JP2024111294A - Vehicle and heat exchange plate - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a heat exchange plate making an on-vehicle battery have more appropriate temperature.SOLUTION: A heat exchange plate includes: a first face; a second face; a cooling liquid flow path circulating a cooling liquid between the first face and the second face; and a refrigerant flow path circulating refrigerant between the first face and the second face. The refrigerant flow path includes: a refrigerant input part where the refrigerant is put into the refrigerant flow path from a refrigerant circuit; and a refrigerant output part where the refrigerant is put out to the refrigerant circuit from the refrigerant flow path. The first face has a first area where a battery cell group is disposed; and a second area where the battery cell group is not disposed. The refrigerant flow path is constituted ranging from the first area to the second area. The refrigerant output part is disposed in the second area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

This disclosure relates to a vehicle and a heat exchange plate.

Hybrid and electric vehicles are equipped with an on-board battery that supplies power to the motor that drives the vehicle. The vehicle is equipped with a heat exchange plate to prevent the on-board battery from rising in temperature.

Methods for suppressing the temperature rise of an on-board battery include cooling the on-board battery directly with the refrigerant of the car air conditioner, and cooling the on-board battery directly with a refrigerant (Patent Documents 1 and 2). Another method is known in which cooling water is circulated through a heat exchange plate together with the refrigerant of the car air conditioner (Patent Document 3).

JP 2008-44476 A Patent No. 6098121 JP 2010-50000 A China Patent Publication No. 107112612

The temperature rise of vehicle batteries needs to be suppressed, but there is an appropriate temperature for vehicle batteries, and the methods disclosed in the above-mentioned patent documents may cool the vehicle batteries too much.

The objective of this disclosure is to provide a vehicle and a heat exchange plate that can maintain an on-board battery at a more appropriate temperature.

The vehicle of the present disclosure includes:
The car body and
A first wheel and a second wheel coupled to the vehicle body;
a battery cell group including a plurality of battery cells, the battery cell group being arranged along a predetermined surface in the vehicle body;
a heat exchange plate disposed along the predetermined surface in the vehicle body;
an electric motor that drives at least the first wheel using electric power supplied from the battery cell group;
A vehicle including a refrigerant circuit having at least a compressor and a condenser,
The heat exchange plate is
A first surface disposed along the predetermined surface;
a second surface opposite the first surface;
a coolant flow path for circulating a coolant between the first surface and the second surface;
a coolant flow path for circulating a coolant between the first surface and the second surface,
The refrigerant flow path has a refrigerant input portion through which the refrigerant enters the refrigerant flow path from the refrigerant circuit, and a refrigerant output portion through which the refrigerant exits the refrigerant flow path to the refrigerant circuit,
the first surface has a first region in which the battery cell group is arranged and a second region in which the battery cell group is not arranged,
The coolant flow path is configured across the first region and the second region,
The refrigerant output portion is disposed in the second region.

The heat exchange plate of the present disclosure comprises:
The car body and
A first wheel and a second wheel coupled to the vehicle body;
a battery cell group including a plurality of battery cells, the battery cell group being arranged along a predetermined surface in the vehicle body;
an electric motor that drives at least the first wheel using electric power supplied from the battery cell group;
A heat exchange plate that can be installed in a vehicle having a refrigerant circuit having at least a compressor and a condenser,
A first surface disposed along the predetermined surface;
a second surface opposite the first surface;
a coolant flow path for circulating a coolant between the first surface and the second surface;
a coolant flow path for circulating a coolant between the first surface and the second surface,
The refrigerant flow path has a refrigerant input portion through which the refrigerant enters the refrigerant flow path from the refrigerant circuit, and a refrigerant output portion through which the refrigerant exits the refrigerant flow path to the refrigerant circuit,
the first surface has a first region in which the battery cell group is arranged and a second region in which the battery cell group is not arranged,
The coolant flow path is configured across the first region and the second region,
The refrigerant output portion is disposed in the second region.

