FR3100608A1 - Thermal management system for electrical component - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a thermal management system (1) for an electrical component (101) capable of releasing heat during its operation; in particular for an electrical energy storage module, comprising: - at least one housing (2) intended to receive at least one electrical component, said housing (2) being delimited by at least one side face (4) and one face bottom (5); - at least one heat exchange plate (10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, 10.8) extending over at least part of the surface of a side face (4), said at least one plate comprising a plurality of coolant fluid channels positioned parallel to each other and arranged so that the direction of circulation of the coolant fluid is alternated in a vertical direction between a fluid inlet (22) and a fluid outlet (23) of said plate (10); - an inlet duct (30) configured to supply in parallel said at least one plate with heat transfer fluid and an evacuation duct (31) configured to collect the fluid at the outlet of said at least one plate, the main inlet (32) and the main outlet (33) of said conduits being positioned relative to the fluid inlets (22) and outlets (23) of the plates so that the length traveled by the heat transfer fluid from the main inlet (32) to at the main outlet (33) is identical for each of the plates (10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, 10.8). Fig. 1

Description

Thermal management system for electrical component

The present invention relates to a thermal management system for an electrical component capable of releasing heat during its operation. 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.

Electronic elements, whether electrical energy storage cells, integrated circuits, servers, data centers, etc. require thermal regulation in order to maintain 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 means 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 of the storage rooms by air conditioning devices. The optimal operating temperature for data centers is between 5°C and 40°C, more particularly around 27°C. Taking into consideration that air has a very low conductivity, in order to sufficiently cool the electronic elements, which can reach temperatures exceeding 60°C, the temperature difference between the air and the electronic elements to be cooled must be important and therefore this type of device is very energy-intensive.

In the automotive field for example, it is known to implement electric batteries in the form of electronic modules capable of releasing heat in operation. Each module may comprise a plurality of electronic cells capable of releasing heat in 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 impacts their autonomy while too high a temperature affects their lifespan. It is therefore necessary to be able to regulate them thermally, whether to cool or heat them.

By unit cells is meant an individual electrochemical element provided with a positive terminal and a negative terminal.

The term “battery module” is understood to mean an assembly comprising several unit cells contained in a casing, the cells being electrically connected to each other.

During the charging phase, the battery module or 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 made circulation of a coolant.

A known solution for regulating the temperature of the battery consists of 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 motor 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 involves an increase in thermal losses of the module, requiring a greater thermal exchange.

With a view to increasing the heat exchange surface, the 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 defining an angle therebetween. The heat exchanger may also include a third fluid transport panel defining a third flow channel and being arranged at an angle 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 allow 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, leading to inhomogeneous cooling of the cells, thus creating a thermal gradient between cells, which could ultimately lead to malfunction of the battery 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 propose a distribution in the most homogeneous temperature possible for each cell, while increasing the heat exchange surface and while guaranteeing the compactness of the battery.

There is proposed a thermal management system for an electrical component capable of releasing 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 lateral face, said at least one plate comprising a plurality of coolant fluid channels positioned parallel to each other and arranged so that the direction of the circulation of the heat transfer fluid is alternated in a vertical direction between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet of said plate;
- an inlet duct configured to supply said at least one plate in parallel with heat transfer fluid 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 arrival inlet and a main evacuation outlet, the main inlet and the main outlet being positioned with respect to the fluid inlets and outlets of the plates so that the length traveled by the heat transfer fluid from the main inlet to the main output is identical for each of the plates.

Thanks to the specific arrangement of the channels in the plate, the direction of 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 channel and a hot channel 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 channel and the hot channel of the coolant. Thus, the average temperature of all the cells is uniform.

Thanks to the specific arrangement of the supply and evacuation ducts which makes it possible to obtain an identical fluidic 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 all the components in a homogeneous manner. electricity, and in particular all electrical energy storage modules.

