Battery heat exchange system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10991996-B2
Application number	US-201815876993-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2018
Priority date	Jan 22, 2017
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a battery heat exchange system which comprises a liquid feeding mechanism, a heat exchange mechanism and a liquid draining mechanism. The liquid feeding mechanism provides a circulating liquid. The heat exchange mechanism is connected with the liquid feeding mechanism and comprises a plurality of heat exchange units and a plurality of connecting units; each heat exchange unit is used to heat or cool a corresponding battery module, and the plurality of connecting units are used to connect the heat exchange units together in series-parallel. The liquid draining mechanism is connected with the heat exchange mechanism, and the circulating liquid provided by the liquid feeding mechanism flows through the heat exchange mechanism and then is drained from the liquid draining mechanism.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery heat exchange system, comprising a liquid feeding mechanism, a heat exchange mechanism and a liquid draining mechanism;
wherein
the liquid feeding mechanism provides a circulating liquid;
the heat exchange mechanism is connected with the liquid feeding mechanism and comprises a plurality of heat exchange units and a plurality of connecting units; each heat exchange unit is used to heat or cool a corresponding battery module, and the plurality of connecting units are used to connect the heat exchange units together;
the liquid draining mechanism is connected with the heat exchange mechanism, and the circulating liquid provided by the liquid feeding mechanism flows through the heat exchange mechanism and then is drained from the liquid draining mechanism;
each heat exchange unit comprises a plurality of liquid cooling pipes used to heat or cool the battery modules; and two liquid collecting pipes provided at two ends of the plurality of liquid cooling pipes and connected to the plurality of liquid cooling pipes; and
one of the liquid collecting pipes comprises a connecting piece and a liquid collector, the connecting piece has a plurality of through-holes connected to the liquid cooling pipes respectively, and a flow channel is formed between the connecting piece and the liquid collector for flow of liquid.

2. The battery heat exchange system according to claim 1 , wherein
the liquid feeding mechanism comprises a liquid feeding joint assembly and a liquid splitting assembly; the liquid feeding joint assembly is connected with an external liquid feeding pipe; the liquid splitting assembly is connected with the liquid feeding joint assembly, and the circulating liquid flowing into the liquid splitting assembly is split into circulating liquid branches by the liquid splitting assembly, the circulating liquid branches flow into the heat exchange branches respectively;
the liquid draining mechanism comprises a liquid draining joint assembly and a liquid converging assembly; the liquid draining joint assembly is connected with an external liquid draining pipe; the liquid converging assembly is connected between the liquid draining joint assembly and the plurality of heat exchange branches, and converges the circulating liquid branches which flow through the plurality of heat exchange branches to the liquid draining joint assembly.

3. The battery heat exchange system according to claim 2 , wherein
the battery heat exchange system is received and supported by a box;
the liquid feeding joint assembly comprises a liquid feeding connection pipe, a liquid feeding flange and a liquid feeding seal ring;
one end of the liquid feeding connection pipe is connected with the liquid splitting assembly and the other end of the liquid feeding connection pipe extends out of the box and is connected with the external liquid feeding pipe;
the liquid feeding flange is sheathed on the liquid feeding connection pipe and is securely fixed to the box, and the liquid feeding flange is provided with a liquid feeding groove;
the liquid feeding seal ring is received in the liquid feeding groove and interposed between the liquid feeding flange and the box;
the liquid draining joint assembly comprises a liquid draining connection pipe, a liquid draining flange and a liquid draining seal ring;
one end of the liquid draining connection pipe is connected with the liquid converging assembly and the other end of the liquid draining connection pipe extends out of the box and is connected with the external liquid draining pipe;
the liquid draining flange is sheathed on the liquid draining connection pipe and is securely fixed to the box, and the liquid draining flange is provided with a liquid draining groove;
the liquid draining seal ring is received in the liquid draining groove and interposed between the liquid draining flange and the box.

4. The battery heat exchange system according to claim 2 , wherein
the liquid splitting assembly comprises: a liquid splitting main pipe connected with the liquid feeding joint assembly; a plurality of liquid splitting branch pipes connected with the heat exchange branches respectively; and a liquid splitting joint connecting the liquid splitting main pipe and the plurality of liquid splitting branch pipes;
the liquid converging assembly comprises: a liquid converging main pipe connected with the liquid draining joint assembly; a plurality of liquid converging branch pipes connected with the heat exchange branches respectively; and a liquid converging joint connecting the liquid converging main pipe and the plurality of liquid converging branch pipes.

5. The battery heat exchange system according to claim 4 , wherein
the liquid splitting branch pipes and the liquid converging branch pipes are securely fixed to the heat exchange branches respectively by hoops.

6. The battery heat exchange system according to claim 1 , wherein
each heat exchange unit comprises, a liquid inlet coupler and a liquid outlet coupler;
the plurality of liquid cooling pipes are arranged in parallel and are used for supporting and installing the battery modules;
the liquid inlet coupler is provided to one liquid collecting pipe in which the circulating liquid flows via the liquid inlet coupler; and
the liquid outlet coupler is provided to one liquid collecting pipe from which the circulating liquid is drained via the liquid outlet coupler.

7. The battery heat exchange system according to claim 6 , wherein
the liquid inlet coupler and the liquid outlet coupler are provided to the two different liquid collecting pipes respectively.

8. The battery heat exchange system according to claim 6 , wherein
each heat exchange unit comprises an adjusting piece, and the adjusting piece is provided in the corresponding liquid collecting pipe so as to adjust quantity of the circulating liquid in the corresponding liquid collecting pipe;
the liquid inlet coupler is a multi-way joint or a two-way joint;
the liquid outlet coupler is a multi-way joint or a two-way joint.

9. The battery heat exchange system according to claim 6 , wherein
each connecting unit comprises: two first connecting pipes securely fixed to the liquid outlet coupler of one heat exchange unit and the liquid inlet coupler of another heat exchange unit respectively; and a second connecting pipe connecting the two first connecting pipes; and
the first connecting pipe is softer than the second connecting pipe.

10. The battery heat exchange system according to claim 6 , wherein
the liquid inlet coupler and the liquid outlet coupler are provided to the other one liquid collecting pipe; the connecting piece has a plurality of latching teeth provided to edges of the connecting piece; the liquid collector has a plurality of latching grooves corresponding to the latching teeth respectively; the connecting piece is sealed and connected to the liquid collector via engagement between the latching teeth and the latching grooves, thereby forming the flow channel between the connecting piece and the liquid collector for flow of liquid.

11. The battery heat exchange system according to claim 1 , wherein
the heat exchange mechanism is divided into a plurality of heat exchange branches arranged in parallel, and each heat exchange branch comprises multiple heat exchange units of the plurality of heat exchange units and one or more connecting units of the plurality of connecting units which connect the multiple heat exchange units together in series.

Assignees

• Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Huang Xiaoteng
• Gu Yanlong
• You Ruobo

Classifications

• H01M10/6568

  characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings · CPC title

• H01M10/625

  Vehicles · CPC title

• H01M10/615

  Heating or keeping warm · CPC title

• H01M10/6556

  Solid parts with flow channel passages or pipes for heat exchange (closed pipes H01M10/6552) · CPC title

• H01M10/613 Primary

  Cooling or keeping cold · CPC title