WO2021048499A1

WO2021048499A1 - Thermal management device for an electrical component and system including such a device

Info

Publication number: WO2021048499A1
Application number: PCT/FR2020/051561
Authority: WO
Inventors: François Busson; Bastien Jovet
Original assignee: Valeo Systemes Thermiques
Priority date: 2019-09-10
Filing date: 2020-09-10
Publication date: 2021-03-18

Abstract

Heat exchange device for an electronic component capable of giving off heat when in use, comprising: - a plate (10) comprising two side sheets, - a channel suitable for the circulation of a heat-transfer fluid, the channel being at least partially defined by the two side sheets, - a heat-transfer fluid inlet intended to supply the channel with a heat-transfer fluid and a heat-transfer fluid outlet intended to discharge the heat-transfer fluid from the channel, characterised in that the heat-transfer fluid inlet and/or the heat-transfer fluid outlet has a heat-transfer fluid flow section which is adjusted locally to reduce the flow rate of the heat-transfer fluid in the channel.

Description

Thermal management device for an electrical component and a system comprising such a device.

The present invention relates to a thermal management device for an electrical component capable of giving off heat during its operation and a system comprising such a device. The thermal management system of the present invention is particularly suitable for cooling or heating an electrical energy storage device, in particular an electric battery intended to equip a motor vehicle. Technical area

[0002] Electronic components, whether electrical energy storage cells, integrated circuits, servers, data centers, etc. require thermal regulation in order to keep them within their operating temperature range. Data centers around the world currently represent 10% of global electricity consumption. The advent of "blockchain" and 5G technologies mean that this percentage could increase drastically in the coming years. At least half of this consumption comes from the cooling systems of these data centers. Currently the majority of data centers are air cooled by cooling the ambient air in storage rooms with air conditioning devices. The optimum operating temperature for data centers is between 5 ° C and 40 ° C, more specifically around 27 ° C. Taking into consideration that the air has a very low conductivity, in order to sufficiently cool the electronic elements, these being able to reach temperatures exceeding 60 ° C, the temperature difference between the air and the electronic elements to be cooled must be important and therefore this kind of device is very energy intensive.

In the automotive field for example, it is known to use electric batteries in the form of electronic modules capable of giving off heat in operation. Each module may include a plurality of electronic cells capable of giving off heat in operation. operation received in a housing. High density energy storage cells such as Li-ion or Li-polymer batteries ideally need to operate in a temperature range between 20 ° C and 40 ° C, and too low a temperature affects their autonomy while 'Too high a temperature affects their lifespan. It is therefore necessary to be able to regulate them thermally, whether it is to cool or reheat them.

[0005] Unit cells are understood to mean an individual electrochemical element provided with a positive terminal and a negative terminal.

[0006] The term “battery module” is understood to mean an assembly comprising several unit cells contained in a housing, the cells being electrically connected to one another.

During the charging phase, the module or battery cells heat up depending on the conditions of use and it is known to regulate the temperature by means of plate heat exchangers in contact with the modules and in which are produced coolant circulation channels.

Prior art

[0008] A known solution for regulating the temperature of the battery consists in placing a plate through which a heat transfer fluid passes under the modules, in contact with only one face of the modules. This cooling solution is not optimal in terms of heat exchange surface and is not very suitable in the current use of batteries where vehicle manufacturers tend to increase the charging power of electric vehicles in order to reduce the charging time as much as possible. This rapid charge implies an increase in thermal losses of the module, requiring greater heat exchange.

[0009] With a view to increasing the heat exchange surface, document US2017176108 describes a heat exchanger for a battery which comprises first and second fluid transport panels, defining first and second flow channels, the first and second fluid transport panels being arranged by defining an angle between them. The heat exchanger may also include a third fluid transport panel defining a third flow channel and being arranged defining an angle with respect to the second fluid transport panel. The heat exchanger includes first and second plates sealed together along their peripheries and defining a fluid flow passage between their central fluid flow areas.

Technical problem

The solution proposed in document US2017176108 is not optimal in terms of structural arrangement. Indeed, the heat exchanger is in the form of a three-panel enclosure in which the cells are received. It is difficult to adapt it to other forms of batteries, especially in the case where the cells are arranged to form several rows of modules. In addition, the solution as proposed does not make it possible, for example, to cool the cells which are located in the center of the electric battery.

