Battery module

Abstract

According to the battery module provided in the present application, a liquid inlet flow channel is arranged on a side wall of a box body, and is in communication with an accommodating cavity within the box body by means of liquid inlet holes on the side wall of the box body. Since the plurality of liquid inlet holes are uniformly arranged along a first direction, that is, are consistent with the arrangement direction of battery cells within the accommodating cavity, liquid in the liquid inlet flow channel can flow into the accommodating cavity from each position in the first direction under the guidance of the liquid inlet holes, and flow through the battery cells at each position arranged within the accommodating cavity along the first direction. Therefore, battery cells at different positions within the battery module are comprehensively considered, improving the overall thermal management effect.

Description

Battery Module

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 2024224862697, filed on October 14, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of battery technology, specifically to a battery module. Background Technology

[0003] Immersion-type cell thermal management solution refers to immersing the battery module's cells in a liquid medium, with the cells in direct contact with the liquid medium, thereby enabling the liquid medium to dissipate heat or heat the cells and achieve thermal management. Technical issues

[0004] To ensure effective thermal management, a reasonable liquid flow path needs to be designed within the battery module. However, the liquid flow path design in existing battery modules is not reasonable enough, failing to adequately accommodate cells in different locations within the module, resulting in poor overall thermal management. Technical solutions

[0005] This application provides a battery module, including:

[0006] The enclosure contains a receiving cavity; and

[0007] Multiple battery cells are disposed within the receiving cavity and arranged along a first direction;

[0008] The side wall of the box is provided with a liquid inlet channel, and the side wall of the box is also provided with multiple liquid inlet holes. The liquid inlet channel is connected to the receiving cavity through the liquid inlet holes, and the multiple liquid inlet holes are evenly arranged along the first direction.

[0009] Optionally, the housing is provided with a liquid inlet, and the liquid inlet channel is connected to the liquid inlet. Among the multiple liquid inlet holes, the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid inlet hole farther away from the liquid inlet is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid inlet hole closer to the liquid inlet.

[0010] Optionally, the liquid inlet is located on the side wall near the bottom of the tank.

[0011] Optionally, the battery module also includes a side cover plate, with the side wall recessed inward to form a liquid flow cavity, and the side cover plate covering the opening of the liquid flow cavity to enclose and form a liquid inlet channel.

[0012] Optionally, liquid inlet channels are provided on both opposite side walls of the housing.

[0013] Optionally, a top cover assembly may also be included;

[0014] The top cover assembly is located on the top of the receiving cavity. The top cover assembly includes a flow channel plate and a guide plate. The flow channel plate is provided with a liquid outlet channel, and the guide plate is provided with multiple liquid outlet holes. The liquid outlet channel is connected to the receiving cavity through the liquid outlet holes.

[0015] Optionally, the top cover assembly is provided with a liquid outlet, and the liquid outlet channel is connected to the liquid outlet. Among the multiple liquid outlet holes, the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid outlet hole farther away from the liquid outlet is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid outlet hole closer to the liquid outlet.

[0016] Optionally, the liquid outlet channel is formed by the outward bulge of the channel plate and the enclosing of the guide plate.

[0017] Optionally, multiple liquid outlet holes are evenly arranged along the first direction.

[0018] Optionally, the flow channel plate is provided with a confluence flow channel, a liquid outlet and multiple liquid outlet flow channels, the ends of the multiple liquid outlet flow channels are connected through the confluence flow channel, and the liquid outlet is located on the confluence flow channel. Beneficial effects

[0019] The battery module provided in this application has a liquid inlet channel located on the side wall of the housing. The liquid inlet channel is connected to the receiving cavity inside the housing through a liquid inlet hole on the side wall of the housing. Since multiple liquid inlets are evenly arranged along the first direction, which is consistent with the arrangement direction of the battery cells in the receiving cavity, the liquid in the liquid inlet channel can flow into the receiving cavity from each position in the first direction under the guidance of the liquid inlet hole, and flow through the battery cells arranged in each position in the receiving cavity along the first direction. This relatively comprehensively takes into account the battery cells in different positions in the battery module, resulting in better overall thermal management. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery module provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of the housing part of the battery module shown in Figure 1;

[0022] Figure 3 is a front view of the box section shown in Figure 2;

[0023] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the box section shown in Figure 2;

[0024] Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of the upper cover assembly of the battery module shown in Figure 1;

[0025] Figure 6 is a top view of the battery module shown in Figure 1;

[0026] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the battery module shown in Figure 1 from a first perspective.

