[0014] The battery 1 is housed in a battery housing space at the bottom of the vehicle while being restrained by a restraining member K made of metal or the like. As shown in FIG. 3 , the battery 1 also includes a sheet-like heat transfer sheet 20 having one surface in contact with the ventral surfaces (side surfaces along the second direction Y) of all of the cells 12 in the battery module 10, and a temperature regulator 30 in close contact with the other surface of the heat transfer sheet 20 and adjacent to the side surfaces of all of the cells 12 in the battery module 10. The temperature regulator 30 is made of a metal material such as aluminum or iron. The heat transfer sheet 20 is not shown in FIG. 1 .

[0015] The plurality of cells 12 are arranged in parallel and electrically connected to one another. The battery 1 is used, for example, in an electric vehicle equipped with a motor as a driving source. The heat transfer sheet 20 and the temperature regulator 30 do not have to be adjacent to all of the cells 12, as long as they are adjacent to a plurality of the cells 12. As described above, the temperature regulator 30 may be provided with a solid object (such as the heat transfer sheet 20 shown in FIG. 3 ) interposed between the cells 12 and the temperature regulator 30, or may be in direct contact with the cells 12.

[0016] The cells 12 are, for example, lithium-ion batteries. The battery module 10 generates high voltage by connecting multiple cells 12 in series. The cells 12 generate heat as they generate power (discharge). If the temperature of the cells 12 increases due to heat generation, the power generation performance of the cells 12 will decrease, so the cells 12 must be cooled. For this reason, in this embodiment, a temperature regulator 30 is disposed between adjacent cells 12 to directly cool the side surfaces of the cells 12.

[0017] The heat transfer sheet 20 is made of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as silicone. As shown in Fig. 3, by closely contacting the heat transfer sheet 20 between the cells 12 and the temperature regulator 30, heat generated in the battery module 10 is efficiently transferred to the temperature regulator 30 via the heat transfer sheet 20. This allows the temperature of the multiple cells 12 that make up the battery module 10 to be regulated.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , the temperature regulator 30 includes a first flat plate portion 37, a second flat plate portion 38, a partition wall 60, and a lid member 50. The first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38 face each other along the first direction X. Therefore, the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38 are disposed facing the cells 12 along the second direction Y. "Disposed facing the cells 12 along the second direction Y" means that the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38 are disposed facing a predetermined surface of the cells 12 and extending along the second direction Y. In this embodiment, a pair of the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38 is disposed between side surfaces of two adjacent cells 12 along the first direction X.

[0019] The partition wall 60 partitions the area sandwiched between the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38 in the first direction X. This forms a plurality of flow paths 31 through which a fluid flows between the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38. A communication path 35 communicating with the plurality of flow paths 31 is provided on the side of an end portion 33 along the second direction Y in the area sandwiched between the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38. The fluid may be a cooling water such as long-life coolant (LLC), insulating oil such as paraffin, or a refrigerant such as hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) or hydrofluoroolefin (HFO). In this embodiment, it is preferable to use a liquid with high electrical insulation, such as a cooling water such as long-life coolant (LLC) or insulating oil such as paraffin.

[0020] 2, the flow path 31 includes a first flow path 31A and a second flow path 31B. The first flow path 31A is connected to a fluid introduction portion 30Ba (an example of an "inlet") through which a fluid is introduced, and the fluid introduced into the fluid introduction portion 30Ba flows through the first flow path 31A. As a result, the first flow path 31A allows the fluid introduced from the fluid introduction portion 30Ba to flow toward both end portions 33 in the second direction Y. Four first flow paths 31A are formed along the second direction Y between the fluid introduction portion 30Ba and one of both end portions 33 in the second direction Y.

[0021] The second flow paths 31B turn back the fluid from the first flow paths 31A and communicate with a fluid discharge portion 30Bb (an example of an "exhaust port") that discharges the fluid. As a result, the second flow paths 31B allow the fluid to flow from both end portions 33 in the second direction Y toward the fluid discharge portion 30Bb. In other words, the direction of fluid flow in the second flow paths 31B is opposite to the direction of fluid flow in the first flow paths 31A. Four second flow paths 31B are formed along the second direction Y between one of both end portions 33 in the second direction Y and the fluid discharge portion 30Bb.

