JP2013012463A - Temperature control device for storage battery - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a temperature control device for a storage battery, which is capable of uniformly cooling and heating a storage battery.SOLUTION: A resin housing 5 having a flow passage 8 inside is closely attached to side surfaces facing each other of a plurality of aligned cells 2 constituting a storage battery 1. In a state where a gap between the flow passage 8 and the housing 5 is filled with a heating medium 9, a temperature control fluid 15 is made to flow through the flow passage 8, thereby uniformly cooling or heating the storage battery 1 through the heating medium 9.

Description

  The present invention relates to a storage battery temperature control device, and more particularly to a storage battery temperature control device capable of uniformly cooling and heating a storage battery.

  In recent years, electric vehicles using electric motors as a power source have been developed due to problems such as air pollution caused by exhaust gas from automobiles, global warming caused by carbon dioxide, and depletion of petroleum resources. The electric motor of this electric vehicle is supplied with electric power from a secondary battery (storage battery) mounted on the vehicle.

  In general, a storage battery tends to become high temperature because reaction heat and Joule heat are generated each time it is charged and discharged. For example, in a lithium ion battery that is regarded as promising as an in-vehicle storage battery, if it is repeatedly charged and discharged as it is, it may reach a temperature of about 60 ° C. or higher. At such a high temperature, the discharge rate may increase. The performance deteriorates due to deterioration of the electrode. On the other hand, if the temperature is too low, there is a problem that the electromotive force of the storage battery is lowered. Therefore, appropriate temperature management is required for the storage battery.

  As means for managing the temperature of a storage battery, for example, Patent Document 1 proposes a temperature control device that heat-seals a side plate to the outer wall surface of a storage battery case and circulates a cooling fluid between the outer wall surface and the side plate. ing.

  However, in the above temperature control device, the outer wall surface of the storage battery and the cooling fluid are in direct contact with each other, and the cooling fluid moves along the outer wall surface while taking heat away, so that the storage battery cannot be cooled uniformly. There's a problem.

JP-A-6-215804

  The objective of this invention is providing the temperature control apparatus of a storage battery which can cool and heat a storage battery uniformly.

  The storage battery temperature control device of the present invention that achieves the above object is a storage battery temperature control device installed on the outer wall surface of a cell constituting the storage battery, and is made of a resin that is attached in contact with the outer wall surface of the cell. In the hollow casing, a flow path of a temperature control fluid having an inlet and an outlet communicating with the outside of the casing at both ends is provided, and a heat medium is provided in a gap between the channel and the casing. It is characterized by being filled.

  According to the temperature control device for a storage battery of the present invention, an inflow port and an outflow port communicating with the outside of the housing are provided in a resin-made hollow housing that is attached in contact with the outer wall surface of the cell constituting the storage battery. Since the temperature control fluid channel at both ends is provided and the heat medium is filled in the gap between the channel and the housing, the heat generated in one of the cells and the temperature control fluid is uniform in the heat medium. Since it is dispersed and stored in the battery and transmitted to the other, the storage battery can be uniformly cooled and heated.

  As the heat medium, it is desirable to use a polymer compound because of its high thermal conductivity and good moldability, and it is preferable to improve the thermal conductivity by mixing metal powder with the polymer compound.

  Further, by providing fins on at least one of the inner wall and the outer wall of the flow path, the heat transfer area can be increased and the heat transfer performance can be improved.

  A fluid ejection part is provided in the external channel connected to the channel and extending outside the casing or in the casing, and when the temperature of the cell rises to a reference temperature, the fluid ejection part passes through the fluid ejection part. The temperature control fluid may be ejected to the cell. According to this configuration, when the cell (storage battery) abnormally generates heat, the temperature control fluid can be ejected to the cell. Therefore, the temperature of the cell can be lowered by the heat of vaporization when the temperature control fluid ejected to the cell is vaporized, and the safety at the time of abnormality is improved.

  Specifically, for example, in the external flow path or the housing, a portion having a relatively thinner thickness than other portions is formed, and the fluid ejection portion is configured to include the relatively thin portion, According to the specification, the fluid ejection part is ruptured by the expansion pressure of the temperature control fluid when the temperature of the cell reaches the reference temperature, and the temperature control fluid is ejected. Alternatively, the specification is such that the fluid ejection part is an open / close valve that opens when the reference temperature is reached.

  In addition, a heat medium ejection part may be provided in the housing, and when the temperature of the cell rises to a reference temperature, the heat medium may be ejected to the cell through the heat medium ejection part. . According to this configuration, when the cell (storage battery) abnormally generates heat, the heat medium can be ejected to the cell. Therefore, the temperature of the cell can be lowered by the heat of vaporization when the heat medium ejected to the cell is vaporized, and the safety at the time of abnormality is improved.