[0027] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the battery module shown in Figure 1 from a second perspective.

[0028] Icons: Box body 100, liquid inlet 101, liquid inlet channel 102, side cover plate 103, liquid inlet hole 104, sealing groove 105, side wall 106; fixing frame 200; top cover assembly 300, flow channel plate 301, liquid outlet channel 302, guide plate 303, liquid outlet hole 304, liquid outlet 305. Embodiments of the present invention

[0029] A battery module typically contains multiple battery cells arranged in a specific orientation. To ensure the battery's charging and discharging efficiency, thermal management of the battery cells within the battery module is necessary, which involves managing the temperature of the cells to ensure they operate at a suitable temperature.

[0030] There are several thermal management solutions for battery cells. One solution involves indirect contact between the liquid medium and the cell. Specifically, the liquid medium flows through a serpentine tube, which then contacts the cell, allowing heat conduction through indirect contact. This solution is suitable for scenarios with low heat dissipation requirements because the liquid medium does not directly contact the cell. Another solution is an immersion-type thermal management system, where the battery cells are immersed in a liquid medium, resulting in direct contact between the cells and the liquid. Because the cells and the liquid medium have a large cross-sectional area in direct contact, the liquid medium can quickly dissipate heat, leading to better heat dissipation.

[0031] To ensure effective thermal management, a reasonable liquid flow path needs to be designed within the battery module. However, the liquid flow path design in existing battery modules is not reasonable enough, failing to adequately accommodate the cells in different locations within the module, resulting in poor overall thermal management.

[0032] This application provides a battery module that can comprehensively take into account the cells in different locations within the battery module, resulting in better overall thermal management.

[0033] The embodiments of the battery module provided in this application can be understood by referring to Figures 1-8.

[0034] In one embodiment, the battery module may include a housing 100 and multiple battery cells. The housing 100 may include a bottom and side walls 106, for example, it may include a bottom and four side walls 106, which are opposite each other and together with the bottom, form a receiving cavity. Multiple battery cells may be disposed within the receiving cavity, and the multiple battery cells may be arranged along a first direction. A liquid inlet channel 102 may be provided on the side wall 106 of the housing 100, and multiple liquid inlet holes 104 may be provided in the area of ​​the side wall 106 corresponding to the liquid inlet channel 102. The liquid inlet hole 104 is a hole penetrating the side wall 106, which connects the liquid inlet channel 102 and the receiving cavity, thereby enabling the liquid medium in the liquid inlet channel 102 to flow into the receiving cavity. The multiple liquid inlet holes 104 are evenly arranged along the first direction, that is, the multiple liquid inlet holes 104 are arranged in a row along the first direction, and the distance between adjacent liquid inlet holes 104 is approximately equal.

[0035] The battery module provided in this application has a liquid inlet channel 102 disposed on the side wall 106 of the housing 100. It communicates with the receiving cavity inside the housing 100 through the liquid inlet hole 104 on the side wall 106 of the housing 100. Since the multiple liquid inlet holes 104 are evenly arranged along the first direction, that is, consistent with the arrangement direction of the battery cells in the receiving cavity, the liquid in the liquid inlet channel 102 can flow into the receiving cavity from each position in the first direction under the guidance of the liquid inlet hole 104, and flow through the battery cells arranged in each position in the receiving cavity along the first direction. This relatively comprehensively takes into account the battery cells in different positions in the battery module, and makes the overall thermal management effect better.

[0036] In one embodiment, the receiving cavity within the housing 100 can be approximately a cuboid space, and the battery cells disposed within the receiving cavity can be arranged along the length of the receiving cavity. As shown in Figure 1, the mounting bracket 200 in Figure 1 is provided with multiple electrode holes, each electrode hole corresponding to one battery cell, with the electrode for powering the battery cell protruding from the electrode hole. In the example shown in Figure 1, the mounting bracket 200 has 4 rows of electrode holes, with 6 electrode holes in each row, and correspondingly, the receiving cavity is provided with 4 rows of battery cells, with 6 battery cells in each row. In this example, the first direction can be the arrangement direction of the battery cell rows, i.e., the length direction of the receiving cavity. Correspondingly, there are also 6 liquid inlet holes 104 provided on the side wall 106 of the housing 100, and the 6 liquid inlet holes 104 are evenly arranged along the arrangement direction of the battery cells, as shown in Figure 2.

