Battery-pack cooling system and battery pack

Abstract

Provided in the present application are a battery-pack cooling system and a battery pack. In the battery-pack cooling system, liquid cooling plates (1) are each provided with a coolant flow channel (11), which is configured for the flow of a coolant; the coolant in the coolant flow channels (11) can exchange heat with battery modules of a battery pack, and the coolant can flow through a liquid intake pipe assembly (2), the coolant flow channels and a liquid output pipe assembly (3) in sequence; and the liquid intake pipe assembly (2) comprises a main liquid intake pipe (21) and a first communication pipe (22), the main liquid intake pipe (21) being configured for the entry of the coolant, and the first communication pipe (22) being connected to the main liquid intake pipe (21) and being configured to divide the coolant into two parts, with one part flowing to one of the liquid cooling plates (1) located in the middle, and the other part flowing to the other liquid cooling plates (1).

Description

Battery pack cooling system and battery pack

[0001] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202520144188.0 filed on January 21, 2025, the whole content of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of battery pack, in particular to a battery pack cooling system and a battery pack. BACKGROUND

[0003] In order to improve the energy density of the battery pack, the number of stacked layers of the battery module in the battery pack is increasing, and the requirement for the liquid cooling system is also higher. The liquid cooling pipe arrangement scheme adopted in the industry is to directly connect the inlet and outlet ports of the liquid cooling plate with the inlet and outlet ports of the whole vehicle through the liquid cooling pipe. For the battery module stacking scheme, multiple liquid cooling plates need to be set, and each liquid cooling plate is connected with the inlet and outlet ports of the whole vehicle through a separate liquid cooling pipe, resulting in a relatively complex overall structure of the liquid cooling pipe.

[0004] To this end, the related technology provides an energy storage battery cluster, which is provided with an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe, and the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are connected with the liquid cooling plates of the multi-layer battery module, so as to connect the multiple liquid cooling plates in parallel, provide cooling liquid for the multiple liquid cooling plates through the inlet pipe, and enter the outlet pipe after the cooling liquid flows through the cooling liquid flow channel of the liquid cooling plate, thereby simplifying the overall structure of the liquid cooling pipe. The inlet pipe and the multiple liquid cooling plates are connected through multiple three-way pipes respectively. When the cooling liquid flows through the three-way pipe, it is divided into two parts, one part flows into the corresponding liquid cooling plate, and the other part continues to flow along the inlet pipe to other positions. TECHNICAL PROBLEM

[0005] For the stacked battery module, the battery module located in the middle part cannot be effectively cooled, and thus has a higher temperature and requires more cooling liquid. The temperature of the battery module located at both ends is lower. However, in this scheme, the cooling liquid enters the inlet pipe from the lower part of the energy storage battery cluster and flows upward in the vertical direction. Part of the cooling liquid will be first divided into the liquid cooling plate located at the lowermost part, so that the cooling liquid flow of the liquid cooling plate located at the lowermost part is the largest, and the cooling liquid flow of the liquid cooling plate located above is gradually smaller, thereby causing the cooling efficiency of the battery module located in the middle part to be lower than that of the battery module located at the lowermost part, resulting in that the actual cooling effect does not match the requirement of the multi-layer battery module. SOLUTION

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a battery pack cooling system, comprising a plurality of liquid cooling plates arranged at intervals along a first direction, the liquid cooling plates having cooling liquid flow channels configured to flow cooling medium, and the cooling medium in the cooling liquid flow channels exchanges heat with battery modules of the battery pack; the battery pack cooling system further comprises an inlet pipe assembly and an outlet pipe assembly, the cooling medium flows through the inlet pipe assembly, the cooling liquid flow channels and the outlet pipe assembly in sequence; the inlet pipe assembly comprises:

[0007] an inlet main pipe configured to enter the cooling medium;

[0008] a first communication pipe connected to the inlet main pipe and configured to divide the cooling medium into two parts, one part of the cooling medium flows to one of the liquid cooling plates in the middle, and the other part of the cooling medium flows to the other liquid cooling plates.