  Specifically, for example, a portion having a relatively thinner thickness than other portions is formed in the casing, and the heat medium ejection portion is configured including the relatively thin portion, and the temperature of the cell is The heat medium ejection part is ruptured by the expansion pressure of the heat medium when the reference temperature is reached, and the heat medium is ejected. Alternatively, the heat medium ejection part is a specification that is an open / close valve that opens when the reference temperature is reached.

It is a perspective view which shows the case where the temperature control apparatus of the storage battery which consists of embodiment of this invention is attached to a storage battery. It is XX sectional drawing in FIG. It is an exploded view explaining the structural example in the YY cross section in FIG. It is an expanded sectional view of the modification of the Z section in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows another example at the time of attaching the temperature control apparatus of the storage battery which consists of embodiment of this invention to a storage battery. It is explanatory drawing which illustrates embodiment which provided the fluid ejection part in the external flow path. It is explanatory drawing which illustrates embodiment which provided the fluid ejection part in the housing | casing. It is explanatory drawing which illustrates embodiment which provided the heat carrier ejection part in the housing | casing.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a case where a storage battery temperature control device according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to a storage battery.

  This storage battery 1 is an in-vehicle lithium ion battery, in which a plurality of cells 2 are electrically connected in series or in parallel to each other, and the cells 2 are aligned with their side surfaces facing each other and fixed with a band 3. It is. The lithium ion battery is based on the principle of charging and discharging electricity by moving lithium ions between a positive electrode made of lithium cobaltate and the like and a negative electrode made of carbon, and has a high energy density and can be repeatedly charged and discharged. Because it has many excellent characteristics such as large, it is promising as a vehicle-mounted battery for electric vehicles.

  The storage battery temperature control device 4 (hereinafter referred to as “temperature control device 4”) of the present invention has a temperature control fluid such as cooling water mixed with water or antifreeze on the top of a rectangular resin housing 5. It has an external structure provided with an inflow port 6 and an outflow port 7, and is attached so that the surface is in close contact between the mutually opposing outer wall surfaces (side surfaces) of the cell 2. In the example of FIG. 1, a total of three temperature control devices 4 are attached between the side surfaces of the four cells 2, but they are attached to the side surfaces exposed to the outside in the cells 2 at both ends. May be.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 5 is a hollow body having a surface having the same shape as the side surface of the cell, and the inflow port 6 and the outflow port 7 are flow paths 8 ( For example, the diameter is about 3 to 5 mm). In this example, the number of the flow paths 8 is one, but a plurality of the flow paths 8 may be provided by branching on the way.

  A gap between the housing 5 and the flow path 8 is filled with a heat medium 9 made of a polymer compound. As the polymer compound, silicone rubber, water, and a gel agent (polymer gel made of natural polymer or synthetic polymer) are preferably used because of their high thermal conductivity and good moldability. Moreover, as a material of the housing | casing 5, thermoplastic resins, such as ABS resin excellent in the moldability, are illustrated preferably.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the temperature control device 4 having such a structure fills a heat medium 9 inside an upper panel 11 having a recess 10 on one side, and forms a meandering groove 12 from above the heat medium 9. Can be manufactured by stacking the center panel 13 on which a flat plate-shaped lower panel 14 is fitted into the recess 10 from above the center panel 13. Each panel 11, 13, 14 has a size of, for example, 150 × 200 × 1 mm, and is easily manufactured by molding using a mold. Further, since the weight can be reduced by using a resin as a material, there is an advantage that the fuel efficiency is not impaired when the resin is attached to an in-vehicle battery.

  A temperature adjusting fluid 15 adjusted to an appropriate temperature by a temperature adjusting fluid supply device (not shown) is supplied to the inlet 6 of the temperature adjusting device 4, and returns to the temperature adjusting fluid supplying device from the outlet 7 again through the flow path 8. Then, the cell 2 is cooled or heated by circulating it. That is, when the cell 2 is cooled, the temperature adjustment fluid 15 is lowered, and when the cell 2 is heated, the temperature adjustment fluid 15 is raised. As a specific temperature control range, for example, in the case of a lithium ion battery, the temperature of the cell 2 is set to a range of about 10 to 40 ° C. In the temperature control fluid supply device, the temperature of the cell 2 can be adjusted more accurately by adjusting not only the temperature of the temperature control fluid 15 but also the flow rate.

  At this time, heat transfer between the cell 2 and the temperature control fluid 15 is performed via the heat medium 9. At that time, since the heat generated in one of the cell 2 and the temperature control fluid 15 is uniformly dispersed and stored in the heat medium 9 and then transmitted to the other, the cell 2 is uniformly cooled and heated. Can do.

  In addition, since the heat medium 9 is interposed between the cell 2 and the temperature control fluid 15 and it is difficult to directly contact the cell 2, it can be expected that the safety of the storage battery 1 is improved.