Another problem encountered in this type of cooling solution is due to the fact that the circulation of the fluid is not optimized, resulting in inhomogeneous cooling of the cells, thus creating a thermal gradient between cells, which could ultimately lead to a battery malfunction linked to loss of integrity of certain cells.

It would therefore be interesting to have a thermal management system that is simple in its design and in its operating mode, suitable for cooling a battery regardless of the arrangement of cells, with optimized circulation of the fluid in order to offer the most homogeneous temperature distribution possible for each cell, while increasing the heat exchange surface and while ensuring battery compactness.

Disclosure of the invention

There is proposed a thermal management system for an electrical component capable of giving off heat during its operation; in particular for an electrical energy storage module, comprising:

- at least one housing intended to receive at least one electrical component, said housing being delimited by at least one side face and one bottom face;

- at least one heat exchange plate extending over at least part of the surface of the side face, said at least one plate comprising a plurality of coolant fluid channels positioned parallel to one another and arranged so that the direction of circulation of the coolant fluid is alternated in a vertical direction between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet from said plate;

an inlet duct configured to supply said at least one plate with heat transfer fluid in parallel and an evacuation duct configured to collect the fluid at the outlet of said at least one plate, said inlet and evacuation ducts comprising respectively a main inlet inlet and a main outlet outlet, the main inlet and the main outlet being positioned relative to the fluid inlets and outlets of the plates so that the length traveled by the heat transfer fluid from the main inlet up to the main exit is identical for each of the plates.

[0014] Thanks to the specific arrangement of the channels in the plate, the direction of the circulation of the heat transfer fluid is alternated in the direction of the height of the plate. More precisely, the circulation alternates between a cold runner and a hot runner in the direction of the height of the plate. The module is made up of a plurality of cells positioned vertically. Each cell sees, in thermal terms, the cold runner and the hot runner of the heat transfer fluid. Thus, the average temperature of all cells is uniform.

Thanks to the specific arrangement of the supply and discharge ducts which makes it possible to obtain an identical fluid path for each of the plates, the flow rate of the heat transfer fluid is substantially identical for each of the plates in order to cool uniformly. all electrical components, and in particular all electrical energy storage modules.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, said at least one plate forms a vertical contact surface with a vertical heat exchange surface of the electrical component to be cooled, when the latter is placed in the housing.

According to one embodiment of the invention in which the thermal management system comprises at least one plate positioned between two end plates, the main inlet of the inlet duct is positioned on the inlet of fluid from one of the row end plates and the main outlet is positioned on the outlet of the other row end plate.

The characteristics set out in the following paragraphs can optionally be implemented. They can be implemented independently of each other or in combination with each other:

- said inlet and outlet conduits are parallel to each other and extend transversely to the channels over at least part of a transverse lateral face,

- Said at least one plate comprises a first series of fluid channels extending in a first plane and a second series of fluid channels extending in a second plane distinct from the first plane, each of the channels of the first series being in communication with a neighboring channel of the second series to form a plurality of U-shaped fluid paths,

said at least one plate comprises an edge located outside a contact surface of said plate with a vertical heat exchange surface of the electrical component to be cooled, said edge comprising a supply zone and an evacuation zone, said supply and discharge zones having a substantially elongated shape which extends transversely with respect to the channels,

- Said fluid inlet and the fluid outlet of said at least one plate are arranged on the edge of the plate.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the edge of the plate has a profile shape substantially C in order to define a passage for a connecting duct, said connecting duct being intended to be connected to the main outlet of the discharge duct or at the main inlet of the inlet duct so as to place the main inlet and the main outlet on the same side to be connected to an external fluid circuit.