[0009] In a second aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a battery pack, comprising the above-mentioned battery pack cooling system, and further comprising battery modules, the cooling medium in the cooling liquid flow channels exchanges heat with the battery modules. Advantages

[0010] The present application provides a battery pack cooling system, comprising a plurality of liquid cooling plates arranged at intervals along a first direction, the liquid cooling plates having cooling liquid flow channels configured to flow cooling medium, and the cooling medium in the cooling liquid flow channels exchanges heat with battery modules of the battery pack; the battery pack cooling system further comprises an inlet pipe assembly and an outlet pipe assembly, the cooling medium flows through the inlet pipe assembly, the cooling liquid flow channels and the outlet pipe assembly in sequence, and exchanges heat with the battery modules in the cooling liquid flow channels, thereby reducing the temperature of the battery modules. The inlet pipe assembly comprises an inlet main pipe and a first communication pipe, the inlet main pipe is configured to enter the cooling medium; the first communication pipe is connected to the inlet main pipe and is configured to divide the cooling medium into two parts, one part flows to one of the liquid cooling plates in the middle, and the other part flows to the other liquid cooling plates, so that when the cooling medium is first divided, a part of the cooling medium directly enters one of the liquid cooling plates in the middle, so that the flow of cooling liquid entering the liquid cooling plate is larger, and the cooling efficiency is higher. Since the temperature of the battery module in the middle is generally higher, the corresponding liquid cooling plate has a higher demand for cooling medium flow, therefore, such arrangement can make the actual cooling effect of the battery pack cooling system match the cooling demand of the battery modules.

[0011] The application further provides a battery pack comprising the battery pack cooling system and further comprising a battery module, the cooling medium in the cooling liquid flow channel being capable of exchanging heat with the battery module. In the battery pack cooling system, the cooling medium flows through the liquid inlet pipe assembly, the cooling liquid flow channel and the liquid outlet pipe assembly in sequence and exchanges heat with the battery module of the battery pack in the cooling liquid flow channel, thereby reducing the temperature of the battery module. In addition, when the cooling medium is first branched, a part of the cooling medium directly enters one of the liquid cooling plates in the middle, so that the flow of the cooling liquid entering the liquid cooling plate is large and the cooling efficiency is high, and the actual cooling effect of the battery pack cooling system can be matched with the cooling demand of the battery module. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0012] Fig. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a battery pack cooling system in an embodiment of the application;

[0013] Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of A in Fig. 1;

[0014] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a cooling liquid flow channel in a liquid cooling plate in an embodiment of the application;

[0015] Fig. 4 is a structural schematic diagram of a quick plug connector and a connecting pipe in an embodiment of the application;

[0016] Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the quick plug connector and the connecting pipe in an embodiment of the application.

[0017] In the drawings:

[0018] 1, liquid cooling plate; 11, cooling liquid flow channel; 12, protrusion; 13, liquid inlet; 14, liquid outlet;

[0019] 2, liquid inlet pipe assembly; 21, liquid inlet main pipe; 22, first communication pipe; 23, liquid inlet branch pipe; 231, liquid inlet branch pipe section; 232, liquid inlet three-way valve;

[0020] 3, liquid outlet pipe assembly; 31, liquid outlet main pipe; 32, second communication pipe; 33, liquid outlet branch pipe; 331, liquid outlet branch pipe section; 332, liquid outlet three-way valve;

[0021] 4, quick plug connector; 41, clamping groove; 42, sealing ring;

[0022] 5, connecting pipe; 51, clamping protrusion. Embodiments of the application

[0023] The related art provides an energy storage battery cluster which simultaneously supplies cooling liquid to multiple liquid cooling plates through an inlet pipe, and the cooling liquid enters an outlet pipe after flowing through the cooling liquid flow channels of the liquid cooling plates, thereby simplifying the overall structure of the liquid cooling pipeline. However, in this scheme, the cooling liquid enters the inlet pipe from below the energy storage battery cluster and flows upward in the vertical direction, and part of the cooling liquid is first diverted to the liquid cooling plate located at the lowermost position, so that the cooling liquid flow of the liquid cooling plate located at the lowermost position is the largest, and the cooling liquid flow of the liquid cooling plate located above is gradually smaller, thereby causing the cooling efficiency of the battery module located at the middle position to be lower than that of the battery module located at the lowermost position, resulting in that the actual cooling effect of the cooling system in the related art does not match the demand of the multiple battery modules.

