Cell stack cooling device and battery module
By installing upper and lower air guides in the core reactor cooling device, the cooling airflow is separated into upper and lower air ducts, which solves the problem of uneven cooling and achieves uniform temperature distribution of the core reactor and improved cooling effect.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- EVE ENERGY CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-09-02
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-09
AI Technical Summary
The cooling effect of the cooling airflow is uneven between the upwind and downwind regions of the core stack, resulting in uneven core stack temperature distribution, which affects the service life and maintenance of the equipment.
The cooling airflow is separated by upper and lower air guides to form upper and lower air ducts. The cooling airflow is divided into three streams, which converge after passing through their respective air ducts, thereby reducing the overall airflow temperature and cooling the core stack uniformly.
This achieves uniform temperature distribution in the core stack, extends the core stack's lifespan, and improves cooling efficiency.
Smart Images
Figure CN2025118458_09072026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Core stack cooling device and battery module
[0001]
[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202423319813.5, filed with the Chinese Patent Office on December 31, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field
[0003] This application relates to the field of battery technology, specifically to a core stack cooling device and a battery module. Background Technology
[0004] During the operation of a battery, heat generation is inevitable. To avoid overheating of the battery cell stack, installing a fan in the battery module to reduce the cell stack temperature is an effective method. Cooling airflow blows through the cells and carries away the heat from the cells, which can effectively prevent overheating of the battery cell stack. Invention Overview
[0005] However, when the cooling airflow blows over the core stack, as the heat of the core stack is absorbed, the cooling airflow itself will heat up accordingly. This results in the cooling effect of the cooling airflow in the upwind region of the core stack being significantly stronger than that in the downwind region. The overall temperature of the battery cell stack shows an uneven distribution that increases from the upwind region to the downwind region.
[0006] This application provides a core stack cooling device, which includes a housing and an upper air guide and a lower air guide disposed opposite to each other inside the housing: the housing has an accommodating space for placing the battery cells; the upper air guide is disposed in the accommodating space, and an upper air duct is formed between the upper air guide and the housing, and the upper air guide has an upper air outlet, the upper air duct, the upper air outlet and the accommodating space are sequentially connected; the lower air guide is disposed in the accommodating space on the side opposite to the upper air guide, and a lower air duct is formed between the lower air guide and the housing, the lower air guide has a lower air outlet, the lower air duct, the lower air outlet and the accommodating space are sequentially connected, and air inlets and outlets connected to the outside are formed at opposite ends of the accommodating space, and the upper air duct and the lower air duct are respectively connected to the air inlets.
[0007] This application also provides a battery module, which includes a battery cell and a cell stack cooling device according to any of the above, wherein the battery cell is placed in an accommodating space. Beneficial effects
[0008] The core reactor cooling device provided in this application has an upper air duct formed between the upper air guide and the housing, and the upper air guide has an upper air outlet. The upper air duct, the upper air outlet, and the housing space are sequentially connected. A lower air duct is formed between the lower air guide and the housing, and the lower air guide has a lower air outlet. The lower air duct, the lower air outlet, and the housing space are sequentially connected. Air inlets and outlets that communicate with the outside are formed at opposite ends of the housing space, and the upper and lower air ducts are respectively connected to the air inlets.
[0009] When cooling gas is blown in through the inlet, part of the airflow passes through the core stack and is blown out through the outlet, carrying away the heat from the core stack while its own temperature rises. The remaining airflow is divided into upper and lower sections and enters the upper and lower ducts respectively. It maintains a lower temperature in the upper and lower ducts until the middle of the core stack, and then is replenished into the containment space through the upper and lower outlets, thereby reducing the airflow temperature in the containment space and also having a good cooling effect on the core stack near the outlet. Attached Figure Description
[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the battery module provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0011] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the battery module provided in the embodiment of this application after removing part of the casing;
[0012] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 1;
[0013] Figure 4 is a magnified view of region B in Figure 3;
[0014] Figure 5 is a magnified view of region C in Figure 3;
[0015] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the upper air guide provided in the embodiment of this application;
[0016] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the lower air guide provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0017] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view along line DD in Figure 1.
