Cell device and vehicle

A cell device including a cell module and at least one temperature adjusting module is provided. The temperature adjusting modules are configured on the cell module in a heat conduction manner. Each of the temperature adjusting modules includes a thermoelectric cooling chip. The thermoelectric cooling chip has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other. The thermoelectric cooling chip is configured to receive a first electric signal to heat the first surface and cool the second surface. The thermoelectric cooling chip is configured to receive a second electric signal to cool the first surface and heat the second surface. A vehicle including the cell device is also provided. The cell device of the disclosure is capable of implementing active temperature control and has good temperature control effect. The vehicle of the disclosure is capable of implementing active temperature control, and has a wider usage environment temperature.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority benefit of China application serial no. 201910248706.2, filed on Mar. 29, 2019. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to a cell device and a vehicle, and particularly relates to a cell device capable of implementing active temperature control and a vehicle using the cell device.

Description of Related Art

The use of lithium batteries in the market is limited by an ambient temperature. When the ambient temperature exceeds a predetermined value, in addition to a fast reaction rate causing expansion of a cell casing due to a high pressure, or even causing explosion, discharge efficiency of the cell is also decreased. Conversely, when the ambient temperature is lower than the predetermined value, the reaction rate is low, and energy output by the cell is also drastically lowered, and even cannot be output. At present, when the lithium cell is applied to an unmanned vehicle, a discharge protection mechanism is cancelled to avoid operation failure due to loss of a power supply, and damage to the cell caused by high temperature discharge of the cell is avoided by limiting a temperature of a usage environment and reducing a current load.

In brief, at present, all temperature control measures of cell cannot simultaneously solve the problems caused by environmental variables of the cell exceeding a predetermined temperature and lower than the predetermined temperature. Moreover, the unmanned vehicle in an environment exceeding the predetermined temperature can only be passively protected and cannot meet the need of active temperature control of the cell. Moreover, in the environment exceeding the predetermined temperature, the cell output efficiency is decreased, which may reduce a working time of the unmanned vehicle and affect mission performance thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The disclosure is directed to a cell device, which is capable of implementing active temperature control, and has a good temperature control effect.

The disclosure is directed to a vehicle including the aforementioned cell device, which is capable of implementing active temperature control, and has wider usage environment temperature.

Other objects and advantages of the disclosure may be further illustrated by the technical features broadly embodied and described as follows.

In order to achieve one or a portion of or all of the objects or other objects, an embodiment of the disclosure provides a cell device including a cell module and at least one temperature adjusting module. The temperature adjusting module is configured on the cell module in a heat conduction manner. Each of the temperature adjusting modules includes a thermoelectric cooling chip. The thermoelectric cooling chip has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other. The thermoelectric cooling chip is configured to receive a first electric signal to heat the first surface and cool the second surface. The thermoelectric cooling chip is configured to receive a second electric signal to cool the first surface and heat the second surface.

Another embodiment of the disclosure provides a vehicle including a body and a cell device. The cell device is fixed on the body, and the cell device includes a cell module and at least one temperature adjusting module. The temperature adjusting module is configured on the cell module in a heat conduction manner. Each of the temperature adjusting modules includes a thermoelectric cooling chip. The thermoelectric cooling chip has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other. The thermoelectric cooling chip is configured to receive a first electric signal to heat the first surface and cool the second surface. The thermoelectric cooling chip is configured to receive a second electric signal to cool the first surface and heat the second surface.

Based on the above description, the embodiment of the disclosure has at least one of following advantages or effects. In the design of the cell device of the disclosure, the thermoelectric cooling chip of the temperature adjusting module may receive different electric signals to transform the first surface from a cool surface of the thermoelectric cooling chip to a warm surface of the thermoelectric cooling chip, or transform the first surface from the warm surface of the thermoelectric cooling chip to the cool surface of the thermoelectric cooling chip. In this way, the cell device of the disclosure may be charged and discharged under a relatively stable temperature environment, so as to increase a service life thereof. Moreover, the vehicle adopting the cell device of the disclosure may be used under all weather conditions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIG.1Ais a three-dimensional view of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention.FIG.1Bis an exploded view of the vehicle ofFIG.1A.FIG.1Cis a partial cross-sectional view of the vehicle ofFIG.1A.FIG.1Dis an exploded view of a temperature adjusting module of the vehicle ofFIG.1A.FIG.1Eis a schematic diagram of a part of components of the vehicle ofFIG.1A.

