WO2022262254A1

WO2022262254A1 - Pressure-adjustable liquid cooling plate, traction battery assembly, and vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2022262254A1
Application number: PCT/CN2021/143071
Authority: WO
Inventors: 卢军; 孙焕丽; 许立超; 刘鹏; 孙士杰; 宋博涵; 岳振东
Original assignee: 中国第一汽车股份有限公司
Priority date: 2021-06-17
Filing date: 2021-12-30
Publication date: 2022-12-22
Also published as: CN113363616A; CN113363616B

Abstract

Disclosed in the embodiments of the present application are a pressure-adjustable liquid cooling plate, a traction battery assembly, and a vehicle. The pressure-adjustable liquid cooling plate comprises a pressure balancing pipe. The pressure balancing pipe comprises a body, a piston, a pressing cover and an elastic member, wherein the body is arranged on an upper plate and is in communication with a flow channel; the piston is slidably connected to the body and divides the body into a fluid cavity and an air cavity, the fluid cavity being in communication with the flow channel; the pressing cover is arranged at the top end of the body, is fixedly connected to the body and seals the air cavity; a binding force between the pressing cover and the body is smaller than that between the upper plate and a lower plate; and the elastic member is arranged between the piston and the pressing cover.

Description

Pressure adjustable liquid cold plate, power battery assembly and vehicle

This application claims the priority of the Chinese patent application with application number 202110671908.5 submitted to the China Patent Office on June 17, 2021, and the entire content of the above application is incorporated by reference in this application.

technical field

The present application relates to the technical field of medium temperature control, for example, to a pressure-adjustable liquid cold plate, a power battery assembly and a vehicle.

Background technique

The development prospects of new energy vehicles are very broad. As the main energy storage component of the new energy battery vehicle, the power battery system mainly ensures the functions of vehicle running, braking energy recovery, energy regulation of hybrid engine system, and power supply of high and low voltage components. As the main component of the power battery thermal management system, the liquid cold plate undertakes the functions of cooling, heating, and temperature equalization of the battery. Traditional liquid-cooled plates are generally brazed with aluminum alloy. This aluminum plate is sensitive to pressure changes in working conditions, because excessive internal pressure changes of the liquid-cooled plate will easily affect its service life.

Contents of the invention

The embodiment of the present application discloses a pressure-adjustable liquid-cooled plate, a power battery assembly, and a vehicle.

The embodiment of the present application discloses a pressure-adjustable liquid cold plate, including an upper plate and a lower plate, the upper plate is provided with an inlet and an outlet, the lower plate is provided with a flow channel, and the upper plate and the lower plate are Connect to seal the flow channel, the inlet and the outlet are connected to the two ends of the flow channel respectively; the pressure-adjustable liquid cold plate also includes a pressure balance tube, and the pressure balance tube includes:

a body, the body is tubular, arranged on the upper plate and communicated with the flow channel;

a piston, the piston is slidably connected in the body and divides the body into a fluid chamber and an air chamber, and the fluid chamber communicates with the flow channel;

The gland is arranged on the top of the body, the gland is fixedly connected with the body and seals the air cavity, and the bonding force between the gland and the body is smaller than that of the upper plate and the lower plate. Bonding force between plates;

An elastic member is arranged between the piston and the gland. When the piston is at the lower limit position, the elastic member is in a free state, and the two ends of the elastic member are connected to the gland and the piston respectively. touch.

The embodiment of the present application also discloses a power battery assembly, including the pressure-adjustable liquid cooling plate, and the pressure-adjustable liquid cooling plate is arranged under the power battery to control the temperature of the power battery.

The embodiment of the present application also discloses a vehicle, including the power battery assembly.

