TECHNICAL FIELD
The present application relates to the field of battery technologies, and in particular to a liquid cooling assembly and a battery pack.
BACKGROUND
In the related art, liquid cooling plates are widely used in batteries, and the main function of the liquid cooling plates is to cool the battery through the circulation of coolant, thereby maintaining the stability of the battery temperature. Liquid cooling plates are usually connected to the liquid inlet pipe with the nylon tubes.
SUMMARY
However, due to tolerances in the connection, it is difficult to assemble the liquid inlet pipe and the liquid cooling plate, which can easily cause leakage in both the liquid inlet pipe and the liquid cooling plate, thereby reducing the cooling efficiency and ultimately causing the battery to be damaged due to the excessive temperature of the battery.
The present application provides a liquid cooling assembly, including: a plurality of liquid cooling plates, in which the plurality of liquid cooling plates are arranged in sequence at intervals, an installation space for installing a heating element is formed between adjacent ones of the plurality of liquid cooling plates, and the plurality of liquid cooling plates include circulation channels, and liquid inlets each communicating with a corresponding one of the circulation channels; and a liquid inlet main pipe, in which the liquid inlet main pipe includes a plurality of first mating ports, and the plurality of first mating ports and the liquid inlets are arranged by one-to-one correspondence; in which first mating tubes are connected between the first mating ports and the liquid inlets, and each of the first mating tubes is at least partially flexible.
The present application also provides a battery pack including the above-mentioned liquid cooling assembly.
Beneficial Effect
In the liquid cooling assembly provided by the present application, by setting a first mating tube between the liquid cooling plate and the liquid inlet main pipe, because the first mating tube is at least partially flexible, the first mating tube can absorb the tolerances of both the liquid inlet main pipe and the liquid cooling plate during the connection process. In this way, the assembly of the liquid inlet main pipe and the liquid cooling plate becomes simple, and the reliability of the connection between the liquid inlet main pipe and the liquid cooling plate is ensured, and leakage between the liquid inlet pipe and the liquid cooling plate is avoided, thereby avoiding the phenomenon of reducing cooling efficiency due to the leakage.
In the battery pack provided in the present application, the liquid cooling plate is connected to the liquid inlet main pipe via the first mating tube. Since the first mating tube is at least partially flexible, the tolerances of the liquid inlet main pipe and the liquid cooling plate can be absorbed during the connection process, In this way, the assembly of the liquid inlet main pipe and the liquid cooling plate becomes simple, and the reliability of the connection between the liquid inlet main pipe and the liquid cooling plate is ensured, and leakage between the liquid inlet pipe and the liquid cooling plate is avoided, thereby avoiding the phenomenon of reducing cooling efficiency due to the leakage.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a first perspective schematic diagram of a liquid cooling assembly provided by the present application;
FIG. 2 is a second perspective schematic diagram of a liquid cooling assembly provided by the present application;
FIG. 3 is a perspective schematic diagram of a liquid cooling assembly and a cylindrical battery provided by the present application;
FIG. 4 is a perspective schematic diagram of a first mating tube provided by the present application;
FIG. 5 is a perspective schematic diagram of first mating tubes and a liquid inlet main pipe provided by the present application;
FIG. 6 is a perspective schematic diagram of a liquid cooling plate provided in the present application;
FIG. 7 is a perspective schematic diagram of a liquid inlet main pipe provided by the present application;
FIG. 8 is a third perspective schematic diagram of a liquid cooling assembly provided by the present application;
FIG. 9 is a fourth perspective schematic diagram of a liquid cooling assembly provided by the present application;
FIG. 10 is a perspective schematic diagram of a liquid return main pipe provided by the present application;
FIG. 11 is a perspective schematic diagram of second mating tubes and a liquid return main pipe provided by the present application; and
FIG. 12 is a perspective schematic diagram of a liquid return main pipe provided in the present application.