[0022] 2 and 3, the flow paths 31 including the first flow paths 31A and the second flow paths 31B are each partitioned by the above-mentioned partition walls 60. As shown in Fig. 3, the partition walls 60 are provided with a uniform width along the third direction Z when viewed in the second direction Y, and the portions that contact the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38 are configured in an arc shape. Such partition walls 60 can be formed together with the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38 by extrusion molding or the like.

[0023] The communicating passages 35 are communicating spaces that connect the four first flow passages 31A and the four second flow passages 31B along the third direction Z at both end portions 33 in the second direction Y. That is, the flow passages 31 have a turn-back structure in which the communicating passages 35 at both end portions 33 connect the four first flow passages 31A and the four second flow passages 31B to each other and change the fluid flow direction to the opposite direction. In other words, the communicating passages 35 are configured such that the end portions 33 along the second direction Y between the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38 are turned back, connecting the downstream end 31AE of the first flow passages 31A opposite the fluid inlet portion 30Ba to the upstream end 31BS of the second flow passages 31B opposite the fluid outlet portion 30Bb. The downstream end 31AE of the first flow passages 31A corresponds to the portion of the communicating passage 35 where each of the multiple first flow passages 31A joins the upstream flow passage 35A. The upstream end 31BS of the second flow path 31B corresponds to a portion of the communicating passage 35 where the plurality of second flow paths 31B branch off from the downstream flow path 35B. The upstream flow path 35A in the communicating passage 35 is a flow path where the plurality of first flow paths 31A in the communicating passage 35 merge, and the downstream flow path 35B in the communicating passage 35 is a flow path that branches off to the plurality of second flow paths 31B in the communicating passage 35.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 1 , the two end portions 33 provided with the communication passages 35 are located opposite the two end portions 12A of the cells 12 of the two outermost battery modules 10 of the four battery modules 10 arranged side by side in the second direction Y, which are farthest from the central region 14. In this embodiment, the cross-sectional area of ​​each of the four first flow paths 31A and the cross-sectional area of ​​each of the four second flow paths 31B are all the same. Note that the number and shape of the first flow paths 31A and the second flow paths 31B can be changed as desired, and for example, one rectangular hole may be provided on each side.

[0025] 3 , the temperature regulator 30 is provided between the side surfaces of two adjacent cells 12 along the first direction X. The side surfaces of the two adjacent cells 12 along the first direction X correspond to the surfaces of the cells 12 formed in a rectangular prism shape that are perpendicular to the first direction X, i.e., the surfaces that are parallel to the YZ plane. By circulating a fluid through the flow path 31 of such a temperature regulator 30, it is possible to directly cool the side surfaces of the cells 12, thereby improving cooling efficiency.

[0026] 1 , in the present embodiment, four battery modules 10 are provided along the second direction Y, and a piping member 45 is arranged in a central region 14 of the battery 1 along the second direction Y. The piping member 45 communicates with the fluid introduction portion 30Ba and allows fluid to flow between two battery modules 10 on one side of the second direction Y and two battery modules 10 on the other side of the second direction Y. The central region 14 is a region between two innermost battery modules 10 of the four battery modules 10 arranged along the second direction Y.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2 , the lid member 50 closes the openings 49 of the end portions 33 of the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38 that extend along the second direction Y. In this embodiment, the lid member 50 closes the openings 49 when fitted into the openings 49. As described above, the temperature regulator 30 has the communication passage 35 on the side of the end portions 33 that extend along the second direction Y, and the temperature regulator 30 is open on the outside in the second direction Y beyond the communication passage 35. The lid member 50 is provided to close the open openings 49. The lid member 50 has a shape similar to that of the openings 49, but has an outer shape that is slightly smaller than the inner shape of the openings 49. The lid member 50 is fitted into the openings 49. This causes the openings 49 to be closed by the lid member 50.