Thanks to the presence of the passage, it is thus possible to bring the connectors of the thermal management system to the same side in order to adapt to the connection constraints imposed by the external fluid circuit and also to the packaging constraints in order to limit the occupancy volume of the battery pack in the vehicle. According to one embodiment of the invention, said at least one plate comprises a central sheet interposed between two side sheets, the central sheet being provided with grooves on each of the two faces, the three sheets being assembled together to form alternately the channels of the first series and the channels of the second series.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention in which the system comprises at least one plate positioned between two end plates, said end plates each being provided with a through connection and a non-connection. through, said non-through connection having a passage section adjusted to reduce the flow rate of heat transfer fluid through said end plates.

A through connection is a connection which comprises two connecting end pieces extending on either side of the plate at the level of the fluid inlet or of the fluid outlet so as to provide a fluid passage through plate and connected to a plate feed tank or a plate discharge tank.

A non-through connection is a connection which comprises a single connecting piece which extends from a face of the plate to provide a fluid passage between the supply tank of the plate and a supply duct , or the plate discharge tank and a discharge duct.

[0025] Thus, it is possible to increase the pressure drops at the level of the end plates to adapt the flow rate of the heat transfer fluid to the thermal power dissipated at these end plates. This is because the end plates of the row are in contact with an electrical component to be cooled on one side only. Thus the end plates will exchange half the thermal power than the plates positioned in the center of the pack. By reducing the flow of heat transfer fluid through these end plates, it is therefore possible to keep the temperature as uniform as possible for all electrical components.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the non-through connection comprises a fluid connection end piece extending from one face of said end plate and attached to said end plate at the level of the fluid inlet or the fluid outlet, said fluidic connection nozzle having an internal diameter narrowed with respect to a connection nozzle of a through connection so as to reduce the flow rate of the heat transfer fluid in said end plate.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the non-through connection comprises a deformation on one of the faces of the end plate opposite to the face from which extends a connecting end piece forming the inlet of fluid or the fluid outlet of the blind connection, said deformation being configured so as to reduce the flow rate of the heat transfer fluid in said end plate said deformation may be a deformation only of the side sheet not carrying the end cap. connection of the non-through connection or of this same side sheet as well as the intermediate sheet, said deformation can be formed for example by stamping.

According to one embodiment of the invention and to increase the heat exchange surfaces with the electrical components, the thermal management system further comprises a plate comprising a plurality of heat transfer fluid channels extending over at least part of the surface of the bottom face to form a contact surface with a horizontal heat exchange surface of the electrical component to be cooled, when the latter is placed in the housing.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the inlet duct and the discharge duct are formed of a plurality of tubes, the ends of each of the tubes being provided with a fluid connection end piece configured to be connected to a fluidic connection end piece of a through or non-through connection of a plate at the level of the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet.

According to one aspect of the invention, the invention relates to a battery pack equipped with a thermal management system as defined above, said pack comprising at least one electrical energy storage module received in the housing . According to another aspect of the invention, the invention relates to a heat exchange device for an electronic component capable of giving off heat during its operation, comprising:

- a plate (10) comprising two side sheets,

- a channel suitable for the circulation of a heat transfer fluid, said channel being at least partially defined by the two side sheets,

- a heat transfer fluid inlet intended to supply the channel with heat transfer fluid and a heat transfer fluid outlet intended to evacuate the channel with heat transfer fluid, characterized in that the heat transfer fluid inlet and / or outlet has a passage section of heat transfer fluid adjusted locally to reduce the flow rate of the heat transfer fluid in said channel.

The term "a locally adjusted heat transfer fluid passage section" is understood to mean that the inlet and / or the outlet has a flow restriction means making it possible to create a singular pressure drop and making it possible, for example, to homogenize the flow coolant when a plurality of heat exchange devices are connected together.

- the plate is provided with a through connection and a blind connection, said blind connection extending from one face of said plate at the level of the fluid inlet or the fluid outlet of the device.

[0035] - the local adjustment of the passage section is carried out at said non-through connection.

- the through connection comprises two connection end pieces extending on either side of the plate at the level of the fluid inlet or of the fluid outlet so as to provide a fluid passage through the plate between the two side sheets and also ensuring the fluid connection with the channel. [0037] the non-through connection comprises a fluid connection end piece extending from one face of said plate and attached to said plate at the level of the fluid inlet or of the fluid outlet, said connection end piece fluidic having an internal diameter narrowed with respect to the fluidic connection end piece of the through connection so as to reduce the flow rate of the heat transfer fluid in said plate.