REFERENCE SIGNS
10—liquid cooling plate, 101—liquid inlet, 102—liquid return port, 11—second joint, 12—fourth joint, 20—liquid inlet main pipe, 201—first mating port, 202—total water inlet, 21—first main pipe, 211—first joint, 22—first quick-plug connector, 30—first mating tube, 31—first straight pipe section, 32—first corrugated section, 33—second straight pipe section, 40—liquid return main pipe, 401—second mating port, 402—total water return port, 41—second main pipe, 411—third joint, 42—second quick-plug connector, 50—second mating tube, 51—third straight pipe section, 52—second corrugated section, and 53—fourth straight pipe section.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In the description of the present application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms “conjoint”, “connect”, and “fix” are to be understood in a broad sense, for example, as a fixed connection, as a detachable connection, or as a one-piece connection; also as a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; or may be directly connected or indirectly connected by means of an intermediate medium; or may be internal communication of the two elements or interaction of the two elements. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present application may be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art as the case may be.
In the description of this embodiment, the terms “first” and “second” are used to distinguish in the description and have no special meanings.
The embodiments of the present application provide a liquid cooling plate assembly. FIG. 1 is a first perspective schematic diagram of the liquid cooling assembly provided by the embodiments of the present application, and FIG. 2 is a second perspective schematic diagram of the liquid cooling assembly provided by the embodiments of the present application. Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the liquid cooling assembly includes a plurality of liquid cooling plates 10 and a liquid inlet main pipe 20. The plurality of liquid cooling plates 10 are arranged in sequence and spaced apart, and an installation space for installing a heating element is formed between adjacent liquid cooling plates 10. Each liquid cooling plate 10 includes a circulation channel (not shown in the figure) and a liquid inlet 101 connected to the circulation channel. The liquid inlet main pipe 20 includes a plurality of first mating ports 201. The plurality of first mating ports 201 and the plurality of liquid inlets 101 are arranged by one-to-one correspondence. A first mating tube 30 is connected between the first mating port 201 and the liquid inlet 101, and the first mating tube 30 is at least partially flexible.
In some embodiments of the present application, FIG. 3 is a perspective schematic diagram of a liquid cooling assembly and a cylindrical battery provided in embodiments of the present application. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the heating element may be a cylindrical battery, and the shape of the liquid cooling plate 10 may be a serpentine shape. This design may increase the contact area between the liquid cooling plate 10 and the cylindrical battery, thereby improving the cooling efficiency. The number of liquid cooling plates 10 may be 2, 3 or more. The liquid cooling plate 10 and the circulation channel of the liquid cooling plate are integrally formed, for example, by casting or 3D printing.
It can be understood that the heating element may also be a battery that is approximately in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, and the shape of the liquid cooling plate 10 may also be a shape of a flat plate, so that the heating element is in full contact with the liquid cooling plate 10.
In some embodiments of the present application, the liquid inlet 101 may refer to an opening opened in the surface of the liquid cooling plate 10. In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG. 2, a second joint 11 may be provided protruding from the surface of the liquid cooling plate 10. A through hole of the joint defines the liquid inlet 101, so as to facilitate to connect the first mating tube 30 through the second joint 11.
In some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the number of the first mating ports 201 may be 2, or 3 or more. In some embodiments of the present application, the first mating port 201 may refer to an opening opened in the surface of the liquid inlet main pipe 20. In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG. 2, a joint may be provided protruding from the surface of the liquid inlet main pipe 20, and a through hole of the joint defines the first mating port 201, so as to facilitate connect the first mating tube 30 through the joint.
In some embodiments of the present application, the liquid inlet main pipe 20 may be composed of a whole pipe. In some other embodiments of the present application, the liquid inlet main pipe 20 may be composed of multiple pipes connected in series, so as to facilitate replacement when one pipe is damaged.
A first mating tube 30 is connected between the first mating port 201 of the liquid inlet main pipe 20 and the liquid inlet 101 of the liquid cooling plate 10, and the first mating tube 30 is at least partially flexible. Since the first mating tube 30 is at least partially flexible, that is, the first mating tube 30 has elasticity and scalability, the first mating tube 30 can absorb the tolerances of both the liquid inlet main pipe 20 and the liquid cooling plate 10 during the connection. In this way, the assembly of the liquid inlet main pipe 20 and the liquid cooling plate 10 becomes simple, and the reliability of the connection between the liquid inlet main pipe 20 and the liquid cooling plate 10 is ensured, and leakage between the liquid inlet main pipe 20 and the liquid cooling plate 10 is avoided, thereby avoiding the phenomenon that the cooling efficiency is reduced due to the leakage.