Description of drawings

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a pressure-adjustable liquid-cooled plate provided in an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the positional relationship between the flow channel and the pressure balance tube in a pressure-adjustable liquid cooling plate provided by the embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a pressure balance tube in a pressure-adjustable liquid-cooled plate provided by an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 4 is a structural schematic diagram of a flow channel on the middle and lower plates of a pressure-adjustable liquid-cooled plate provided by an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a pressure-adjustable bottom insulation pad of a liquid-cooled plate provided in an embodiment of the present application.

In Figure 1-Figure 5:

1. Upper plate; 11. Inlet; 12. Outlet; 13. Fixing hole; 2. Lower plate; 21. Flow channel; 22. Spoiler; 3. Pressure balance tube; 31. Body; 311. Fluid cavity; 312 .Air cavity; 32. Piston; 33. Gland; 34. Elastic part; 35. Sealing ring; 4. Thermal pad;

detailed description

The application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described here are only used to explain the present application, but not to limit the present application. In addition, it should be noted that, for the convenience of description, only some structures related to the present application are shown in the drawings but not all structures.

In the description of this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connected", "connected" and "fixed" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integrated ; It can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediary, and it can be the internal communication of two components or the interaction relationship between two components. Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application in specific situations.

In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, a first feature being "on" or "under" a second feature may include direct contact between the first and second features, and may also include the first and second features Not in direct contact but through another characteristic contact between them. Moreover, "above", "above" and "above" the first feature on the second feature include that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is horizontally higher than the second feature. "Below", "beneath" and "under" the first feature to the second feature include that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature has a lower level than the second feature.

In the description of this embodiment, the terms "up", "down", "right", and other orientations or positional relationships are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of description and simplification of operations, rather than indicating Or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the application. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish in description, and have no special meaning.

The embodiment of the present application provides a liquid cold plate with adjustable pressure. As shown in FIG. 1 , a pressure balance tube 3 is added on the basis of the liquid cold plate to realize pressure adjustment. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a pressure-adjustable liquid cold plate in the embodiment of the present application includes an upper plate 1 and a lower plate 2, the upper plate 1 is provided with an inlet 11 and an outlet 12, and the lower plate 2 is provided with a flow The channel 21, the upper plate 1 and the lower plate 2 are connected to seal the channel 21, and the inlet 11 and the outlet 12 are respectively connected to the two ends of the channel 21; A pressure-adjustable liquid cold plate in the embodiment of the present application also includes a pressure balance tube 3, as shown in Figure 3, the pressure balance tube 3 includes a body 31, a piston 32, a gland 33 and an elastic member 34, wherein the body 31 is tubular , set on the upper plate 1 and communicated with the flow channel 21; the piston 32 is slidably connected in the body 31 and divides the body 31 into a fluid cavity 311 and an air cavity 312, and the fluid cavity 311 is connected to the flow channel 21; the gland 33 is arranged on the body 31, the gland 33 is fixedly connected to the body 31 and seals the air cavity 312, the bonding force between the gland 33 and the body 31 is smaller than the bonding force between the upper plate 1 and the lower plate 2; the elastic member 34 is located on the piston 32 Between the piston 32 and the gland 33, when the piston 32 is at the lower limit position, the elastic member 34 is in a free state, and the two ends of the elastic member 34 are in contact with the gland 33 and the piston 32 respectively.

For example, the two ends of the elastic member 34 are continuously in contact with the gland 33 and the piston 32 respectively. When the elastic member 34 is in a free state, the pressure borne by the elastic member 34 is small; when the elastic member 34 is in a compressed state, the pressure borne by the elastic member 34 The pressure is high.

A pressure-adjustable liquid-cooled plate according to the embodiment of the present application. By setting the pressure balance tube 3 connected to the flow channel 21 on the upper plate 1, the body 31 is tubular with two ends open, and the upper plate 1 has preset through holes. One end of the body 31 is fixedly connected to the upper plate 1, and the body 31 communicates with the flow channel 21 through a through hole. When the fluid pressure in the flow channel 21 increases, the piston 32 in the pressure balance tube 3 moves along the body 31 to adjust the flow channel 21 The internal fluid pressure can avoid the separation of the upper plate 1 and the lower plate 2 due to excessive pressure, thereby improving the overall service life of the liquid cooling plate.