This disclosure makes it possible to provide a vehicle and a heat exchange plate that can maintain the onboard battery at a more appropriate temperature.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a vehicle according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a left side view showing a configuration example of a vehicle according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of an electric circuit provided in a vehicle according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a battery pack according to a first embodiment; 3B is a cross-sectional view of the battery pack shown in FIG. 3A taken along line AA. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the battery pack shown in FIG. 3A taken along line B-B. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a heat exchange plate according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first configuration example of a heat exchanger plate according to a first embodiment; FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the heat exchange plate shown in FIG. 5A along the line AA. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a second configuration example of the heat exchange plate according to the first embodiment; FIG. 6B is a perspective view of the heat exchange plate shown in FIG. 6A along the line AA; FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing a configuration of a comparative heat exchange plate. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of a heat exchange plate according to the first embodiment; FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a battery cooling system including a heat exchange plate and a refrigerant circuit and a coolant circuit connected to the heat exchange plate in a second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a heat exchange plate according to a second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a coolant flow path included in a heat exchange plate according to a second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a refrigerant flow path included in a heat exchange plate according to a second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a configuration example of the vicinity of a refrigerant input portion and a refrigerant output portion in a refrigerant flow path according to a second embodiment; FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a first example of a cross section taken along line BB of FIG. 13 in accordance with the second embodiment. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a second example of the cross section taken along line BB of FIG. 13 in the second embodiment. An example of a p-h diagram for a refrigerant flowing through a refrigerant circuit and a refrigerant flow path shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 in the second embodiment FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a first modified example of the configuration of the heat exchange plate in the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a second modified example of the configuration of the heat exchange plate in the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a third modified example of the configuration of the heat exchange plate in the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a fourth modified example of the configuration of the heat exchange plate in the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a fifth modified example of the configuration of the heat exchange plate in the second embodiment. An example of a p-h diagram for a refrigerant flowing through a refrigerant circuit and a refrigerant flow path shown in FIG. 21 in the second embodiment

Below, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with appropriate reference to the drawings. However, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanation of already well-known matters and duplicate explanation of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid the following explanation becoming unnecessarily redundant and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. Note that the attached drawings and the following explanation are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

(Embodiment 1)
<Vehicle configuration>
Fig. 1A is a plan view showing a configuration example of a vehicle 1 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 1B is a left side view showing the configuration example of a vehicle 1 according to embodiment 1.

For ease of explanation, the axis extending in the height direction of the vehicle 1 is the Z-axis as shown in FIG. 1. The axis perpendicular to the Z-axis (i.e., parallel to the ground) and extending in the direction of travel of the vehicle 1 is the Y-axis. The axis perpendicular to the Y-axis and Z-axis (i.e., the axis in the width direction of the vehicle 1) is the X-axis. For ease of explanation, the positive direction of the Z-axis may be referred to as "up", the negative direction of the Z-axis as "down", the positive direction of the Y-axis as "front", the negative direction of the Y-axis as "rear", the positive direction of the X-axis as "right", and the negative direction of the X-axis as "left". These expressions are also used in other drawings that depict the XYZ axes. These expressions relating to directions are used for ease of explanation and are not intended to limit the position of the structure during actual use.

The vehicle 1 includes a body 2, wheels 3, an electric motor 4, and a battery pack 10.

The battery pack 10 is accommodated in the vehicle body 2. The battery pack 10 has a plurality of battery modules 30 (see FIG. 3A) that can be charged and discharged. Hereinafter, the plurality of battery modules 30 in the battery pack 10 are referred to as a battery module group 31. An example of the battery module 30 is a lithium ion battery. The battery module group 31 supplies (discharges) stored electric power to the electric motor 4 and the like. The battery module group 31 may store (charge) electric power generated by the electric motor 4 using regenerative energy. The battery pack 10 may be accommodated under the floor in the center of the vehicle body 2, as shown in FIG. 1. The battery pack 10 will be described in detail later.