[0018] Explanation of icon numbers:
[0019] 100. Battery module;
[0020] 1. Core stack cooling device;
[0021] 10. Housing; 11. Compartment space; 12. Air inlet; 13. Air outlet; 20. Upper air guide; 21. Upper air duct; 22. Upper air outlet; 23. Upper airflow channel; 24. Upper battery cell slot; 25. Upper guide plate; 26. Upper sealing plate; 30. Lower air guide; 31. Lower air duct; 32. Lower air outlet; 33. Lower airflow channel; 34. Lower battery cell slot; 35. Lower guide plate; 36. Lower sealing plate; 40. Thermal pad; 50. Battery cell; 60. Fan. Embodiments of the present invention
[0022] Please refer to Figures 1 to 5. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the battery module 100 provided in the embodiment of this application; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the battery module 100 after removing part of the housing 10 provided in the embodiment of this application; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram along line AA in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a partial enlarged view of region B in Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a partial enlarged view of region C in Figure 3.
[0023] Air cooling is a cooling technology that uses airflow to blow cooling air into the device to be cooled, and the cooling airflow carries away the heat from the device. As heat is transferred from the device to the cooling airflow, the temperature of the cooling airflow gradually increases from the upper end of the device to the lower end. This means that the cooling effect of air cooling gradually weakens from the upper end to the lower end, resulting in a relatively uneven temperature distribution in the device. This can affect the wear and tear of the device and cause trouble for its maintenance.
[0024] Based on this, this application discloses a core reactor cooling device 1. Referring to Figures 1 and 3, the core reactor cooling device 1 includes a housing 10 and an upper air guide 20 and a lower air guide 30 disposed opposite to each other inside the housing 10.
[0025] Specifically, referring to Figure 2, a housing space 11 is formed inside the housing 10, which is used to place the battery cell 50; the upper air guide 20 is disposed in the housing space 11. Referring to Figure 3, an upper air duct 21 is formed between the upper air guide 20 and the housing 10, and the upper air guide 20 has an upper air outlet 22. The upper air duct 21, the upper air outlet 22 and the housing space 11 are connected in sequence; the lower air guide 30 is disposed in the housing space 11 on the side opposite to the upper air guide 20, and a lower air duct 31 is formed between the lower air guide 30 and the housing 10. The lower air guide 30 has a lower air outlet 32. The lower air duct 31, the lower air outlet 32 and the housing space 11 are connected in sequence. At opposite ends of the housing space 11, an air inlet 12 and an air outlet 13 are formed to communicate with the outside. The upper air duct 21 and the lower air duct 31 are respectively connected to the air inlet 12.
[0026] In the use of the core stack cooling device 1 provided in this application, the battery cells 50 to be cooled are stacked in the accommodating space 11, and the cooling airflow is introduced from the air inlet 12. The cooling airflow is divided into three airflows in the core stack cooling device 1, hereinafter referred to as the first airflow, the second airflow, and the third airflow: the first airflow passes between the upper air guide 20 and the lower air guide 30 and cools the battery cells 50, and then blows out from the air outlet 13; the second airflow flows through the upper air duct 21 and the upper air outlet 22, and then merges into the first airflow; the third airflow flows through the lower air duct 31 and the lower air outlet 32, and then merges into the first airflow. Since the second airflow and the third airflow do not directly contact the battery cells 50 before merging into the first airflow, the second airflow and the third airflow can maintain a lower temperature compared to the first airflow that directly absorbs the heat of the battery cells 50. That is, when the second airflow and the third airflow merge into the first airflow, the temperature of the total airflow is lower than that of the first airflow before merging, so it can achieve a better cooling effect on the battery cells 50 near the air outlet 13.
[0027] Compared with existing air-cooling technologies, the core stack cooling device 1 provided in this application can still maintain a lower cooling airflow temperature in the downwind area of the core stack, so as to ensure a better cooling effect in the downwind area and a more uniform temperature throughout the core stack, effectively extending the service life of the core stack.
[0028] It should be noted that the core stack mentioned in this application refers to the entire assembly including at least one battery cell 50. Each battery cell 50 can be stored without power for a dedicated cooling process, or it can be connected to a circuit within the housing space 11 to allow the core stack to operate and cool simultaneously, preventing overheating. Furthermore, the downwind and upwind regions defined in this application are relative to the direction of the cooling airflow. In the core stack, the upwind region is the portion relatively close to the air inlet 12, and the downwind region is the portion relatively close to the air outlet 13. This division is independent of the upper air guide 20 and the lower air guide 30.
