KR102562437B1 - Car battery cooling system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is a vehicle battery cooling system comprising: a cooling plate having a cooling water storage space formed therein; and a cooling cover provided at an end of the cooling plate to prevent leakage of cooling water, wherein one surface of the cooling plate is in surface contact with the battery module.

Description

Car battery cooling system {CAR BATTERY COOLING SYSTEM}

The present invention relates to a vehicle battery cooling system, and more particularly, to a cooling system configured to cool a battery used as a power source in a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle in a water-cooled manner.

Recently, electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles (hereinafter referred to as 'electric vehicles') using electric energy as a power source instead of vehicles using fossil fuels have been developed and are being sold.

In addition, an electric vehicle is equipped with a battery that can be charged and discharged.

Since the battery provides power energy to enable the electric vehicle to run, it can be said to be the most essential component of the electric vehicle.

Meanwhile, a cooling system is essentially provided in a battery of an electric vehicle.

The cooling system cools the heat generated from the battery so that the battery can maintain its performance.

However, since the battery of an electric vehicle is mounted on a vehicle with a large area and generates high-temperature heat during driving or charging of the vehicle, the existing cooling system does not efficiently cool the battery. .

In particular, the current electric vehicle has a disadvantage in that it takes a very long time to charge the battery. Accordingly, the battery maintains a high temperature during the charging time, but there is a limit to rapidly cooling such a battery with the existing cooling system.

In addition, the existing cooling system is made by manufacturing a pair of plates having cooling water passages formed by casting or forging and then attaching them to each other. However, this method has high manufacturing cost due to the nature of casting or forging, and There is a problem in that the plates adhered to each other open and coolant leaks.

In addition, conventionally, a cooling system is provided inside a plurality of battery modules, respectively. However, this structure not only makes the manufacturing process of the battery module cumbersome, but also increases the manufacturing cost.

Therefore, the present applicant has proposed the present invention in order to solve the above problems, and as a related prior art document, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2018-0120440 'Method for Manufacturing High-Efficiency Cooling Plate for Casting Mold' there is.

The present invention is to solve the above problems, and to provide a cooling system configured to efficiently cool a plurality of battery modules provided in a vehicle with a cooling plate having a large area and to prevent leakage of coolant. There is a purpose.

The present invention is a vehicle battery cooling system comprising: a cooling plate having a cooling water storage space formed therein; and a cooling cover provided at an end of the cooling plate to prevent leakage of cooling water, and one surface of the cooling plate may be in surface contact with the battery module.

In addition, the cooling water storage space formed in the cooling plate may have a larger planar area than the planar area formed by the battery module.

In addition, a cooling water inlet port and a cooling water outlet port may be provided at a portion of one surface of the cooling plate that is not in contact with the battery module.

In addition, the cooling plate is in surface contact with a plurality of battery modules while being connected in series or in parallel, and the cooling water discharge port provided on the cooling plate can communicate with the cooling water inlet port of another cooling plate disposed adjacent to it. can be connected

In addition, the cooling cover may be bonded to an inner surface of the cooling plate defining the seating groove in a state of being inserted into a seating groove formed at an inner end of the cooling plate.

Also, the seating groove may be formed at an inner end of the cooling plate to a depth of 6 to 9 mm, and the cooling cover may be inserted into the seating groove with a height of 2 to 4 mm.

In addition, the cooling plate is manufactured by an extrusion molding method, and the cooling plate and the cooling cover may be bonded to each other by a GMAW welding method.

An automobile battery cooling system according to an embodiment of the present invention provides a configuration for cooling a battery used as a power source of an electric vehicle with a cooling plate manufactured by an extrusion molding method, so that a gap through which coolant may leak is not formed. leakage of the cooling water may be prevented by preventing leakage of the cooling water, and thus, a phenomenon in which cooling efficiency of the battery is lowered may be prevented.

In addition, the vehicle battery cooling system according to an embodiment of the present invention can connect the cooling plates manufactured by the extrusion molding method in a series or parallel direction, so that a plurality of battery modules included in one battery packaging can be efficiently can be cooled by

In addition, the automobile battery cooling system according to an embodiment of the present invention has a configuration in which an opening inevitably generated at an end of the cooling plate is blocked with a cooling cover made of the same material or a different material as the cooling plate is manufactured by extrusion molding. Therefore, it is possible to effectively block the space where the cooling water is stored.