The wheels 3 are coupled to the vehicle body 2. Although Figs. 1A and 1B show a car with four wheels 3, the vehicle 1 may have at least one wheel 3. For example, the vehicle 1 may be a motorcycle with two wheels 3, or a vehicle with three or five or more wheels 3. One of the wheels 3 of the vehicle 1 may be referred to as the first wheel 3a, and one of the wheels 3 other than the first wheel 3a may be referred to as the second wheel 3b. The first wheel 3a may be the front wheel of the vehicle 1, and the second wheel 3b may be the rear wheel of the vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 can move in a predetermined direction (for example, forward and backward) by the first wheel 3a and the second wheel 3b.

The electric motor 4 drives at least one wheel 3 (e.g., the first wheel 3a) using power supplied from the battery module group 31. The vehicle 1 includes at least one electric motor 4. The vehicle 1 may be configured such that the electric motor 4 drives the front wheels (i.e., front-wheel drive). Alternatively, the vehicle 1 may be configured such that the electric motor 4 drives the rear wheels (i.e., rear-wheel drive), or such that the electric motor 4 drives both the front and rear wheels (i.e., four-wheel drive). Alternatively, the vehicle 1 may be configured such that multiple electric motors 4 each individually drive a wheel 3. The electric motor 4 may be installed in a motor room (engine room) located at the front of the vehicle 1.

<Electric circuit configuration>
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of an electric circuit provided in the vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment.

The battery pack 10 including the battery module group 31 has a high-voltage connector and a low-voltage connector. In this disclosure, the high-voltage connector and the low-voltage connector are referred to as electrical connectors without distinction.

A high-voltage distributor may be connected to the high-voltage connector. A drive inverter, a compressor, an HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning), an on-board charger, and a quick-charge port may be connected to the high-voltage distributor. A CAN (Controller Area Network) and a 12V power supply system may be connected to the low-voltage connector.

The electric motor 4 may be connected to the drive inverter. That is, the power output from the battery module group 31 may be supplied to the electric motor 4 via a high-voltage connector, a high-voltage distributor, and the drive inverter.

<Battery pack configuration>
Fig. 3A is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the battery pack 10 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the battery pack 10 shown in Fig. 3A. Fig. 3C is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of the battery pack shown in Fig. 3A.

The battery pack 10 includes a housing 20, a battery module group 31, and a heat exchange plate 100. The housing 20 houses the battery module group 31 and the heat exchange plate 100.

The heat exchange plate 100 has, for example, a flat, approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape. The heat exchange plate 100 may be read as a heat exchanger. As shown in Figs. 3B and 3C, the heat exchange plate 100 includes a first planar member 101 arranged along a predetermined surface, a second planar member 102 arranged along a predetermined surface, and a third planar member 103 arranged along a predetermined surface. The predetermined surface may be the floor surface of the vehicle body 2. The first planar member 101, the second planar member 102, and the third planar member 103 may be made of metal, for example, aluminum. However, the first planar member 101, the second planar member 102, and the third planar member 103 are not limited to being made of metal, and may be made of other materials.

At least a portion of the second planar member 102 is disposed between the first planar member 101 and the third planar member 103. The battery module group 31 is disposed on the opposite side of the second planar member 102 with respect to the first planar member 101. In other words, the third planar member 103, the second planar member 102, and the first planar member 101 are disposed in order of proximity to the floor surface of the vehicle body 2.

The heat exchange plate 100 has a cooling liquid layer 200 that circulates the cooling liquid between the first planar member 101 and the second planar member 102, and a refrigerant layer 300 that circulates the refrigerant between the second planar member 102 and the third planar member 103. The heat exchange plate 100 exchanges heat between at least the battery module group 31 and the cooling liquid via the first planar member 101. The heat exchange plate 100 also exchanges heat between at least the cooling liquid in the cooling liquid layer 200 and the refrigerant in the refrigerant layer 300 via the second planar member 102. An example of the cooling liquid is an antifreeze liquid containing ethylene glycol. An example of the refrigerant is HFC (hydrofluorocarbon).

In this embodiment, the heat exchange plate 100 is configured such that the cooling liquid layer 200 is disposed on the refrigerant layer 300. However, the heat exchange plate 100 may be configured such that the refrigerant layer 300 is disposed on the cooling liquid layer 200. The cooling liquid layer 200 may be read as a cooling liquid plate. The refrigerant layer 300 may be read as a refrigerant plate. Details of the configuration of the heat exchange plate 100, as well as the configurations of the cooling liquid layer 200 and the refrigerant layer 300 will be described later.