[0029] Please refer to Figure 6, which is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the upper air guide 20 provided in the embodiment of this application.
[0030] In some embodiments of this application, there are multiple upwind openings 22, and the opening area of each upwind opening 22 increases as it moves away from the air inlet 12.
[0031] On the one hand, more upwind openings 22 can distribute the airflow more evenly, resulting in a more uniform cooling effect on the core reactor. On the other hand, as the second and third airflows merge into the first airflow, the air pressure in the containment space 11 increases from the air inlet 12 to the air outlet 13. That is, the closer to the air outlet 13, the more difficult it is for the second airflow to merge into the first airflow. A larger opening area of the upwind opening 22 can reduce the specific perimeter of the upwind opening 22, reduce the deceleration effect of the edge on the second airflow, and enable the second airflow to merge normally and cool the core reactor.
[0032] In some embodiments of this application, the projection of the upper air vent 22 onto the lower air guide 30 does not coincide with the lower air vent 32.
[0033] The projections of the upwind vent 22 and the downwind vent 32 do not overlap, meaning that the second and third airflows merge into the first airflow at staggered locations, resulting in a more uniform cooling effect on the first airflow and a better cooling effect on the core reactor.
[0034] In some embodiments of this application, the distance between the downwind vent 32 and the air outlet 13 is L1, and the distance between the upwind vent 22 and the air outlet 13 is L2, where 0.8 ≤ L1 / L2 < 1.
[0035] 0.8 ≤ L1 / L2 < 1, meaning the upper vent 22 is farther from the lower vent 32 than the lower vent 13. During core reactor cooling, the cooling airflow heats up, and the heated first airflow tends to spontaneously rise into the upper duct 21. Whether the second airflow can pass through the upper vent 22 depends on the pressure difference at the upper vent 22 and the velocity of the second airflow. The closer to the air inlet 12, the faster the velocity of the second airflow; the closer to the lower vent 13, the slower the velocity of the second airflow due to friction with the upper guide plate. Since the first airflow tends to rise, there is a pressure difference at the lower vent 32 that facilitates the spontaneous passage of the third airflow. In other words, at the same distance from the air inlet 12, the third airflow is more likely to merge into the first airflow than the second airflow. Therefore, setting the upper vent 22 farther from the lower vent 32 than the lower vent 13 can balance the difficulty of merging the second and third airflows, making their merging more uniform.
[0036] Please refer to Figure 7, which is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the lower air guide 30 provided in the embodiment of this application.
[0037] In some embodiments of this application, there are multiple downwind vents 32, and the opening area of any downwind vent 32 is smaller than the opening area of the upwind vent 22.
[0038] As discussed in the previous embodiment, at the same distance from the air inlet 12, the third airflow is more likely to merge into the first airflow than the second airflow. A smaller opening area at the lower air outlet 32 allows the third airflow to merge into the first airflow over a wider area, resulting in a more uniform cooling effect.
[0039] Please also refer to Figure 8, which is a cross-sectional view along line DD in Figure 1.
[0040] In some embodiments of this application, the upper air guide 20 is recessed on the side facing the lower air guide 30 with an upper guide groove 23, and the extension direction of the upper guide groove 23 is the same as the connection direction of the air inlet 12 and the air outlet 13; and / or, the lower air guide 30 is recessed on the side facing the upper air guide 20 with a lower guide groove 33, and the extension direction of the lower guide groove 33 is the same as the connection direction of the air inlet 12 and the air outlet 13.
[0041] For embodiments where the battery cells 50 are stacked relatively densely or where the air inlet 12 and the air outlet 13 are far apart, the design of the guide channel can avoid the obstruction of the cooling airflow, and at least ensure that after the cooling airflow enters from the air inlet 12, the high-temperature exhaust gas can be discharged from the air outlet 13.
[0042] In some embodiments of this application, the upper air guide 20 is recessed on the side facing the lower air guide 30 with a plurality of upper battery cell grooves 24, which are used to fit and accommodate the surface of the battery cell 50; and / or, the lower air guide 30 is recessed on the side facing the upper air guide 20 with a plurality of lower battery cell grooves 34, which are used to fit and accommodate the surface of the battery cell 50.