In addition, in the vehicle battery cooling system according to an embodiment of the present invention, a cooling cover inserted into a seating groove and an inner surface of a cooling plate partitioning the seating groove are bonded to each other using a CMT welding or laser welding method. , the aluminum or steel cooling cover and the aluminum cooling plate can be firmly bonded to each other, and the ends of the cooling plates are also finished flat so that the operator connects the ends of the plurality of cooling plates to each other. Make the process easy to carry out.

1 is a perspective view of a vehicle battery cooling system according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a top cross-sectional view of a cooling plate according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a plan view illustrating a state in which a plurality of cooling plates according to an embodiment of the present invention are communicatively connected to each other by cooling water pipes;
4 is a cross-sectional view showing an end configuration of a cooling plate according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a cooling cover according to an embodiment of the present invention is bonded to an inner surface of an end side of a cooling plate by a welding method.

Advantages and features of the present invention, and methods of achieving them, will become clear with reference to the detailed description of the following embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and will be implemented in various forms different from each other, only these embodiments make the disclosure of the present invention complete, and common knowledge in the art to which the present invention pertains. It is provided to completely inform the person who has the scope of the invention, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims.

Hereinafter, a vehicle battery cooling system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 . In describing the present invention, detailed descriptions of related well-known functions or configurations are omitted in order not to obscure the subject matter of the present invention.

1 is a perspective view of a vehicle battery cooling system according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view of a cooling plate according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. A plan view showing a state in which cooling plates are communicatively connected to each other by cooling water pipes, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an end configuration of a cooling plate according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view according to an embodiment of the present invention. A cross-sectional view showing a state in which the cooling cover is joined to the inner surface of the end side of the cooling plate by welding.

1 to 5, a vehicle battery cooling system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cooling plate 110 having a cooling water storage space S formed therein; and a cooling cover 120 provided at an end of the cooling plate 110 to prevent leakage of cooling water.

First, the cooling plate 110 may have a larger planar area than that of the battery module M to be cooled.

A cooling water storage space S is provided inside the cooling plate 110 . The cooling water storage space S serves as a flow path for the cooling water initially supplied into the cooling plate 110 and may be partitioned by a plurality of partition walls 111 spaced apart from each other.

The total area formed by the cooling water storage space S may be equal to or larger than the planar area of the battery module M.

One surface of the cooling plate 110 configured as described above may be in surface contact with the bottom surface of the battery module M. That is, the battery module M may be placed on the central portion of one surface of the cooling plate 110 . Here, the plurality of battery modules M may be fixedly disposed on one surface of the cooling plate 110 while being connected to each other by a connection cover (not shown).

Meanwhile, a cooling water inlet port 113 and a cooling water outlet port 114 may be provided on one surface of the cooling plate 110 .

The cooling water inlet port 113 and the cooling water outlet port 114 may be provided on a position where they do not interfere with the battery module M placed on one surface of the cooling plate 110 . That is, the cooling water inlet port 113 and the cooling water outlet port 114 may be provided at a portion of the cooling plate 110 that is not in contact with the battery module M. At this time, the cooling water inlet port 113 and the cooling water outlet port 114 are provided on the cooling plate 110 with the battery module M interposed therebetween, and the cooling water inlet port 113 is provided on the cooling plate 110. may be provided on one side in the longitudinal direction or one side in the width direction, and the cooling water discharge port 114 may be provided on the other side in the longitudinal direction or the other width direction of the cooling plate 110 .

For reference, FIG. 1 shows that the cooling water inlet port 113 and the cooling water outlet port 114 are provided on both sides of the cooling plate 110 in the width direction, respectively, and FIG. 2 shows the cooling water inlet port 113 and the cooling water outlet port 113. It is shown that ports 114 are provided on both sides of the cooling plate 110 in the longitudinal direction.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the cooling water introduced into the cooling water storage space S of the cooling plate 110 through the cooling water inlet port 113 flows in the direction of the arrow and then fills the cooling water storage space S.

Also, the cooling water flowing into the cooling water storage space S may flow into the cooling water storage space S of another cooling plate 110 through the cooling water discharge port 114 . That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the cooling water outlet port 114 of the cooling plate 110 is connected to the cooling water inlet port 113 of another cooling plate 110 disposed adjacent to it by using a pipe P. can

For example, as shown in FIG. 3 , cooling water may flow in the direction of arrow A through the pipe P and be stored in the first cooling plate 110 .

The cooling water introduced into the cooling water storage space (S) of the first cooling plate 110 fills the cooling water storage space (S) and then flows in the direction of the arrow B by another pipe (P) to the first cooling plate (110). may be stored in the second cooling plate 110 disposed on one side of the width direction.

