Battery module, battery temperature managing system and vehicle comprising the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016344071-A1
Application number	US-201615228804-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 4, 2016
Priority date	Dec 29, 2010
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A battery module and a battery temperature managing system of a battery temperature managing system includes a battery module; a heat exchanger connected with the battery module via a coolant circulating circuit, and a temperature control device connected with the heat exchanger via a refrigerant circulating circuit, in which a coolant in the coolant circulating circuit and a refrigerant in the refrigerant circulating circuit exchange heat with each other via the heat exchanger, and the battery module is cooled or heated by the coolant when the coolant flows through the battery module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A battery temperature managing system, comprising:
a battery module; a heat exchanger connected with the battery module by a coolant circulating circuit; and a temperature control device connected with the heat exchanger by a refrigerant circulating circuit, wherein a coolant in the coolant circulating circuit and a refrigerant in the refrigerant circulating circuit exchange heat with each other through the heat exchanger, and wherein the battery module is cooled or heated by the coolant when the coolant flows through the battery module.

2 . The battery temperature managing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the temperature control device is an air conditioning system comprising a compressor, and a condenser connected with a compressor, wherein the compressor is disposed in the refrigerant circulating circuit, which is in fluid communication with the condenser; the compressor is configured to be turned on or off to permit the refrigerant to flow through or prevent the refrigerant from flowing through the condenser and the heat exchanger; and a circulating pump is disposed in the coolant circulating circuit configured to be turned on or off to permit the coolant to flow through or prevent the coolant from flowing through the battery module and the heat exchanger.

3 . The battery temperature managing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a control unit configured to turn on and off the compressor and the circulating pump based on a temperature signal from the battery module.

4 . The battery temperature managing system of claim 3 , wherein the refrigerant circulating circuit comprises:
an evaporator branch provided with an evaporator and an evaporator controller, configured to control a flow of the refrigerant through the evaporator, and wherein the refrigerant circulating circuit includes an electromagnetic valve configured to control the flow of the refrigerant through the heat exchanger, and the control unit is configured to control the evaporator controller and the electromagnetic valve to switch on or off.

5 . The battery temperature managing system of claim 4 , wherein a condenser fan is provided on the condenser, and the control unit is configured to turn on or off the condenser fan.

6 . The battery temperature managing system of claim 3 , wherein the control unit comprises:
a first temperature sensor disposed at a coolant input of the battery module for providing an input coolant temperature signal to the control unit; and a second temperature sensor disposed at a coolant output of the battery module for providing an output coolant temperature signal to the control unit.

7 . The battery temperature managing system of claim 6 , wherein the temperature control device has only a cooling function;
the battery temperature managing system further comprises a heating device disposed in the heat exchanger; the coolant in the coolant circulating circuit flows through the heating device; and the control unit is electrically connected with the heating device and is configured to control the heating device to turn on or off.

8 . The battery temperature managing system of claim 7 , wherein the battery temperature managing system is controlled by the control unit to function in a battery cooling mode, a battery heating mode, or a battery temperature averaging control mode.

9 . The battery temperature managing system of claim 8 , wherein in the battery cooling mode, when the temperature of the battery module is greater than a first predetermined value, the control unit turns on the circulating pump, the electromagnetic valve, and the compressor, and then the battery module is cooled by the coolant.

10 . The battery temperature managing system of claim 8 , wherein in the battery heating mode, when the temperature of the battery module is less than a second predetermined value, the control unit turns on the circulating pump and the heating device, and then the battery module is heated by the coolant.

11 . The battery temperature managing system of claim 8 , wherein in the battery temperature averaging control mode:
when the temperature difference between a temperature signal from the first temperature sensor and a temperature signal from the second temperature sensor is greater than a third predetermined value, the control unit controls the rotating speed of the circulating pump to control the flow velocity of the coolant, and turns on or off the electromagnetic valve to reduce the temperature difference.

12 . The battery temperature managing system of claim 7 , wherein the heating device includes a heating wire or a PTC heating board.

13 . The battery temperature managing system of claim 1 , wherein the battery module comprises:
a lower shell body having a cooling plate and a plurality of separator plates provided on the cooling plate at intervals; an upper cover hermetically connected with tops of the plurality of the separator plates; and a front cover plate and a back cover plate hermetically connected with front most and backmost sides of the plurality of the separator plates respectively, wherein the cooling plate, the upper cover, the front cover plate, the back cover plate, and the plurality of separator plates are hermetically connected to form a plurality of separate sealing spaces for receiving battery cores and electrolytes therein respectively; and wherein main flow channels are formed inside the upper cover and the cooling plate respectively, and branch flow channels are formed inside the separator plates respectively, which are in fluid communication with the main flow channels.

14 . The battery temperature managing system of claim 13 , wherein the cooling plate includes a main outlet channel having a coolant outlet formed at an end of the main outlet channel, the upper cover includes a main inlet channel and a coolant inlet at a side of the main inlet channel facing away from the end of the coolant outlet; and
each separator plate includes a branch channel connected with the main inlet channel and the main outlet channel, and the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet are connected with the coolant circulating circuit respectively.

15 . The battery temperature managing system of claim 14 , wherein the cross sectional area of the coolant inlet is smaller than that of the coolant outlet by about 10%-20%.

16 . The battery temperature managing system of claim 15 , wherein each battery core comprises a pair of electrode terminals extended out of each the sealing space, which are connected in series, in parallel, or in series and parallel via metal plates.

17 . The battery temperature managing system of claim 16 , wherein the battery module further comprises a front panel provided at a front side of the front cover plate which is fixed with the upper cover and the lower shell body and a back panel provided at a back side of the back cover plate which is fixed with the upper cover and the lower shell body, and a pair of electrode lead-out openings are formed at the lateral sides of the front panel for leading out the outmost metal plates.

18 . The battery temperature managing system of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of separator plates comprises:
a first outer plate and a second outer plate provided at the outer most sides of the cooling plate; and at least an intermediate plate between the first and second outer plates, wherein the outer plates have a thickness greater than that of the intermediate plate.

19 . The battery temperature managing system of c

Assignees

• Byd Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zheng Weixin
• He Yuanyuan
• Zeng Yi

Classifications

• H01M10/486

  for measuring temperature · CPC title

• H01M50/276

  Inorganic material · CPC title

• H01M50/209

  adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells (H01M50/216 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M50/249

  specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains (constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64) · CPC title

• B60L50/64

  Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles · CPC title