[0043] The arrangement of the upper cell slot 24 and the lower cell slot 34 allows the upper air guide 20 and the lower air guide 30 to fit the cell 50 more closely. This can help position the cell 50 and reduce the proportion of cooling airflow flowing outside the core stack, allowing more airflow to blow between the cells 50, which can further reduce the temperature of the cells 50 inside the core stack.
[0044] Furthermore, the core stack cooling device 1 also includes a thermal pad 40, which is attached to the upper cell slot 24 and / or the lower cell slot 34.
[0045] For a small number of cells 50 in a core stack, the cooling airflow at the air outlet 13 still maintains a relatively low temperature. The thermal pad 40 can conduct the heat of the core stack in advance, allowing the second and third airflows to carry away some of the heat in advance, thereby achieving the effect of further reducing the core stack temperature.
[0046] In some embodiments of this application, the upper air guide 20 includes an upper guide plate 25 and an upper sealing plate 26, an upper air duct 21 is formed between the upper guide plate 25 and the housing 10, an upper air outlet 22 is opened on the upper guide plate 25, and the upper sealing plate 26 is connected to the end of the upper guide plate 25 near the air outlet 13 and blocks the upper air duct 21; and / or, the lower air guide 30 includes a lower guide plate 35 and a lower sealing plate 36, a lower air duct 31 is formed between the lower guide plate 35 and the housing 10, a lower air outlet 32 is opened on the lower guide plate 35, and the lower sealing plate 36 is connected to the end of the lower guide plate 35 near the air outlet 13 and blocks the lower air duct 31.
[0047] The upper air duct 21 and the lower air duct 31 are blocked at the ends near the air outlet 13 by the upper sealing plate 26 and the lower sealing plate 36, respectively. This allows the second and third airflows to be discharged only from the upper air outlet 22 and the lower air outlet 32. Furthermore, all the second and third airflows will eventually merge into the first airflow and cool the core stack, thus enhancing the cooling effect of the core stack cooling device 1.
[0048] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application also discloses a battery module 100, which includes a battery cell 50 and a core stack cooling device 1 of any of the above-mentioned methods, wherein the battery cell 50 is placed in the accommodating space 11.
[0049] Because the battery module 100 of this embodiment includes the core stack cooling device 1 disclosed in any of the above embodiments, this embodiment also has the above-mentioned technical effects, that is, the temperature uniformity of each cell 50 in the battery module 100 is better.
[0050] In some embodiments of this application, the battery module 100 further includes a fan 60, which is disposed at the air outlet 13 and is used to draw air out of the accommodating space 11.
[0051] In this embodiment, the blower 60 draws out gas to form a negative pressure in the accommodating space 11. The negative pressure draws in outside gas into the accommodating space 11. Compared with the technical solution of the blower 60 pumping gas into the accommodating space 11, the gas flowing into the air inlet in this embodiment can be more evenly dispersed into the upper air duct 21 and the lower air duct 31, without the situation of insufficient air intake in the upper air duct 21 and the lower air duct 31.
[0052] In some embodiments of this application, the battery cells 50 are arranged in multiple rows from the air inlet to the air outlet of the accommodating space 11, and the distance between each row of battery cells 50 and the air inlet 12 increases as it approaches the upper air guide 20.
[0053] As previously explained, the second airflow is more difficult to merge into the first airflow than the third airflow. Therefore, the cell 50 near the air inlet 12 is tilted so that after the airflow enters the core stack cooling device 1, more of it is diverted to the upper air duct 21, thereby increasing the intake volume of the second airflow.
[0054] In some embodiments of this application, the battery cell 50 located at the air inlet end of the accommodating space 11 is tangent to the same virtual plane, and the normal of the virtual plane on the side closer to the battery cell 50 points to the lower air guide 30.
[0055] In this embodiment, the battery cell 50 located at the air inlet end of the accommodating space 11 is tangent to the same virtual plane. This allows the airflow entering through the air inlet to be more effectively diverted to the side closer to the upper air duct 21 after encountering the core stack, thereby increasing the intake volume of the second airflow.
[0056] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of this application are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.
[0057] It should also be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or may be connected to an intermediary component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or indirectly connected to the other component through an intermediary component.
[0058] Furthermore, the use of terms such as "first" and "second" in this application is for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. Additionally, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but only on the basis of being achievable by those skilled in the art. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, such a combination of technical solutions should be considered non-existent and not within the scope of protection claimed in this application.
