Liquid cooling plate

Abstract

Disclosed in the present application is a liquid cooling plate, comprising a plate body; the plate body is internally provided with a cavity constituting a liquid cooling flow channel; an elastic member is mounted in the liquid cooling flow channel; one side of the elastic member is attached to the inner wall of one side of the liquid cooling flow channel, and the elastic member protrudes towards the side away from the inner wall to which the elastic member is attached.

Description

A liquid cooling plate

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 2024219388982 filed on August 09, 2024 with the China Patent Office, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of batteries, in particular to a liquid cooling plate. BACKGROUND

[0003] With the popularity of electric vehicles (EVs), the demand for fast charging technology is increasing. However, the thermal management of battery packs during fast charging has become a major challenge. High current charging not only generates a large amount of heat, but also accompanies the thermal expansion of the battery. The battery temperature rises during charging, causing its volume to expand. This expansion behavior can cause physical stress to the structure around the battery, especially the liquid cooling plate.

[0004] In order to alleviate the heating of the battery pack, liquid cooling technology is widely used in battery thermal management systems (BTMS). The liquid cooling plate, as a key component of the liquid cooling system, is usually designed with an internal hollow flow channel for the circulation of cooling liquid to effectively reduce the temperature of the battery. TECHNICAL PROBLEM

[0005] When the battery expands due to temperature rise during charging, the battery module will squeeze the adjacent liquid cooling plate, and the liquid cooling plate itself has a certain height. After being subjected to external pressure, the liquid cooling plate is prone to large deformation, thereby affecting the heat dissipation effect of the liquid cooling plate on the battery. TECHNICAL SOLUTION

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a liquid cooling plate for cooling an electric core, comprising a plate body, the plate body having a cavity constituting a liquid cooling flow channel, the liquid cooling flow channel being fitted with an elastic member, one side of the elastic member being attached to the inner wall of one side of the liquid cooling flow channel, and the elastic member being protruding away from the side of the inner wall attached to the elastic member. ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS

[0007] 1. One side of the elastic member is attached to the inner wall of the liquid cooling flow channel, and the other side is protruding away from the side of the inner wall attached to the elastic member. It can absorb and alleviate the squeezing effect caused by the thermal expansion of the electric core when the liquid cooling flow channel is compressed by the expansion of the electric core, preventing plastic deformation of the liquid cooling flow channel. Even if a small amount of deformation occurs, the elastic member can restore the original state of the liquid cooling flow channel by releasing its elastic potential energy.

[0008] 2. By reducing the damage to the liquid cooling plate caused by the expansion of the electric core, the reliability of the entire liquid cooling system is improved, and the service life of the liquid cooling plate and its related components is prolonged.

[0009] 3. By reducing the damage caused by the expansion of the battery cell, the service life of the liquid cooling plate is prolonged, and the long-term operating cost is indirectly reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the present application;

[0011] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the elastic member of the present application in the form of a rubber strip;

[0012] Figure 3 is an enlarged view of part A of Figure 2;

[0013] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rubber strip of the present application;

[0014] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the elastic member of the present application in the form of an elastic sheet;

[0015] Figure 6 is an enlarged view of part B of Figure 5;

[0016] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the elastic sheet of the present application.

[0017] Wherein, the meaning of the reference signs is as follows: 1, plate body; 11, liquid cooling channel; 12, first large face; 13, second large face; 2, assembly structure; 21, first positioning rib; 22, second positioning rib; 3, elastic member; 31, rubber strip; 32, elastic sheet; 33, clamping groove; 4, pressure relief plate; 41, pressure relief channel; 42, exhaust port; 5, battery cell. Embodiments of the present application

[0018] Referring to Figures 1-4, the present application discloses a liquid cooling plate for cooling a battery cell, comprising a plate body 1, the plate body 1 having a cavity constituting a liquid cooling channel 11, an elastic member 3 being assembled in the liquid cooling channel 11, one side of the elastic member 3 being attached to the inner wall of one side of the liquid cooling channel 11, and the elastic member 3 being raised towards the side away from the inner wall to which it is attached.