[0038] The narrowing of the internal diameter of the connecting piece of the non-opening connection is formed by a constriction present on the internal wall of said connecting piece.

- the blind connection comprises a first deformation produced by a deformation of the face of the plate opposite to the face from which extends the connecting piece of the blind connection, said first deformation being produced by sight of the nozzle and configured so as to reduce the flow rate of the heat transfer fluid in said end plate.

- The central sheet also comprises a second deformation with respect to the first deformation.

[0041] the plate comprises a first series of fluid channels extending in a first plane and a second series of fluid channels extending in a second plane distinct from the first plane, each of the channels of the first series being in communication with an adjacent second series channel to form a plurality of U-shaped fluid paths.

The plate comprises a central sheet interposed between the first and second sheets, each of the two faces of the central sheet being provided with a groove, the three sheets being assembled together to form alternately the channels of the first series and the channels of the second series.

Thermal management device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one plate comprises an edge located outside a contact surface of said plate with a heat exchange surface of the electronic component to be cooled, said border comprising a feed zone and an evacuation zone, said zones having a substantially elongated shape which extend transversely with respect to the channels. Brief description of the drawings

[0044] Other features, details and advantages of the invention will become apparent on reading the detailed description below, and on analyzing the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1

[0045] [Fig. 1] schematically shows a perspective view of a battery pack equipped with a cooling device according to one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2

[0046] [Fig. 2] schematically shows a perspective view of part of the cooling device of Figure 1 without the electrical energy storage modules; Fig. 3

[0047] [Fig. 3] schematically represents the direction of circulation of the heat transfer fluid in a plate of a thermal management device;

Fig. 4

[0048] [Fig. 4] schematically shows an exploded view of a plate of heat transfer fluid channels of Figure 3;

Fig. 5

[0049] [Fig. 5] shows an enlarged perspective view of a communication area between the first series of channels and the second series of channels from a side view of the first series of channels; Fig. 6

[0050] [Fig. 6] shows an enlarged perspective view of a communication area between the first series of channels and the second series of channels from a side view of the second series of channels; Fig. 7

[0051] [Fig. 7] shows an enlarged perspective view of a feed zone for the channels of the plate;

Fig.8 [0052] [Fig.8] shows an enlarged perspective view of an evacuation zone of the channels of the plate;

Fig. 9

[0053] [Fig. 9] shows an enlarged view of the fluid inlet and outlet of a plate, the inlet and the outlet being provided with tubular connectors; Fig. 10

[0054] [Fig. 10] shows an enlarged view of a connection area between two plates by tubes, one of the two plates being an end plate of a row;

Fig. 11 [0055] [Fig. 11] shows an enlarged sectional view of a blind connection of an end plate according to one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 12A

[0056] [Fig. 12A] shows an enlarged perspective view of a blind connection of an end plate according to another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 12B

[0057] [Fig. 12B] shows a sectional view of FIG. 12A.

Description of the embodiments

A first aspect of the invention relating to a thermal management system for an electrical component capable of giving off heat during its operation is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. An electrical component 101 is for example a rechargeable electrical energy storage device such as an electric battery or a battery module or a unitary electric cell.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an electrical module which has a substantially parallelepipedal shape comprising a base and side walls.

In FIG. 1, the modules 101 are distributed in the form of rows of modules, in particular a row of 2 modules to form a battery pack 100. Each module comprises a plurality of unit cells. Each cell is contained in an envelope which is made of a thermally conductive material such as aluminum. Thus, each module 101 includes a horizontal heat exchange surface and lateral heat exchange surfaces. When the battery is operating, the cells heat up, so it is necessary to come and cool these cells or the module in order to maintain the cells at an optimum operating temperature. In addition, all cells should be cooled evenly.

According to the example illustrated in Figure 1, the thermal management system comprises a plurality of housings 2 delimited by a bottom face 5, two longitudinal side faces 3 and a plurality of transverse side faces 4. Each housing is configured to receive one or more electrical modules 101, here arranged in a line of two modules.

Each module has a large side and a small side. Thus, in each row, the long sides of the aligned modules form two transverse lateral heat exchange surfaces.