In this embodiment, a gland 33 is provided on the top of the body 31 of the pressure balance pipe 3. The gland 33 is fixedly connected to the body 31 and seals the air cavity 312. The bonding force between the gland 33 and the body 31 is smaller than that of the upper plate 1 and the lower plate. The bonding force between the plates 2, when the fluid pressure in the flow channel 21 exceeds the limit value, the elastic force of the piston 32 compressing the elastic member 34 is not enough to overcome the fluid pressure, and the fluid pressure can break through the gland 33 to release the pressure and avoid excessive pressure. It will greatly cause the separation or damage of the upper plate 1 and the lower plate 2, thereby improving the overall service life of the liquid cold plate, and then only need to repair or fix the gland 33 again, which has the advantage of low maintenance cost.

In the embodiment of the present application, an elastic member 34 is arranged between the gland 33 and the piston 32. When the fluid pressure in the flow channel 21 is high, the piston 32 moves up and compresses the elastic member 34 so that the fluid pressure is partially reduced. When the fluid pressure decreases , the piston 32 can return to the lower limit position under the elastic force of the elastic member 34, which is beneficial to keep the fluid pressure stable. The pressure change range of the fluid in 21 can avoid the influence of too large or too frequent pressure changes on the bonding force of the upper plate 1 and the lower plate 2, thereby improving the overall service life of the liquid cooling plate. What needs to be explained is that the working conditions of the liquid cooling plate assembly are relatively complicated, and the internal coolant will have a large pressure change as the water pump is turned on and off. Since the liquid cooling plate is usually a brazed aluminum alloy product, Long-term alternating pressure of the liquid cooling plate will cause damage to its internal brazing structure and shorten its service life. Through the structure and layout of the pressure balance tube 3 in the embodiment of the present application, the working pressure inside the liquid cooling plate can be effectively adjusted to achieve pressure balance.

In one embodiment, the axis of the body 31 is perpendicular to the plane where the upper board 1 is located.

As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, the body 31 is arranged perpendicular to the surface of the upper plate 1, which is more conducive to the fluid in the flow channel 21 being able to rise through the liquid level to reduce part of the pressure, because the fluid in the flow channel 21 will Changes in pressure are generated, so the fluid pressure is in a state of frequent changes, constantly impacting the upper plate 1 and the lower plate 2, if it can be buffered in the pressure balance tube 3, the impact on the upper plate 1 and the lower plate 2 is greatly reduced, and then It is beneficial to improve the service life of the liquid cold plate.

In one embodiment, the pressure balance pipe 3 is arranged upstream of and close to the outlet 12 .

As shown in Figure 2, the position of the outlet 12 is generally the position where the fluid pressure in the flow channel 21 is the highest, and the pressure balance pipe 3 is arranged upstream of the outlet 12, that is, before the fluid in the flow channel 21 flows out through the outlet 12, the fluid pressure is released , to avoid a large impact on the connection of the upper plate 1 and the lower plate 2 at the outlet 12, which will affect the service life.

The upstream of the outlet 12 is a position in the flow channel 21 close to the outlet 12 .

In one embodiment, a support is provided at the lower limit position, and the support is provided on the inner side wall of the body 31 , and the piston 32 can be clamped on the support.

For example, supports include, but are not limited to, springs or other elastic structures.

For example, the support is located on the lowest surface of the piston 32 to prevent the piston 32 from falling.

By setting the lower limit position, the descending position of the piston 32 can be prevented from being too low, affecting the normal flow of the fluid. Using a support to support the piston 32 can ensure the initial position of the elastic member 34, prevent the elastic member 34 from moving laterally (for example, the lateral direction of lateral movement refers to the radial direction of the body 31), and affect the compression effect of the piston 32, so that the elastic member The axis of 34 is arranged coaxially with the axis of the body 31 and the axis of the piston 32, which facilitates the movement of the elastic member 34 compressed by the piston 32. In some other embodiments, the lower limit position of the piston 32 can also be limited by directly connecting the piston 32 to the end of the elastic member 34, provided that the elastic recovery of the elastic member 34 needs to be ensured.

