JP7138299B2 - Cooling devices and battery systems for battery modules - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to cooling technology, and more particularly to a cooling device for battery modules and a battery system for cooling batteries.

Hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles are equipped with a battery module (in-vehicle battery) that supplies electric power to a motor that is a drive source. In order to suppress the temperature rise of the battery module, for example, the cooling is performed by the heat of vaporization of the coolant. However, the temperature in the vicinity of the coolant passage is low, and the temperature on the inflow side of the cooling passage becomes lower than that on the discharge side, which causes uneven cooling, and the temperature varies depending on the position in the battery module. In order to suppress uneven cooling, a heat exchanger through which a refrigerant flows is immersed in the cooling liquid (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-50000

When cooling the on-vehicle battery, when the coolant is flowed, the variation in temperature of the coolant at different positions cannot be suppressed depending on the flow direction. Therefore, it is necessary to flow the coolant in a direction that suppresses variations in temperature of the coolant at different positions.

The present disclosure has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique for suppressing variations in temperature at different positions in a cooling device that cools an on-vehicle battery.

In order to solve the above problems, a cooling device for a battery module according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first planar member having a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a third surface. a second planar member having a fourth surface opposite to the third surface; and a cooling liquid disposed between the second surface of the first planar member and the third surface of the second planar member. and a coolant pipe through which a coolant flows, disposed between the second surface of the first planar member and the third surface of the second planar member. A cooling device, wherein the cooling device is capable of arranging the battery modules along the first surface of the first planar member, and the cooling liquid flow path is formed on the second surface and the third surface. between the first portion of the coolant flow path through which the coolant flows in a first orientation of the first direction; and between the second surface and the third surface, the first a second portion of the cooling fluid flow path flowing in a second direction opposite to the direction of the cooling fluid flow path flowing out of the first portion of the cooling fluid flow path between the second surface and the third surface; a third portion of the coolant flow path that allows liquid to flow into the second portion of the coolant flow path, the coolant conduit extending between the second surface and the third surface of the coolant flow path; a first refrigerant pipe arranged along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction in the first portion and the second portion of the liquid flow path, through which the refrigerant flows in a predetermined direction; at least a second refrigerant pipe arranged along the second direction in the first portion and the second portion of the coolant flow path between the third surfaces and through which the refrigerant flows in the predetermined direction; wherein the coolant flowing in the predetermined direction in the first coolant pipe can exchange heat with the coolant flowing in the first direction in the first portion of the coolant channel, and The coolant flowing in the second direction in the second portion of the liquid flow path is heat exchangeable with the coolant flowing in the second direction, and the coolant flowing in the predetermined direction in the second refrigerant pipe is the second portion of the coolant flow path. One portion is heat exchangeable with the coolant flowing in the first direction and the second portion of the coolant flow path is heat exchangeable with the coolant flowing in the second direction.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress variations in temperature at different positions in a cooling device that cools an in-vehicle battery.

1 is a perspective view showing the structure of a battery system according to an example; FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the cooling device of FIG. 1; 3(a)-(c) are diagrams showing the structure of the cooling device of FIG. FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are diagrams showing structures of cooling devices to be compared with the cooling device of FIG. 3(a). Fig. 2 shows another structure of the cooling device of Fig. 1; 6(a)-(b) are diagrams showing still another structure of the cooling device of FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the battery system of FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 2 shows another structure of the battery system of FIG. 1; 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the battery system of FIG. 8; FIG.

Before specifically describing embodiments of the present disclosure, an overview will be given. An embodiment relates to a cooling device for cooling a battery module mounted on a vehicle. A battery module is installed on one side of the cooling device, and a plurality of refrigerant pipes branched from a main pipe are arranged inside the cooling device along one side. Refrigerant from the main pipe flows through each refrigerant pipe, but the flow rate of refrigerant in each refrigerant pipe varies, so the temperature varies among the refrigerant pipes. Due to the temperature variation between the refrigerant pipes, the temperature differs depending on the position within the battery module. In order to suppress variations in temperature between refrigerant pipes, it is effective to immerse a plurality of refrigerant pipes in the coolant. On the other hand, it is preferable that the cooling liquid is also flowed in order to improve the cooling efficiency. However, since the heat absorbed from the refrigerant pipes also flows when the cooling fluid flows, the temperature variation between the refrigerant pipes cannot be suppressed depending on the direction in which the cooling fluid flows. Therefore, it is required to flow the coolant in a direction that suppresses temperature variations between the refrigerant pipes.