The cooling water introduced into the cooling water storage space (S) of the second cooling plate (110) fills the cooling water storage space (S) and then flows in the direction of the arrow C by another pipe (P) to cool the second cooling plate (110). may be stored in the third cooling plate 110 disposed on one side in the longitudinal direction of

The cooling water introduced into the cooling water storage space (S) of the third cooling plate (110) fills the cooling water storage space (S), and then flows in the direction of the arrow D by another pipe (P) to cool the third cooling plate (110). may be stored in the fourth cooling plate 110 disposed on the other side in the width direction of the .

In addition, the cooling water introduced into the cooling water storage space (S) of the fourth cooling plate 110 fills the cooling water storage space (S) and then flows in the direction of the arrow E by another pipe (P) to the cooling plate (not shown). may be stored in

Therefore, the cooling water supplied to one cooling plate 110 among the plurality of cooling plates 110 may flow into the cooling water storage space S of the other plurality of cooling plates 110 . For reference, the cooling water may be sequentially filled in the plurality of cooling plates 110 or may be introduced and filled into the plurality of cooling plates 110 at the same time.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , the cooling plate 110 may be in surface contact with a plurality of battery modules M while being connected in plurality in a series or parallel direction. In this case, the plurality of cooling plates 110 may be connected to each other by welding. As the circumferential surfaces of the cooling plates 110 are welded together, the plurality of cooling plates 110 may extend in a serial direction or in a parallel direction.

A method of connecting and extending the plurality of cooling plates 110 may vary depending on the overall shape of the battery module M to be cooled.

The cooling cover 120 serves to block an opening formed at a widthwise end or a longitudinal end of the cooling plate 110 .

For reference, in one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2 , an opening is provided at an end of the cooling plate 110 in the width direction to expose the cooling water storage space S to the outside.

The openings are formed along the entire longitudinal direction of the cooling plate 110, and the cooling cover 120 blocks these openings to prevent the cooling water stored in the cooling water storage space S from leaking to the outside. do.

At this time, a seating groove 112 into which the cooling cover 120 can be inserted is formed at an end of the cooling plate 110 in the width direction.

That is, the cooling cover 120 may block the opening formed in the cooling cover 120 while being inserted into the seating groove 112 formed in the cooling plate 110 .

The seating groove 112 may be communicatively connected to the cooling water storage space (S). At this time, as shown in FIG. 4 , the seating groove 112 may be formed with a height d4 greater than the height d5 of the coolant storage space S. Accordingly, a locking step on which the cooling cover 120 can be seated may be formed at a boundary between the seating groove 112 and the coolant storage space S. Accordingly, the cooling cover 120 inserted into the seating groove 112 may be disposed in the seating groove 112 while being hooked on the hook.

Meanwhile, the cooling cover 120 inserted into the seating groove 112 may be joined to an inner end of the cooling plate 110 defining the seating groove 112 by welding.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 4 , the seating groove 112 is preferably formed to a depth d1 of 6 to 9 mm from the end of the cooling plate 110 . In addition, the cooling cover 120 inserted into the seating groove 112 is preferably inserted into the seating groove 112 with a height d2 of 2 to 4 mm.

This is to prevent the body of the cooling plate 110 from coming out of the seating groove 112 and flowing down in the process of bonding the cooling cover 120 and the inner end of the cooling plate 110 to each other by welding. . If the depth d1 of the seating groove 112 is set to 6 mm or less and is formed at the end of the cooling plate 110, a phenomenon in which the body of the cooling plate 110 flows to the outside occurs during the welding process. . Similarly, when the height d2 of the cooling cover 120 is set to 4 mm or more and inserted into the seating groove 112, a phenomenon in which the body of the cooling plate 110 flows to the outside occurs during the welding process.

That is, when the cooling cover 120 is inserted into the seating groove 112 and the remaining space formed in the seating groove 112 has a volume equal to or greater than the set volume, as shown in FIG. The weld bead 121, the weld residue, and the inner flesh of the cooling plate 110 do not leak out of the seating groove 112 and stay within the seating groove 112.

Conversely, when the cooling cover 120 is inserted into the seating groove 112 and the remaining space formed in the seating groove 112 has a volume equal to or less than the set volume, welding beads, weld residues, and cooling plates generated during the welding process The inner flesh of 110 leaks out of the seating groove 112 and flows down.

If the weld beads 121, weld residues, or the inner flesh of the cooling plate 110 flow out of the seating groove 112 and then harden, the circumferential surface of the cooling plate 110 inevitably has an irregular surface. Therefore, a work process of welding the circumferential surfaces of the cooling plates 110 to each other in order to expand the plurality of cooling plates 110 in a series or parallel direction becomes cumbersome or cannot be performed.