[0024] To this end, the present embodiment provides a battery pack cooling system, so that the mismatch between the actual cooling effect of the cooling system in the related art and the demand of the multiple battery modules is solved, which can be used in the technical field of battery packs.

[0025] Referring to FIGS. 1-5, the battery pack cooling system includes multiple liquid cooling plates 1 arranged at intervals along a first direction, in the present embodiment, the first direction is the vertical direction, the battery modules are stacked along the vertical direction, and the multiple liquid cooling plates 1 are arranged in sequence along the vertical direction. The liquid cooling plate 1 has a cooling liquid flow channel 11 configured to flow cooling medium, and the cooling medium in the cooling liquid flow channel 11 can exchange heat with the battery modules of the battery pack, wherein the cooling medium is generally liquid cooling medium. The battery pack cooling system further includes an inlet pipe assembly 2 and an outlet pipe assembly 3, and the cooling medium can flow through the inlet pipe assembly 2, the cooling liquid flow channel 11 and the outlet pipe assembly 3 in sequence, and exchange heat with the battery modules of the battery pack in the cooling liquid flow channel 11, thereby reducing the temperature of the battery modules. The inlet pipe assembly 2 includes an inlet main pipe 21 and a first communication pipe 22, the inlet main pipe 21 is configured to allow the cooling medium to enter; the first communication pipe 22 is connected to the inlet main pipe 21 and is configured to divide the cooling medium into two parts, one part flows to one of the liquid cooling plates 1 located in the middle, and the other part flows to the other liquid cooling plates 1, so that when the cooling medium is first divided, a part of the cooling medium directly enters one of the liquid cooling plates 1 located in the middle, so that the cooling liquid flow into the liquid cooling plate 1 is larger and the cooling efficiency is higher. Since the temperature of the battery module located in the middle is generally higher, the corresponding liquid cooling plate 1 has a higher demand for cooling medium flow, therefore, the actual cooling effect of the battery pack cooling system can match the cooling demand of the battery modules.

[0026] Continuing to refer to FIG. 1-5, the first communication pipe 22 is a four-way pipe, and has a first end, a second end, a third end and a fourth end, the first end is connected to the liquid inlet main pipe 21, the second end is connected to one of the liquid cooling plates 1 in the middle, the liquid cooling plate 1 connected to the second end is the middle liquid cooling plate, the liquid inlet pipe assembly 2 further comprises two liquid inlet branch pipes 23, one of the liquid inlet branch pipes 23 is connected to all the liquid cooling plates 1 on one side of the middle liquid cooling plate along the first direction, the other liquid inlet branch pipe 23 is connected to all the liquid cooling plates 1 on the other side of the middle liquid cooling plate along the first direction, the third end is connected to one of the liquid inlet branch pipes 23, and the fourth end is connected to the other liquid inlet branch pipe 23, so that the liquid inlet main pipe 21 is connected to the liquid inlet branch pipes 23 on both sides through the four-way pipe, thereby enabling the cooling medium to be delivered to the other liquid cooling plates 1.

[0027] In the present embodiment, the liquid cooling plates 1 are provided in five, and the middle liquid cooling plate is the liquid cooling plate 1 in the middle, i.e. the third liquid cooling plate 1 along the first direction. In other embodiments, the liquid cooling plates 1 can also be provided in three, and the middle liquid cooling plate is the second liquid cooling plate 1 along the first direction; or the liquid cooling plates 1 are provided in seven, and the middle liquid cooling plate is the fourth liquid cooling plate 1 along the first direction. In addition, the number of liquid cooling plates 1 can also be an even number, for example, the liquid cooling plates 1 are provided in four, and the middle liquid cooling plate is the second or third liquid cooling plate 1 along the first direction; for example, the liquid cooling plates 1 are provided in six, and the middle liquid cooling plate is the third or fourth liquid cooling plate 1 along the first direction.