In one embodiment, the elastic member 34 is a leaf spring.

The leaf spring has the advantages of simple structure and reliable operation, and the use of the leaf spring can also guide the moving direction of the piston 32 . As shown in Fig. 3, the opening of the leaf spring with a semi-circular cross-section is arranged downward on the upper surface of the piston 32, and the piston 32 moves upward and compresses the leaf spring under the action of the fluid pressure increase in the flow channel 21. After the fluid pressure drops, The leaf spring restores the piston 32 to the original position.

In one embodiment, the pressure balance tube 3 further includes a sealing ring 35 , which is arranged on the outer circumference of the piston 32 and can seal and isolate the fluid cavity 311 .

In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the outer circumference of the piston 32 is provided with an annular groove, and the sealing ring 35 is sleeved in the annular groove, which can seal the inner wall of the piston 32 and the body 31, and ensure that the piston 32 moves in the axial direction. Good sealing of the fluid in the flow channel 21 to avoid leakage.

In one embodiment, the sealing ring 35 is installed inside the annular groove of the piston 32 .

In one embodiment, the lower plate 2 is provided with at least two independent flow channels 21, and the two ends of each flow channel 21 communicate with an inlet 11 and an outlet 12 respectively, and each flow channel 21 is provided with at least one pressure balance Tube 3.

As shown in Figure 4, the structure of two flow channels 21 is arranged on the lower plate 2, and the two flow channels 21 are symmetrically arranged at both ends of the lower plate 2, and each flow channel 21 communicates with an independent inlet 11 and an outlet 12, and the inlet 11 and the outlet 12 are arranged on the same side, and a pressure balance pipe 3 is arranged upstream of the outlet 12 near the outlet 12. It can be understood that the inlet 11 and the outlet 12 are also respectively provided with pipe joints and pipelines for input and output channels 21 fluid. The flow channel 21 is designed by stamping and forming on the surface of the lower plate 2. The overall flow channel 21 has multiple curved routes, no dead angle, and a streamlined transition connection, so as to realize the smooth flow of the fluid in the flow channel 21 and enhance the structural strength of the liquid cooling plate assembly. . A spoiler 22 is provided in the width direction of the flow channel 21, and the spoiler 22 is also formed by stamping. The setting of the spoiler 22 is conducive to the smooth flow of the fluid in the flow channel 21, avoiding eddy currents and dead zone defects, etc., which is beneficial to improve cooling. efficiency.

In one embodiment, the pressure-adjustable liquid cooling plate further includes a heat conduction pad 4 and/or a heat preservation pad 5 , the heat conduction pad 4 is disposed on the upper surface of the upper plate 1 , and the heat preservation pad 5 is disposed on the lower surface of the lower plate 2 .

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 5 , the heat conduction pad 4 is arranged on the upper surface of the upper plate 1 , that is, the outer surface. When in use, the heat conduction pad 4 can be in contact with the product to be cooled to conduct heat. The material of the thermal pad 4 is a non-metallic material with good insulation and high thermal conductivity, including but not limited to silica gel, aluminum oxide, boron nitride and other materials. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, there are multiple thermal pads 4, and multiple thermal pads 4 are arranged on the surface of the upper board 1 at intervals. The pad 4 can be sandwiched between the battery module and the upper plate 1 when in use, and plays the role of heat conduction and buffering.

The insulation pad 5 is arranged on the lower surface of the lower plate 2, as shown in Figure 5, the fixing method of the insulation pad 5 and the lower plate 2 can be bonding, and the insulation pad 5 selects non-metallic insulation materials with good insulation properties, including but not limited to EPP foam, Airgel, polyurethane and other materials, when the liquid cold plate is installed and fixed, the thermal insulation pad 5 has the effects of cushioning, heat insulation and vibration reduction.