Referring toFIG.1A,FIG.1BandFIG.1C, the vehicle10aof the embodiment includes a body100and a cell device200a. The cell device200ais fixed on the body100, and the cell device200aincludes a cell module210and at least one temperature adjusting module (three temperature adjusting modules220aare schematically illustrated inFIG.1C). The temperature adjusting modules220aare configured on the cell module210in a heat conduction manner, and each of the temperature adjusting modules220aincludes a thermoelectric cooling chip222a. The thermoelectric cooling chip222ahas a first surface S1and a second surface S2opposite to each other. The thermoelectric cooling chip222ais configured to receive a first electric signal to heat the first surface S1and cool the second surface S2. The thermoelectric cooling chip222ais configured to receive a second electric signal to cool the first surface S1and heat the second surface S2.

For example, referring toFIG.1E, when an electric signal E1inFIG.1Eis a positive voltage and an electric signal E2is a negative voltage, the electric signal E1and the electric signal E2construct the first electric signal, and the thermoelectric cooling chip222areceives the positive voltage through a first input terminal T1and receives the negative voltage through a second input terminal T2, so that the first electric signal is input to the thermoelectric cooling chip222ato heat the first surface S1and cool the second surface S2. Moreover, when the electric signal E1is the negative voltage and the electric signal E2is the positive voltage, the electric signal E1and the electric signal E2construct the second electric signal, and the thermoelectric cooling chip222areceives the negative voltage through the first input terminal T1and receives the positive voltage through the second input terminal T2, so that the second electric signal is input to the thermoelectric cooling chip222ato cool the first surface S1and heat the second surface S2. In the embodiment, the electric signals E1and E2are, for example, voltages, and in other embodiments, the electric signals E1and E2may also be currents, which is still within a protection scope of the invention.

In brief, by switching a polarity of the input signal, the first surface S1may be transformed from a cool surface of the thermoelectric cooling chip222ato a warm surface of the thermoelectric cooling chip222a, or the first surface S1may be transformed from the warm surface of the thermoelectric cooling chip222ato the cool surface of the thermoelectric cooling chip222a. In this way, the cell device200amay be charged and discharged under a relatively stable temperature environment, so as to increase a service life of the cell device200a, and the vehicle10aadopting the cell device200amay be used under all weather conditions.

Furthermore, the vehicle10aof the embodiment is, for example, a flight vehicle, and the flight vehicle is, for example a multi-axis flight vehicle or an orientation flight vehicle. In other embodiments, the vehicle10amay be a land vehicle or a robot, etc., where the land vehicle is, for example, a vehicle or an unmanned vehicle, but the invention is not limited thereto. Herein, the vehicle10aimplemented by a flight vehicle is taken as an example for description. In view of a structure, the cell module210and the temperature adjusting modules220aof the cell device200amay be fixed on the body100through a locking manner (such as by using a screw or a bolt). In view of an electrical connection, the temperature adjusting modules220aof the cell device200ais electrically connected to the body100, and the cell module210may supply power to the temperature adjusting modules220a. In view of signal transmission, the body100and the temperature adjusting modules220aof the cell device200amay adopt a wired transmission or wireless transmission, which is not limited by the invention.

To be specific, referring toFIG.1C,FIG.1DandFIG.1E, the cell module210includes a casing212and a plurality of lithium batteries214, where the lithium batteries214are located in the casing212. The number of the lithium batteries214of the cell module210is preferably four at least. Moreover, in the embodiment, the number of the lithium batteries214is six. In addition, the temperature adjusting modules220aare disposed on at least one side surface (three side surfaces211,213and215are schematically illustrated) of the cell module210, i.e. the temperature adjusting modules220aof the embodiment are embodied by external temperature adjusting modules. Besides the thermoelectric cooling chip222a, each of the temperature adjusting modules220afurther includes a temperature control chip224, a first heat conduction pad226aand a second heat conduction pad228a. The temperature control chip224is electrically connected to the thermoelectric cooling chip222a, and the first heat conduction pad226ais disposed on the first surface S1of the thermoelectric cooling chip222a, and the second heat conduction pad228ais disposed on the second surface S2of the thermoelectric cooling chip222a.

Moreover, in order to effectively protect the thermoelectric cooling chip222aand the temperature control chip224, each of the temperature adjusting modules220afurther includes an upper casing221and a lower casing229. The lower casing229is assembled to the upper casing221, where the temperature control chip224, the thermoelectric cooling chip222a, the first heat conduction pad226aand the second heat conduction pad228aare located between the upper casing221and the lower casing229. Moreover, in order to effectively improve heat dissipation efficiency, each of the temperature adjusting modules220afurther includes a cooling fin227adisposed on the upper casing221. For example, the upper casing221may have an opening221a, where the cooling fin227amay penetrate through the opening221ato stretch out of the upper casing221, but the invention is not limited thereto. In another embodiment that is not illustrated, the upper casing and the cooling fin may also be an integral structure. Since each of the temperature adjusting modules220aof the embodiment has the design of the cooling fin227a, when the vehicle10aflies, the warm surface may be cooled by an external airflow, so as to save power to increase the whole efficiency of the temperature adjusting modules220a.