[0019] In some embodiments, the plate body 1 is a hollow plate, the hollow structure of the plate body 1 constituting the liquid cooling channel 11, the elastic member 3 being arranged in the hollow structure of the plate body 1, one side of the elastic member 3 being attached to the inner wall of one side of the liquid cooling channel 11, i.e. one side surface of the elastic member 3 being attached to the inner wall of one side of the liquid cooling channel 11, and the elastic member 3 being raised towards the side away from the inner wall to which it is attached. In addition, it can be selected whether the elastic member 3 abuts against the opposite two inner walls constituting the liquid cooling channel, if it is selected that one side surface of the elastic member 3 is attached to the inner wall of one side of the liquid cooling channel 11, and a gap is left between the other side of the elastic member 3 and the inner wall of the opposite side of the liquid cooling channel 11, i.e. when the plate body 1 is subjected to extrusion, the elastic member 3 abuts against the two opposite side walls of the plate body 1 after the elastic deformation of the plate body 1 itself reaches a certain degree, thereby supporting the plate body 1.

[0020] The elastic member 3 can be arranged on the top surface or the bottom surface of the plate body 1, or one of the opposite two side walls of the plate body 1, which is not limited herein. The connection mode of the elastic member 3 and the inner wall of the plate body 1 can be selected from welding, bonding, abutting and the like, which can keep the elastic member 3 from being displaced in the liquid cooling flow channel 11. The connection mode of the elastic member 3 and the plate body 1 can be selected as needed, which is not limited herein.

[0021] In some embodiments, in order to improve the supporting effect of the elastic member 3 on the plate body 1 and expand the function of the elastic member 3, the elastic member 3 abuts against the two opposite inner walls of the liquid cooling flow channel 11, so as to divide the liquid cooling flow channel 11 into two independent cavities.

[0022] In some embodiments, the elastic member 3 abuts against the two opposite inner walls of the liquid cooling flow channel 11, which not only can improve the support of the cavity of the plate body 1, but also can divide the liquid cooling flow channel 11 into two independent cavities, so as to facilitate the series / parallel arrangement of the liquid cooling flow channel 11 in the whole liquid cooling system.

[0023] In some embodiments, in order to facilitate the assembly of the elastic member 3, the liquid cooling flow channel 11 of the plate body 1 is provided with an assembly structure 2, the assembly structure 2 comprises two first positioning ribs 21, the two first positioning ribs 21 are arranged along the length direction of the liquid cooling flow channel 11, i.e. the flow direction of the cooling liquid of the liquid cooling flow channel 11, and the two first positioning ribs 21 are arranged on the inner walls on the same side, so as to facilitate the installation and positioning of the elastic member 3. The elastic member 3 is assembled between the two first positioning ribs 21, and the two first positioning ribs 21 abut against the elastic member 3, so as to facilitate the positioning of the elastic member 3. The elastic member 3 abuts against the inner wall on which the first positioning rib 21 is arranged and the opposite inner wall, so as to achieve the effect of supporting the liquid cooling flow channel 11 by the elastic member 3.

[0024] In some embodiments, the plate body 1 is a hollow plate, the hollow structure of the plate body 1 constitutes the liquid cooling flow channel 11, and the assembly structure 2 is arranged in the hollow structure of the plate body 1. The assembly structure 2 comprises two first positioning ribs 21, the two first positioning ribs 21 are arranged along the length direction of the liquid cooling flow channel 11, i.e. the flow direction of the cooling liquid of the liquid cooling flow channel 11, and the two first positioning ribs 21 are arranged on the inner walls on the same side, so as to facilitate the installation and positioning of the elastic member 3. The elastic member 3 is assembled between the two first positioning ribs 21, and the two first positioning ribs 21 abut against the elastic member 3, so as to facilitate the positioning of the elastic member 3. The elastic member 3 abuts against the inner wall on which the first positioning rib 21 is arranged and the opposite inner wall, so as to achieve the effect of supporting the liquid cooling flow channel 11 by the elastic member 3.

[0025] By adopting the above arrangement, the two first positioning ribs are arranged on the same side of the inner wall along the direction of the liquid cooling flow channel, and provide a fixing point for the elastic member, which is located between the two first positioning ribs. More importantly, the elastic member is assembled between the two first positioning ribs in a plug-in manner. After the liquid cooling plate is used for a long time, even if the elastic performance of the elastic member deteriorates, the elastic member can be repaired by being replaced alone, without replacing the entire liquid cooling plate, thereby reducing the maintenance cost of the liquid cooling plate in this respect.

[0026] In some embodiments, the first positioning rib 21 can be arranged on the top surface or the bottom surface of the plate body 1, or on one of the two side walls of the plate body 1, which is not limited here. In addition, the two first positioning ribs 21 are preferably arranged in parallel with each other, and of course, the two first positioning ribs 21 can be arranged obliquely, as long as they do not intersect and the elastic member 3 can be inserted.