[0028] Continuing to refer to FIG. 1-5, the second end is connected to the middle liquid cooling plate through the quick connector 4, the quick connector 4 is fixedly arranged with the middle liquid cooling plate and detachably connected to the second end, thereby quickly connecting the four-way pipe to the middle liquid cooling plate and facilitating the disassembly therebetween. The inner cavity of the quick connector 4 configured to be connected to the second end is in communication with the liquid inlet 13 of the liquid cooling plate 1, and the cooling medium can flow to the cooling liquid flow channel 11 through the liquid inlet 13. In addition, the second end is connected to the connecting pipe 5, the quick connector 4 can extend into the connecting pipe 5 and be attached to the inner wall of the connecting pipe 5, in some embodiments, the quick connector 4 is further provided with a clamping groove 41, the connecting pipe 5 is provided with a clamping protrusion 51, the clamping protrusion 51 is clamped with the clamping groove 41, thereby connecting the two, and in other embodiments, the clamping groove 41 can also be provided in the connecting pipe 5, and the clamping protrusion 51 is provided in the quick connector 4, and the two can also be clamped and matched to connect the quick connector 4 to the connecting pipe 5. In addition, in order to ensure the sealing performance between the two, a sealing ring 42 is further arranged between the quick connector 4 and the inner wall of the connecting pipe 5 to achieve the sealing effect and prevent the cooling medium from leaking.

[0029] Continuing to refer to FIG. 1-5, the liquid cooling plate 1 at both ends is an end liquid cooling plate, the inlet branch pipe 23 includes a plurality of sequentially connected inlet branch pipe sections 231, among which one of the inlet branch pipe sections 231 is connected with the first communication pipe 22, and the other inlet branch pipe section 231 is connected with the end liquid cooling plate, and any two adjacent inlet branch pipe sections 231 are connected through an inlet three-way valve 232, and the inlet three-way valve 232 is also connected with the liquid cooling plate 1 between the end liquid cooling plate and the middle liquid cooling plate. The number of the liquid cooling plate 1 between the end liquid cooling plate and the middle liquid cooling plate is the same as that of the inlet three-way valve 232, and they are connected one by one. In addition, the liquid cooling plate 1 between the end liquid cooling plate and the middle liquid cooling plate can also be connected with the inlet three-way valve 232 through the quick plug 4.

[0030] Continuing to refer to FIG. 1-5, the outlet pipe assembly 3 includes an outlet main pipe 31 and a second communication pipe 32 connected with the outlet main pipe 31, and the second communication pipe 32 is configured to converge the cooling medium in two parts, one part flows to the second communication pipe 32 from the middle liquid cooling plate, and the other part flows to the second communication pipe 32 from the other liquid cooling plate 1, so that the cooling medium can flow directly to the second communication pipe 32 after flowing through the middle liquid cooling plate, and then flow into the outlet main pipe 31, and finally be discharged, so that the middle liquid cooling plate has a separate and complete cooling medium flow channel to improve the cooling effect.

[0031] The second communication pipe 32 is a four-way pipe and has a fifth end, a sixth end, a seventh end and an eighth end, the fifth end is connected with the outlet main pipe 31, the sixth end is connected with the middle liquid cooling plate, and the outlet pipe assembly 3 further includes two outlet branch pipes 33, one of which is connected with all the liquid cooling plates 1 on one side of the middle liquid cooling plate along the first direction, and the other outlet branch pipe 33 is connected with all the liquid cooling plates 1 on the other side of the middle liquid cooling plate along the first direction, the seventh end is connected with one of the outlet branch pipes 33, and the eighth end is connected with the other outlet branch pipe 33, so that the two outlet branch pipes 33 on both sides are connected with the outlet main pipe 31 through the four-way pipe, so that the cooling medium of the other liquid cooling plate 1 can be guided to flow to the outlet main pipe 31. The sixth end and the middle liquid cooling plate can also be connected through the quick plug 4, and the inner cavity of the quick plug 4 connected with the sixth end is in communication with the outlet port 14 of the liquid cooling plate 1, and the cooling medium in the cooling liquid flow channel 11 can flow into the inner cavity of the quick plug 4 through the outlet port 14.