The thermal management system comprises a plurality of heat exchange plates, each of the plates extending over at least a portion of the transverse side surface to form a vertical contact surface with the vertical heat exchange surface. formed by the large sides of a line of modules. The plate comprises channels in which a heat transfer fluid circulates to cool the line of modules by heat exchange. The heat transfer fluid used is preferably glycol water, without limitation of the glycol content (0% to 100%). Alternatively, the heat transfer fluid can be chosen from the name refrigerant fluids.

In Figure 1, the transverse side faces 4, the bottom 5 and the longitudinal side faces 3 form seven housings, each housing being configured to receive a line of two modules. The thermal management system includes eight thermal exchange plates 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, 10.8 arranged parallel to each other to form a row of plates. Thus, each transverse lateral face of each row of modules is cooled by a plate. As can be seen in Figure 1, the end plates of the row or the peripheral plates 10.1, 10.8 are in contact with a transverse side face of the row of modules.

Preferably, the heat exchange plate 10 extends entirely over the transverse side face of the module line.

Another aspect of the invention relating to a thermal management device is shown in Figures 3 to 12B.

As can be seen in Figure 3, the plate comprises a plurality of coolant channels 14 intended to cool the modules. The coolant channels are parallel to each other and extend substantially over the entire length of the plate.

One edge of each plate comprises a fluid inlet 22 and a fluid outlet 23.

Preferably, when all of the plates are aligned to form a row of plates, all inlets and outlets are aligned along an X'X axis as illustrated in Figure 2.

In order to ensure homogeneous cooling for all the modules or cells in order to reduce the temperature difference between the cells, the heat transfer fluid channels are arranged so that the direction of the fluid flow is alternated in a vertical direction between a fluid inlet 22 and a fluid outlet 23 of the plate. The thermal management system comprises an inlet duct 30 configured to supply each of the plates in parallel with fluid and an evacuation duct 31 configured to collect jointly the fluid at the outlet of each of the plates.

[0074] The inlet duct 30 is connected to the inlets of the plates to supply the plates in parallel and the discharge duct is connected to the outlets of the plates to collect in parallel the fluid from the plates. In addition, the inlet duct 30 and the exhaust duct 31 respectively comprise a main inlet 32 and a main outlet 33 intended to be connected to a fluid circuit external to the cooling device.

In order to maintain a flow rate of the heat transfer fluid identical in all the plates, the main inlet 32 and the main outlet 33 are positioned relative to the inlets 22 and outlets 23 of fluids of each of the plates so that the length traveled by the heat transfer fluid from the main inlet 32 to the main outlet 33 is identical for each of the plates 10.

[0076] According to one embodiment of the invention and as illustrated in Figure 1, the main inlet 32 is located on one side of the battery pack 100 and the main outlet 33 on the opposite side of the battery pack 100.

In the example illustrated in Figure 1, the main inlet 32 is located on the entrance of the peripheral plate 10.1 and the exit 33 on the exit of the peripheral plate 10.8. The length traveled by the fluid for each of the eight plates is identical.

Preferably, the inlet 30 and outlet 31 conduits are parallel to each other and to the X'X axis. They extend transversely to the channels on a transverse side face 3.

[0079] Thus, the inlet and outlet conduits and the end plates at least partially form the periphery of the battery pack.

The heat exchange plate is now detailed with reference to Figures 3 to 8. The plate comprises a first series of channels 14A and a second series of channels 14B. The channels 14A of the first series extend in a first plane and the channels 14B of the second series in a second plane. The two planes are distinct and are parallel to the transverse lateral face 4.

All the channels are parallel to each other and run the entire length of the plate. One end of each of the first series channels 14A is in communication with the end of a neighboring second series channel to form a plurality of U-shaped fluid paths.

Preferably, all of the communication areas 14E between the channels are located on one side 17 of the pack. The other two ends 14C, 14D of the U-shaped fluid path are located on the opposite side 18 of the plate. The two ends 14C and 14D respectively form an inlet port for the fluid inlet channel 14A and an outlet port for the outlet channel 14B.

