Patent Publication Number: US-2023163381-A1

Title: Temperature control component and battery pack

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a national stage of International Application No. PCT/CN2020/093512, filed on May 29, 2020, which claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201920919814.3, filed with the Chinese Patent Office on Jun. 18, 2019, and entitled “TEMPERATURE CONTROL COMPONENT AND BATTERY PACK”, the content of the present application which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present application relates to the field of battery technology and, in particular, to a temperature control component and a battery pack. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A battery pack usually includes a plurality of batteries grouped together. In a group technology, besides ensurance on strength and performance of a structure itself, influences of the structure on battery life also need to be considered, where temperature and expansion force have a great influence on the battery life, so thermal management and expansion force design must be considered during designing. 
     SUMMARY 
     In view of the problems in the Background, an objective of the present application is to provide a temperature control component and a battery pack. When the temperature control component is applied to the battery pack, the temperature control component would effectively reduce a force of the temperature control component on a surface of a battery while meeting a thermal management requirement for the battery, thereby greatly improving service life of the battery. 
     In order to achieve the above objective, the present application provides a temperature control component, which includes a temperature control tube. The temperature control tube includes: a first side wall; a second side wall, disposed opposite to the first side wall in a longitudinal direction, and the second side wall is connected to the first side wall and forms a cavity together with the first side wall. At least part of an outer surface of the first side wall is formed into a curved surface concave toward the second side wall in the longitudinal direction; and/or at least part of an outer surface of the second side wall is formed into a curved surface concave toward the first side wall in the longitudinal direction. 
     The temperature control tube further includes: a partition wall, extending in the longitudinal direction and connected to the first side wall and the second side wall to divide the cavity into a plurality of channels. 
     The first side wall includes: a first main body portion, formed into a curved surface concave toward the second side wall in the longitudinal direction; and a first extension portion, connected to one end of the first main body portion and extending in an up-down direction. The second side wall includes: a second main body portion, formed into a curved surface concave toward the first side wall in the longitudinal direction; and a second extension portion, connected to one end of the second main body portion and extending in the up-down direction, and the second extension portion is disposed opposite to the first extension portion in the longitudinal direction. 
     The temperature control component further includes: a first insulating member sleeved outside of the first extension portion and the second extension portion. 
     The first insulating member includes: a first body portion; and a first opening groove, disposed on the first body portion, a groove depth direction of the first opening groove is disposed in the up-down direction, and the first opening groove is provided for insertion of the first extension portion and the second extension portion. 
     The first body portion includes: a first upper wall, located on one side of the first extension portion and the second extension portion in the up-down direction; and two first clamping walls, clamping the first extension portion and the second extension portion in the longitudinal direction, each first clamping wall is connected to the first upper wall and extends in the up-down direction, and a thickness of each first clamping wall gradually decreases in the up-down direction from the first upper wall to a direction away from the first upper wall. 
     The first side wall further includes: a third extension portion, connected to the other end of the first main body portion and extending in the up-down direction. The second side wall further includes: a fourth extension portion, connected to the other end of the second main body portion and extending in the up-down direction, and the fourth extension portion is disposed opposite to the third extension portion in the longitudinal direction. The temperature control component further includes: a second insulating member, sleeved outside of the third extension portion and the fourth extension portion. 
     The second insulating member includes: a second body portion; and a second opening groove, disposed on the second body portion, a groove depth direction of the second opening groove is disposed in the up-down direction, and the second opening groove is provided for insertion of the third extension portion and the fourth extension portion. 
     The second body portion includes: a second upper wall, located on one side of the third extending portion and the fourth extension portion in the up-down direction; and two second clamping walls, clamping the third extension portion and the fourth extension portion in the longitudinal direction, each second clamping wall is connected to the second upper wall and extends in the up-down direction, and a thickness of each second clamping wall gradually decreases in the up-down direction from the second upper wall to a direction away from the second upper wall. 