In this embodiment, the coolant flows perpendicularly to the refrigerant pipes, and the coolant suppresses the temperature variation between the refrigerant pipes. suppress In the following description, "parallel" and "perpendicular" include not only perfectly parallel and perpendicular, but also deviate from parallel and perpendicular within a margin of error. Moreover, "substantially" means that they are the same within an approximate range. Furthermore, in the following embodiments, the same constituent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are omitted. Also, in each drawing, for convenience of explanation, some of the constituent elements are omitted as appropriate.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the structure of a battery system 100. FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, a Cartesian coordinate system is defined consisting of x-, y-, and z-axes. The x-axis and y-axis are orthogonal to each other within the bottom surface of the battery system 100 . The z-axis is perpendicular to the x-axis and the y-axis and extends in the height direction of the battery system 100 . Also, the positive directions of the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis are defined in the directions of the arrows in FIG. 1, and the negative directions are defined in directions opposite to the arrows. Here, the positive side of the x-axis is called the "front side", the negative side of the x-axis is called the "back side", the positive side of the y-axis is called the "right side", and the negative side of the y-axis is called the "right side". The left side is sometimes called the left side, the positive side of the z-axis is called the "upper side", and the negative side of the z-axis is sometimes called the "lower side". Therefore, FIG. 1 is a perspective view including the front side of the battery system 100. FIG.

Battery module 10 has a box shape. Cooling device 20 is a device for cooling battery module 10 . Since the length in the height direction of cooling device 20 is shorter than the length in the front-rear and left-right directions, cooling device 20 has a low plate-like shape. Cooling device 20 is sometimes called a cooling plate. A battery module 10 is installed on the upper surface of the cooling device 20 . Therefore, the upper surface of cooling device 20 and the lower surface of battery module 10 are in contact with each other.

In addition, on the front surface of the cooling device 20, there are provided a first coolant pipe 22a, a second coolant pipe 22b, and a first coolant pipe 24a, collectively referred to as a coolant pipe 24, and a second coolant pipe. A pipe 24b is arranged. Specifically, the first coolant pipe 24a, the first coolant pipe 22a, the second coolant pipe 22b, and the second coolant pipe 24b are arranged from the left side to the right side of the front surface of the cooling device 20 . That is, the two coolant pipes 24 are arranged so as to sandwich the two coolant pipes 22 . Here, the coolant flows in from the first coolant pipe 22a and the coolant flows out from the second coolant pipe 22b. Also, the coolant flows in from the first coolant pipe 24a and the coolant flows out from the second coolant pipe 24b. An example of a refrigerant is HFC (Hydro Fluoro Carbon). The white arrows indicate the flow of the coolant, and the black arrows indicate the flow of the coolant.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the cooling device 20. As shown in FIG. The cooling device 20 includes a cooling liquid tank 30, a first refrigerant header 40a and a second refrigerant header 40b collectively referred to as refrigerant headers 40, first refrigerant pipes 42a to fourth refrigerant pipes 42d collectively referred to as refrigerant pipes 42, and inner fins. 44, including the top plate 50; The coolant tank 30 also includes a first inner wall 32a to a fourth inner wall 32d, a bottom surface 34, a partition plate 36, and a first opening 38a to a fourth opening 38d, collectively referred to as the inner wall 32. Although the number of refrigerant pipes 42 is set to "4" here, it is not limited to this.

The cooling liquid tank 30 has a bucket shape with an open top and a depressed center. The inner side surface of the cooling liquid bath 30 is formed by the first inner wall 32a to the fourth inner wall 32d. These have a rectangular shape whose height direction is shorter than that in other directions, the first inner wall 32a and the second inner wall 32b face each other, and the third inner wall 32c and the fourth inner wall 32d face each other. Also, the first inner wall 32a is arranged on the front side, and the second inner wall 32b is arranged on the rear side. A bottom surface 34 is arranged at the bottom of the recess of the coolant tank 30 so as to be surrounded by the first inner wall 32a to the fourth inner wall 32d. Here, the bottom surface 34 has a rectangular shape that is longer in the left-right direction than in the front-rear direction.

A partition plate 36 is erected on the bottom surface 34 . The partition plate 36 extends rearward from the center portion of the first inner wall 32a in the left-right direction to a position that does not reach the second inner wall 32b. Four semicircular grooves are provided on the upper side of the partition plate 36 . Another partition plate (not shown) is provided on the lower surface of the top plate 50 so as to face the partition plate 36 . Refrigerant pipes 42 (first refrigerant pipe 42a to fourth refrigerant pipe 42d) are sandwiched between the groove portion of the partition plate 36 and the groove portion (not shown) of another partition plate. With such a structure, a coolant flow path is formed between the second inner wall 32 b and the partition plate 36 . The interior of the cooling liquid tank 30 is partitioned by such a partition plate 36 . A third opening 38c, a first opening 38a, a second opening 38b, and a fourth opening 38d are arranged in this order from left to right so as to pass through the first inner wall 32a. In particular, the third opening 38 c and the first opening 38 a are arranged on the left side of the partition plate 36 , and the second opening 38 b and the fourth opening 38 d are arranged on the right side of the partition plate 36 . The first opening 38a is connected to the cylindrical first cooling liquid pipe 22a, and the second opening 38b is connected to the cylindrical second cooling liquid pipe 22b. Here, the front end of the first coolant pipe 22a is open and connected to the first opening 38a. The front end of the second coolant pipe 22b is open and connected to the second opening 38b.