Exemplarily, the first mating tube 30 may be a flexible and bent pipe such as a hose or a corrugated tube.
In some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the liquid inlet 101 and the liquid return port 102 of the liquid cooling plate 10 are arranged at the same end, and the circulation channel can be arranged in a U-shape, which has better temperature uniformity. Of course, FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 are only schematic illustrations of the liquid inlet 101 and the liquid return port 102. In other embodiments, the liquid return port 102 can be arranged at the end of the liquid cooling plate 10 facing away from the liquid inlet 101. The circulation channel can be arranged in a straight line or a curve.
In some embodiments of the present application, FIG. 4 is a perspective schematic diagram of a first mating tube 30 provided in an embodiment of the present application, FIG. 5 is a perspective schematic diagram of a first mating tube 30 and a liquid inlet main pipe 20 provided in an embodiment of the present application; and FIG. 6 is a perspective schematic diagram of a liquid cooling plate 10 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the first mating tube 30 has a first straight pipe section 31, a first corrugated section 32, and a second straight pipe section 33. The first corrugated section 32 is located between the first straight pipe section 31 and the second straight pipe section 33. The first straight pipe section 31 is connected to the first mating port 201, the second straight pipe section 33 is connected to the liquid inlet 101, and the first corrugated section 32 is flexible.
Specifically, the first corrugated section 32 is a corrugated tube. Since the corrugated tube has elasticity and scalability, the tolerances of both the liquid inlet main pipe 20 and the liquid cooling plate 10 can be absorbed during the connection, thereby simplifying the assembly of the liquid inlet main pipe 20 and the liquid cooling plate 10. At the same time, the first straight pipe section 31 and the second straight pipe section 33 are both straight pipes. A pore size of the first straight pipe section 31 matches a pore size of the first mating port 201. A pore size of the second straight pipe section 33 matches a pore size of the liquid inlet 101. So, the first straight pipe section 31 is tightly connected to the first mating port 201, and the second straight pipe section 33 is tightly connected to the liquid inlet 101, thereby ensuring that the coolant does not leak, and further improving the cooling efficiency.
In some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the liquid inlet main pipe 20 has a plurality of first joints 211, and the first joint 211 define the first mating port 201. The liquid cooling plate 10 has a second joint 11 defining a liquid inlet port 101. The first straight pipe section 31 is sleeved with the first joint 211, and the second straight pipe section 33 is sleeved with the second joint 11. The first joint 211 and the second joint 11 can improve the strength of the first mating tube 30. In one example, the first straight pipe section 31 can be sleeved on the first joint 211, and the second straight pipe section 33 can be sleeved on the second joint 11. In another example, the first joint 211 can be sleeved on the first straight pipe section 31, and the second joint 11 can be sleeved on the second straight pipe section 33. Specifically, the first joint 211 and the second joint 11 are both bamboo joints. The first joint 211 can improve the strength of the first straight pipe section 31, and the second joint 11 can improve the strength of the second straight pipe section 33.