The end 14C of the U-shaped fluid path is in communication with a supply zone 15 and the end 14D is in communication with a discharge zone 16. The supply zones 15 and of outlet 16 have a substantially elongated shape and extend transversely with respect to the channels 14A, 14B. The supply and discharge areas are respectively connected to the fluid inlet 22 and outlet 23.

Thus and as can be seen in Figure 3, the direction of the flow of fluid in the plate is alternated in a vertical direction in the plate, in the direction of the height of the plate. In fact, when the heat transfer fluid circulates in the channels of the first series 14A, it heats up in contact with the heat exchange surface of the modules. Thus the fluid which circulates in the channels of the second series 14B is hotter than the fluid which circulates in the channels of the first series 14A. In other words, the circulation alternates between a cold runner and a hot runner in the direction of the height of the plate. The module being formed of a plurality of cells positioned vertically, each cell sees, in thermal terms, the cold channel and the hot channel of the heat transfer fluid. Thus, the average temperature of the fluid seen by each cell is the same. Referring to Figure 4, the plate 10 is formed from a central sheet 12 interposed between two other side sheets 11, 13. The sheets are made in one piece. They can be metallic, in particular aluminum or steel.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the central sheet 12 comprises a first series of grooves 26 on one face 12A to form the channels 14A of the first series and a second series of grooves 27 on the other face 12B to form the channels of the second series 14B.

The central sheet comprises openings 20 positioned at the ends of the grooves 26, 27 to achieve the communication zone 14E between the channels 14A, 14a, allowing the circulation of the heat transfer fluid from a channel of the first series to the channel of the second series. The direction of traffic is represented by the arrows in Figures 5 and 6.

Referring to Figures 7 and 8, the central sheet 12 comprises on the face 12A a supply zone 15 in communication on the one hand with the inlet orifices of the channels 14A and on the other hand with the inlet fluid 22. On the other face 12B, the central sheet 12 comprises an evacuation zone 16 in communication on the one hand with the outlet orifices of the channels 14B and on the other hand with the fluid outlet 23. The zone feed and the discharge zone are located on the same side 18 of the central sheet 12.

Preferably, the central sheet is obtained in one piece by stamping.

The three flat faces 11, 12 and 13 have substantially the same dimensions and shapes. The side faces 11, 13 are positioned on either side of the central sheet 12 and close the grooves 26, 27 to form the channels. The two faces can be welded, glued or assembled by brazing on the central sheet.

Referring to Figures 9 and 10, the connection of the supply zone 15 and the discharge zone 16 of a plate 10 to the inlet duct 30 and to the exhaust duct 31 will now be described. . The inlet duct 30 and the discharge duct 31 are formed from the assembly of a plurality of tubes 35, 36. The ends of each tube 35, 36 are provided with a tubular end piece of connection 37. As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 10, each of the pipes is positioned between two plates. The tubular connection end pieces 37 are connected to the inlets 22 and to the outlets 23 of the two plates.

FIG. 9 illustrates a plate intended to be positioned between two lines of modules such as the plates referenced from 10.2 to 10.7 in FIG. 1. The plate comprises a through connection at the level of the fluid inlet 22 and a connection through at the fluid outlet 23.

At the fluid inlet 22, the through connection comprises three orifices made respectively in the central sheet (see Figures 7 and 8) and in the side sheets at the edge 18 and arranged opposite, each of the orifices of the side sheets receiving a tubular connection end piece 24.1, 24.2 which extends from one face of the plate. One end of the tubular connection end pieces is connected to the connection end pieces of a tube 35 forming the supply duct. The two end pieces 24.1, 24.2 thus form a fluid passage between two nozzles 35 of the supply duct positioned on either side of the plate and also a fluid passage with the supply tank 15 of the plate.

Similarly, at the level of the fluid outlet 23, the through connection comprises three orifices made respectively in the central sheet (see FIG. 7 and 8) and in the side sheets at the level of the edge 18 and arranged opposite , each of the orifices receiving a tubular connection end piece 24.3, 24.4 which extends from one face of the plate. One end of the end pieces is connected to the connection end pieces of a pipe 36 forming the discharge duct 31 as shown in FIG. 10. The two end pieces thus form a fluid passage between two pipes 36 of the discharge pipe positioned on both sides. on the other side of the plate and also a fluid passage with the discharge tank 16 of the plate.