[0028] The cover member 50 is fitted into the opening 49 and then welded to the first flat plate portion 37, the second flat plate portion 38, and the partition wall 60. For example, laser welding, brazing, or arc welding can be used for such joining.

[0029] As described above, the temperature regulator 30 is provided on the side surfaces of two adjacent cells 12 along the first direction X. For ease of understanding, hereinafter, a portion provided between two adjacent cells 12 along the first direction X and consisting of the first flat plate portion 37, the second flat plate portion 38, the partition wall 60, and the lid member 50 will be described as a temperature regulator 70 (see FIG. 4 ). Therefore, the temperature regulator 70 is provided on both side surfaces of the cells 12 along the first direction X, and the temperature regulator 30 is configured to include a plurality of temperature regulators 70.

[0030] Here, as shown in FIG. 4 , a configuration will be described in which the length of the battery module 10 along the first direction X is L1, and the flow path cross-sectional area S2 (see FIG. 2 ) of the connection portion 34 located between the downstream end 31AE of the first flow path 31A and the upstream end 31BS of the second flow path 31B is a predetermined value. In the example of FIG. 4 , the temperature regulator 30 includes six temperature adjustment units 70. The six temperature adjustment units 70 are, in order from the fluid introduction side (upstream side), temperature adjustment unit 71, temperature adjustment unit 72, temperature adjustment unit 73, temperature adjustment unit 74, temperature adjustment unit 75, and temperature adjustment unit 76. The temperature adjustment units 70 are also provided on both sides of the piping member 45 in the central region 14 along the second direction Y.

[0031] In this configuration, as shown in Fig. 5, the amount of fluid flowing (flow rate) decreases from upstream to downstream in each of temperature adjustment units 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, and 76. In the example of Fig. 5, there is a difference of about 30% between the flow rate of the fluid in temperature adjustment unit 71 and the flow rate of the fluid in temperature adjustment unit 76 (i.e., the flow rate of the fluid flowing through temperature adjustment unit 76 is about 70% of the flow rate of the fluid flowing through temperature adjustment unit 71).

[0032] Similarly, as shown in FIG. 6, when the length of the battery module 10 along the first direction X is L2 (where L1<L2), and the flow path cross-sectional area S2 (see FIG. 2) of the connection portion 34 located between the downstream end 31AE of the first flow path 31A and the upstream end 31BS of the second flow path 31B is a predetermined value, as shown in FIG. 7, there is a difference of about 45% between the flow rate of the fluid in the temperature adjustment unit 71 and the flow rate of the fluid in the temperature adjustment unit 76 (i.e., the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the temperature adjustment unit 76 is about 55% of the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the temperature adjustment unit 71).

[0033] In this way, if there is a difference in the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the upstream temperature adjustment section 71 and the downstream temperature adjustment section 76 in the temperature regulator 30, the temperature of each of the multiple cells 12 in the battery module 10 will not be constant, and temperature variations will occur.

[0034] 8 , the difference in flow rate of the fluid flowing through the upstream temperature adjustment unit 71 and the downstream temperature adjustment unit 76 in such a temperature adjuster 30 increases as the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the connection unit 34 increases, and decreases as the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the connection unit 34 decreases. This is true for both lengths L1 and L2 of the battery module 10 along the first direction X.