     The present application also provides a battery pack, which includes a plurality of batteries and the temperature control component described above, the plurality of batteries include a first battery and a second battery, and the temperature control component is disposed between the first battery and the second battery. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of a battery pack according to the present application; 
         FIG.  2    is a schematic view of a positional relationship between two adjacent batteries and a corresponding temperature control component in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  3    is an exploded view of a temperature control component in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  4    is a front view of a temperature control tube in  FIG.  3   ; 
         FIG.  5    is an assembly diagram of an air duct component and a lower box of a battery pack. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     In order to make the objective, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more clearly, the present application will be described in further detail in the following in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application, but not used to limit the present application. 
     In description of the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms “first” and “second” are used only for the purpose of description but cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance; the term “a plurality of” refers to two or more than two (including two); unless otherwise specified or stated, the term “connection” should be understood in a broad sense, for example, the “connection” may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection, or an electrical connection, or a signal connection; the “connection” can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. For those of ordinary skill in the art, specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to specific situations. 
     In description of this specification, it should be understood that location words such as “up”, “down” and others described in the embodiments of the present application are described from the perspective shown in the accompanying drawings, and should not be interpreted as a limitation to the embodiments of the present application. The present application will be described in further detail below through specific embodiments and in combination with the accompanying drawings. 
     In terms of the thermal management design: at present, there are mainly two modes of water-cooling and air-cooling. Due to high costs of the water-cooling mode, the battery pack generally adopts the air-cooling mode for heat dissipation. 
     In terms of the expansion force design: during charging and discharging processes of the battery pack, the batteries will gradually expand and generate interaction forces (that is, expansion forces) with a fixed structure. Appropriate expansion forces will be beneficial to the batteries&#39; own reactions, but excessive expansion forces will cause a lithium precipitation phenomenon due to too much pressure on the batteries, and even produce an irreversible capacity loss, thereby greatly reducing the battery life. 
     In order to alleviate the expansion forces, currently, there are mainly the following several manners: (1) the batteries are directly attached to each other closely, and an external structure is strengthened to directly resist the expansion forces, while disadvantages of this mode are: the expansion forces of the grouped batteries will become larger and larger when battery capacity and the number of strings of battery groups gradually increase, thereby reducing service life of the batteries; (2) a structure such as a buffer pad is added between the batteries, and absorbs the expansion forces through its material&#39;s own expansion and contraction characteristics, thereby reducing the expansion forces after the grouping, while disadvantages of this mode are: large surfaces of the batteries are closely attached to the buffer pad, and only sides and bottoms of the batteries can be used for heat dissipation, thereby reducing heat dissipation efficiency; (3) one battery is separated from another battery and there is a gap in the middle so that the batteries expand freely, while disadvantages of this mode are: the batteries initially in free expansion, and an insufficient reaction easily occurs under no pressure, the service life is reduced, and meanwhile, if the expansion of the batteries is large and reserved gaps are too large, group volume will be affected. 
     With reference to  FIG.  1    to  FIG.  5   , a battery pack of the present application includes a temperature control component  1 , a plurality of batteries  2 , a lower box  3 , an air duct component  4 , a fan  5 , a cable tie  6 , an upper box cover  7 , an end plate  8 , an installation panel  9  and a wire harness isolation plate (not shown). 
     With reference to  FIG.  1    and  FIG.  2   , the plurality of batteries  2  include a first battery  2 A and a second battery  2 B, and the temperature control component  1  is disposed between the first battery  2 A and the second battery  2 B. Further, there may be a plurality of first batteries  2 A and a plurality of second batteries  2 B, the first batteries  2 A and the second batteries  2 B are sequentially arranged alternately, and the temperature control component  1  may be disposed between each adjacent first battery  2 A and second battery  2 B in a longitudinal direction Y. 
     With reference to  FIG.  2    to  FIG.  4   , the temperature control component  1  may include a temperature control tube  11 , a first insulating member  12  and a second insulating member  13 , where the first insulating member  12  and the second insulating member  13  are sleeved on two ends of the temperature control tube  11  in an up-down direction Z, respectively. 
     The temperature control tube  11  is used for heat dissipation treatment for the batteries  2 , and in order to ensure strength and thermal conductivity of the temperature control tube  11 , the temperature control tube  11  may be made of a metal material, such as an aluminum profile. 