In some embodiments of the present application, the first straight pipe section 31 is expanded with the first joint 211, and the second straight pipe section 33 is expanded with the second joint 11, so as to prevent the first straight pipe section 31 and the second straight pipe section 33 from falling off. In one example, an end of the first straight pipe section 31 is inserted into a hole of the first joint 211. For example, the end of the first straight pipe section 31 is expanded by a pipe expander, and the first straight pipe section 31 and the first joint 211 are tightly connected by utilizing the plastic deformation of the first straight pipe section 31 and the elastic deformation of the hole of the first joint 211. In another example, an end of the first joint 211 is inserted into a hole of the first straight pipe section 31. For example, the end of the first joint 211 is expanded by a pipe expander, and the first straight pipe section 31 and the first joint 211 are tightly connected by utilizing the plastic deformation of the first joint 211 and the elastic deformation of the hole of the first straight pipe section 31. In one example, an end of the second straight pipe section 33 is inserted into a hole of the second joint 11. For example, the end of the second straight pipe section 33 is expanded by a pipe expander, and the second straight pipe section 33 and the second joint 11 are tightly connected by using the plastic deformation of the second straight pipe section 33 and the elastic deformation of the hole of the second joint 11. In another example, an end of the second joint 11 is inserted into a hole of the second straight pipe section 33. For example, the end of the second joint 11 is expanded by a pipe expander, and the second straight pipe section 33 and the second joint 11 are tightly connected by using the plastic deformation of the second joint 11 and the elastic deformation of the hole of the second straight pipe section 33.
It is understandable that the first joint 211 and the second joint 11 may also be connected to the first mating tube 30 in other ways, such as welding or threaded connection.
In some embodiments of the present application, FIG. 7 is a perspective schematic diagram of a liquid inlet main pipe 20 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Referring to FIG. 7, the liquid inlet main pipe 20 includes a plurality of first main pipes 21 that are separately arranged, and the plurality of first main pipes 21 are connected in sequence. At least some of the first main pipes 21 have first mating ports 201. The first main pipe 21 is arranged with a plurality of first joints 211, and the first joints 211 are integrally formed with the first main pipe 21. The number of the first main pipes 21 may be 1, 2, 3 or more than 3. Each first main pipe 21 may be provided with one, two, three or more than three first joints 211. The first joints 211 are integrally formed with the first main pipe 21, for example, by casting or 3D printing, etc., which can reduce the cost of the liquid cooling assembly and improve the structural strength of the liquid inlet main pipe 20.
In some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG. 7, a first quick-plug connector 22 is provided between adjacent first main pipes 21, and the first quick-plug connector 22 is enabled to communicate the adjacent first main pipes 21. Since the first quick-plug connector 22 can be quickly connected and disconnected, the number of first main pipes 21 can be flexibly set according to actual needs, thereby reducing the waste of the first main pipes 21 and improving the use efficiency. Here, the material of the first quick-plug connector 22 can be plastic, such as PA66 GF30. The first quick-plug connector 22 can be of a finished pipe connection structure, such as a pipe hoop, a quick connector, etc.
In some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the liquid inlet main pipe 20 has a total water inlet 202. Along the direction away from the total water inlet 202, inner diameters of the plurality of first joints 211 gradually increase, so that the flow rate of each first joint 211 flowing into the liquid cooling plate 10 can be equal to each other.
In some embodiments of the present application, FIG. 8 is a third perspective schematic diagram of the liquid cooling assembly provided by the embodiment of the present application; and FIG. 9 is a fourth perspective schematic diagram of the liquid cooling assembly provided by the embodiment of the present application. Referring to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the liquid cooling assembly further includes a liquid return pipe 40. Each liquid cooling plate 10 includes the liquid return port 102 in communication with the circulation channel. The liquid return pipe 40 has a plurality of second mating ports 401. The plurality of second mating ports 401 and the plurality of liquid return ports 102 are arranged by one-to-one correspondence. A second mating tube 50 is connected between the second mating port 401 and the liquid return port 102, and the second mating tube 50 is at least partially flexible.
The number of the second mating ports 401 in the some embodiments of the present application may be 2, 3 or more. In some embodiments of the present application, the second mating port 401 may refer to an opening opened in the surface of the liquid return main pipe 40. In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG. 9, a joint may be provided protruding from the surface of the liquid return main pipe 40, and a through hole of the joint defines the second mating port 401, so as to facilitate to connect with the second mating tube 50 through the joint.
In some embodiments of the present application, the liquid return main pipe 40 may be composed of a whole pipe. In some other embodiments of the present application, the liquid return main pipe 40 may be composed of a plurality of pipes connected in series, so as to facilitate replacement when one pipe is damaged.