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 an 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 conduit is positioned on the fluid inlet of one end plates of the row and the main output is positioned on the output of the other end plate of the row.

The characteristics exposed 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 ducts are parallel to each other and extend transversely relative to the channels over at least part of a transverse side 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 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 evacuation 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 substantially C-shaped profile in order to define a passage for a connecting duct, said connecting duct being intended to be connected to the main outlet of the connecting duct. evacuation 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 connector constraints imposed by the external fluid circuit and also to the packaging constraints in order to limit the volume. occupancy 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 alternately form the channels of the first set and the channels of the second set.

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-through connection, said non-through connection having a passage section adjusted to reduce the flow of heat transfer fluid in said end plates.

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

A non-through connection is a connection that includes a single connection end piece that extends from one face of the plate to provide a fluid passage between the plate's supply reservoir and a supply conduit, or the plate drain tank and drain duct.

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 the level of these end plates. Indeed, 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 as much thermal power as the plates positioned in the center of the pack. By reducing the flow of heat transfer fluid in these end plates, it is therefore possible to keep the temperature as homogeneous as possible for all the electrical components.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the non-through connection comprises a fluidic connection piece extending from one face of said end plate and attached to said end plate at the level of the inlet of fluid or the fluid outlet, said fluid connection endpiece having a narrowed internal diameter compared to a connection endpiece of a through connection so as to reduce the flow rate of 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 the face from which extends a connecting piece forming the fluid inlet or the fluid outlet of the non-through connection, said recess being configured to reduce the flow of heat transfer fluid in said end plate. Said depression can be a deformation only of the side sheet not carrying the connection end piece of the non-through connection or even of this same side sheet as well as the intermediate sheet. Said depression 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 coolant fluid channels extending over at least a 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 conduit and the evacuation conduit are formed of a plurality of pipes, the ends of each of the pipes being provided with a fluid connection end piece configured to be connected to a fluid connection tip 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.

Other characteristics, details and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description below, and on analyzing the appended drawings, in which:

Fig. 1

schematically represents a perspective view of a battery pack equipped with a cooling device according to one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2

schematically represents a perspective view of part of the cooling device of FIG. 1 without the electrical energy storage modules;

Fig. 3

schematically represents the direction of circulation of the heat transfer fluid in a plate of FIG. 2;

Fig. 4

schematically shows an exploded view of a coolant channel plate of Figure 3;

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 view from the side of the first series of channels;

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 view from the side of the second series of channels;

Fig.7

shows an enlarged perspective view of a plate channel supply area;

Fig.8

shows an enlarged perspective view of an evacuation zone of the plate channels;

Fig. 9

shows an enlarged view of the fluid inlet and outlet of a plate, the inlet and the outlet being provided with tubular connection endpieces;

Fig. 10

shows an enlarged view of a connection zone between two plates by pipes, one of the two plates being an end plate of a row;

Fig. 11

shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of a non-through connection of an end plate according to one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 12A

shows an enlarged perspective view of a non-through connection of an end plate according to another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 12B

shows a sectional view of Figure 12A.

The drawings and the description below contain, for the most part, certain elements. They may therefore not only be used to better understand the present invention, but also contribute to its definition, if necessary.

A first embodiment of a thermal management system for an electrical component likely to release heat during its operation is illustrated in Figures 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.

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

In FIG. 1, the modules 101 are distributed in the form of lines of modules, in particular a line 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 comprises a horizontal heat exchange surface and lateral heat exchange surfaces. During battery operation, the cells heat up, it is therefore necessary to cool these cells or the module in order to maintain the cells at an optimal 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 a or several electrical modules 101, here arranged in a line of two modules.

Each module has a long side and a short side. Thus, in each line, the long sides of the aligned modules form two transverse side surfaces for heat exchange.

The thermal management system includes 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 side of a line of modules. The plate comprises channels in which a heat transfer fluid circulates in order 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 designated 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 comprises eight heat 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 side face of each line 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.