     The temperature control tube  11  may include a first side wall  111 , a second side wall  112 , a partition wall  113 , a first connection wall  114 , and a second connection wall  115 , where the first side wall  111 , the second side wall  112 , the partition wall  113 , the first connection wall  114 , and the second connection wall  115  may be integrally formed with an aluminum extrusion process. 
     The first side wall  111  and the second side wall  112  are oppositely disposed in the longitudinal direction Y, and the second side wall  112  is connected to the first side wall  111  through the first connection wall  114  and the second connection wall  115 , and thereby the first side wall  111 , the second side wall  112 , the first connection wall  114 , and the second connection wall  115  together form a surrounding frame structure with a cavity. The first side wall  111  and the second side wall  112  are directly facing large surfaces of corresponding batteries  2 . When external air flows through the cavity of the temperature control tube  11 , heat dissipation treatment for the batteries  2  could be realized to ensure the temperature control component  1  meets the thermal management requirement for the batteries  2 . 
     At least part of an outer surface of the first side wall  111  is formed into a curved surface concaved toward the second side wall  112  in the longitudinal direction Y. After the temperature control component  1  and the batteries  2  are assembled, a gap S is formed between the first side wall  111  and a corresponding battery  2 , and the gap S provides expansion space for expanding deformation of the battery  2 . 
     During operation of the battery pack, when the battery  2  has an expanding deformation, the large surface of the battery  2  gradually bulges into the gap S and presses the outer surface of the first side wall  111 , and since at least part of the outer surface of the first side wall  111  is formed into a curved surface, this curved surface structure would increase a contact area between the first side wall  111  and the large surface of the corresponding battery  2 , and could fit with a shape of the large surface of the corresponding battery  2  bulging out, and thus a force of the temperature control tube  11  on the battery  2  would be effectively reduced, and service life of the battery  2  would be thereby greatly improved. 
     Specifically, with reference to  FIG.  4   , the first side wall  111  may include: a first main body portion  111 A, formed into a curved surface concave toward the second side wall  112  in the longitudinal direction Y; a first extension portion  111 B, connected to one end of the first main body portion  111 A and extending in the up-down direction Z; and a third extension portion  111 C, connected to the other end of the first main body portion  111 A and extending in the up-down direction Z. 
     It should be noted that the first main body portion  111 A corresponds to a middle position of the corresponding battery  2 , and the first extension portion  111 B and the third extension portion  111 C correspond to two end positions of the corresponding battery  2  in the up-down direction Z. During the expansion of the battery  2 , since the deformation of the battery  2  at both ends in the up-down direction Z is small and the deformation of the battery  2  at the middle is large, the first extension portion  111 B and the third extension portion  111 C corresponding to the upper and lower ends of the battery  2  may be directly formed into a planar structure. 
     At least part of an outer surface of the second side wall  112  is formed into a curved surface concaved toward the first side wall  111  in the longitudinal direction Y. After the temperature control component  1  and the batteries  2  are assembled, a gap S is formed between the second side wall  112  and a corresponding battery  2 , and the gap S provides expansion space for an expanding deformation of the battery  2 . 
     During operation of the battery pack, when the battery  2  has an expanding deformation, the large surface of the battery  2  gradually bulges into the gap S and presses the outer surface of the second side wall  112 , and since at least part of the outer surface of the second side wall  112  is formed into a curved surface, this curved surface structure would increase a contact area between the second side wall  112  and the large surface of the corresponding battery  2  and could fit with a shape of the large surface of the corresponding battery  2  bulging out, and thus a force of the temperature control tube  11  on the battery  2  would be effectively reduced, and service life of the battery  2  would be thereby greatly improved. 
     Specifically, with reference to  FIG.  4   , the second side wall  112  may include: a second main body portion  112 A, formed into a curved surface concave toward the first side wall  111  in the longitudinal direction Y; a second extension portion  112 B, connected to one end of the second main body portion  112 A and extending in the up-down direction Z, and disposed opposite to the first extension portion  111 B in the longitudinal direction Y; and a fourth extension portion  112 C, connected to the other end of the second main body portion  112 A and extending in the up-down direction Z, and disposed opposite to the third extension portion  111 C in the longitudinal direction Y. 