The first coolant header 40a has a cylindrical shape and is connected to the first coolant pipe 24a at its front end, and the second coolant header 40b also has a cylindrical shape and is connected to the second coolant pipe 24b at its front end. Further, the front end of the first refrigerant pipe 24a is open and connected to the internal space of the first refrigerant header 40a. Furthermore, the front end of the second coolant pipe 24b is open and communicates with the internal space of the second coolant header 40b. Four refrigerant pipes 42 extending in the horizontal direction along the first inner wall 32a and the second inner wall 32b are connected to the first refrigerant header 40a and the second refrigerant header 40b. Here, a first refrigerant pipe 42a, a second refrigerant pipe 42b, a third refrigerant pipe 42c, and a fourth refrigerant pipe 42d are arranged from the front to the rear. Each refrigerant pipe 42 has a cylindrical shape, and has a left end connected to the internal space of the first refrigerant header 40a and a right end connected to the internal space of the second refrigerant header 40b. Furthermore, a bellows-shaped inner fin 44 is arranged in a portion surrounded by the first refrigerant header 40a, the first refrigerant pipes 42a, the second refrigerant header 40b, and the fourth refrigerant pipes 42d. In FIG. 2, the inner fins 44 hide the second refrigerant pipe 42b and the third refrigerant pipe 42c.

The refrigerant pipe 24 , the refrigerant header 40 to the inner fins 44 thus combined correspond to a refrigerant heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger is housed inside the cooling liquid tank 30 . As a result, the partition plate 36 is arranged across the plurality of refrigerant pipes 42 (first refrigerant pipe 42a to fourth refrigerant pipe 42d). Here, the first refrigerant pipe 24a penetrates the third opening 38c from the inside to the outside of the cooling liquid tank 30 and projects to the front side of the cooling liquid tank 30, and the second refrigerant pipe 24b cools the fourth opening 38d. It penetrates from the inside to the outside of the liquid tank 30 and projects to the front side of the cooling liquid tank 30 . Furthermore, the top plate 50 is attached to the upper side of the cooling liquid tank 30 to close the opening of the cooling liquid tank 30 . As described above, another partition plate (not shown) is provided on the lower surface of the top plate 50 , and the other partition plate faces the partition plate 36 .

FIGS. 3(a) to 3(c) are used to explain the flow of refrigerant and cooling liquid in such a structure. 3(a)-(c) show the structure of the cooling device 20. FIG. 3(a) is a top plan view of the cooling device 20 from which the top plate 50 is removed while another partition plate of the top plate 50 is left, and FIG. 3(b) is a plan view of the cooling device 20. FIG. 3(c) is a side view seen from the front side, and FIG. 3(c) is a sectional view taken along the line AA' of FIG. 3(a). In FIG. 3(b), the front side surface is made transparent. As described above, the first refrigerant header 40a is connected to the rear side of the first refrigerant pipe 24a, and the left ends of the first refrigerant pipes 42a to the fourth refrigerant pipes 42d are connected to the first refrigerant header 40a. The right ends of the first refrigerant pipe 42a to the fourth refrigerant pipe 42d are connected to the second refrigerant header 40b, and the second refrigerant pipe 24b is connected to the front side of the second refrigerant header 40b. These internal spaces are connected.

Refrigerant flows from the first refrigerant pipe 24a and flows to the first refrigerant header 40a. In the first refrigerant header 40a, the refrigerant branches and flows from the first refrigerant pipe 42a to the fourth refrigerant pipe 42d. The refrigerant flowing from the first refrigerant pipe 42a to the fourth refrigerant pipe 42d joins at the second refrigerant header 40b. The coolant flows from the second coolant header 40b to the second coolant pipes 24b and out of the second coolant pipes 24b. Thus, the refrigerant pipe 42 allows the refrigerant to flow inside the cooling liquid tank 30 .

The inside of the coolant tank 30 is partitioned by a partition plate 36 into a space on the side of the first opening 38a and a space on the side of the second opening 38b. 3B and 3C, the partition plate 36 provided in the cooling liquid tank 30 is indicated as a lower partition plate 36a1, and another partition plate provided in the top plate 50 is indicated as an upper partition plate 36a1. 36a2. The lower partition plate 36a1 and the upper partition plate 36a2 are collectively referred to as the partition plate 36 (or the first partition plate 36a). Note that these spaces are connected on the rear side. Therefore, inside the cooling liquid tank 30, a channel partitioned by the partition plate 36 is formed. The flow path advances rearward from the first opening 38a, advances rightward, and then advances forward to reach the second opening 38b. The second opening 38b is provided on the first inner wall 32a on the opposite side of the flow path from the first opening 38a. The cooling liquid flows into the cooling liquid tank 30 through the first cooling liquid pipe 22a, flows through the flow path described above, and flows out of the cooling liquid tank 30 through the second cooling liquid pipe 24b.