[0032] With reference to Figs. 1-5, the liquid outlet branch pipe 33 comprises a plurality of liquid outlet branch pipe sections 331 connected in sequence, and the liquid outlet branch pipe sections 331 at both ends are connected with the second communication pipe 32 and one of the end liquid cooling plates respectively, and any two adjacent liquid outlet branch pipe sections 331 are connected through a liquid outlet three-way valve 332, and the liquid outlet three-way valve 332 is also connected with the liquid cooling plate 1 between the end liquid cooling plate and the middle liquid cooling plate. The number of the liquid cooling plate 1 between the end liquid cooling plate and the middle liquid cooling plate is the same as that of the liquid outlet three-way valve 332, and they are connected in one-to-one correspondence. In addition, the liquid cooling plate 1 between the end liquid cooling plate and the middle liquid cooling plate can also be connected with the liquid outlet three-way valve 332 through the quick connector 4.

[0033] With reference to Figs. 1-5, the cooling liquid flow channel 11 of at least part of the liquid cooling plate 1 is further provided with a protrusion 12 extending along the flow direction of the cooling medium. On the one hand, the protrusion 12 can separate the cooling liquid flow channel 11 to make the flow of the cooling medium more smooth, and on the other hand, the protrusion 12 itself can exchange heat with the cooling medium, and the protrusion 12 can conduct heat with the liquid cooling plate 1, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0034] The embodiment also provides a battery pack comprising the above battery pack cooling system and a battery module, and the cooling medium in the cooling liquid flow channel 11 can exchange heat with the battery module. In the battery pack cooling system, the cooling medium can flow through the liquid inlet pipe assembly 2, the cooling liquid flow channel 11 and the liquid outlet pipe assembly 3 in sequence, and exchange heat with the battery module of the battery pack in the cooling liquid flow channel 11, thereby reducing the temperature of the battery module. In addition, when the cooling medium is first divided, a part of the cooling medium directly enters one of the liquid cooling plates 1 in the middle, so that the cooling liquid flow into the liquid cooling plate is larger and the cooling efficiency is higher, and the actual cooling effect of the battery pack cooling system can be matched with the cooling demand of the battery module.

[0035] With reference to Figs. 1-5, a plurality of battery modules are provided, and the battery modules are arranged in the first direction in sequence, and the liquid cooling plate 1 is arranged between any two adjacent battery modules, so that the battery modules and the liquid cooling plates 1 are arranged alternately. Tests show that this scheme is the best for the cooling effect of the battery module. In addition, the end away from the other battery modules of the battery modules at both ends is provided with the liquid cooling plate 1, and the above two liquid cooling plates 1 are the end liquid cooling plates.

Claims

1. A battery pack cooling system, comprising a plurality of liquid cooling plates (1) arranged at intervals along a first direction, the liquid cooling plates (1) having cooling liquid flow channels (11) configured to flow cooling medium, and the cooling medium in the cooling liquid flow channels (11) exchanges heat with battery modules of a battery pack; the battery pack cooling system further comprises an inlet pipe assembly (2) and an outlet pipe assembly (3), the cooling medium flows through the inlet pipe assembly (2), the cooling liquid flow channels (11) and the outlet pipe assembly (3) in sequence; the inlet pipe assembly (2) comprises: an inlet main pipe (21) configured to enter the cooling medium; a first communication pipe (22) connected to the inlet main pipe (21) and configured to divide the cooling medium into two parts, one part of the cooling medium flows to one of the liquid cooling plates (1) in the middle, and the other part of the cooling medium flows to the other liquid cooling plates (1).