[0037] Of course, in other embodiments, the battery cells can also be arranged along the width direction of the receiving cavity. Correspondingly, the liquid inlet holes 104 of the side wall 106 of the housing 100 are also arranged along the width direction of the receiving cavity, that is, the width direction of the receiving cavity is the first direction. When the length direction of the receiving cavity is taken as the first direction, the width direction of the receiving cavity can be taken as the second direction. When the width direction of the receiving cavity is taken as the first direction, the length direction of the receiving cavity can be taken as the second direction.

[0038] A liquid inlet 101 can be provided on the housing 100, and the liquid inlet 101 can be connected to the liquid inlet channel 102. In one embodiment, the liquid inlet 101 can be connected to a liquid pump and heat exchanger outside the battery module. When the liquid pump is working, it can pump the liquid medium from the liquid inlet 101 into the liquid inlet channel 102. Considering that the distances between different liquid inlet holes 104 and the liquid inlet 101 are different, if all liquid inlet holes 104 have the same cross-sectional area, the liquid flow rate of the liquid inlet hole 104 closer to the liquid inlet 101 will be significantly greater than that of the liquid inlet hole 104 farther from the liquid inlet 101, resulting in uneven flow. In one embodiment, the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid inlet hole 104 farther from the liquid inlet 101 can be increased, that is, among the multiple liquid inlet holes 104, the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid inlet hole 104 farther from the liquid inlet 101 can be greater than that of the liquid inlet hole 104 closer to the liquid inlet 101.

[0039] It should be noted that it is not necessarily required that the cross-sectional area of ​​the inlet hole 104 farther from the liquid inlet 101 is greater than that of the inlet hole 104 closer to the liquid inlet 101. It is sufficient that there exists an inlet hole 104 farther from the liquid inlet 101 with a cross-sectional area greater than that of an inlet hole 104 closer to the liquid inlet 101. In one embodiment, for multiple inlet holes 104 in a liquid inlet channel 102, the cross-sectional area of ​​the inlet hole 104 can be positively correlated with the distance from the inlet hole 104 to the liquid inlet 101, thereby achieving uniformity of flow rate across all inlet holes 104.

[0040] In one embodiment, the liquid inlet 101 can be located on the side wall 106 of the housing 100 near the bottom of the housing 100. As shown in FIG1, the liquid inlet 101 can be a pipe connector, which can be located on a side wall 106 other than the side wall 106 where the liquid inlet channel 102 is located, and the location of the liquid inlet 101 is closer to the bottom of the housing 100 to ensure that the liquid flow path can pass through the bottom area of ​​the cell. In this embodiment, since the liquid inlet 101 is located on the side wall 106, rather than on the bottom surface of the housing 100, the space occupied by the entire battery module in the height direction is minimized, thereby better adapting to the battery processing and assembly system.

[0041] In one embodiment, the battery module may further include a side cover plate 103. The liquid flow cavity can be a space for liquid medium to flow formed by an inward recess in the side wall 106 of the housing 100. The side cover plate 103 is detachably disposed at the opening of the liquid flow cavity to enclose and form a liquid inlet channel. The aforementioned liquid inlet hole 104 is disposed on the inwardly recessed part of the side wall 106 forming the liquid flow cavity. It is understood that the side cover plate 103 and the opening are sealed together, for example, by setting a sealing ring at the opening and pressing the sealing ring with the side cover plate 103 to achieve a seal. In this embodiment, by setting the side cover plate 103, the maintenance of the liquid inlet channel 102 is more convenient. In scenarios such as when the liquid inlet hole 104 is blocked by impurities, the side cover plate 103 can be removed for inspection.

[0042] In one embodiment, two liquid inlet channels 102 can be provided, respectively located on two opposite side walls 106 of the housing 100. Each side wall 106 corresponding to a liquid inlet channel 102 is provided with multiple liquid inlet holes 104. In this way, liquid medium can enter the receiving cavity from the liquid inlet channels 102 on both sides and flow through the battery cells in the receiving cavity from different directions, providing better thermal management. In another embodiment, two liquid inlets 101 can also be provided, each liquid inlet 101 communicating with a liquid inlet channel 102. Both liquid inlets 101 can be located on the side wall 106 of the housing 100 near the bottom of the housing 100.