Before explaining the temperature variation due to the flow of the refrigerant and coolant, the temperature variation in the cooling device 120 to be compared will be described with reference to FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b). 4(a) and 4(b) show the structure of a cooling device 120 to be compared with the cooling device 20. FIG. FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are all top views and shown in the same manner as FIG. 3(a). FIG. 4(a) shows a case in which only the coolant is allowed to flow without the cooling liquid. The cooling device 120 includes a first coolant pipe 124a, a second coolant pipe 124b, collectively referred to as the coolant pipe 124, a first inner wall 132a, a second inner wall 132b, a third inner wall 132c, a fourth inner wall 132d, collectively referred to as the inner wall 132, A first refrigerant header 140a, a second refrigerant header 140b, collectively referred to as refrigerant header 140, a first refrigerant pipe 142a, a second refrigerant pipe 142b, a third refrigerant pipe 142c, and a fourth refrigerant pipe 142d, collectively referred to as refrigerant pipes 142, are provided. include. Here, the refrigerant pipe 124, the inner wall 132, the refrigerant header 140, and the refrigerant pipe 142 have the same structure as the refrigerant pipe 24, the inner wall 32, the refrigerant header 40, and the refrigerant pipe 42 of FIG. 3(a). Therefore, the refrigerant also flows as described above.

At the portion where the refrigerant header 140 branches into the four refrigerant pipes 142, the refrigerant is unevenly distributed between the liquid state and the gaseous state. At a point P1 in the fourth refrigerant pipe 142d farther from the first refrigerant pipe 124a, there is a possibility that the amount of liquid refrigerant increases when the refrigerant flow velocity is relatively high. On the other hand, at the point P2 in the first refrigerant pipe 142a closer to the first refrigerant pipe 124a, the amount of gaseous refrigerant increases. Here, when there is a large amount of liquid refrigerant, the temperature becomes lower than when there is a large amount of gaseous refrigerant. Therefore, the temperature of the first refrigerant pipe 142a becomes the lowest, the temperature of the second refrigerant pipe 142b and the temperature of the third refrigerant pipe 142c increase, and the temperature of the fourth refrigerant pipe 142d becomes the highest. In other words, the liquid state and the gas state of the refrigerant are uneven, causing temperature variations among the refrigerant pipes 142, and cooling is not uniform.

FIG. 4(b) includes, in addition to the structure of FIG. 4(a), a cooling liquid tank 130, a first cooling liquid pipe 122a and a second cooling liquid pipe 122b collectively referred to as a cooling liquid pipe 122. FIG. In FIG. 4(b), the refrigerant flows as in FIG. 4(a), and the coolant flows from the right side to the left side. That is, both the refrigerant and the cooling liquid flow in the left-right direction. As a result, the amount of heat exchanged between the refrigerant pipes 142 is not large, so the temperature variation between the refrigerant pipes 142 does not decrease.

In comparison with these, in the cooling device 20, as shown in FIG. 3A, the cooling liquid flows in the direction in which the plurality of refrigerant pipes 42 are arranged. This corresponds to the flow of the cooling liquid in the front-rear direction in which temperature variations between the refrigerant pipes 42 occur. Such a flow of coolant positively mitigates temperature variations among the refrigerant pipes 42 . In addition, since the cooling liquid flows through the flow path that returns to the front side after being directed to the rear side by the partition plate 36, the temperature variation in the refrigerant pipe 42, that is, the temperature variation in the direction in which the refrigerant pipe 42 extends is alleviated. .

FIG. 5 shows another construction of the cooling device 20 . This is illustrated similarly to FIG. 3(a). Compared to FIG. 3(a), the cooling device 20 does not include the partition plate 36, and the first coolant pipe 22a and the first opening 38a are provided in the second inner wall 32b. That is, the first opening 38a and the second opening 38b are provided in the inner wall 32 facing each other. In such a structure, the cooling liquid introduced from the first cooling liquid pipe 22a flows from the rear side to the front side and flows out from the second cooling liquid pipe 22b. Therefore, the cooling liquid flows in the direction in which the plurality of refrigerant pipes 42 are arranged, and temperature variations among the refrigerant pipes 42 are positively mitigated. Moreover, since the partition plate 36 is not arranged, the structure is simplified.

6(a)-(b) show still another structure of the cooling device 20. FIG. These are structures in which a plurality of partition plates 36 are included, and are shown in the same manner as in FIG. 3(a). In FIG. 6(a), a second partition plate 36b is included in the structure of FIG. 3(a). The first partition plate 36a corresponds to the partition plate 36 in FIG. 3(a). Like the first partition plate 36a, the second partition plate 36b is composed of a lower partition plate and an upper partition plate. Here, the first partition plate 36 a and the second partition plate 36 b are collectively referred to as the partition plate 36 . The second partition plate 36b extends forward from the second inner wall 32b to a position that does not reach the first inner wall 32a. Therefore, the first partition plate 36 a and the second partition plate 36 b cross the plurality of refrigerant pipes 42 . The second partition plate 36b is arranged on the right side of the first partition plate 36a. A first coolant pipe 22a and a first opening 38a are provided in the first inner wall 32a, and a second coolant pipe 22b and a second opening 38b are provided in the second inner wall 32b.