Referring toFIG.1C, the thermoelectric cooling chip222aof the embodiment is located between the cell module210and the cooling fin227a, and the first surface S1of the thermoelectric cooling chip222ais located between the cell module210and the second surface S2. In order to accurately get to learn a temperature of the cell module210, the vehicle10aof the embodiment further includes at least one temperature sensor300, where the temperature sensor300is disposed in the cell module210. For example, the temperature sensor300is located between two lithium batteries214for sensing the temperature of the cell module210. In the embodiment, two temperature sensors300are illustrated inFIG.1C, but the number of the temperature sensors300is not limited thereto, and a proper number of the temperature sensors300may be used based on factors such as a size of the cell module210, a distance between two lithium batteries214, etc.

When the temperature of the cell module210sensed by the temperature sensors300is lower than a first temperature value, the thermoelectric cooling chip222areceives the first electric signal to heat the first surface S1and cool the second surface S2. When the temperature of the cell module210sensed by the temperature sensors300is higher than a second temperature value, the thermoelectric cooling chip222areceives the second electric signal to cool the first surface S1and heat the second surface S2. Herein, the first temperature value is smaller than the second temperature value. It should be noted that a temperature difference of the first surface S1and the second surface S2of the thermoelectric cooling chip222ais between 20° C. and 70° C., which is determined by a cooling effect of the warm surface. In view of a usage efficiency, to input 30 watts of electricity may carry away 3 watts to 9 watts of heat, which has an efficiency of about 10% to 30%.

In brief, in the design of the vehicle10aof the embodiment, each of the temperature adjusting modules220aof the cell device200ahas the thermoelectric cooling chip222a, so that when the temperature sensed by the temperature sensors300is higher than or lower than a predetermined value, the thermoelectric cooling chip222amay receive different electric signals to activate a cooling and heating effect, so as to adjust the temperature of the cell module210. In this way, the cell device200aof the embodiment may have an active temperature control function, so that the cell device200amay be charged and discharged under a relatively stable temperature environment, so as to increase a service life thereof. Moreover, the temperature adjusting modules220aof the embodiment are disposed on the side surfaces211,213and215of the cell module210in an external hanging manner, which have advantages of simple structure, lightweight and high stability, and the thermoelectric cooling chip222athereof has high-precision and high-reaction control, and may achieve high cooling efficiency and precise temperature control through a simple direct current power supply. Moreover, the vehicle10aadopting the cell device200aof the embodiment may greatly increase an environment temperature range of use, and may be used under all weather conditions.

It should be noted that reference numbers of the components and a part of contents of the aforementioned embodiment are also used in the following embodiment, wherein the same reference numbers denote the same or like components, and descriptions of the same technical contents are omitted. The aforementioned embodiment may be referred for descriptions of the omitted parts, and detailed descriptions thereof are not repeated in the following embodiment.

FIG.2is a partial cross-sectional view of a vehicle according to another embodiment of the invention. Referring toFIG.1CandFIG.2, the vehicle10bof the embodiment is similar to the vehicle10aofFIG.1C, and a difference there between is that the cell device200bof the embodiment further includes at least one heat conduction sheet230, where the heat conduction sheet230is disposed in the casing212of the cell module210and located between the lithium batteries214for conducting the heat in the cell module210to the temperature adjusting modules220a. The heat conduction sheet230and the casing212may be formed integrally, but the invention is not limited thereto. Moreover, in the embodiment, the temperature sensors300are disposed in the cell module210. For example, the temperature sensors300are located between the lithium cell214and the heat conduction sheet230. Furthermore, two sides of the heat conduction sheet230may be configured with heat conduction pads (not shown), so that the temperature sensors300may be located between the lithium cell214and the heat conduction pad.

FIG.3Ais a partial cross-sectional view of a vehicle according to another embodiment of the invention.FIG.3Bis a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of a cell device of the vehicle ofFIG.3A. Referring toFIG.1CandFIG.3A, the vehicle10cof the embodiment is similar to the vehicle10aofFIG.1C, and a difference there between is that the temperature adjusting module220cof the cell device200cof the embodiment includes a thermoelectric cooling chip222c, a temperature control chip224(referring toFIG.1E), a first heat conduction pad226c, a cooling fin227cand a second heat conduction pad228c, where the thermoelectric cooling chip222cis located between the lithium batteries214of the cell module210. Namely, the temperature adjusting modules220cof the embodiment are embodied by embedded temperature adjusting modules. Moreover, in the embodiment, the temperature sensors300are disposed in the cell module210, for example, the temperature sensors300are located between the lithium cell214and the first heat conduction pad226c, or the temperature sensors300are located between the lithium cell214and the second heat conduction pad228c, as shown inFIG.3B.