[0043] In one embodiment, the battery module further includes a top cover assembly 300, which is disposed on the top of the receiving cavity and cooperates with the housing 100 to form a sealed space within the receiving cavity. There are many ways to achieve a seal; for example, a sealing groove 105 can be provided on the top of the receiving cavity, and a sealing ring or sealant can be applied inside the sealing groove 105. The top cover assembly 300 can be fixed to the top of the receiving cavity by welding or other methods to form a seal within the receiving cavity.

[0044] The top cover assembly 300 may include a flow channel plate 301 and a guide plate 303. The flow channel plate 301 is provided with a liquid outlet channel 302, and the guide plate 303 is provided with a plurality of liquid outlet holes 304. The liquid outlet channel 302 can communicate with the receiving cavity through the liquid outlet holes 304. In one embodiment, the flow channel plate 301 and the guide plate 303 can be stacked, for example, the flow channel plate 301 can be stacked on top of the guide plate 303. The flow channel plate 301 can protrude outward and surround the guide plate to form the liquid outlet channel 302. Here, "outward" refers to the outside of the housing 100, or it can be said to protrude upward. Because the flow channel plate 301 protrudes upward, the liquid outlet channel 302 is formed between the protruding part of the flow channel plate 301 and the guide plate 303 below the protruding part. Multiple liquid outlet holes 304 can be provided on the guide plate 303. The multiple liquid outlet holes 304 are located at positions opposite to the raised part. The through liquid outlet holes 304 can connect the liquid outlet channel 302 with the receiving cavity.

[0045] In one embodiment, the extension direction of the liquid outlet channel 302 can be the same as the arrangement direction of the battery cell, that is, the liquid outlet channel 302 can extend along the aforementioned first direction. Correspondingly, multiple liquid outlet holes 304 can be evenly arranged on the guide plate 303 along the first direction. With this configuration, there are liquid outlet holes 304 at different positions in the first direction. These liquid outlet holes 304 cooperate with liquid inlet holes 104 at different positions in the first direction, so that after the liquid medium enters the receiving cavity from the liquid inlet hole 104, it can flow relatively vertically upward, enter the liquid outlet channel 302 from the upper liquid outlet hole 304, and finally flow out from the liquid outlet 305. Since the liquid medium flows relatively vertically from the bottom to the top of the battery cell, it can remove heat from different heights of the battery cell, thus achieving a better thermal management effect.

[0046] Liquid outlet 305 can be disposed on the upper cover assembly 300, and it is understood that liquid outlet 305 can communicate with liquid flow channel 302. Here, considering that the distances between different liquid outlet holes 304 and liquid outlet 305 are different, if all liquid outlet holes 304 have the same cross-sectional area, the liquid flow rate of the liquid outlet hole 304 closer to liquid outlet 305 will be significantly greater than that of the liquid outlet hole 304 farther from liquid outlet 305, resulting in uneven flow. In one embodiment, the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid outlet hole 304 farther from liquid outlet 305 can be increased, that is, among multiple liquid outlet holes 304, the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid outlet hole 304 farther from liquid outlet 305 can be greater than the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid outlet hole 304 closer to liquid outlet 305.

[0047] It should be noted that it is not necessarily required that the cross-sectional area of ​​the outlet 304 farther from the liquid outlet 305 is greater than that of the outlet 304 closer to the liquid outlet 305. It is sufficient that at least one outlet 304 farther from the liquid outlet 305 has a cross-sectional area greater than that of an outlet 304 closer to the liquid outlet 305. In one embodiment, for multiple outlets 304 in a liquid flow channel 302, the cross-sectional area of ​​the outlet 304 can be positively correlated with the distance from the outlet 304 to the liquid outlet 305, thereby achieving uniformity of flow rate across all outlets 304.

[0048] It is understood that the liquid inlet 104 and the liquid outlet 304 can be holes of various shapes, such as circular holes, square holes, diamond holes, irregular holes, etc. This application does not specifically limit the shape of the liquid inlet 104 and the liquid outlet 304.