[0035] The temperature regulator 30 of this embodiment can reduce the flow rate difference (equal flow distribution of the fluid) between the temperature regulators 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, and 76 in the temperature regulator 30. The equal flow distribution between the temperature regulators 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, and 76 is achieved by setting the length L (see FIG. 1 ) of the temperature regulator 30 (corresponding to the length of the battery module 10 along the first direction X), the flow path cross-sectional area S1 (see FIG. 2 ) of the fluid inlet portion 30Ba, and the flow path cross-sectional area S2 (see FIG. 2 ) of the connection portion 34. When the flow resistance at the connection portion 34 is sufficiently greater than the flow resistance of each of the multiple flow paths in the first flow path 31A, uniform flow distribution can be achieved by the ratio between the flow resistance at the fluid introduction portion 30Ba and the flow resistance at the connection portion 34. The flow resistance at the fluid introduction portion 30Ba is determined by the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the fluid introduction portion 30Ba, and the flow resistance at the connection portion 34 is determined by the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the connection portion 34. Therefore, uniform flow distribution can be achieved by setting the length L of the temperature regulator 30, the flow path cross-sectional area S1 of the fluid introduction portion 30Ba, and the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34.

[0036] In order to reduce the difference in flow rate of the fluid flowing between the upstream temperature adjustment section 71 and the downstream temperature adjustment section 76 in the temperature adjustment device 30, the temperature adjustment device 30 of this embodiment is configured such that the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection section 34 located between the downstream end 31AE of the first flow path 31A and the upstream end 31BS of the second flow path 31B to the flow path cross-sectional area S1 of the fluid inlet section 30Ba is greater than the reciprocal of the value obtained by dividing the length L of the battery module 10 along the first direction X by 4 (4 / L) and is equal to or less than the reciprocal of the value obtained by dividing the length L of the battery module 10 along the first direction X by 40 (40 / L). In particular, in this embodiment, the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 located between the downstream end 31AE of the first flow path 31A and the upstream end 31BS of the second flow path 31B to the flow path cross-sectional area S1 of the fluid introduction portion 30Ba is greater than the reciprocal of the value obtained by dividing the length L of the battery module 10 along the first direction X by 4 (4 / L), and is less than or equal to the reciprocal of the value obtained by dividing the length L of the battery module 10 along the first direction X by 20 (20 / L).

[0037] More preferably, the ratio (S2 / S1 × 100%) of the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 located between the downstream end 31AE of the first flow path 31A and the upstream end 31BS of the second flow path 31B to the flow path cross-sectional area S1 of the fluid inlet portion 30Ba is equal to or less than the reciprocal (20 / L) of the value obtained by dividing the length L of the battery module 10 along the first direction X by 20. In particular, in this case, when the length of the temperature regulator 30 is, for example, 1500 mm, the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 to the flow path cross-sectional area S1 of the fluid inlet portion 30Ba is approximately 1%. Furthermore, when the length of the temperature regulator 30 is, for example, 1000 mm, the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 to the flow path cross-sectional area S1 of the fluid inlet portion 30Ba is just under 2%. Furthermore, when the length of the temperature regulator 30 is, for example, 500 mm, the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 to the flow path cross-sectional area S1 of the fluid introduction portion 30Ba is about 3%.

[0038] The connecting portion 34 located between the downstream end 31AE of the first flow path 31A and the upstream end 31BS of the second flow path 31B corresponds to the boundary between the upstream flow path 35A and the downstream flow path 35B. Therefore, the flow path cross-sectional area S2 at the connecting portion 34 located between the downstream end 31AE of the first flow path 31A and the upstream end 31BS of the second flow path 31B corresponds to the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the boundary between the upstream flow path 35A and the downstream flow path 35B. In this embodiment, the flow path cross-sectional area S2 is set according to the distance between the cover member 50 and a partition wall 60 (central partition wall 61 (see FIG. 3 )) between the first flow path 31A and the second flow path 31B.

[0039] The ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area S2 to the flow path cross-sectional area S1 is the value (S2 / S1 × 100%) obtained by dividing the flow path cross-sectional area S2 by the flow path cross-sectional area S1 and expressing the result as a percentage. In this embodiment, this value is set to be greater than the reciprocal of the value obtained by dividing the length L of the battery module 10 along the first direction X by 4 and less than the reciprocal of the value obtained by dividing the length L of the battery module 10 along the first direction X by 40 (i.e., the value obtained by dividing the flow path cross-sectional area S2 by the flow path cross-sectional area S1 is greater than the value obtained by dividing 4 by the length L of the battery module 10 (4 / L) and less than the value obtained by dividing 40 by the length L of the battery module 10 (40 / L)). This setting can be made by adjusting the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 in the communication path 35. This makes it possible to keep the flow rate difference between each of the multiple second flow paths 31B equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. The flow rate difference in each of the plurality of second flow paths 31B corresponds to the difference between the largest flow rate and the smallest flow rate among the flow rates in each of the plurality of second flow paths 31B.