With such first partition plate 36a and second partition plate 36b, the inside of the coolant tank 30 is divided into a space on the side of the first opening 38a and a space that does not include either the first opening 38a or the second opening 38b. , the space on the side of the second opening 38b. Adjacent spaces are connected on the rear side or the front side. Therefore, inside the cooling liquid tank 30, a channel partitioned by the partition plate 36 is formed. The flow path advances rearward from the first opening 38a, then to the right, then to the front, further to the right, and then rearward to reach the second opening 38b. It can be said that the second opening 38b is provided on the second inner wall 32b on the opposite side of the flow path to the first opening 38a. The cooling liquid flows into the cooling liquid tank 30 through the first cooling liquid pipe 22a, flows through the flow path described above, and flows out of the cooling liquid tank 30 through the second cooling liquid pipe 22b.

In FIG. 6(b), a third partition plate 36c is included in the structure of FIG. 6(a). The first partition plate 36a, the second partition plate 36b, and the third partition plate 36c are collectively referred to as the partition plate 36. As shown in FIG. The third partition plate 36c has the same structure as the first partition plate 36a, and is arranged side by side with the first partition plate 36a inside the coolant tank 30 so as to sandwich the second partition plate 36b. Thus, the third partition plate 36c is arranged on the right side of the second partition plate 36b. The first partition plate 36 a , the second partition plate 36 b , and the third partition plate 36 c cross the plurality of refrigerant pipes 42 . A first coolant pipe 22a and a first opening 38a are provided in the first inner wall 32a, and a second coolant pipe 22b and a second opening 38b are also provided in the first inner wall 32a.

With such first partition plate 36a, second partition plate 36b, and third partition plate 36c, the inside of the cooling liquid tank 30 is divided into a space on the side of the first opening 38a and either of the first opening 38a and the second opening 38b. It is partitioned into two spaces that do not contain anything, that is, the space on the side of the second opening 38b. Adjacent spaces are connected on the rear side or the front side. Therefore, inside the cooling liquid tank 30, a channel partitioned by the partition plate 36 is formed. The flow path proceeds rearward from the first opening 38a, then to the right, and then to the front. Further, the flow path proceeds to the right, then to the rear, then to the right, and then to the front to reach the second opening 38b. It can be said that the second opening 38b is provided on the opposite side of the flow path from the first opening 38a in the first inner wall 32a. The cooling liquid flows into the cooling liquid tank 30 through the first cooling liquid pipe 22a, flows through the flow path described above, and flows out of the cooling liquid tank 30 through the second cooling liquid pipe 22b. In FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b), by increasing the number of partition plates 36, the flow velocity of the cooling liquid is increased and the heat exchange efficiency is increased.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the battery system 100. As shown in FIG. Battery system 100 includes cooling device 20 , compressor 60 , condenser 62 , expansion valve 64 , HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) 66 , expansion valve 68 , WP (Water Pump) 70 , HTR (HeaTeR) 72 . Note that the battery module 10 in FIG. 1 is omitted. Compressor 60, condenser 62, expansion valve 64, HVAC 66, and expansion valve 68 in FIG. 7 are included in the refrigerant circuit, and WP 70 and HTR 72 are included in the coolant circuit.

The refrigerant circuit supplies a refrigerant to the cooling device 20, and the cooling device 20 is cooled by the heat of vaporization of this refrigerant. In the refrigerant circuit, a compressor 60 pressurizes the vaporized refrigerant, a condenser 62 cools and liquefies the refrigerant pressurized by the compressor 60 , and an expansion valve 64 is connected to the condenser 62 . The compressor 60 pressurizes the vaporized refrigerant driven by the vehicle engine or motor. The condenser 62 cools and liquefies the vaporized refrigerant. The condenser 62 is arranged in front of a radiator that cools engine coolant in a hybrid car. The fan that cools the radiator also cools the condenser 62 .

The cooling device 20 has a discharge side connected to a compressor 60, and the compressor 60 draws in the vaporized refrigerant discharged from the cooling device 20 and pressurizes it. The pressurized refrigerant is cooled in condenser 62 and liquefied. The liquefied refrigerant is supplied to the cooling device 20 via the expansion valve 64 . The expansion valve 64 cools the coolant using the temperature of the cooling device 20 as the set temperature. The expansion valve 64 is a regulating valve capable of controlling the flow rate of the refrigerant, or a capillary tube or the like made up of a thin tube with a fixed flow rate that cannot control the flow rate of the refrigerant. The refrigerant that has passed through the expansion valve 64 is adiabatically expanded and vaporized inside the cooling device 20 to cool the coolant with the heat of vaporization. Furthermore, an HVAC 66 for cooling is connected to the refrigerant circuit via an expansion valve 68 . HVAC 66 includes an evaporator.