[0027] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, in some embodiments, the inner wall of the plate body 1 has a first large surface 12 and a second large surface 13 arranged oppositely, and the two first positioning ribs 21 are arranged on the first large surface 12 or the second large surface 13. During the force process, the first large surface 12 and the second large surface 13 are more likely to deform than other surfaces due to their larger area, and therefore need to be specifically supported by the elastic member 3. By arranging the first positioning rib 21 on the first large surface 12 or the second large surface 13, the elastic member 3 can abut between the first large surface 12 and the second large surface 13 during installation, thereby effectively supporting the first large surface 12 and the second large surface 13, reducing the degree of deformation of the liquid cooling flow channel 11, and thereby ensuring the flow-through effect of the liquid cooling flow channel 11.

[0028] In some embodiments, in order to maximize the use of the elastic member 3, the vertical distance between the first large surface 12 and the second large surface 13 is set as B, the thickness of the battery cell adjacent to the plate body 1 is T, the thickness of the battery cell is the length of the battery cell in the same direction as B, and the maximum height of the first positioning rib 21 is H. By limiting the maximum height H of the first positioning rib 21, it can be ensured that when the battery cell expands, the liquid cooling plate can provide accurate support, and the first positioning rib 21 will not abut against the opposite inner wall before the elastic member 3 reaches its maximum absorption performance due to the high height of the first positioning rib 21, thereby affecting the absorption performance of the elastic member, and there is also a stress concentration caused by the abutment of the first positioning rib 21 against the opposite inner wall, and even the plate body 1 can be damaged.

[0029] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, in some embodiments, in order to ensure the positioning effect of the elastic member 3, the assembly structure 2 further comprises a second positioning protrusion 22, one of the first positioning protrusions 21 and the second positioning protrusion 22 is arranged on the first large surface 12, and the other is arranged on the second large surface 13. The second positioning protrusion 22 and the two first positioning protrusions 21 are staggered, the elastic member 3 is provided with a clamping groove 33 on the side facing the second positioning protrusion 22, and the second positioning protrusion 22 is clamped with the clamping groove 33.

[0030] In some embodiments, by staggering the first positioning protrusions 21 and the second positioning protrusions 22 on the first large surface 12 and the second large surface 13, it is ensured that the elastic member 3 can maintain a predetermined stressed posture during installation, prevent plastic deformation of the elastic member 3 due to external force, and the side of the elastic member 3 facing the second positioning protrusion 22 is designed with a clamping groove 33, which not only can guide the installation of the elastic member 3, but more importantly, it can ensure that the elastic member 3 can accurately return after bearing the thermal expansion pressure of the battery cell, thereby improving the reliability and service life of the entire liquid cooling system.

[0031] Referring to FIGS. 3-6, in some embodiments, in order to improve the stability and support of the elastic member 3, the second positioning protrusion 22 is the same distance from the two first positioning protrusions 21, that is, the connecting line between the second positioning protrusion 22 and the two first positioning protrusions 21 is an isosceles triangle. With this structure, it is ensured that the elastic member 3 is uniformly distributed in the liquid cooling plate, so that the stress distribution of each part of the entire plate body 1 is more uniform when the plate body 1 is subjected to the expansion pressure of the battery cell, reducing local stress concentration and avoiding deformation or damage caused by uneven local stress. In addition, the same distance makes the replacement and maintenance of the elastic member 3 more standardized, without the need to design multiple specifications of the elastic member 3 for different distances, reducing maintenance cost and complexity.

[0032] In some embodiments, the second positioning protrusion 22 is parallel to the first positioning protrusion 21, and of course can be inclined, which can complete the normal installation of the elastic member 3 and the positioning of the elastic member 3.

[0033] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, in some embodiments, in order to improve the support effect on the liquid cooling flow channel 11, the inner wall of the plate body 1 is provided with a plurality of assembly structures 2 along the height direction of the plate body 1. Through the above arrangement of the plurality of assembly structures 2, when the liquid cooling plate is subjected to the expansion pressure of the battery cell, the pressure can be dispersed through the cooperative action of each positioning protrusion and the elastic member 3, preventing the deformation of the liquid cooling flow channel 11, thereby maintaining the stability and cooling effect of the liquid cooling system.