The heat exchange plate 100 has a coolant input section 121, a coolant output section 122, a refrigerant input section 131, and a refrigerant output section 132 on the front surface 110F, which is the surface facing the traveling direction of the vehicle 1.

The cooling liquid input section 121 is an inlet for inputting cooling liquid from outside the heat exchange plate 100 to the cooling liquid layer 200. The cooling liquid output section 122 is an outlet for outputting cooling liquid from the cooling liquid layer 200 to outside the heat exchange plate 100.

The refrigerant input section 131 is an inlet for inputting the refrigerant from outside the heat exchange plate 100 to the refrigerant layer 300. The refrigerant output section 132 is an outlet for outputting the refrigerant from the refrigerant layer 300 to outside the heat exchange plate 100.

<Details of heat exchange plate configuration>
Fig. 4 is a plan view showing a configuration example of the heat exchanger plate 100 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 5A is a perspective view showing a first configuration example of the heat exchanger plate 100 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 5B is a perspective view of the A-A cross section of the heat exchanger plate 100 shown in Fig. 5A. Fig. 6A is a perspective view showing a second configuration example of the heat exchanger plate 100 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 6B is a perspective view of the A-A cross section of the heat exchanger plate 100 shown in Fig. 6A. Fig. 7 is a sectional perspective view showing the configuration of a comparative heat exchanger plate.

As shown in FIG. 4, the heat exchange plate 100 has a wall portion 150 that forms at least a part of the flow path of the cooling liquid in the cooling liquid layer 200.

At least a portion of the wall 150 of the cooling liquid layer 200 may be arranged along a predetermined direction along a predetermined surface in the cooling liquid layer 200. The predetermined surface may be the floor surface of the vehicle body 2. The predetermined direction of the wall 150 may be a direction (e.g., the Y-axis direction) corresponding to the traveling direction in which the vehicle body can travel by the first wheel 3a and the second wheel 3b. However, the predetermined direction of the wall 150 is not limited to the traveling direction, and may be, for example, a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction (i.e., the left-right direction when facing the traveling direction).

As shown in FIG. 4, the wall portion 150 may have a first wall surface 151, a second wall surface 152 opposite the first wall surface 151, and an end surface 153 connecting the first wall surface 151 and the second wall surface 152. In the cooling liquid layer 200, the cooling liquid may flow in from the cooling liquid input portion 121, proceed along the first wall surface 151, then proceed along the end surface 153, then proceed along the second wall surface 152, and flow out from the cooling liquid output portion 122.

As shown in Figures 5A, 5B, 6A, and 6B, at least a part of the wall 150 of the cooling liquid layer 200 may be composed of a first convex portion 161 protruding from the first planar member 101 toward the second planar member 102, and a second convex portion 162 protruding from the second planar member 102 toward the first planar member 101. The first convex portion 161 may be formed by pressing the first planar member 101. The second convex portion 162 may be formed by pressing the second planar member 102. That is, the first convex portion 161 and the second convex portion 162 may be combined with each other to form at least a part of the wall 150 of the cooling liquid layer 200. The position of the first convex portion 161 will be described later.

The refrigerant flow path in the refrigerant layer 300 may be determined by the shape of the third planar member 103. The refrigerant flow path may be formed by pressing the third planar member 103.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the refrigerant flow path may be composed of at least two refrigerant flow paths (hereinafter referred to as an input refrigerant flow path 301 and an output refrigerant flow path 302) extending in the same direction as a predetermined direction (e.g., the Y-axis direction) of the wall portion 150, and a plurality of refrigerant flow paths (hereinafter referred to as branch refrigerant flow paths 303) connecting the input refrigerant flow path 301 and the output refrigerant flow path 302. The input refrigerant flow path 301 may be connected to the refrigerant input section 131, and the output refrigerant flow path 302 may be connected to the refrigerant output section 132. Hereinafter, the two adjacent branch refrigerant flow paths 303 may be referred to as a first refrigerant flow path 303A and a second refrigerant flow path 303B, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 4, at least a portion of the wall 150 of the cooling liquid layer 200 and at least a portion of the first refrigerant flow path 303A may intersect at a first intersection 171 when viewed from the normal direction of a predetermined surface (e.g., the floor surface of the vehicle body 2). At least a portion of the wall 150 of the cooling liquid layer 200 and at least a portion of the second refrigerant flow path 303B may intersect at a second intersection 172 when viewed from the normal direction of a predetermined surface (e.g., the floor surface of the vehicle body 2).