Here in the coolant circuit, the HTR 72 heats the coolant when the engine is not warm enough. An engine that has been sufficiently warmed up by starting in this state warms the coolant inside. WP 70 circulates coolant. The cooling liquid quickly heated inside the engine circulates through the cooling device 20 .

Until now, one battery module 10 has been installed on one side of the cooling device 20 . A structure in which a plurality of, for example, two battery modules 10 are installed on one side of the cooling device 20 will be described below. FIG. 8 is a top view showing another structure of the battery system 100. FIG. The battery system 100 includes a first battery module 10a and a second battery module 10b, which are collectively referred to as battery modules 10. As shown in FIG. Each battery module 10 has a rectangular upper surface that is longer in the left-right direction than in the front-rear direction, and is arranged in the front-rear direction. Here, the first battery module 10a is arranged on the front side, and the second battery module 10b is arranged on the rear side.

Furthermore, the first temperature sensor 12a may be attached to the lower surface of the first battery module 10a, and the second temperature sensor 12b may be attached to the lower surface of the second battery module 10b. The first temperature sensor 12a and the second temperature sensor 12b are collectively referred to as the temperature sensor 12 and measure temperature. That is, temperature sensor 12 measures the temperature of the lower surface of battery module 10 . Note that the temperature sensor 12 may be attached to another position of the battery module 10 .

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the structure of the battery system 100. As shown in FIG. In the battery system 100, a circulation valve 74 and a control device 80 are added to the configuration of FIG. The control device 80 includes an acquisition section 82 and an adjustment section 84 . The acquisition unit 82 is connected to the first temperature sensor 12a and the second temperature sensor 12b in FIG. 8 and acquires the temperature measured by each. That is, the temperature sensor 12 acquires the temperature of the first battery module 10a and the temperature of the second battery module 10b. These battery modules 10 are batteries to be cooled by the cooling device 20 . Acquisition unit 82 acquires the degree of temperature variation between first battery module 10a and second battery module 10b by calculating the difference between the two temperatures. The acquisition unit 82 outputs the degree of variation to the adjustment unit 84 .

The adjustment unit 84 receives the degree of temperature variation from the acquisition unit 82 . The adjustment unit 84 adjusts the flow rate of the cooling liquid flowing through the cooling liquid tank 30 based on the degree of variation. Specifically, the controller 84 determines to increase the flow rate as the degree of variation increases. A circulation valve 74 is connected to the coolant circuit. The circulation valve 74 changes the flow rate of the cooling liquid according to the determination in the control section 84 .

This configuration can be implemented in terms of hardware by the CPU, memory, and other LSIs of any computer, and in terms of software, it is implemented by programs loaded in the memory. It depicts the function blocks to be used. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by using only hardware or a combination of hardware and software.

According to this embodiment, since the partition plate extending from the first inner wall across the refrigerant pipe to a position that does not reach the second inner wall partitions the inside of the coolant tank, the direction across the refrigerant pipe extends into the inside of the coolant tank. flow path can be formed. Further, inside the cooling liquid tank, the cooling liquid flows in a flow path that traverses the refrigerant pipe, so that variations in temperature at different positions can be suppressed. Moreover, since the partition plate crosses the plurality of refrigerant pipes, it is possible to form a flow path in the direction crossing the plurality of refrigerant pipes. Further, inside the cooling liquid tank, the cooling liquid flows in a direction that crosses the plurality of refrigerant pipes, so that temperature variations among the refrigerant pipes can be suppressed.

In addition, since the second partition plate extends from the second inner wall facing the first inner wall across the refrigerant pipe to a position that does not reach the first inner wall, the flow direction of the coolant can be changed. Moreover, since the first partition plate and the second partition plate cross the plurality of refrigerant pipes, it is possible to suppress variations in temperature among the plurality of refrigerant pipes. Further, since the third partition plate is provided, the cooling liquid can meander. Moreover, since the first partition plate, the second partition plate, and the third partition plate cross the plurality of refrigerant pipes, it is possible to suppress variations in temperature among the plurality of refrigerant pipes.

Further, since the first inner wall is provided with the first opening and the second opening, the cooling liquid can flow in and out from the same direction. Further, since the first inner wall is provided with the first opening and the second inner wall is provided with the second opening, the coolant can flow in and out from different directions. In addition, since the flow rate of the cooling liquid is adjusted based on the degree of variation in the temperature of the battery, even if the variation in temperature is large, the temperature variation can be suppressed. Moreover, since the battery module and the cooling device are provided, it is possible to suppress temperature variations at different positions in the battery module.

A summary of one aspect of the present disclosure is as follows. A cooling device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a coolant tank having a first inner wall and a second inner wall facing each other; a plurality of refrigerant pipes; and a partition plate that partitions the interior of the cooling liquid tank by extending from a first inner wall inside the cooling liquid tank across the plurality of refrigerant pipes to a position that does not reach the second inner wall. Inside the cooling liquid tank, the cooling liquid flows through channels partitioned by partition plates.