FIG. 10 illustrates a plate 10.1, this plate comprises a through connection 24 and a non-through connection 25. In the example illustrated in Figure 10, the through connection 24 forms the fluid inlet 22 of the end plate 10.1 and the blind connection 25 forms the fluid outlet 23 of the end plate 10.1.

Similarly, the end plate 10.8 in Figure 1 also includes a through connection 24 and a blind connection 25, the through connection 24 forming the fluid outlet 23 of the end plate 10.8 and the connection non-through 25 forming the fluid inlet 22 of the end plate 10.8.

In the example illustrated in Figure 10, the through connection 24 of the end plate 10.1 comprises three holes made respectively in the central sheet (see Figures 7 and 8) and in the side sheets at the level of the edge 18 and arranged facing each other, each of the orifices of the side sheets receiving a tubular connecting end piece 24.1, 24. which extends from each face of the end plate. One of the connection nozzles 24.1 forms the main inlet of the thermal management system and is connected to an external fluid circuit (not shown). The other connection end piece is connected to a connection end piece 37 of a tube 35 forming the supply duct which is connected to the fluid inlet of the following plate, here in FIG. 10, it is the plate referenced 10.2. The two connection end pieces 24.1, 24.2 thus form a fluid passage connected to the supply tank 15 of the end plate 10.1.

[0100] The plates positioned in the center of the battery pack are in contact with the modules positioned on either side of these plates. The end plates are in contact only with the modules positioned on one side of these plates. Thus the end plates will exchange half the thermal power than the other plates. In order to ensure the most uniform temperature possible between the cells, the modules in contact with the end plates should not be overcooled. For this, it is necessary to increase the pressure drops of the fluid at the level of these end plates and therefore to reduce the flow rate of the heat transfer fluid. More precisely, it is necessary to divide by two the flow rate of the heat transfer fluid in these end plates 10.1, 10.8. For this, the present invention proposes to adjust the passage section at the non-through connection 25 of the end plate to reduce the flow rate of the heat transfer fluid. This blind connection 25 is located on the fluid outlet 23 of the end plate 10.1 or on the fluid inlet of the end plate 10.8.

[0102] According to one embodiment of the invention and as illustrated in FIG. 11, the blind connection 25 comprises three orifices made respectively in the central sheet (see FIGS. 7 and 8) and in the side sheets at the level of the edge 18 and arranged opposite, a fluid connection end piece 29 extending from one face of the end plate at the level of the orifices. This connection end piece has a narrowed internal diameter so as to reduce the flow rate of the heat transfer fluid with respect to the connection end pieces of the through connections 24.

[0103] In the configuration where the non-through connection forms the fluid outlet of the end plate as in the example illustrated in FIG. 10, one end of the tubular connection end piece 29 is connected for example to a end piece for connecting a pipe 36 forming the discharge duct. According to an exemplary embodiment, the narrowing of the diameter of the connection end piece is formed by a constriction 40 present on the internal wall of the connection end piece to reduce the fluid passage section.

[0104] According to another embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 12A and 12B, the blind connection 25 comprises three orifices made respectively in the central sheet (see FIGS. 7 and 8) and in the side sheets at the level of the edge 18 and arranged opposite, a fluid connection end piece 29 extending from a face of the end plate at the level of the orifices and a first deformation 41 produced on the face opposite to the face from which extends the fluid connection 29. The deformation is configured to reduce the passage section of the heat transfer fluid in the end plate. This second embodiment makes it possible to facilitate the assembly of the thermal management system because the end plates are easily identifiable thanks to the presence of the deformations obtained by stamping. directly into the plate. It also helps reduce the risk of assembly errors.

Preferably, the edge of the plate comprising the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet has a C-shaped profile in order to define a passage for a connecting duct 34 as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. This connecting duct is intended to be connected to the main outlet of the exhaust duct 31 or to the main inlet of the inlet duct 30 so as to place the main inlet 32 and the main outlet 33 on the same side. to be connected to an external fluid circuit not shown in the figures. This embodiment makes it possible to simplify the connection of the thermal management system to the external fluid circuit. The connecting duct 31 runs parallel to the inlet duct 30 and the exhaust duct 31.