The embodiment of the present application also provides a power battery assembly, which includes a pressure-adjustable liquid cooling plate, and the pressure-adjustable liquid cooling plate is arranged under the power battery to control the temperature of the power battery.

In the pressure-adjustable liquid cooling plate provided in the embodiment of the present application, the upper plate 1 and the lower plate 2 are usually connected by brazing, bonding or closed punching riveting. The pressure changes, so it will cause impact on the connection between the upper plate 1 and the lower plate 2, and it is easy to crack and damage. The embodiment of the present application designs a liquid cold plate with adjustable pressure, and the fluid pressure can be adjusted through the pressure balance tube 3 provided. Avoid damage to the liquid cooling plate caused by excessive pressure or frequent pressure changes, thereby improving the cooling effect of the liquid cooling plate on the power battery. When in use, the power battery is arranged on the heat insulation pad 4 of the pressure-adjustable liquid cold plate to achieve better heat conduction and buffering effects.

The embodiment of the present application also provides a vehicle, including a power battery assembly.

For example, the vehicle is an electric vehicle, and the power battery assembly adopted is equipped with the pressure-adjustable liquid cooling plate of the embodiment of the present application. The service life of the pressure-adjustable liquid cooling plate is improved, and the cooling effect of the power battery assembly is good, which improves The reliability of the thermal management system of the vehicle can realize the thermal management function of the battery module through the coolant. When the coolant is flowing, the fluid pressure in the flow channel 21 can be adjusted through the pressure balance pipe 3 to avoid damage to the heat management system circuit due to excessive pressure.

The pressure-adjustable liquid cooling plate is provided with fixing holes 13 for fixing the entire pressure-adjustable liquid cooling plate. As shown in Figure 1, the fixing hole 13 runs through the upper plate 1 and the lower plate 2, for example, it is arranged in the middle of the liquid cooling plate and near the inlet 11 and the outlet 12. The fixing hole 13 includes a main positioning hole and an auxiliary positioning hole to assist positioning. The hole includes a long circular hole and a plurality of circular holes.

In the embodiment of the present application, the pressure balance tube 3 is arranged on the liquid cooling plate. When the pressure of the cooling liquid inside the liquid cooling plate changes, the cooling liquid will press the piston 32 to move, and the piston 32 will further compress the elastic member 34 to produce a larger rebound. The force will produce a reaction force on the coolant, block the change trend of the internal coolant, and finally ensure that the coolant pressure inside the liquid cold plate is in a dynamic balance without large fluctuations, protecting the brazing structure of the liquid cold plate .

The embodiment of the present application discloses a pressure-adjustable liquid-cooled plate to solve the problem that the service life of the liquid-cooled plate is affected by internal pressure changes.

The embodiment of the present application discloses a power battery assembly to solve the problem that the service life of the liquid cold plate in the power battery assembly is affected by pressure changes.

The embodiment of the present application discloses a vehicle to solve the problem that the service life of the power battery assembly of the vehicle is affected by pressure changes on the liquid cooling plate.

The beneficial effect of the embodiment of the present application:

A pressure-adjustable liquid-cooled plate disclosed in the embodiment of the present application is provided with a pressure balance tube connected to the flow channel on the upper plate. When the fluid pressure in the flow channel increases, the piston in the pressure balance tube moves along the body to adjust the pressure in the flow channel. Fluid pressure, to avoid the separation of the upper plate and the lower plate caused by excessive pressure, which can improve the overall service life of the liquid cold plate.

In the embodiment of the present application, a gland is provided on the top of the pressure balance tube. When the fluid pressure in the flow channel exceeds the limit value, the gland can be broken through to release the pressure, avoiding the separation or damage of the upper plate and the lower plate due to excessive pressure, and further Improve the overall service life of the liquid cold plate, and at the same time have the advantage of low maintenance costs.