The first convex portion 161 of the first planar member 101 may be arranged to correspond to an intersection where at least a portion of the wall portion 150 of the cooling liquid layer 200 intersects with at least a portion of the refrigerant flow path. For example, the first convex portion 161 may be arranged between the first intersection 171 and the second intersection 172. In this case, the first convex portion 161 may be arranged at a position that does not correspond to one of the multiple battery modules 30.

Next, referring to FIG. 7, we will explain the problem that occurs when the first convex portion 161 is not formed, and further, referring to FIG. 5A, FIG. 5B, FIG. 6A, and FIG. 6B, we will explain an example of a wall portion 150 formed by the first convex portion 161 and the second convex portion 162.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the wall portion 150 is formed by pressing only the second planar member 102, the refrigerant flowing through the branch refrigerant flow path 303 (first refrigerant flow path 303A) passes through the internal space of the wall portion 150 and flows into the adjacent branch refrigerant flow path 303 (second refrigerant flow path 303B). In this case, the cooling effect targeted by the design of the refrigerant flow path cannot be obtained.

5A and 5B, a first convex portion 161 is formed on the first planar member 101 so as to constitute a part of the wall portion 150 of the cooling liquid layer 200 between a first intersection 171 (see FIG. 4) where the first refrigerant flow path 303A and the wall portion 150 of the cooling liquid layer 200 intersect, and a second intersection 172 (see FIG. 4) where the second refrigerant flow path 303B and the wall portion 150 of the cooling liquid layer 200 intersect. Then, when forming the second convex portion 162 of the second planar member 102, the portion facing the first convex portion 161 is not extruded. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5B, the second convex portion 162 of the second planar member 102 and the first convex portion 161 of the first planar member 101 fit snugly together to form a part of the wall portion 150 of the cooling liquid layer 200. In addition, the internal space of the wall portion 150 that connects the first refrigerant flow path 303A to the second refrigerant flow path 303B is divided by the first convex portion 161 formed between the first intersection 171 and the second intersection 172. This prevents the refrigerant flowing through the first refrigerant flow path 303A from passing through the internal space of the wall portion 150 and flowing into the second refrigerant flow path 303B, or prevents the refrigerant flowing through the second refrigerant flow path 303B from passing through the internal space of the wall portion 150 and flowing into the first refrigerant flow path 303A.

6A and 6B, the first convex portion 161 may be formed on the first planar member 101 so as to constitute a part of the wall portion 150 of the cooling liquid layer 200 at the first intersection 171 where the first refrigerant flow path 303A and the wall portion 150 of the cooling liquid intersect. For example, the first convex portion 161 is formed on the first planar member 101 so as to be equal to or greater than the width in the Y-axis direction of the first refrigerant flow path 303A at the first intersection 171. Then, when forming the second convex portion 162 of the second planar member 102, the portion facing the first convex portion 161 is not extruded. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6B, the second convex portion 162 of the second planar member 102 and the first convex portion 161 of the first planar member 101 fit together to form the wall portion 150 of the cooling liquid layer 200. In addition, the portion on the first intersection 171 where the first refrigerant flow path 303A connects to the internal space of the wall portion 150 is blocked by the first protrusion 161. This prevents the refrigerant flowing through the first refrigerant flow path 303A from passing through the internal space of the wall portion 150 and flowing into the second refrigerant flow path 303B, or prevents the refrigerant flowing through the second refrigerant flow path 303B from passing through the internal space of the wall portion 150 and flowing into the first refrigerant flow path 303A. The second intersection 172 and other intersections may be configured in a similar manner.