[0106] According to another embodiment of the invention and with reference to FIG. 1, the thermal management system further comprises a bottom plate 10.9 which extends entirely over a surface of the bottom face 5 to form a contact surface with a horizontal heat exchange surface of the modules to be cooled, when they are placed in the housings 2.

[0107] The bottom plate may be a conventional heat exchange plate or a fluid channel plate with a structure similar to that of the side plates. The system includes another pair of fluid inlet and outlet dedicated to the bottom heat exchange plate.

[0108] Thanks to the presence of the vertical heat exchange plates and of the bottom heat exchange plate, it is therefore possible to significantly reduce the temperature difference between the heat transfer fluid and the hot point of the cell. and guarantee better thermal management.

Industrial application

[0109] Thanks to the technical characteristics described above, the thermal management system is particularly suitable for cooling electric batteries with a high charging power intended to equip electric or hybrid vehicles. Unlike the solutions proposed in the prior art, the thermal management system allows a significant increase in heat exchange surfaces between the coolant and the cells with the three cooling faces. In addition, by optimizing the circulation of the heat transfer fluid and by optimizing the flow of the fluid in the supply system, the thermal management system allows uniform cooling for all the cells. Finally, thanks to the specific architecture of the supply circuit and of the fluid evacuation circuit, the thermal management system ensures a balanced flow rate in each of the cooling plates to obtain uniform cooling of the cells while being compact and easy to integrate into the vehicle fluid supply circuit.

Claims

[Claim 1] Thermal management device for an electronic component capable of giving off heat during its operation, comprising:

- a plate (10) comprising two side sheets,

[Claim 2] A thermal management device according to claim 1 wherein the plate (10.1, 10.8) is provided with a through connection and a blind connection, said blind connection (25) extending from a face of said plate at the fluid inlet (22) or the fluid outlet (23) of the device.

[Claim 3] A thermal management device according to the preceding claim in which the local adjustment of the passage section is carried out at said non-through connection.

[Claim 4] A thermal management device according to one of claims 2 to 3, wherein said blind connection (25) comprises a fluid connection end piece (29) extending from a face of said plate and attached. to said plate at the fluid inlet (22) or the fluid outlet (23), said fluidic connection nozzle (29) having an internal diameter narrowed with respect to the fluidic connection nozzle of the through connection so as to reduce the flow rate of the heat transfer fluid in said plate.

[Claim 5] A thermal management device according to the preceding claim, wherein the narrowing of the internal diameter of the end cap. connection of the blind connection is formed by a constriction (40) present on the internal wall of said connection end piece.

[Claim 6] A thermal management device according to claim 3, wherein said blind connection (25) comprises a first deformation (41) produced by deformation of the face of the plate opposite to the face from which extends. the connection end piece (29) of the blind connection, said first deformation (41) being produced opposite the end piece and configured so as to reduce the flow rate of the heat transfer fluid in said end plate.

[Claim 7] A thermal management device according to the preceding claim, in which the central sheet also comprises a second deformation with respect to the first deformation (41).

[Claim 8] A thermal management device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one plate (10) comprises a first series of fluid channels (14. A) extending in a first plane and a second series. of fluid channels (14. B) extending in a second plane distinct from the first plane, each of the channels of the first series being in communication with a neighboring channel of the second series to form a plurality of fluid paths in the form of a U.

[Claim 9] A thermal management device according to the preceding claim, wherein said at least one plate (10) comprises a central sheet (12) interposed between the first and second sheets (11, 13), each of the two faces (12A, 12B) of the central sheet being provided with grooves (26, 27), the three sheets being assembled together to form alternately the channels (14A) of the first series and the channels (14B) of the second series.

[Claim 10] A thermal management device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one plate comprises an edge (18) located outside a contact surface of said plate with a heat exchange surface of the component. electronics (101) to be cooled, said edge comprising a supply zone (15) and an evacuation zone (16), said zones (15, 16) having a substantially elongated shape which extend transversely with respect to the channels (14. A, 14B).