[0049] In one embodiment, the flow channel plate 301 may be provided with converging flow channels, and multiple liquid outlet channels 302 may be provided on the flow channel plate 301. As shown in Figure 6, parallel liquid outlet channels 302 may be provided on the flow channel plate 301, and three liquid outlet channels 302 are connected at their ends through converging flow channels, while the liquid outlet 305 may be provided on the converging flow channels. Of course, in other embodiments, the number of liquid outlet channels 302 is not necessarily three, and the converging flow channels do not necessarily connect the ends of each liquid outlet channel 302. It is even possible to not provide converging flow channels and instead provide a separate liquid outlet 305 for each liquid outlet channel 302.

[0050] In one embodiment, the battery module provided in this application can be a cylindrical battery module. The molding process of the housing 100 can be die casting, and the material can be aluminum alloy. The molding process of the top cover assembly 300 can be sheet metal stamping, and the material can be aluminum alloy.

[0051] Referring to Figures 4, 7, and 8, these three figures illustrate the flow path of the liquid medium in one embodiment. The liquid medium flows into the inlet channel 102 from the liquid inlet 101 on the side wall 106 of the housing 100. From the inlet channels 102 on both sides of the housing 100, it enters the receiving cavity through a plurality of inlet holes 104 evenly arranged along the first direction. After flowing through the bottom of the battery cell in the receiving cavity, it flows from the bottom of the battery cell towards the top of the battery cell. Then, it enters the outlet channel 302 through the outlet hole 304 on the guide plate 303, and finally flows out from the liquid outlet 305 on the channel plate 301.

[0052] The battery module provided in this application has a liquid inlet channel located on the side wall 106 of the housing. The liquid inlet channel is connected to the receiving cavity inside the housing through the liquid inlet hole on the side wall 106. Since multiple liquid inlets are evenly arranged along the first direction, which is consistent with the arrangement direction of the battery cells in the receiving cavity, the liquid in the liquid inlet channel can flow into the receiving cavity from each position in the first direction under the guidance of the liquid inlet hole, and flow through the battery cells arranged in each position in the receiving cavity along the first direction. This relatively comprehensively takes into account the battery cells in different positions in the battery module, resulting in better overall thermal management.

Claims

1. A battery module, comprising: The housing has a receiving cavity inside; as well as Multiple battery cells are disposed within the receiving cavity and arranged along a first direction; The side wall of the box is provided with a liquid inlet channel, and the side wall of the box is also provided with multiple liquid inlet holes. The liquid inlet channel is connected to the receiving cavity through the liquid inlet holes, and the multiple liquid inlet holes are evenly arranged along the first direction.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein, The housing is provided with a liquid inlet, and the liquid inlet channel is connected to the liquid inlet. Among the plurality of liquid inlet holes, the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid inlet hole farther away from the liquid inlet is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid inlet hole closer to the liquid inlet.

3. The battery module according to claim 2, wherein, The liquid inlet is located on the side wall near the bottom of the tank.

4. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the battery module further includes a side cover plate, the side wall is recessed inward to form a liquid flow cavity, and the side cover plate is disposed on the opening of the liquid flow cavity to enclose and form the liquid inlet channel.

5. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein, The liquid inlet channel is provided on both opposite side walls of the box.

6. The battery module according to any one of claims 1-5, further comprising a top cover assembly; The top cover assembly is disposed on the top of the receiving cavity. The top cover assembly includes a flow channel plate and a guide plate. The flow channel plate is provided with a liquid outlet channel, and the guide plate is provided with a plurality of liquid outlet holes. The liquid outlet channel communicates with the receiving cavity through the liquid outlet holes.

7. The battery module according to claim 6, wherein, The upper cover assembly is provided with a liquid outlet, and the liquid outlet channel is connected to the liquid outlet. Among the plurality of liquid outlet holes, the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid outlet hole farther away from the liquid outlet is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the liquid outlet hole closer to the liquid outlet.

8. The battery module according to claim 6, wherein, The liquid outlet channel is formed by the outward bulge of the channel plate and its enclosure with the guide plate.

9. The battery module according to claim 6, wherein, The plurality of liquid outlet holes are evenly arranged along the first direction.

10. The battery module according to claim 6, wherein, The flow channel plate is provided with a converging flow channel, a liquid outlet and multiple liquid outlet channels, the ends of the multiple liquid outlet channels are connected through the converging flow channel, and the liquid outlet is located on the converging flow channel.

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