  It is desirable to mix metal powder into the polymer compound that is the heat medium 9. Preferred examples of the metal powder include aluminum powder and titanium powder. By doing so, since the thermal conductivity of the heat medium 9 is increased, the performance of temperature adjustment can be further improved.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, by providing fins 18 projecting from the inner wall 16 and / or the outer wall 17 in the flow path 8 (groove 12), the heat transfer area is increased and the temperature control performance is further improved. It is possible. When the fins 18 are provided only on the outer wall 17, there is an advantage that the heat transfer area can be increased without hindering the fluidity of the temperature control fluid 15.

The temperature control device 4 can also be attached to the bottom surface of the cell 2 as shown in FIG. In that case, it is preferable to straddle the bottom surfaces of the plurality of cells 2.

  By the way, the storage battery 1 has a danger that an internal electrolyte solution may ignite due to an internal abnormality (such as a short circuit). In the process leading to ignition, the storage battery 1 is abnormally heated. Therefore, when the storage battery 1 (cell 2) rises to a preset reference temperature M, it is determined that it is dangerous, and at that time, the temperature of the storage battery 1 is reduced, which leads to an improvement in safety.

  Therefore, in order to reduce the temperature of the abnormally heated storage battery 1, the fluid ejecting portion 20 can be provided in the temperature adjusting device 4 as in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6. In this embodiment, an external flow path 19 connected to the flow path 8 and extending to the outside of the housing 5 is provided, and a fluid ejection part 20 is provided in the external flow path 19.

  The external flow path 19 is connected to a temperature control fluid supply device, and the temperature control fluid 15 adjusted to the set temperature flows through the flow path 8 and the external flow path 19. When the temperature of the cell 2 rises to the reference temperature M, the temperature adjusting fluid 15 is ejected to the cell 2 through the fluid ejection part 20.

  Specifically, a part 20a having a relatively thinner thickness than the other part of the wall surface of the external channel 19 is formed on the wall surface of the external channel 19, and the fluid ejection part includes the relatively thin part 20a. 20 is configured. The fluid ejection portion 20 (relatively thin portion 20a) is formed so as to be ruptured by the expansion pressure of the temperature control fluid 15 when the temperature of the cell 2 reaches the reference temperature M.

  For example, when the cell 2 becomes a high temperature up to the reference temperature M, the temperature control fluid 15 also becomes high under the influence of this high temperature. Therefore, the expansion pressure of the temperature adjustment fluid 15 whose temperature has increased acts on the external flow path 19, the relatively thin portion 20 a is ruptured, and the temperature adjustment fluid 15 is ejected to the cell 2. And the temperature of the cell 2 can be reduced by the heat of vaporization when the temperature control fluid 15 ejected to the cell 2 is vaporized. Therefore, when the cell 2 (storage battery 1) generates abnormal heat, the temperature can be lowered to improve safety. Note that the reference temperature M is set in a range of 60 ° C. to 70 ° C., for example.

  As shown in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, the fluid ejection portion 20 is provided in the housing 5, and when the temperature of the cell 2 rises to the reference temperature M, the temperature control fluid 15 is supplied to the cell 2 through the fluid ejection portion 20. It is also possible to make a configuration that jets out against. In this embodiment, a portion 20a having a relatively thinner thickness than other portions of the wall surface of the housing 5 is formed on the wall surface of the housing 5, and the fluid ejection portion 20 is formed including the relatively thin portion 20a. Configure. The fluid ejection portion 20 (relatively thin portion 20a) is ruptured by the expansion pressure of the temperature control fluid 15 when the temperature of the cell 2 reaches the reference temperature M, and the temperature control fluid 15 is It will be ejected.

  As the fluid ejection part 20, an open / close valve that opens when the reference temperature M is reached may be employed. In this case, due to the expansion pressure of the temperature control fluid 15 when the temperature of the cell 2 reaches the reference temperature M, the open / close valve that has been closed opens, and the temperature control fluid 15 is ejected to the cell 2. Will be.

  Alternatively, a relatively weak portion is formed on each wall surface of the external flow path 19 or the housing 5 by using a material that is more easily thermally deformed than a material of other portions of each wall surface, and this relative The fluid ejection part 20 is configured including a weak part. Then, due to the expansion pressure of the temperature adjusting fluid 15 when the temperature of the cell 2 reaches the reference temperature M, the fluid ejecting portion 20 (relatively weak portion) is ruptured and the temperature adjusting fluid 15 is ejected to the cell 2. Make the configuration.

  In order to lower the temperature of the abnormally heated storage battery 1 as in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, the heat medium ejection part 21 may be provided in the housing 5. Then, when the temperature of the cell 2 rises to the reference temperature M, the fluid heat medium 9 filled in the gap between the casing 5 and the flow path 8 passes through the heat medium ejection part 21 to the cell 2. On the other hand, it is configured to be ejected.