[0040] 8 shows the difference in flow rate between the fluid flowing through the temperature adjustment unit 71 on the upstream side of the temperature regulator 30 and the fluid flowing through the temperature adjustment unit 76 on the downstream side of the temperature regulator 30 when the length of the battery module 10 along the first direction X is set to L1, L2 (L2 > L1) and the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the connection portion 34 is changed. As shown in FIG. 8 , it can be seen that the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 can be reduced more effectively as the length of the battery module 10 increases. In other words, it is advisable to set the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 to the flow path cross-sectional area S1 of the fluid introduction portion 30Ba (S2 / S1 × 100%) in inverse proportion to the length L of the battery module 10 along the first direction X.

[0041] In FIG. 9, the length of the battery module 10 along the first direction X is L1=700 mm, and the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the connection portion 34 is SB=6 mm. ２ 9 shows the flow rates of the fluid flowing through the temperature adjustment units 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, and 76 when the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection unit 34 to the flow path cross-sectional area S1 of the fluid introduction unit 30Ba is set to 2.9, in the case where the temperature adjustment unit 71 is set to 16% and the temperature adjustment unit 76 is set to 16%.

[0042] 10, the length of the battery module 10 along the first direction X is L2=1400 mm, and the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the connection portion 34 is SC=4.5 mm. ２10 shows the flow rates of the fluid flowing through the temperature adjustment units 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, and 76 when the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection unit 34 to the flow path cross-sectional area S1 of the fluid introduction unit 30Ba is set to 1.4 (where SB<SC). As shown in Fig. 10, by setting it as above, the difference in flow rate between the fluid flowing through the temperature adjustment unit 71 on the upstream side of the temperature adjustment unit 30 and the fluid flowing through the temperature adjustment unit 76 on the downstream side of the temperature adjustment unit 30 can be reduced to about 11%.

[0043] If the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 located between the downstream end 31AE of the first flow path 31A and the upstream end 31BS of the second flow path 31B to the flow path cross-sectional area S1 of the fluid introduction portion 30Ba is not set, the more upstream the flow path in the battery module 10, the easier it is for the fluid to flow. However, by appropriately setting the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area S2 to the flow path cross-sectional area S1 as described above, it becomes more difficult for the fluid to flow to the upstream flow path in the battery module 10, the overall fluid flow rate in the battery module 10 becomes approximately the same, and the fluid can be distributed evenly.

[0044] In this embodiment, the first flow path 31A is configured to include multiple flow paths (four in this embodiment) as described above. In this case, it is preferable that the ratio (S3 / S2×100%) of the flow path cross-sectional area S3 (see FIG. 2) of one of the multiple flow paths to the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 is 1 or greater. This enables equal flow distribution to the flow paths in the battery module 10.

[0045] Furthermore, it is preferable that the ratio (S3 / S2×100%) of the flow path cross-sectional area S3 of one of the multiple flow paths to the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 be equal to or greater than 3. In this case, not only can uniform flow distribution be performed for the flow paths in the battery module 10, but also pressure loss in the first flow path 31A can be reduced.

[0046] Other Embodiments Next, other embodiments of the temperature regulator 30 will be described.

[0047] In the above embodiment, it has been described that it is more preferable that the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 located between the downstream end 31AE of the first flow path 31A and the upstream end 31BS of the second flow path 31B to the flow path cross-sectional area S1 of the fluid inlet portion 30Ba be equal to or less than the reciprocal of the length L of the battery module 10 along the first direction X divided by 20. However, the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 located between the downstream end 31AE of the first flow path 31A and the upstream end 31BS of the second flow path 31B to the flow path cross-sectional area S1 of the fluid inlet portion 30Ba may be equal to or less than the reciprocal of the length L of the battery module 10 along the first direction X divided by a number greater than 20, or may be equal to or less than the reciprocal of the length L of the battery module 10 along the first direction X divided by a number smaller than 20.