The second mating tube 50 is connected between the second mating port 401 of the liquid return main pipe 40 and the liquid return port 102 of the liquid cooling plate 10, and the second mating tube 50 is at least partially flexible. Since the second mating tube 50 is at least partially flexible, that is, the second mating tube 50 has elasticity and scalability, the second mating tube 50 can absorb the tolerances of both the liquid return main pipe 40 and the liquid cooling plate 10 during the connection, thereby simplifying the assembly of the liquid return main pipe 40 and the liquid cooling plate 10. So, it can ensure the reliability of the connection between the liquid return main pipe 40 and the liquid cooling plate 10, thereby avoiding leakage between the liquid return main pipe 40 and the liquid cooling plate 10, and further avoiding the phenomenon of reducing the cooling efficiency due to leakage.
Exemplarily, the second mating tube 50 may be a flexible and bent pipe such as a hose or a corrugated pipe.
In some embodiments of the present application, FIG. 10 is a perspective schematic diagram of the liquid return main pipe 40 provided in the embodiment of the present application, and FIG. 11 is a perspective schematic diagram of the second mating tube 50 and the liquid return main pipe 40 provided in the embodiment of the present application. Referring to FIGS. 9 to 11, the second mating tube 50 has a third straight pipe section 51, a second corrugated section 52 and a fourth straight pipe section 53. The second corrugated section 52 is located between the third straight pipe section 51 and the fourth straight pipe section 53. The third straight pipe section 51 is connected to the second mating port 401, the fourth straight pipe section 53 is connected to the liquid return port 102, and the second corrugated section 52 is flexible. Specifically, the second corrugated section 52 is a corrugated pipe. Because the corrugated pipe has elasticity and flexibility, the second corrugated section 52 can absorb the tolerances of both the liquid return main pipe 40 and the liquid cooling plate 10 during the connection process, thereby simplifying the assembly of the liquid return main pipe 40 and the liquid cooling plate 10. At the same time, the third straight pipe section 51 and the fourth straight pipe section 53 are both straight pipes. A pore size of the third straight pipe section 51 matches a pore size of the second mating port 401. A pore size of the fourth straight pipe section 53 matches a pore size of the liquid return port 102. In this way, the third straight pipe section 51 is tightly connected to the second mating port 401, and the fourth straight pipe section 53 is tightly connected to the liquid return port 102, thereby ensuring that the coolant does not leak, and further improving the cooling efficiency.
In some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIGS. 9 to 11, the liquid return main pipe 40 has a plurality of third joints 411, and the third joint 411 define a second mating port 401. The liquid cooling plate 10 has a fourth joint 12 defining a liquid return port 102. The third straight pipe section 51 is sleeved with the third joint 411, and the fourth straight pipe section 53 is sleeved with the fourth joint 12. The third joint 411 and the fourth joint 12 can improve the strength of the second mating tube 50. In one example, the third straight pipe section 51 can be sleeved on the third joint 411, and the fourth straight pipe section 53 can be sleeved on the fourth joint 12. In another example, the third joint 411 can be sleeved on the third straight pipe section 51, and the fourth joint 12 can be sleeved on the fourth straight pipe section 53. Specifically, the third joint 411 and the fourth joint 12 are both bamboo joints, the third joint 411 can improve the strength of the third straight pipe section 51, and the fourth joint 12 can improve the strength of the fourth straight pipe section 53.
In some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIGS. 9 to 11, the third straight pipe section 51 is expanded with the third joint 411, and the fourth straight pipe section 53 is expanded with the fourth joint 12, so as to prevent the third straight pipe section 51 and the fourth straight pipe section 53 from falling off. In one example, an end of the third straight pipe section 51 is inserted into a hole of the third joint 411. For example, the end of the third straight pipe section 51 is expanded by a pipe expander, and the third straight pipe section 51 and the third joint 411 are tightly connected by using the plastic deformation of the third straight pipe section 51 and the elastic deformation of the hole of the third joint 411. In another example, an end of the third joint 411 is inserted into a hole of the third straight pipe section 51. For example, the end of the third joint 411 is expanded by a pipe expander, and the third straight pipe section 51 and the third joint 411 are tightly connected by using the plastic deformation of the third joint 411 and the elastic deformation of the hole of the third straight pipe section 51. In one example, an end of the fourth straight pipe section 53 is inserted into a hole of the fourth joint 12. For example, the end of the fourth straight pipe section 53 is expanded by a pipe expander, and the fourth straight pipe section 53 and the fourth joint 12 are tightly connected by utilizing the plastic deformation of the fourth straight pipe section 53 and the elastic deformation of the hole of the fourth joint 12. In another example, an end of the fourth joint 12 is inserted into a hole of the fourth straight pipe section 53. For example, the end of the fourth joint 12 is expanded by a pipe expander, and the fourth straight pipe section 53 and the fourth joint 12 are tightly connected by utilizing the plastic deformation of the fourth joint 12 and the elastic deformation of the hole of the fourth straight pipe section 53.