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.

A border of each plate includes a fluid inlet 22 and a fluid outlet 23.

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

In order to ensure uniform cooling for all the modules or cells with the aim of reducing the temperature difference between the cells, the heat transfer fluid channels are arranged so that the direction of fluid circulation is alternated according to a vertical direction between a fluid inlet 22 and a fluid outlet 23 of the plate.

The thermal management system comprises an inlet conduit 30 configured to supply each of the plates with fluid in parallel and an evacuation conduit 31 configured to jointly collect the fluid at the outlet of each of the plates.

The inlet duct 30 is connected to the inlets of the plates to supply the plates in parallel and the evacuation duct is connected to the outlets of the plates to collect the fluid coming from the plates in parallel. In addition, the inlet conduit 30 and the evacuation conduit 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 an identical heat transfer fluid flow rate in all the plates, the main inlet 32 and the main outlet 33 are positioned with respect to the fluid inlets 22 and outlets 23 of each of the plates so that the length traveled by the heat transfer fluid from the main entrance 32 to the main exit 33 is identical for each of the plates 10.

According to one embodiment of the invention and as illustrated in Figure 1, the main input 32 is located on one side of the battery pack 100 and the main output 33 on the opposite side of the battery pack 100.

In the example shown in Figure 1, the main input 32 is located on the input of the peripheral plate 10.1 and the output 33 on the output 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 ducts are parallel to each other and to the axis X'X. They extend transversely to the channels on a transverse side face 3.

Thus, the inlet and outlet ducts and the end plates at least partially form the perimeter of the battery pack.

The heat exchange plate is now detailed with reference to figures 3 to 8.

The plate includes a first series of channels 14A and a second series of channels 14B. The 14A channels of the first series extend in a first plane and the 14B channels of the second series in a second plane. The two planes are distinct and are parallel to the transverse side face 4.

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

Preferably, all the communication areas 14E between the channels are located on one side 17 of the deck. The two other 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 orifice for the fluid inlet channel 14A and an outlet orifice 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 15 and discharge 16 zones have a substantially elongated shape and extend transversely relative to the channels 14A, 14B. The supply and evacuation zones are respectively connected to the inlet 22 and to the outlet 23 of the fluid.

Thus and as can be seen in Figure 3, the direction of fluid circulation in the plate is alternated in a vertical direction in the plate, in the direction of the height of the plate. Indeed, 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 channel and a hot channel in the direction of the height of the plate. Since the module is made up of a plurality of cells positioned vertically, each cell sees, in thermal terms, the cold channel and the hot channel of the coolant. Thus, the average fluid temperature 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 may be metallic, in particular aluminum or steel.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the central sheet 12 includes 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 create 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 has 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 fluid inlet 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 supply zone and the evacuation zone are located on the same side 18 of the central sheet 12.

1. Les trois faces planes 11, 12 et 13 ont sensiblement les mêmes dimensions et formes. Les faces latérales 11, 13 viennent se positionner de part et d’autre de la feuille centrale 12 et viennent fermer les sillons 26, 27 pour former les canaux. Les deux faces peuvent être soudées, collées ou assemblées par brasage sur la feuille centrale.

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

1. 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.

With reference to Figures 9 and 10, the connection of the supply zone 15 and the evacuation zone 16 of a plate 10 to the inlet duct 30 and to the evacuation duct 31 will now be described.

The inlet pipe 30 and the evacuation pipe 31 are formed from the assembly of a plurality of pipes 35, 36. The ends of each pipe 35, 36 are provided with a tubular connection end piece 37. As illustrated in Figure 1 and Figure 10, each of the pipes is positioned between two plates. The tubular connection ends 37 are connected to the inputs 22 and to the outputs 23 of the two plates.

FIG. 9 illustrates a plate intended to be positioned between two rows 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 through connection at the level fluid outlet 23.