The first convex portion 161 may be formed in a portion of the first planar member 101 where the battery module 30 is not arranged. If the first convex portion 161 is formed in a portion of the first planar member 101 where the battery module 30 is arranged, the area of the first planar member 101 in contact with the bottom surface of the battery module 30 will be reduced, and the cooling effect of the battery module 30 may be reduced.

<Modification>
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a modification of the heat exchanger plate 100 according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 8, the wall portion 150 of the cooling liquid layer 200 may be formed by the first convex portion 161 formed on the first planar member 101 without forming the second convex portion 162 on the second planar member 102. In this case, the internal space of the wall portion 150 that connects two adjacent branched refrigerant flow paths 303 as described above is not formed.

However, as shown in FIG. 8(a), when the battery module 30 is placed on the first convex portion 161 of the first planar member 101, the area of the first planar member 101 in contact with the bottom surface of the battery module 30 is reduced, as described above, and the cooling effect of the battery module 30 may be reduced. Therefore, in a modified example of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the first convex portion 161 of the first planar member 101 may be formed so that the battery module 30 can be placed while avoiding the first convex portion 161 of the first planar member 101. This makes it possible to prevent the area of the first planar member 101 in contact with the bottom surface of the battery module 30 from being reduced. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cooling effect of the battery module 30 from being reduced.

(Embodiment 2)
In the second embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the components already described in the first embodiment, and the description thereof may be omitted. Also, the content of the second embodiment can be combined with the content of the first embodiment.

The configuration of the heat exchange plate 100 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 15. The heat exchange plate 100 is mounted on the vehicle 1 as described in the first embodiment. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a battery cooling system including the heat exchange plate 100 and the refrigerant circuit 50 and the coolant circuit 40 connected to the heat exchange plate 100. Figure 10 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of the heat exchange plate 100. Figure 11 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of the coolant flow path 210 included in the heat exchange plate 100. Figure 12 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of the refrigerant flow path 310 included in the heat exchange plate 100. Figure 13 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration near the refrigerant input section 131 and the refrigerant output section 132 in the refrigerant flow path 310. Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a first example of the B-B cross section of Figure 13. Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view showing a second example of the B-B cross section of Figure 13. Note that Figures 9 to 12 and Figures 17 to 21 described below are plan views of the heat exchange plate 100 viewed from bottom to top (from the negative direction of the Z axis to the positive direction of the Z axis).

The vehicle 1 includes a coolant circuit 40 having at least a pump 41. The coolant circuit 40 may further include a reservoir tank 42. The coolant circuit 40 is connected to the coolant layer 200 of the heat exchange plate 100. The coolant circulates through the coolant circuit 40 and the coolant layer 200.

The vehicle 1 includes a refrigerant circuit 50 having at least a compressor 51 and a condenser 52. The refrigerant circuit 50 may further include an air conditioning evaporator 53 for the vehicle interior. The refrigerant circuit 50 is connected to the refrigerant layer 300 of the heat exchange plate 100. The refrigerant circulates through the refrigerant circuit 50 and the refrigerant layer 300.

The heat exchange plate 100 has a first surface 181 arranged along a predetermined plane, and a second surface 182 opposite the first surface 181. In this embodiment, the first surface 181 is described as the upper surface, and the second surface 182 is described as the lower surface. However, the first surface 181 may be the lower surface, and the second surface 182 may be the upper surface. The predetermined surface may also be the floor surface of the vehicle body 2.

The heat exchange plate 100 has a cooling liquid layer 200 that circulates a cooling liquid between the first surface 181 and the second surface 182. In addition, the heat exchange plate 100 has a refrigerant layer 300 that circulates a refrigerant between the first surface 181 and the second surface 182. In this embodiment, a configuration in which the cooling liquid layer 200 is provided on the refrigerant layer 300 is described. However, a configuration in which the cooling liquid layer 200 is provided on the cooling liquid layer 200 may also be used.