According to this aspect, the partition plate extending from the first inner wall across the plurality of refrigerant pipes to a position not reaching the second inner wall partitions the interior of the coolant tank, and the interior of the coolant tank is partitioned by the partition plate. Since the cooling liquid flows through the flow path, it is possible to suppress variations in temperature at different positions.

Another partition plate may be further provided that extends from the second inner wall inside the cooling liquid tank across the plurality of refrigerant pipes to a position that does not reach the first inner wall, thereby partitioning the inside of the cooling liquid tank. In this case, since another partition plate extends from the second inner wall across the plurality of refrigerant pipes to a position that has not yet reached the first inner wall, it is possible to change the flow direction of the coolant.

A first opening provided in the first inner wall, and a second opening provided in the first inner wall on the opposite side of the channel to the first opening may be further provided. The cooling liquid may flow into the cooling liquid tank through one of the first opening and the second opening, and the cooling liquid may flow out of the cooling liquid tank through the other of the first opening and the second opening. In this case, since the first inner wall is provided with the first opening and the second opening, the coolant can flow in and out from the same direction.

A first opening provided in the first inner wall and a second opening provided in the second inner wall on the opposite side of the flow path to the first opening may be further provided. The cooling liquid may flow into the cooling liquid tank through one of the first opening and the second opening, and the cooling liquid may flow out of the cooling liquid tank through the other of the first opening and the second opening. In this case, since the first inner wall is provided with the first opening and the second inner wall is provided with the second opening, the inflow and outflow of the cooling liquid can be made from different directions.

The apparatus may further include an estimator that estimates the lower one of the first temperature near the first opening and the second temperature near the second opening. When the estimation unit estimates that the first temperature is lower, the coolant flows into the coolant tank through the first opening, and the coolant flows out of the coolant tank through the second opening. When the second temperature is estimated to be lower, the coolant may flow into the coolant tank through the second opening and may flow out of the coolant tank through the first opening. In this case, cooling efficiency can be improved because the coolant flows in from the side with the lower temperature.

An acquisition unit for acquiring the degree of variation in the temperature of the battery to be cooled by the cooling device, and an adjustment unit for adjusting the flow rate of the coolant flowing through the coolant tank based on the degree of variation acquired by the acquisition unit. You may prepare. In this case, since the flow rate of the cooling liquid is adjusted based on the degree of temperature variation of the battery, even if the temperature variation is large, the temperature variation can be suppressed.

A battery and a cooling device for cooling the battery may be provided. In this case, since the battery and the cooling device are provided, it is possible to suppress variations in temperature at different positions in the battery.

The present disclosure has been described above based on the embodiments. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that this embodiment is an example, and that various modifications are possible in the combination of each component or each treatment process, and such modifications are within the scope of the present disclosure. .

In this embodiment, the coolant flows into the coolant tank 30 through the first opening 38a, and the coolant flows out of the coolant tank 30 through the second opening 38b. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the direction in which the coolant flows may be changed. An estimator (not shown) in the control device 80 of FIG. 9 stores in advance information on how the refrigerant is biased, that is, how the cooling device 20 is biased. The estimator estimates the lower one of the first temperature in the vicinity of the first opening 38a and the second temperature in the vicinity of the second opening 38b based on the bias. For example, the liquid state refrigerant is more in the lower part due to the bias, and the gaseous state refrigerant is more in the upper part due to the bias. Therefore, the former has a lower temperature and the latter has a higher temperature. The estimation unit estimates that the first temperature is lower than the second temperature if the first opening 38a is lower than the second opening 38b, and the second opening 38b is lower than the first opening 38a. If so, the second temperature is estimated to be lower than the first temperature. The estimation unit estimates the lower of the first temperature in the vicinity of the first openings 38a and the second temperature in the vicinity of the second openings 38b by sensing the unevenness of the coolant or the temperature of the battery module 10. good too.

In the coolant circuit, when the estimation unit estimates that the first temperature is lower, the coolant flows into the coolant tank 30 through the first opening 38a and flows out of the coolant tank 30 through the second opening 38b. The coolant is flowed so that the coolant is drained. On the other hand, in the coolant circuit, when the estimation unit estimates that the second temperature is lower, the coolant flows into the coolant tank 30 through the second opening 38b, and the coolant flows into the coolant tank 30 through the first opening 38a. The coolant is flowed so that the coolant flows out. A known technique may be used to change the flow direction of the cooling liquid, so the explanation is omitted here. According to this modified example, the coolant flows from the lower temperature side to the higher temperature side, so that the cooling efficiency can be improved.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 battery module 12 temperature sensor 20 cooling device 22 coolant pipe 24 coolant pipe 30 coolant tank 32 inner wall 34 bottom surface 36 partition plate 38 opening 40 coolant header 42 coolant pipe 44 inner fin , 50 top plate, 100 battery system.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress variations in temperature at different positions in a cooling device that cools an in-vehicle battery.