At the level of the fluid inlet 22, the through connection 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, each of the orifices of the sheets side receiving a tubular connecting piece 24.1, 24.2 which extends from one face of the plate. One end of the tubular connection endpieces is connected to the connection endpieces of a pipe 35 forming the supply conduit. The two ends 24.1, 24.2 thus form a fluid passage between two pipes 35 of the supply duct positioned on either side of the plate and also a fluid passage with the supply reservoir 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 FIGS. 7 and 8) and in the side sheets at the level of the border 18 and arranged opposite, each of the orifices receiving a tubular connecting piece 24.3, 24.4 which extends from one face of the plate. One end of the endpieces is connected to the connection endpieces of a pipe 36 forming the evacuation conduit 31 as shown in FIG. 10. The two endpieces thus form a fluid passage between two pipes 36 of the evacuation conduit positioned on either and on the other side of the plate and also a fluid passage with the evacuation reservoir 16 of the plate.

Figure 10 illustrates a plate positioned at the end of a row of plates, namely plate 10.1 in Figure 1 and an adjacent plate 10.2. This end plate comprises a through connection 24 and a non-through connection 25. In the example illustrated in FIG. 10, the through connection 24 forms the fluid inlet 22 of the end plate 10.1 and the non-through connection 25 forms the fluid outlet 23 of the end plate 10.1.

Similarly, the end plate 10.8 in Figure 1 also has a through connection 24 and a non-through connection 25, the through connection 24 forming the fluid outlet 23 of the end plate 10.8 and the non-through connection 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 border 18 and arranged opposite, each of the orifices of the side sheets receiving a tubular connection piece 24.1, 24 which extends from each face of the end plate. One of the end fittings 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 pipe 35 forming the supply conduit which is connected to the fluid inlet of the next plate, here in FIG. 10, this is the plate referenced 10.2. The two connection ends 24.1, 24.2 thus form a fluid passage connected to the supply reservoir 15 of the end plate 10.1.

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 as much thermal power as the other plates. In order to ensure the most homogeneous temperature possible between the cells, the modules in contact with the end plates should not be cooled too much. To do this, it is necessary to increase the pressure drops of the fluid at the level of these end plates and therefore 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 level of the non-through connection 25 of the end plate to reduce the flow rate of the heat transfer fluid. This non-through 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.

According to one embodiment of the invention and as shown in Figure 11, the non-through connection 25 comprises three holes made respectively in the central sheet (see Figures 7 and 8) and in the side sheets at the edge 18 and arranged opposite, a fluid connection 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 compared to the connection end pieces of the through connections 24.

In the configuration where the non-through connection forms the fluid outlet of the end plate as in the example illustrated in FIG. a pipe 36 forming the exhaust 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.

According to another embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 12A and 12B, the non-through 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 endpiece 29 extending from one face of the end plate at the level of the orifices and a recess 41 made on the face opposite to the face from which the fluidic connection 29. The recess is configured to reduce the passage section of the heat transfer fluid in the end plate. This second embodiment facilitates the assembly of the thermal management system because the end plates are easily identifiable thanks to the presence of the depressions obtained by stamping directly in the plate. This also reduces the risk of assembly error.

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 conduit 34 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. This conduit of connection 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 extends parallel to the inlet duct 30 and to the exhaust duct 31.

According to another embodiment of the invention and with reference to Figure 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 surface of contact with a horizontal heat exchange surface of the modules to be cooled, when the latter are placed in the housings 2.

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

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

Thanks to the technical characteristics described above, the thermal management system is particularly suitable for cooling electric batteries with a high load 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 the heat exchange surfaces between the heat transfer fluid and the cells with the three cooling faces. In addition, by optimizing coolant circulation and maximizing fluid flow through the fuel system, the thermal management system provides consistent cooling for all cells. Finally, thanks to the specific architecture of the supply circuit and the fluid evacuation circuit, the thermal management system makes it possible to balance the flow rates in each of the cooling plates to obtain uniform cooling of the cells while being compact and easy to integrate into the vehicle's fluid supply circuit.