Therefore, when the cooling cover 120 is inserted into the seating groove 112, the seating groove 112 is placed in the cooling plate 110 so that the remaining space formed in the seating groove 112 has a set volume. The cooling cover 120 is formed to a depth d1 of 6 to 9 mm from the end and is inserted into the seating groove 112 to have a height d2 of 2 to 4 mm. It is preferable to prevent the welding bead 121, welding residue, or the inner flesh of the cooling plate 110 from flowing out to the outside of the end.

In addition, when the cooling cover 120 is inserted into the seating groove 112, a gap may be formed between the inner surface of the cooling plate 110 defining the seating groove 112 and the cooling cover 120. And, the length of the gap (d3) is preferably set to 0.1 ~ 0.3mm.

The gap provides a space in which the deposited metal that bonds the inner surface of the cooling cover 120 and the cooling plate 110 to each other can be filled during the welding process.

The cooling plate 110 and the cooling cover 120 configured as described above are made of metal, and are preferably made of aluminum which is lightweight and has excellent durability.

In particular, the cooling plate 110 may be manufactured by extrusion molding.

Therefore, since the cooling plate 110 is not manufactured through a separate assembly process and has a continuum shape with a cross section of a certain shape by an extrusion molding method, a gap through which cooling water may leak is not formed in the first place. Accordingly, the problem of leakage of the cooling water introduced into the cooling water storage space S can be solved.

Meanwhile, as a method of bonding the cooling plate 110 and the cooling cover 120 to each other, a gas metal are welding (GMAW) welding method may be used.

GMAW welding is also called inert gas metal arc welding, and can be referred to as an automatic and semi-automatic welding method that generates an arc while continuously supplying an electrode wire (welding rod).

GMAW welding can be applied to weld thick plates such as aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys, stainless steels, copper alloys, low-alloy steels, and high-strength steels that cannot be covered by arc welding or oxygen welding. Therefore, the GMAW welding method may be used as a method of bonding the cooling plate 110 manufactured by the extrusion molding method and the cooling cover 120 blocking the open end of the cooling plate 110 to each other.

For reference, examples of GMAW welding methods include cold metal transfer (CMT) welding and laser welding.

Since CMT welding or laser welding has the advantage of very little cracking in the welding periphery, the cooling plate 110 and cooling cover 120 made of aluminum or the cooling plate 110 made of aluminum and the cooling cover 120 made of steel are used. It is preferable to join them together.

For reference, CMT welding enables welding between aluminum and steel with low heat input and high welding rate, and the gap (gap) joint is very excellent, so welding is possible even at a gap (gap) that is more than twice the thickness of the base material.

Although specific embodiments according to the present invention have been described so far, various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments and should not be defined, but should be defined by not only the scope of the claims to be described later, but also those equivalent to the scope of these claims.

100: car battery cooling system
110: cooling plate
111: bulkhead 112: seating groove
113: cooling water inlet port 114: cooling water outlet port
120: cooling cover 121: bead

Claims (7)

As a vehicle battery cooling system,
A cooling plate with a cooling water storage space formed therein; and
A cooling cover provided at an end of the cooling plate to prevent leakage of cooling water;
One surface of the cooling plate is in surface contact with the battery module,
The cooling plate has a plane area larger than the plane area formed by the battery module,
A cooling water inlet port and a cooling water outlet port are provided on one surface of the cooling plate that is not in contact with the battery module.
The cooling plates are in surface contact with a plurality of battery modules while being connected in plurality in a series or parallel direction,
The cooling water outlet port provided on the cooling plate is communicatively connected to the cooling water inlet port of another adjacent cooling plate,
The cooling water inlet port and the cooling water outlet port are provided on the cooling plate with the battery module interposed therebetween, the cooling water inlet port is provided on one side of the cooling plate in a longitudinal direction or one side in a width direction, and the cooling water outlet port is provided in the cooling plate. An automobile battery cooling system, characterized in that provided on the other side in the longitudinal direction or the other side in the width direction of the cooling plate.
delete delete delete According to claim 1,
The cooling cover,
The vehicle battery cooling system, characterized in that in a state of being inserted into the seating groove formed at the inner end of the cooling plate, it is bonded to the inner surface of the cooling plate defining the seating groove.
According to claim 5,
The seating groove is formed at an inner end of the cooling plate to a depth of 6 to 9 mm,
The cooling cover is inserted into the seating groove with a height of 2 to 4 mm.
According to claim 1,
The cooling plate is manufactured by extrusion molding,
The cooling plate and the cooling cover are bonded to each other by a GMAW welding method.

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