     It should be noted that the second main body portion  112 A corresponds to a middle position of the corresponding battery  2 , and the second extension portion  112 B and the fourth extension portion  112 C correspond to two end positions of the corresponding battery  2  in the up-down direction Z. During the expansion of the battery  2 , since the deformation of the battery  2  at both ends in the up-down direction Z is small and the deformation of the battery  2  at the middle is large, the second extension portion  112 B and the fourth extension portion  112 C corresponding to the upper and lower ends of the battery  2  may be directly formed into a planar structure. 
     When at least part of the outer surface of the first side wall  111  is formed into a curved surface concave toward the second side wall  112  in the longitudinal direction Y, and at least part of the outer surface of the second side wall  112  is also formed into a curved surface concave toward the first side wall  111  in the longitudinal direction Y, a gap S is formed between the first side wall  111  and a corresponding battery  2 , and between the second side wall  112  and a corresponding battery  2 , respectively. 
     During operation of the battery pack, when the batteries  2  have expanding deformations, the large surfaces of two adjacent batteries  2  (that is, the first battery  2 A and the second battery  2 B) respectively bulge into corresponding gaps S and press the first side wall  111  and the second side wall  112 . Since the curved surface structure of the first side wall  111  could fit with a shape of the large surface of the corresponding battery  2  bulging out, and the curved surface structure of the second side wall  112  could also fit with a shape of the large surface of the corresponding battery  2  bulging out, therefore the forces of the temperature control tube  11  on the batteries  2  would be effectively reduced, and the service life of the batteries  2  would be thereby greatly improved. 
     With reference to  FIG.  2    to  FIG.  4   , the partition wall  113  extends in the longitudinal direction Y and is connected to the first side wall  111  and the second side wall  112  to divide the cavity into a plurality of channels F. Here, the arrangement of the partition wall  113  not only improves strength of the temperature control tube  11 , but also ensures that the temperature control tube  11  has enough space for external air to circulate, so that the temperature control component  1  meets the thermal management requirement for the batteries  2 . 
     With reference to  FIG.  3    and  FIG.  4   , the first connection wall  114  is connected to an end of the first extension portion  111 B away from the first main body portion  111 A and an end of the second extension portion  112 B away from the second main body portion  112 A, and the first connection wall  114 , the first extension portion  111 B and the second extension portion  112 B are accommodated in the first insulating member  12  together. The first connection wall  114  may be formed into a flat plate structure or a curved structure. 
     With reference to  FIG.  3    and  FIG.  4   , the second connection wall  115  is connected to an end of the third extension portion  111 C away from the first main body portion  111 A and an end of the fourth extension portion  112 C away from the second main body portion  112 A, and the second connection wall  115 , the third extension portion  111 C and the fourth extension portion  112 C are accommodated in the second insulating member  13  together. The second connection wall  115  may be formed into a flat plate structure or a curved structure. 
     With reference to  FIG.  2    and  FIG.  3   , the first insulating member  12  is sleeved outside of the first extension portion  111 B of the first side wall  111  and the second extension portion  112 B of the second side wall  112 , and is in direct contact with two adjacent batteries  2 . Although the deformations of the batteries  2  at both ends in the up-down direction Z are small, in order to effectively reduce the forces of the temperature control component  1  on the batteries  2  and have an insulating effect, in some embodiments, the first insulating member  12  is made of an insulating buffer material. 
     Specifically, the first insulating member  12  may include: a first body portion  121 ; and a first opening groove  122 , disposed on the first body portion  121 , a groove depth direction of the first opening groove  122  is disposed in the up-down direction Z, and the first opening groove  122  is provided for insertion of the first extension portion  111 B, the second extension portion  112 B and the first connection wall  114 . 
     The first body portion  121  may include: a first upper wall  121 A, located on one side of the first extension portion  111 B and the second extension portion  112 B in the up-down direction Z; and two first clamping walls  121 B, clamping the first extension portion  111 B and the second extension portion  112 B in the longitudinal direction Y, each first clamping wall  121 B is connected to the first upper wall  121 A and extends in the up-down direction Z, and a thickness of each first clamping wall  121 B gradually decreases in the up-down direction Z from the first upper wall  121 A to a direction away from the first upper wall  121 A. 