Claims (10)

Thermal management system (1) for electrical component (101) capable of releasing heat during its operation; in particular for an electrical energy storage module, comprising:
- at least one housing (2) intended to receive at least one electrical component, said housing (2) being delimited by at least one side face (4) and a bottom face (5);
- at least one heat exchange plate (10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, 10.8) extending over at least part of the surface of the side face (4), said at least one plate comprising a plurality of heat transfer fluid channels positioned parallel to one another and arranged so that the direction of circulation of the heat transfer fluid is alternated in a vertical direction between a fluid inlet (22) and a fluid outlet (23) of said plate (10);
- an inlet duct (30) configured to supply the said at least one plate in parallel with heat transfer fluid and an evacuation duct (31) configured to collect the fluid at the outlet of the said at least one plate, the said inlet (30) and evacuation (31) respectively comprising a main inlet (32) and a main evacuation outlet (33), the main inlet (32) and the main outlet (33) being positioned by relative to the fluid inlets (22) and outlets (23) 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 (10.1 , 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, 10.8). A thermal management system according to claim 1, comprising at least one plate (10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, 10.6, 10.7) positioned between two end plates (10.1, 10.8), wherein the main inlet (32) of the inlet conduit (30) is positioned on the fluid inlet (22) of one of the end plates (10.1) of the row and the main outlet (33) is positioned on the outlet (23) of the other end plate (10.8) of the row. Thermal management system according to one of claims 1 to 2, wherein said at least one plate (10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, 10.8) 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 U-shaped fluid paths. Thermal management system according to claim 3, wherein said at least one plate (10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, 10.8) comprises a central sheet (12) interposed between two side 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 alternately form the channels (14A) of the first series and the channels (14B) of the second series. Thermal management system according to one of Claims 3 to 4, in which the said at least one plate comprises a border (18) situated outside a contact surface of the said plate with a vertical heat exchange surface of the electrical component (101) to be cooled, said border comprising a supply zone (15) and a discharge zone (16), said zones (15, 16) having an elongated shape which extend transversely with respect to the channels (14. A, 14B). Thermal management system according to one of Claims 2 to 5, comprising at least one plate positioned between two end plates (10.1, 10.8), in which the end plates (10.1, 10.8) are each provided with a connection through and a non-through connection, said non-through connection (25) extending from a face of said end plate at the fluid inlet (22) or the fluid outlet (23) of the end plate, said non-through connection having a passage section adjusted to reduce the flow rate of the heat transfer fluid in said end plates (10.1, 10.8). A thermal management system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said non-through connection (25) comprises a fluid connection stub (29) extending from one face of said end plate and relative to said end plate at the level of the fluid inlet (22) or the fluid outlet (23), said fluid connection tip (29) having a narrowed internal diameter compared to a fluid connection tip of a through connection so as to reduce the flow of heat transfer fluid in said end plate. A thermal management system according to claim 6, wherein said non-through connection (25) comprises a recess (41) formed directly by stamping on one of the faces of the end plate opposite the face from which a connection piece (29) at the fluid inlet (22) or the fluid outlet (23) of the end plate, said recess (41) being configured to reduce the flow of heat transfer fluid in said end plate. Thermal management system according to one of the preceding claims, in which the supply conduit (30) and the evacuation conduit (31) are formed of a plurality of pipes (35, 36), the ends of each of the tubes being provided with a fluidic connection endpiece (37) configured to be connected to a connection endpiece of a through or non-through connection (24.1, 24.2, 24.3, 24.4, 25.2, 25.3) of the plate at the level of the fluid inlet and fluid outlet. Battery pack (100) equipped with a thermal management system according to one of claims 1 to 9, said pack comprising at least one electrical energy storage module (101) received in the housing (2).