Claims (12)

a first planar member having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface;
a second planar member having a third surface and a fourth surface opposite to the third surface;
a cooling liquid flow path disposed between the second surface of the first planar member and the third surface of the second planar member, through which cooling liquid flows;
A cooling device for a battery module, comprising a refrigerant pipe arranged between the second surface of the first planar member and the third surface of the second planar member and through which a coolant flows,
The cooling device is capable of arranging battery modules along the first surface of the first planar member,
The coolant flow path is
a first portion of the coolant flow path through which the coolant flows in a first orientation of a first direction between the second surface and the third surface;
a second portion of the coolant flow path between the second surface and the third surface that flows in a second direction opposite the first direction of the first direction;
Between the second surface and the third surface, a second portion of the cooling liquid flow path that allows the cooling liquid flowing out of the first portion of the cooling liquid flow path to flow into the second portion of the cooling liquid flow path. comprising at least three parts;
The refrigerant pipe is
Between the second surface and the third surface, in the first portion and the second portion of the coolant flow path, the a first refrigerant pipe through which refrigerant flows;
A second cooling device disposed along the second direction in the first portion and the second portion of the cooling liquid flow path between the second surface and the third surface, through which the coolant flows in the predetermined direction. comprising at least a refrigerant pipe and
The coolant flowing in the predetermined direction in the first coolant pipe can exchange heat with the coolant flowing in the first direction in the first portion of the coolant flow channel, and the coolant flow is in heat exchange with the coolant flowing in the second direction in the second portion of the passage;
The coolant flowing in the predetermined direction in the second coolant pipe can exchange heat with the coolant flowing in the first direction in the first portion of the coolant flow channel, and the coolant flow is heat exchangeable with the coolant flowing in the second direction in the second portion of the passage;
Cooling device for battery modules. A cooling device for a battery module according to claim 1,
The refrigerant pipe is
a first refrigerant header disposed along the first direction between the second surface and the third surface and connected to the first refrigerant pipe and the second refrigerant pipe;
a second refrigerant header disposed along the first direction between the second surface and the third surface and connected to the first refrigerant pipe and the second refrigerant pipe;
the refrigerant enters the first refrigerant pipe and the second refrigerant pipe from the first refrigerant header and then enters the second refrigerant header;
Cooling device for battery modules. A cooling device for a battery module according to claim 1 or 2,
a partition plate disposed between the second surface and the third surface and between the first portion and the second portion of the coolant flow path,
Cooling device for battery modules. A cooling device for a battery module according to claim 3,
one end of the partition plate faces the third portion of the coolant flow path between the second surface and the third surface;
Cooling device for battery modules. A cooling device for a battery module according to claim 3 or 4,
The first refrigerant pipe crosses the partition plate,
The second refrigerant pipe crosses the partition plate,
Cooling device for battery modules. A cooling device for a battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
further comprising a wall connecting the periphery of the first planar member and the periphery of the second planar member;
The first planar member, the second planar member, and the wall constitute a cooling liquid tank,
Cooling device for battery modules. A cooling device for a battery module according to claim 6,
comprising a first opening and a second opening in the wall;
the cooling liquid flows from the first opening into the first portion of the cooling liquid flow path inside the cooling liquid tank;
the coolant in the second portion of the coolant channel inside the coolant bath flows out of the second opening;
Cooling device for battery modules. A cooling device for a battery module according to claim 7,
The first planar member has at least a first side and a second side different from the first side,
The second planar member has at least a third side and a fourth side different from the first side,
the wall comprises at least a first portion and a second portion;
the first portion of the wall connects the first side of the first planar member and the third side of the second planar member;
the second portion of the wall connects the second side of the first planar member and the fourth side of the second planar member;
the first opening is located in a first portion of the wall;
the second opening is located in a second portion of the wall;
Cooling device for battery modules. A cooling device for a battery module according to claim 7 or claim 8,
An estimating unit that estimates the lower one of a first temperature in the vicinity of the first opening and a second temperature in the vicinity of the second opening,
When the estimation unit estimates that the first temperature is lower, the coolant flows into the coolant tank through the first opening, and the coolant flows out of the coolant tank through the second opening. flows out, and the estimation unit estimates that the second temperature is lower, the coolant flows into the coolant tank through the second opening, and flows out of the coolant tank through the first opening. the coolant is discharged to
Cooling device for battery modules. 10. The cooling device for battery modules according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the acquisition unit acquires the degree of temperature variation of the batteries in the battery module to be cooled by the cooling device. When,
an adjusting unit that adjusts the flow rate of the cooling liquid flowing into the cooling liquid tank based on the degree of variation acquired by the acquiring unit;
Cooling device for battery modules. A cooling device for a battery module according to claim 2,
further comprising a wall connecting the periphery of the first planar member and the periphery of the second planar member;
The first planar member, the second planar member, and the wall constitute a cooling liquid tank,
The wall portion has a third opening and a fourth opening,
the coolant flows into the first coolant header from the third opening;
the coolant of the second coolant header flows out of the third opening;
Cooling device for battery modules. a cooling device for a battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 11;
a battery module arranged along the first surface of the first planar member;have,
battery system.

Images