[0048] In the above embodiment, the first flow path 31A is described as including a plurality of flow paths (four in the above embodiment). However, the first flow path 31A may be configured as a single flow path. Furthermore, the plurality of flow paths may be configured as three or less, or as five or more.

[0049] In the above embodiment, it has been described that it is preferable that the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area S3 of one of the plurality of flow paths to the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 is equal to or greater than 1. However, the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area S3 of one of the plurality of flow paths to the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 may be less than 1.

[0050] In the above embodiment, it has been further described that it is preferable that the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area S3 of one of the plurality of flow paths to the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 is equal to or greater than 3. However, the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area S3 of one of the plurality of flow paths to the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 may be less than 3.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the lid member 50 is described as closing the openings 49 when fitted into the openings 49 of the ends 33 of the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38 along the second direction Y intersecting the first direction X. However, the lid member 50 may also be configured to have a recess 80 that opens toward one side in the second direction Y, and to close the openings 49 when the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38, which are opposed to each other along the first direction X, are inserted into the recess 80.

[0052] FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of a lid member 50 according to another embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11 , the lid member 50 has a recess 80 that opens toward one side in the second direction Y. In the example of FIG. 11 , the lid member 50 includes a first lid portion 51 and a second lid portion 52. The first lid portion 51 and the second lid portion 52 are bonded to each other along the third direction Z on the other side in the second direction Y, and are bonded to each other along the second direction Y on both sides in the third direction Z. Therefore, the lid member 50 has a C-shaped joint 81 when viewed from the first direction X. This forms a bottom 82 of the recess 80. The first lid portion 51 and the second lid portion 52 are configured such that a portion different from the joint 81 is spaced a predetermined distance apart along the first direction X. That is, the first lid portion 51 has an expansion portion 91 that expands toward the X1 side relative to the joint portion 81, and the second lid portion 52 has an expansion portion 92 that expands toward the X2 side relative to the joint portion 81. The first lid portion 51 and the second lid portion 52 are bonded together with the expansion portions 91 and 92 facing each other at the above-mentioned predetermined interval, thereby forming the recess 80. The lid member 50 of this embodiment is formed by bonding two members (the first lid portion 51 and the second lid portion 52) together, but may also be formed from a single member.

[0053] The first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38 are inserted into the recess 80 so as to face each other along the first direction X. Therefore, the shape of the inner wall of the recess 80 may be formed according to the shape of the outer wall of the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38, and the inner dimensions of the recess 80 may be configured to correspond to the outer dimensions of the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38 (the inner dimensions of the recess 80 are slightly larger than the outer dimensions of the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38). This closes the openings 49 of the ends 33 of the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38 that extend along the second direction Y. When the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38 are inserted into the cover member 50, the cover member 50 and the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38 are joined to each other. When the lid member 50 is made of a metal material such as aluminum or iron, the lid member 50 can be joined to the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38 by brazing or welding. The lid member 50 can also be joined to the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38 by adhesive. Furthermore, when the lid member 50 is made of a resin material, the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38 can be joined by integral molding.

[0054] 12 shows a cross-sectional view of the temperature regulator 30 with the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38 inserted into the lid member 50 of FIG. 11 , i.e., a cross-sectional view of the temperature regulator 30 cut along the first direction X. However, the lid member 50 is shown in a perspective view. In this embodiment, when the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38 are inserted into the recess 80, an upstream flow path 35A and a downstream flow path 35B are formed in the gap between the end portion 33 and the bottom portion 82. Therefore, the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 located between the downstream end 31AE of the first flow path 31A and the upstream end 31BS of the second flow path 31B can be easily adjusted by the insertion amount of the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38 into the recess 80. Therefore, the ratio (S2 / S1 x 100%) of the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 to the flow path cross-sectional area S1 of the fluid inlet portion 30Ba can be set according to the length L of the battery module 10 along the first direction X, and therefore it is possible to easily reduce the flow rate difference of the fluid flowing through each of the temperature adjustment units 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, and 76 in the temperature regulator 30 (to distribute the fluid at equal flow rates).