[0034] In some embodiments, the multiple assembly structures 2 can be arranged at equal intervals, which can improve the support effect of the elastic member 3 on the liquid cooling flow channel 11 in the assembly structure 2, and can uniformly distribute the pressure applied to the outside of the plate body 1. In addition, the distribution of the multiple assembly structures can effectively reduce the damage of the liquid cooling plate caused by the swelling of the battery cell, prolong the service life of the liquid cooling plate and related components, and reduce the cost of maintenance and replacement. In addition, the design flexibility of the multiple assembly structures is high, and the number and position of the assembly structures can be adjusted according to the specific size and layout of the battery pack to adapt to the thermal management requirements of different vehicle models and battery configurations.

[0035] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, in some embodiments, in order to enable the elastic member 3 to more evenly share external pressure, the first positioning rib 21 of one of the two adjacent assembly structures 2 is arranged on the first large face 12, and the first positioning rib 21 of the other assembly structure 2 is arranged on the second large face 13, that is, the first positioning ribs 21 of the two adjacent assembly structures 2 are arranged on different large faces, so as to ensure that the elastic member 3 arranged in the first positioning rib 21 is also correspondingly arranged, thereby avoiding deformation or damage caused by excessive pressure on one side, and improving the overall stability and durability of the structure. In addition, the alternately arranged first positioning ribs can increase the lateral rigidity of the plate body, reduce the deformation of the liquid cooling plate caused by the swelling of the battery cell, maintain the integrity of the liquid cooling flow channel and the smooth flow of the cooling liquid, thereby improving the cooling efficiency.

[0036] Based on the structure of the assembly component including the second positioning rib 22, the second positioning rib 22 is arranged opposite to the first positioning rib 21 in the assembly structure 2 of the same family, thereby facilitating the positioning and installation of the elastic member 3.

[0037] Referring to FIGS. 2-7, in some embodiments, the elastic member 3 is a rubber strip 31 or an elastic sheet 32. In some embodiments, the rubber strip 31 can be a solid rubber strip 31 or a hollow rubber strip 31, which can satisfy the support of the plate body 1. The elastic sheet 32 can be made of a metal or alloy material that has elasticity and stable chemical properties, such as stainless steel. In some embodiments, the cross section of the elastic member 3 (i.e., the rubber strip 31 or the elastic sheet 32) is triangular, and the top angle is provided with a clamping groove 33 matched with the second positioning rib 22, and the two angle points opposite to the top angle are respectively matched with the two first positioning ribs 21 for positioning. In addition, the length of the elastic member 3 (i.e., the rubber strip 31 or the elastic sheet 32) can be the same as the length of the first positioning rib 21, and the elastic member 3 can be arranged in whole; or the elastic member 3 can be arranged in multiple short lengths intermittently between the two first positioning ribs 21, which can satisfy the support of the plate body 1. The selection of the rubber strip or the elastic sheet provides multiple materials and shapes for the elastic member, which can select the most suitable material according to the design of the liquid cooling plate and the specific application environment to satisfy the specific thermal management and mechanical strength requirements.

[0038] Referring to FIGS. 1-7, in some embodiments, in order to facilitate the arrangement of the battery cell 5 with the liquid cooling plate, at least one side of the bottom of the plate body 1 is provided with a pressure relief plate 4, the pressure relief plate 4 has a pressure relief channel 41 and an exhaust port 42, the pressure relief channel 41 is arranged in the pressure relief plate 4, and the exhaust port 42 is arranged at the top of the pressure relief plate 4 to communicate the top of the pressure relief plate 4 with the outside. In some embodiments, the pressure relief cavity of the battery cell 5 is arranged corresponding to the exhaust port 42, when exhaust and / or pressure relief is needed, the gas passes through the pressure relief cavity, the exhaust port 42, the pressure relief channel 41 to the outside of the liquid cooling plate in sequence, avoiding the accumulation of hot gas to cause the continuous rise of the internal temperature of the battery pack, thereby reducing the risk of thermal runaway.

[0039] In some embodiments, in order to adapt to the requirement of arranging the battery cell 5 on both sides of the liquid cooling plate, the bottom of the plate body 1 is provided with a pressure relief plate 4 on both sides, and the double-sided pressure relief plate 4 design enables the liquid cooling plate to better adapt to the size and layout of different battery packs, enhancing the adaptability and universality of the system.