In the embodiment of the present application, an elastic member is arranged between the gland and the piston. When the fluid pressure in the flow channel is high, the piston moves up and compresses the elastic member to reduce pressure. When the fluid pressure decreases, the piston returns to the lower limit under the elastic force of the elastic member. It can be seen that the pressure balance tube can adjust the pressure change range of the fluid in the flow channel to avoid the influence of too large or too frequent pressure changes on the bonding force of the upper plate and the lower plate, thereby improving the overall performance of the liquid cooling plate. service life.

The above-mentioned embodiments of the present application are only examples for illustrating the present application, and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present application. Various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present application. It is not necessary and impossible to exhaustively list all the implementation manners here. Any modification, equivalent replacement and improvement made within the inventive concept of the application shall be included in the protection scope of the claims of the application.

Claims

A pressure-adjustable liquid cold plate comprises an upper plate (1) and a lower plate (2), the upper plate (1) is provided with an inlet (11) and an outlet (12), and the lower plate (2) is provided with There is a flow channel (21), the upper plate (1) and the lower plate (2) are connected to seal the flow channel (21), and the inlet (11) and the outlet (12) are respectively communicated with the The two ends of the flow channel (21), the pressure-adjustable liquid cold plate also includes a pressure balance tube (3), and the pressure balance tube (3) includes:

a body (31), the body (31) is tubular, arranged on the upper plate (1) and communicated with the flow channel (21);

A piston (32), the piston (32) is slidably connected in the body (31) and separates the body (31) into a fluid chamber (311) and an air chamber (312), and the fluid chamber (311) communicated with the flow channel (21);

A gland (33), arranged on the top of the body (31), the gland (33) is fixedly connected to the body (31) and seals the air chamber (312), the gland (33) The bonding force with the body (31) is smaller than the bonding force between the upper plate (1) and the lower plate (2);

The elastic member (34) is arranged between the piston (32) and the gland (33). When the piston (32) is at the lower limit position, the elastic member (34) is in a free state, and the Both ends of the elastic member (34) are in contact with the gland (33) and the piston (32) respectively.
The pressure-adjustable liquid cold plate according to claim 1, wherein the axis of the body (31) is perpendicular to the plane where the upper plate (1) is located.
The pressure-adjustable liquid cold plate according to claim 1, wherein the pressure balance pipe (3) is arranged upstream of the outlet (12) and is arranged close to the outlet (12).
The pressure-adjustable liquid cold plate according to claim 1, wherein a support is provided at the lower limit position, and the support is arranged on the inner side wall of the body (31), and the piston (32) can snapped onto the support.
The pressure-adjustable liquid cold plate according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member (34) is a leaf spring.
The pressure-adjustable liquid cold plate according to claim 1, wherein the pressure balance pipe (3) further includes a sealing ring (35), and the sealing ring (35) is arranged on the outer surface of the piston (32) Circumferentially, the fluid cavity (311) can be sealed and isolated.
The pressure-adjustable liquid cold plate according to claim 1, wherein, the lower plate (2) is provided with at least two independent flow channels (21), each of the two flow channels (21) The ends communicate with one of the inlets (11) and one of the outlets (12), and each of the flow channels (21) is respectively provided with at least one of the pressure balance pipes (3).
The pressure-adjustable liquid-cooled plate according to claim 1, the pressure-adjustable liquid-cooled plate also includes at least one of a heat conduction pad (4) and a thermal insulation pad (5), and the heat conduction pad (4) is set On the upper surface of the upper plate (1), the heat preservation pad (5) is arranged on the lower surface of the lower plate (2).
A power battery assembly, comprising the pressure-adjustable liquid-cooled plate according to any one of claims 1-8, the pressure-adjustable liquid-cooled plate is arranged below the power battery to warm the power battery control.
A vehicle, comprising the power battery assembly described in claim 9.