The first surface 181 has a first region where the battery cell group 32 is arranged and a second region where the battery cell group 32 is not arranged. That is, the battery cell group 32 does not need to be arranged in the second region of the first surface 181. The first region and the second region may be regions when viewed from the normal direction of a predetermined surface (e.g., the floor surface of the vehicle body 2). Note that in this embodiment, the battery cell group 32 is described as being arranged in the first region, but a configuration in which a battery module group 31 including the battery cell group 32 is arranged in the first region may also be used. In addition, a battery pack 10 may be formed by including multiple battery module groups 31.

The refrigerant layer 300 has a refrigerant input section 131 through which the refrigerant enters the refrigerant layer 300 from the refrigerant circuit 50, and a refrigerant output section 132 through which the refrigerant exits the refrigerant layer 300 to the refrigerant circuit 50.

The coolant layer 200 has a coolant input section 121 through which the coolant enters the coolant layer 200 from the coolant circuit 40, and a coolant output section 122 through which the coolant exits the coolant layer 200 to the coolant circuit 40.

At least one of the coolant input section 121 and the coolant output section 122 is arranged in the second region.

The refrigerant flow path 310 in the refrigerant layer 300 is configured across the first region and the second region.

As shown in Figures 13 to 15, the refrigerant input section 131 and the refrigerant output section 132 are connected to the refrigerant layer 300 by a refrigerant flange 401. The refrigerant flange 401 may be joined to a plate 402 that separates the refrigerant layer 300 and the cooling liquid layer 200 as shown in Figure 14, or may be joined to a plate that constitutes the upper surface (first surface 181) of the cooling liquid layer 200 as shown in Figure 15. As shown in Figures 14 and 15, the refrigerant output section 132 is disposed in the second region. In addition, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, the refrigerant input section 131 may be disposed in a position in the second region closer to the first region than the refrigerant output section 132.

For example, the refrigerant flow path 310 in the refrigerant layer 300 includes a first refrigerant flow path 311 connected to the refrigerant input section 131, a plurality of branched refrigerant flow paths 315 branching from the first refrigerant flow path 311, a second refrigerant flow path 312 where the plurality of branched refrigerant flow paths 315 merge, and a third refrigerant flow path 313 connected from the second refrigerant flow path 312 to the refrigerant output section 132. Here, at least a portion of the third refrigerant flow path 313 is included in the second region.

For example, the coolant flow path 210 in the coolant layer 200 has a first coolant flow path 211 connected to the coolant input unit 121 and arranged along a predetermined direction, and a second coolant flow path 212 connected to the first coolant flow path 211, arranged along a predetermined direction, and connected to the coolant output unit 122. The predetermined direction may be the traveling direction of the vehicle 1. At least a portion of the first coolant flow path 211 may cross (e.g., perpendicular to) at least a portion of the branched refrigerant flow path 315 in the second region when viewed from the normal direction of a predetermined surface (e.g., the floor surface of the vehicle body 2). At least a portion of the second coolant flow path 212 may cross (e.g., perpendicular to) at least a portion of the branched refrigerant flow path 315 in the second region when viewed from the normal direction of the predetermined surface.

According to the above-mentioned configuration, in the second region that is not subjected to the thermal load from the battery cell group 32, heat exchange is possible between the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path 310 and the cooling liquid flowing through the cooling liquid flow path 210.

For example, the minimum temperature of the coolant in the first region is T1, and the temperature rise of the coolant due to flowing through the coolant circuit 40 on the outside of the heat exchange plate 100 is T2. In this case, it is possible to lower the temperature of the coolant in the second region to T1-T2. In other words, the minimum temperature of the coolant in the second region may be T1-T2. As a result, by appropriately configuring the second region that is not subjected to the thermal load from the battery cell group 32 and controlling the heat exchange in the second region, the minimum temperature of the coolant in the first region can be made more appropriate. Therefore, the battery cell group 32 arranged in the first region can be made to have a more appropriate temperature.

In addition, at least one of heat transfer fins and heat transfer ribs may be provided in the refrigerant flow path 310 to promote heat exchange. Also, at least one of heat transfer fins and heat transfer ribs may be provided in the portion of the cooling liquid flow path 210 adjacent to the refrigerant flow path 310 to promote heat exchange.