[0040] In some embodiments, the exhaust port 42 is provided with a plurality of exhaust ports 42 arranged along the length direction of the pressure relief channel 41. By arranging a plurality of exhaust ports 42, the exhaust port 42 can be arranged as needed to correspond to the arrangement of the pressure relief valve of the battery cell 5, thereby optimizing the battery thermal management and avoiding the performance degradation or safety problems of the battery caused by overheating. The spacing of the plurality of exhaust ports 42 can be arranged as needed, and in some embodiments, an equal spacing is adopted to facilitate the use of the same specification of battery cell 5, and facilitate the design and production of the battery pack. By adopting the above arrangement, the plurality of exhaust ports can release the pressure generated by the battery expansion inside the battery pack more quickly and uniformly, prevent the local pressure from being too high, and help to maintain the balance of the internal and external pressure of the battery pack, reducing the physical impact on the liquid cooling plate. Moreover, the increase of the exhaust port helps to timely discharge the hot gas generated inside the battery pack due to charging, reducing the temperature of the battery pack, thereby optimizing the battery thermal management and avoiding the performance degradation or safety problems of the battery caused by overheating.

Claims

1. A liquid cooling plate arranged to dissipate heat from an electric core, comprising a plate body (1) having a cavity constituting a liquid cooling flow channel (11) therein, and a resilient member (3) fitted in the liquid cooling flow channel (11), one side of the resilient member (3) being attached to an inner wall of one side of the liquid cooling flow channel (11), and the resilient member (3) being protruded away from the side of the inner wall attached to the resilient member (3).

2. The liquid cold plate of claim 1, wherein, The resilient member (3) is in abutment with two opposite inner walls of the liquid cooling flow channel (11), and the liquid cooling flow channel (11) is divided into two independent cavities.

3. The liquid cold plate of claim 1, wherein, An assembly structure (2) is provided on the inner wall of the plate body (1), the assembly structure (2) comprising two first positioning ribs (21), the two first positioning ribs (21) being arranged along the length direction of the liquid cooling flow channel (11), and the two first positioning ribs (21) being arranged on the same side of the inner wall, and the resilient member (3) being fitted between the two first positioning ribs (21), and the resilient member (3) being in abutment with the inner wall and the opposite inner wall where the first positioning ribs (21) are arranged.

4. The liquid cold plate of claim 3, wherein, The inner wall of the plate body (1) has a first large face (12) and a second large face (13) arranged oppositely, and the two first positioning ribs (21) are arranged on the first large face (12) or the second large face (13).

5. The liquid cold plate of claim 4, wherein, The vertical distance between the first large surface (12) and the second large surface (13) is set as B, the thickness of the battery cell adjacent to the plate body (1) is T, and the maximum height of the first positioning convex rib (21) is H, then ​ 6. The liquid cold plate of claim 4, wherein, The assembly structure (2) further comprises a second positioning rib (22), one of the first positioning rib (21) and the second positioning rib (22) is arranged on the first large face (12), and the other is arranged on the second large face (13), and the second positioning rib (22) and the two first positioning ribs (21) are staggered, and the resilient member (3) is provided with a clamping groove (33) on the side of the second positioning rib (22), and the second positioning rib (22) is clamped with the clamping groove (33).

7. The liquid cold plate of claim 6, wherein, The distance between the second positioning rib (22) and the two first positioning ribs (21) is the same.

8. A liquid cold plate according to any of claims 4-7, wherein, A plurality of assembly structures (2) are arranged on the inner wall of the plate body (1) along the height direction of the plate body (1).

9. The liquid cold plate of claim 8, wherein, In adjacent two groups of assembly structures (2), the first positioning ribs (21) of one group of assembly structures (2) are arranged on the first large face (12), and the first positioning ribs (21) of the other group of assembly structures (2) are arranged on the second large face (13).

10. The liquid cold plate of claim 1, wherein, The resilient member (3) is a rubber strip (31) or an elastic sheet (32).

11. The liquid cold plate of claim 1, wherein, At least one side of the bottom of the plate body (1) is provided with a pressure relief plate (4), the pressure relief plate (4) has a pressure relief channel (41) and an exhaust port (42), the pressure relief channel (41) is arranged in the pressure relief plate (4), and the exhaust port (42) is arranged at the top of the pressure relief plate (4) to communicate the top of the pressure relief plate (4) with the outside.

12. The liquid cold plate of claim 11, wherein, Both sides of the bottom of the plate body (1) are provided with the pressure relief plate (4).

13. The liquid cold plate of either claim 11 or 12, wherein, A plurality of exhaust ports (42) are provided, and the plurality of exhaust ports (42) are arranged along the length direction of the pressure relief channel (41).

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