In detail, referring toFIG.1E,FIG.3AandFIG.3B, the thermoelectric cooling chip222cof the embodiment has a third surface S3, where the second surface S2is located between the first surface S1and the third surface S3, and the cooling fin227cis connected to two opposite sides of the second surface S2. To be specific, the first surface S1of the thermoelectric cooling chip222cis located between a lithium cell214of the cell module210and the second surface S2, and the third surface S3is located between another lithium cell214of the cell module210and the second surface S2. Herein, an extending direction of the cooling fin227cis perpendicular to an extending direction of the thermoelectric cooling chip222c. Moreover, the cell device200cof the embodiment further includes at least one cooling fin (three cooling fins240are schematically illustrated inFIG.3A), where the cooling fins240are disposed on the side surfaces211,213and215of the cell module210.

When the temperature of the cell module210sensed by the temperature sensors300is lower than the first temperature value, the thermoelectric cooling chip222creceives the first electric signal to heat the first surface S1and the third surface S3and cool the second surface S2. When the temperature of the cell module210sensed by the temperature sensors300is higher than the second temperature value, the thermoelectric cooling chip222areceives the second electric signal to cool the first surface S1and the third surface S3and heat the second surface S2. Herein, the first temperature value is smaller than the second temperature value. Namely, when the temperature of the cell module210is lower than the predetermined value, the thermoelectric cooling chip222creceives the first electric signal to heat the first surface S1and the third surface S3to present the warm surfaces and cool the second surface S2to present the cool surface, so as to heat the lithium cell214located adjacent to the first surface S1and the lithium cell214located adjacent to the third surface S3, and accordingly increase a whole temperature of the cell module210. On the other hand, when the temperature of the cell module210is higher than the predetermined value, the thermoelectric cooling chip222creceives the second electric signal to cool the first surface S1and the third surface S3to present the cool surfaces and heat the second surface S2to present the warm surface, so as to cool the lithium cell214located adjacent to the first surface S1and the lithium cell214located adjacent to the third surface S3, and accordingly decrease the whole temperature of the cell module210, and the cell module210is cooled through the cooling fins227cand240.

FIG.4is a partial cross-sectional view of a vehicle according to another embodiment of the invention. Referring toFIG.3AandFIG.4, the vehicle10dof the embodiment is similar to the vehicle10cofFIG.3A, and a difference there between is that the cell device200dof the embodiment further includes the temperature adjusting modules220a(the external temperature adjusting modules) ofFIG.1C. Namely, the cell device200dof the embodiment simultaneously includes the external temperature adjusting modules (i.e. the temperature adjusting modules220a) and the embedded temperature adjusting modules (i.e. the temperature adjusting modules220c).

To be specific, the temperature adjusting modules220aare disposed on the side surfaces211,213and215of the cell module210, and the temperature adjusting modules220care located in the casing212of the cell module210and located between the lithium batteries214. When the temperature of the cell module210sensed by the temperature sensors300is lower than the first temperature value, the thermoelectric cooling chips222aand222creceive the first electric signal to heat the first surfaces S1and the third surfaces S3and cool the second surfaces S2. When the temperature of the cell module210sensed by the temperature sensors300is higher than the second temperature value, the thermoelectric cooling chips222aand222creceive the second electric signal to cool the first surfaces S1and the third surfaces S3and heat the second surfaces S2. Herein, the first temperature value is smaller than the second temperature value. Namely, when the temperature of the cell module210is lower than the predetermined value, the thermoelectric cooling chips222aand222creceive the first electric signal to heat the first surfaces S1and the third surfaces S3to present the warm surfaces and cool the second surfaces S2to present the cool surfaces, so as to heat the cell module210. On the other hand, when the temperature of the cell module210is higher than the predetermined value, the thermoelectric cooling chips222aand222creceive the second electric signal to cool the first surfaces S1and the third surfaces S3to present the cool surfaces and heat the second surfaces S2to present the warm surfaces, and the cell module210is cooled through the cooling fins227aand227c.

In summary, the embodiment of the invention has at least one of following advantages or effects. In the design of the cell device of the invention, the thermoelectric cooling chip of the temperature adjusting module may receive different electric signals to simultaneously activate the cooling and heating effect. In this way, the cell device of the invention may be charged and discharged under a relatively stable temperature environment, so as to increase a service life thereof. Moreover, the temperature adjusting modules are configured to the cell module in the heat conduction manner, which may be external temperature adjusting modules or embedded temperature adjusting modules, and have advantages of simple structure, lightweight and high stability, and the thermoelectric cooling chip thereof has high-precision and high-reaction control, and may achieve high cooling efficiency and precise temperature control through a simple direct current power supply. Moreover, the vehicle adopting the cell device of the invention may be used under all weather conditions.