2. The battery pack cooling system of claim 1, wherein, The first communication pipe (22) is a four-way pipe and has a first end, a second end, a third end and a fourth end, the first end is connected to the inlet main pipe (21), the second end is connected to one of the liquid cooling plates (1) in the middle, and the liquid cooling plate (1) connected to the second end is a middle liquid cooling plate, the inlet pipe assembly (2) further comprises two inlet branch pipes (23), one of the inlet branch pipes (23) is connected to all the liquid cooling plates (1) on one side of the middle liquid cooling plate along the first direction, and the other inlet branch pipe (23) is connected to all the liquid cooling plates (1) on the other side of the middle liquid cooling plate along the first direction, the third end is connected to one of the inlet branch pipes (23), and the fourth end is connected to the other inlet branch pipe (23).

3. The battery pack cooling system of claim 2, wherein, The second end and the middle liquid cooling plate are connected by a quick plug connector (4), the quick plug connector (4) is fixedly arranged with the middle liquid cooling plate and detachably connected with the second end.

4. The battery pack cooling system of claim 2, wherein, The liquid cooling plates (1) at both ends are end liquid cooling plates, the inlet branch pipe (23) comprises a plurality of inlet branch pipe segments (231) connected in sequence, one of the inlet branch pipe segments (231) at both ends is connected with the first communication pipe (22), and the other inlet branch pipe segment (231) is connected with the end liquid cooling plate, any two adjacent inlet branch pipe segments (231) are connected by an inlet three-way valve (232), and the inlet three-way valve (232) is further connected to the liquid cooling plates (1) between the end liquid cooling plate and the middle liquid cooling plate.

5. The battery pack cooling system of any one of claims 2-4, wherein, The outlet pipe assembly (3) comprises an outlet main pipe (31) and a second communication pipe (32) connected to the outlet main pipe (31), and the second communication pipe (32) is configured to converge the two parts of the cooling medium, one part of the cooling medium flows to the second communication pipe (32) from the middle liquid cooling plate, and the other part of the cooling medium flows to the second communication pipe (32) from the other liquid cooling plates (1).

6. The battery pack cooling system of claim 5, wherein, The second communication pipe (32) is a four-way pipe and has a fifth end, a sixth end, a seventh end and an eighth end. The fifth end is connected to the liquid outlet main pipe (31), and the sixth end is connected to the middle liquid cooling plate. The liquid outlet pipe assembly (3) further comprises two liquid outlet branch pipes (33). One of the liquid outlet branch pipes (33) is connected to all the liquid cooling plates (1) located on one side of the middle liquid cooling plate along the first direction, and the other liquid outlet branch pipe (33) is connected to all the liquid cooling plates (1) located on the other side of the middle liquid cooling plate along the first direction. The seventh end is connected to one of the liquid outlet branch pipes (33), and the eighth end is connected to the other liquid outlet branch pipe (33).

7. The battery pack cooling system of claim 6, wherein, The liquid cooling plates (1) located at both ends are end liquid cooling plates. The liquid outlet branch pipe (33) comprises a plurality of liquid outlet branch pipe sections (331) connected in sequence. Among the liquid outlet branch pipe sections (331) located at both ends, one of the liquid outlet branch pipe sections (331) is connected to the second communication pipe (32), and the other liquid outlet branch pipe section (331) is connected to the end liquid cooling plate. Any two adjacent liquid outlet branch pipe sections (331) are connected through a liquid outlet three-way valve (332). The liquid outlet three-way valve (332) is further connected to the liquid cooling plate (1) located between the end liquid cooling plate and the middle liquid cooling plate.

8. The battery pack cooling system of any one of claims 1-4, wherein, The cooling liquid flow channel (11) of at least part of the liquid cooling plate (1) is further provided with a protrusion (12) extending along the flow direction of the cooling medium.

9. A battery pack comprising the battery pack cooling system according to any one of claims 1-8, and further comprising a battery module. The cooling medium in the cooling liquid flow channel (11) exchanges heat with the battery module.

10. The battery pack of claim 9, wherein, A plurality of battery modules are provided. The battery modules are arranged in sequence along the first direction. Any two adjacent battery modules are provided with the liquid cooling plate (1).

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