  Specifically, a portion 21a having a relatively thinner thickness than the other portion of the wall surface of the housing 5 is formed on the wall surface of the housing 5, and the heat medium ejecting portion 21 includes the relatively thin portion 21a. Configure. The heat medium ejection part 21 (relatively thin part 21a) is formed so as to be ruptured by the expansion pressure of the heat medium 9 when the temperature of the cell 2 reaches the reference temperature M.

  For example, when the cell 2 is heated to the reference temperature M, the heat medium 9 is also heated under the influence of the high temperature. Therefore, the expansion pressure of the heat medium 9 whose temperature has increased acts on the housing 5, the relatively thin portion 21 a is ruptured, and the heat medium 9 is ejected to the cells 2. And the temperature of the cell 2 can be reduced by the heat of vaporization when the heat medium 9 ejected to the cell 2 is vaporized. Therefore, when the cell 2 (storage battery 1) generates abnormal heat, the temperature can be lowered to improve safety. It is preferable to provide the heat medium ejection part 21 at the upper part of the housing 5.

  As the heat medium ejection part 21, an open / close valve that opens when the reference temperature M is reached may be employed. In this case, the open / close valve that has been closed is opened by the expansion pressure of the heat medium 9 when the temperature of the cell 2 reaches the reference temperature M, and the heat medium 9 is ejected to the cell 2. become.

  Alternatively, a relatively weak portion is formed on a wall surface of the housing 5 by using a material that is more easily thermally deformed than a material of other portions of the wall surface of the housing 5, and the relatively weak portion is included. The heat medium ejection part 21 is comprised by this. Then, due to the expansion pressure of the heat medium 9 when the temperature of the cell 2 reaches the reference temperature M, the heat medium ejection part 21 (relatively weak part) is ruptured and the heat medium 9 is ejected to the cell 2. Make the configuration.

  The temperature adjusting device 4 may be provided with at least one type of fluid ejection unit 20 described above and at least one type of heat medium ejection unit 21 described above at the same time.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Storage battery 2 Cell 3 Band 4 Temperature control apparatus 5 Case 6 Inlet 7 Outlet 8 Channel 9 Heating medium 10 Recess 11 Upper panel 12 Groove 13 Center panel 14 Lower panel 15 Temperature control fluid 16 Inner wall 17 Outer wall 18 Fin 19 External flow Channel 20 Fluid ejection portion 20a Relatively thin portion 21 Heat medium ejection portion 21a Relatively thin portion

Claims (10)

  A temperature control device for a storage battery installed on an outer wall surface of a cell constituting the storage battery, wherein the flow communicates with the outside of the housing in a resin-made hollow housing attached in contact with the outer wall surface of the cell. A temperature control device for a storage battery, wherein a temperature control fluid channel having an inlet and an outlet is provided at both ends, and a heat medium is filled in a gap between the channel and the housing.   The temperature control device for a storage battery according to claim 1, wherein the heat medium is a polymer compound.   The temperature control device for a storage battery according to claim 2, wherein metal powder is mixed with the polymer compound.   The temperature control device for a storage battery according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a fin is provided on at least one of an inner wall and an outer wall of the flow path. A fluid ejection part is provided in the external channel connected to the channel and extending outside the casing or in the casing, and when the temperature of the cell rises to a reference temperature, the fluid ejection part passes through the fluid ejection part. The temperature control device for a storage battery according to claim 1, wherein the temperature control fluid is ejected to the cell.   A portion having a relatively smaller thickness than other portions is formed in the external flow path or the casing, and the fluid ejection portion is configured to include the relatively thin portion, and the temperature of the cell is the reference The temperature control device for a storage battery according to claim 5, wherein the temperature control fluid is ejected by rupturing the fluid ejection portion by the expansion pressure of the temperature control fluid when the temperature is reached.   The storage battery temperature control device according to claim 5, wherein the fluid ejection part is an open / close valve that opens when the reference temperature is reached. A heat medium ejection part is provided in the case, and when the temperature of the cell rises to a reference temperature, the heat medium is ejected to the cell through the heat medium ejection part. A temperature control device for a storage battery according to claim 1.   When the casing is formed with a portion that is relatively thinner than the other portion, and includes the relatively thin portion to form the heat medium ejection portion, and the temperature of the cell reaches the reference temperature The temperature adjusting device for a storage battery according to claim 8, wherein the heat medium is ejected by rupturing the heat medium ejection portion by the expansion pressure of the heat medium.   The storage battery temperature control device according to claim 8, wherein the heat medium ejection part is an open / close valve that opens when the reference temperature is reached.

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