     With reference to  FIG.  2    and  FIG.  3   , the second insulating member  13  is sleeved outside of the third extension portion  111 C of the first side wall  111  and the fourth extension portion  112 C of the second side wall  112 , and is in direct contact with the two adjacent batteries  2 . Although the deformations of the batteries  2  at both ends in the up-down direction Z are small, in order to effectively reduce the forces of the temperature control component  1  on the batteries  2  and have an insulating effect, in some embodiments, the second insulating member  13  is also made of an insulating buffer material. 
     Specifically, the second insulating member  13  may include: a second body portion  131 ; and a second opening groove  132 , disposed on the second body portion  131 , a groove depth direction of the second opening groove  132  is provided in the up-down direction Z, and the second opening groove  132  is provided for insertion of the third extension portion  111 C, the fourth extension portion  112 C and the second connection wall  115 . 
     The second body portion  131  may include: a second upper wall  131 A, located on one side of the third extension portion  111 C and the fourth extension portion  112 C in the up-down direction Z; and two second clamping walls  131 B, clamping the first extension portion  111 C and the fourth extension portion  112 C in the longitudinal direction Y, each second clamping wall  131 B is connected to the second upper wall  131 A and extends in the up-down direction Z, and a thickness of each second clamping wall  131 B gradually decreases in the up-down direction Z from the second upper wall  131 A to a direction away from the second upper wall  131 A. 
     With reference to  FIG.  1   , the lower box  3  is used to support the plurality of batteries  2 . The plurality of batteries  2  may be arranged in at least two rows of battery banks in a lateral direction X, and the air duct component  4  is disposed between the two rows of battery banks and fixed to the lower box  3 . An air duct is formed between the air duct component  4  and a corresponding battery bank, and the air duct is in communication with the plurality of channels F of the corresponding temperature control component  1  and the fan  5 . 
     Specifically, with reference to  FIG.  5   , the air duct component  4  may include an air volume regulating plate  41 , a first support plate  42 , a second support plate  43 , a mounting plate  44  and a sealing strip  45 . 
     The air volume regulating plate  41  is disposed within the air duct, the first support plate  42  is spaced apart from the second support plate  43  in the longitudinal direction Y, and the first support plate  42  is close to the fan  5 . A height of the air volume regulating plate  41  decreases sequentially in a direction from the first support plate  42  to the second support plate  43 , so that the air duct expands, from a side close to the fan  5  to a side away from the fan  5  in the longitudinal direction Y. 
     The mounting plate  44  extends in the longitudinal direction Y and is connected to the first support plate  42  and the second support plate  43 , and the air volume regulating plate  41  is fixedly mounted on the mounting plate  44 . The sealing strip  45  is disposed on the first support plate  42 , the second support plate  43  and the mounting plate  44 . After the air duct component  4  is assembled with the plurality of batteries  2 , the sealing strip  45  is adhered to a corresponding battery bank for a sealing connection with the battery bank. 
     During use of the battery pack, under action of the fan  5 , external air can enter the plurality of channels F of the temperature control component  1  to achieve heat dissipation for the batteries  2 . At the same time, based on arrangement of the air volume regulating plate  41 , the amount of external air entering different temperature control components  1  is different, thereby achieving uniform heat dissipation for all the batteries  2 . 
     With reference to  FIG.  1   , the end plate  8  is disposed at both ends of each battery bank in the longitudinal direction Y. The cable tie  6  tightly bundles, in the circumferential direction, all the batteries  2  in a corresponding battery bank, a corresponding temperature control component  1  and two corresponding end plates  8 . The installation panel  9  is located outside of a corresponding end plate  8  in the longitudinal direction Y, is fixedly connected to the lower box  3  and the corresponding end plate  8 , and is fixedly installed with the fan  5 . 
     With reference to  FIG.  1   , the harness isolation plate is disposed above the plurality of batteries  2  and directly fixed to the end plate  8 , which would help to improve grouping efficiency and an integration degree of the battery pack. The upper box cover  7  is disposed above the harness isolation plate and fixedly connected to the harness isolation plate through fasteners (such as rivets). Here, since the upper box cover  7  is provided with no buckle or other complicated structures on its peripheral side, the upper box cover  7  could be directly processed with a plastic absorption process, and thus process costs would be reduced.