Claims
1. A core reactor cooling device (1), comprising: A housing (10) having an accommodating space (11) inside, the accommodating space (11) being used to place the battery cell (50); An upper air guide (20) is disposed in the accommodating space (11), and an upper air duct (21) is formed between the upper air guide (20) and the housing (10). The upper air guide (20) has an upper air outlet (22), and the upper air duct (21), the upper air outlet (22), and the accommodating space (11) are sequentially connected. The lower air guide (30) is disposed in the accommodating space (11) on the side opposite to the upper air guide (20). A lower air duct (31) is formed between the lower air guide (30) and the housing (10). The lower air guide (30) has a lower air outlet (32). The lower air duct (31), the lower air outlet (32) and the accommodating space (11) are connected in sequence. An air inlet (12) and an air outlet (13) connected to the outside are formed at opposite ends of the accommodating space (11). The upper air duct (21) and the lower air duct (31) are respectively connected to the air inlet (12).
2. The core stack cooling device (1) according to claim 1, wherein, There are multiple upwind openings (22), and the opening area of each upwind opening (22) increases as it moves away from the air inlet (12).
3. The core stack cooling device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The projection of the upper air vent (22) onto the lower air guide (30) does not coincide with the projection of the lower air vent (32).
4. The core stack cooling device (1) according to claim 3, wherein, The distance between the downwind outlet (32) and the air outlet (13) is L1, and the distance between the upwind outlet (22) and the air outlet (13) is L2, where 0.8 ≤ L1 / L2 < 1.
5. The core stack cooling device (1) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein there are multiple downwind ports (32), and the opening area of any one of the downwind ports (32) is smaller than the opening area of the upwind port (22).
6. The core stack cooling device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The upper air guide (20) has an upper guide groove (23) recessed on the side facing the lower air guide (30), and the extending direction of the upper guide groove (23) is the same as the connection direction of the air inlet (12) and the air outlet (13); and / or The lower air guide (30) has a recessed lower guide groove (33) on the side facing the upper air guide (20), and the extension direction of the lower guide groove (33) is the same as the connection direction of the air inlet (12) and the air outlet (13).
7. The core stack cooling device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The upper air guide (20) has a plurality of upper battery cell grooves (24) recessed on the side facing the lower air guide (30), the upper battery cell grooves (24) being used to fit and accommodate the surface of the battery cell (50); and / or The lower air guide (30) has a plurality of lower battery cell grooves (34) recessed on the side facing the upper air guide (20), and the lower battery cell grooves (34) are used to fit and accommodate the surface of the battery cell (50).
8. The core stack cooling device (1) according to claim 7, wherein, The core stack cooling device (1) further includes a thermal pad (40) which is attached to the upper cell slot (24) and / or the lower cell slot (34).
9. The core stack cooling device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The upper air guide (20) includes an upper guide plate (25) and an upper sealing plate (26). The upper air duct (21) is formed between the upper guide plate (25) and the housing (10). The upper air outlet (22) is opened on the upper guide plate (25). The upper sealing plate (26) is connected to the end of the upper guide plate (25) near the air outlet (13) and blocks the upper air duct (21); and / or The lower air guide (30) includes a lower guide plate (35) and a lower sealing plate (36). The lower air duct (31) is formed between the lower guide plate (35) and the housing (10). The lower air outlet (32) is opened on the lower guide plate (35). The lower sealing plate (36) is connected to the end of the lower guide plate (35) near the air outlet (13) and blocks the lower air duct (31).
10. A battery module (100), comprising: The core stack cooling device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9; Multiple battery cells (50) are placed within the accommodating space (11).
11. The battery module (100) according to claim 10, the battery module (100) further includes a fan (60), the fan (60) being disposed at the air outlet (13) for drawing air out of the accommodating space (11).
12. The battery module (100) according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the battery cells (50) are arranged in multiple rows from the air inlet end to the air outlet end of the accommodating space (11), and the distance between each row of battery cells (50) and the air inlet (12) increases as they approach the upper air guide (20).
13. In the battery module (100) according to claim 12, the cell (50) located at the air inlet end of the accommodating space (11) is tangent to the same virtual plane, and the normal of the virtual plane on the side closer to the cell (50) points to the lower air guide (30).