[0055] [Outline of the above embodiment] The temperature regulator 30 described above will now be outlined.

[0056] (1) The temperature regulator 30 regulates the temperature of a battery 1 including a battery module 10 having a plurality of cells 12 arranged along a first direction X. The temperature regulator 30 includes a first flat plate portion 37 and a second flat plate portion 38 that are provided between side surfaces of two adjacent cells 12 along the first direction X and face each other along the first direction X, a partition wall 60 that partitions an area sandwiched between the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38 in the first direction X, and a cover member 50 that closes an opening portion 49 of an end portion 33 of the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38 along a second direction Y that intersects with the first direction X. Between the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38, a first flow path 31A through which a fluid flows and that communicates with a fluid inlet portion 30Ba (inlet) through which a fluid is introduced and a second flow path 31B through which a fluid from the first flow path 31A flows in a folded manner are provided. and a second flow path 31B communicating with a fluid discharge portion 30Bb (discharge port) that discharges the fluid, and the side of the end 33 along the second direction Y between the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38 is configured to fold back and communicate between a downstream end 31AE of the first flow path 31A opposite the fluid inlet portion 30Ba and an upstream end 31BS of the second flow path 31B opposite the fluid discharge portion 30Bb, and the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 located between the downstream end 31AE of the first flow path 31A and the upstream end 31BS of the second flow path 31B to the flow path cross-sectional area S1 of the fluid inlet portion 30Ba is greater than the reciprocal of the value obtained by dividing the length of the battery module 10 along the first direction X by 4 and is equal to or less than the reciprocal of the value obtained by dividing the length of the battery module 10 along the first direction X by 40.

[0057] If the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 located between the downstream end 31AE of the first flow path 31A and the upstream end 31BS of the second flow path 31B is made too small, the flow resistance at the connection portion 34 will be too large, and pressure loss will become unacceptable. Therefore, as in the present configuration, by making the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 to the flow path cross-sectional area S1 of the fluid inlet portion 30Ba greater than the reciprocal of the value obtained by dividing the length of the battery module 10 along the first direction X by 4, it is possible to keep the pressure loss within an acceptable range. Furthermore, by making the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 to the flow path cross-sectional area S1 of the fluid inlet portion 30Ba equal to or less than the reciprocal of the value obtained by dividing the length of the battery module 10 along the first direction X by 40, it is possible to increase the flow resistance of the fluid flowing through the first flow path 31A. By increasing the flow resistance of the fluid flowing through the first flow path 31A, the amount of fluid flowing to the battery module 10 on the upstream side along the first direction X is reduced, and the fluid reaches the battery module 10 on the downstream side along the first direction X, thereby making it possible to reduce the difference in flow rate between the upstream side and the downstream side in the battery module 10. In this way, with this configuration, by adjusting the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 relative to the length of the battery module 10 without changing the number of parts, it is possible to achieve equal flow distribution within the battery module 10.

[0058] (2) In the temperature regulator 30 described in (1), it is preferable that the ratio be equal to or less than the reciprocal of the value obtained by dividing the length of the battery module 10 along the first direction X by 20.

[0059] According to this configuration, by further increasing the flow resistance of the fluid flowing through the first flow path 31A, the amount of fluid flowing to the battery module 10 upstream along the first direction X is reduced, and the fluid reaches more of the battery module 10 downstream along the first direction X, making it possible to further reduce the flow rate difference between the upstream and downstream sides of the battery module 10.

[0060] (3) In the temperature regulator 30 described in (1) or (2), the first flow path 31A is configured to include multiple flow paths, and it is preferable that the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area S3 of one of the multiple flow paths to the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 is 1 or more.