It is understandable that the third joint 411 and the fourth joint 12 may also be connected to the second mating tube 50 in other ways, such as welding or threaded connection.
In some embodiments of the present application, FIG. 12 is a perspective schematic diagram of a liquid return main pipe provided in an embodiment of the present application. Referring to FIG. 12, the liquid return main pipe 40 includes a plurality of second main pipes 41, and the plurality of second main pipes 41 are connected in sequence. The second main pipes 41 are disposed separately, and the second main pipe 41 has a second mating port 401. The second main pipe 41 is arranged with a plurality of third joints 411, and the third joints 411 are integrally formed with the second main pipe 41. The number of the second main pipes 41 may be 1, 2, 3 or more than 3. Each second main pipe 41 may be provided with one, two, three or more than three third joints 411. The third joints 411 are integrally formed with the second main pipe 41, for example, by casting or 3D printing, etc., which can reduce the cost of the liquid cooling assembly and improve the structural strength of the liquid return main pipe 40.
In some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG. 12, a second quick-plug connector 42 is provided between adjacent second main pipes 41. The second quick-plug connector 42 is enabled to communicate with the adjacent second main pipes 41. The adjacent second main pipes 41 can be quickly connected and disconnected by the second quick-plug connector 42. So, the number of second main pipes 41 can be flexibly set according to actual needs, thereby reducing the waste of the second main pipes 41 and improving the use efficiency. Here, the material of the second quick-plug connector 42 can be plastic, such as PA66 GF30. The second quick-plug connector 42 can be of a finished pipe connection structure, such as a pipe hoop, a quick connector, etc.
In some embodiments of the present application, the liquid return main pipe 40 has a total water return port 402. Along a direction away from the total water return port 402, inner diameters of the plurality of third joints 411 gradually increase, so that the flow rate of each third joint 411 out of the liquid cooling plate 10 can be equal to each other.
In some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the liquid inlet 101 and the liquid return port 102 are arranged at the same end of the liquid cooling plate 10, and the liquid inlet main pipe 20 and the liquid return main pipe 40 are located at the same ends of the liquid cooling plates 10, which can save space and costs. Here, the liquid return port 102 can be arranged on an upper side of the liquid cooling plate 10, and the liquid inlet 101 can be arranged on a lower side of the liquid cooling plate 10. Or, the liquid return port 102 can be arranged on the lower side of the liquid cooling plate 10, and the liquid inlet 101 can be arranged on the upper side of the liquid cooling plate 10.
Furthermore, in order to better implement the liquid cooling assembly in the embodiment of the present application, on the basis of the liquid cooling assembly, the present application also provides a battery pack. The battery pack includes the liquid cooling assembly as in the above embodiments. In the battery pack of the present application, the liquid inlet main pipe is connected to the liquid cooling plate through the first mating tube. Since the first mating tube is at least partially flexible, the tolerances of both the liquid inlet pipe and the liquid cooling plate can be absorbed during the connection process, thereby making the assembly of the liquid inlet main pipe and the liquid cooling plate simple, and ensuring the reliability of the connection between the liquid inlet main pipe and the liquid cooling plate, avoiding leakage between the liquid inlet main pipe and the liquid cooling plate, and further avoiding the phenomenon of reducing cooling efficiency due to leakage.
Patent Application
20250158161