[0061] According to this configuration, the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the first flow path 31A is ensured, and uniform flow distribution can be performed for the flow paths in the battery module 10.

[0062] (4) In the temperature regulator 30 described in (1) or (2), the first flow path 31A is configured to include multiple flow paths, and it is preferable that the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area S3 of one of the multiple flow paths to the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 is 3 or more.

[0063] According to this configuration, it is possible not only to perform equal flow distribution to the flow paths in the battery module 10 but also to reduce pressure loss in the first flow path 31A.

[0064] (5) In the temperature regulator 30 described in (1) or (2), the cover member 50 preferably has a recess 80 that opens toward one side in the second direction Y, and the opening portion 49 is preferably closed when the first flat portion 37 and the second flat portion 38, which are facing each other along the first direction X, are inserted into the recess 80.

[0065] According to this configuration, the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 located between the downstream end 31AE of the first flow path 31A and the upstream end 31BS of the second flow path 31B can be set according to the insertion amount of the first flat plate portion 37 and the second flat plate portion 38 into the recess 80. Therefore, the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area S2 of the connection portion 34 to the flow path cross-sectional area S1 of the fluid inlet portion 30Ba can be easily adjusted to a desired value, making it possible to achieve equal flow distribution within the battery module 10.

[0066] The technology according to the present disclosure can be used in a temperature regulator that can adjust the temperature of a battery.

[0067] 1: battery, 10: battery module, 12: cell, 30: temperature regulator, 30Ba: fluid inlet (inlet), 30Bb: fluid outlet (outlet), 31A: first flow path, 31AE: downstream end, 31B: second flow path, 31BS: upstream end, 33: end, 34: connection portion, 37: first flat plate portion, 38: second flat plate portion, 49: opening portion, 50: lid member, 60: partition wall, 80: recess, S1: flow path cross-sectional area, S2: flow path cross-sectional area, S3: flow path cross-sectional area, X: first direction, Y: second direction

Claims

1. A temperature regulator for adjusting the temperature of a battery having a battery module having a plurality of cells lined up along a first direction, comprising: a first flat plate portion and a second flat plate portion that are provided between side surfaces of two adjacent cells along the first direction and that face each other along the first direction; a partition wall that partitions, in the first direction, an area sandwiched between the first flat plate portion and the second flat plate portion; and a cover member that closes openings at ends of the first flat plate portion and the second flat plate portion that are along a second direction that intersects with the first direction, wherein between the first flat plate portion and the second flat plate portion are provided a first flow path that communicates with an inlet through which a fluid is introduced and through which the fluid flows, and a second flow path that turns back the fluid from the first flow path and communicates with an outlet port that discharges the fluid, a temperature regulator in which the end side along the second direction between the first flat plate portion and the second flat plate portion is configured to fold back while communicating between a downstream end of the first flow path opposite the inlet and an upstream end of the second flow path opposite the outlet, and a ratio of a flow path cross-sectional area of ​​a connection portion located between the downstream end of the first flow path and the upstream end of the second flow path to a flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the inlet is greater than the reciprocal of a value obtained by dividing the length of the battery module along the first direction by 4 and is equal to or less than the reciprocal of a value obtained by dividing the length of the battery module along the first direction by 40.

2. The temperature controller according to claim 1, wherein the ratio is equal to or less than the reciprocal of the length of the battery module along the first direction divided by 20.

3. A temperature regulator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first flow path is configured to include a plurality of flow paths, and the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​one of the plurality of flow paths to the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the connection portion is 1 or greater.

4. A temperature regulator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first flow path is configured to include a plurality of flow paths, and the ratio of the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​one of the plurality of flow paths to the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the connection portion is 3 or more.

5. A temperature regulator as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the cover member has a recess that opens toward one side of the second direction, and the opening is closed when the first flat plate portion and the second flat plate portion, which are facing each other along the first direction, are inserted into the recess.

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