Figure 16 shows an example of a p-h diagram for the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit 50 and the refrigerant flow path 310 shown in Figures 9 and 10. In the p-h diagram shown in Figure 16, the vertical axis indicates pressure and the horizontal axis indicates specific enthalpy. As described above, Figure 16 is a p-h diagram for a configuration in which the refrigerant output section 132 is disposed in the second region, and the refrigerant input section 131 is disposed in a position in the second region closer to the first region than the refrigerant output section 132.

For example, as shown in FIG. 16, in the first region, the refrigerant temperature drops from 20 degrees to 10 degrees, and the refrigerant pressure drops from 0.47 MPaG to 0.31 MPaG. Then, for example, in the second region, the refrigerant temperature further drops from 10 degrees to 5 degrees, and the refrigerant pressure drops from 0.31 MPaG to 0.25 MPaG.

As shown in the configuration of the refrigerant flow path 310 in FIG. 12, the pressure of the refrigerant can drop due to pressure loss in the downstream portion of the refrigerant flow path 310. If the downstream portion of the refrigerant flow path 310 were located in the first region, a local temperature drop could occur in the first region. In contrast, in this embodiment, the downstream portion of the refrigerant flow path 310 is located in the second region. This makes it possible to prevent a local temperature drop in the first region.

In addition, in the most downstream portion of the refrigerant flow path 310 (for example, near the refrigerant output section 132), the refrigerant may gasify and cause a temperature rise. If the most downstream portion of the refrigerant flow path 310 were located in the first region, a local temperature rise may occur in the first region. In contrast, in this embodiment, the most downstream portion of the refrigerant flow path 310 is located in the second region. This makes it possible to prevent a local temperature rise in the first region.

If dry-out is promoted in the first region, a temperature rise may occur in the first region. In contrast, in this embodiment, dry-out can be promoted in the second region. This allows the superheat of the refrigerant output section 132 (i.e., the evaporator outlet) to be secured without a temperature rise in the first region, and the flow rate of the refrigerant can be increased. For example, a thermal expansion valve (TXV (Thermal Expansion Valve)) may be provided near the refrigerant output section 132 of the second region, and the thermal expansion valve may operate to detect the temperature of the refrigerant near the refrigerant output section 132 of the second region (i.e., the outlet of the second region) at point P in FIG. 16 and adjust the flow rate of the refrigerant according to the detected temperature. For example, the thermal expansion valve may operate to increase the flow rate of the refrigerant when the detected temperature of the refrigerant is higher than a predetermined first threshold. Also, the thermal expansion valve may operate to reduce the flow rate of the refrigerant when the detected temperature of the refrigerant is lower than a predetermined second threshold.

Figure 17 is a plan view showing a first modified example of the configuration of the heat exchange plate 100.

As shown in FIG. 17, the first surface 181 of the heat exchange plate 100 may further have a third region on the opposite side of the first region from the second region, where the battery cell group 32 is not arranged. The refrigerant flow path 310 in the refrigerant layer 300 may be configured across the first region, the second region, and the third region.

For example, the end of the first refrigerant flow path 311 opposite the refrigerant input section 131 may be extended to the third region, and a fourth refrigerant flow path 314 may be provided in the third region that connects the end to the second refrigerant flow path 312.

The refrigerant does not flow easily in the part of the refrigerant flow path 310 far from the refrigerant input section 131, and the temperature of the coolant at the turn-around point from the first coolant flow path 211 to the second coolant flow path 212 tends to rise. In contrast, with the configuration shown in FIG. 17, in the third region that is not subjected to the thermal load of the battery cell group 32, heat exchange is possible between the refrigerant flowing through the fourth refrigerant flow path 314 and the coolant flowing at the turn-around point from the first coolant flow path 211 to the second coolant flow path 212. Therefore, the coolant is cooled in the third region, improving the uniformity of the coolant temperature.

Figure 18 is a plan view showing a second modified example of the configuration of the heat exchange plate 100.

As shown in FIG. 18, the refrigerant flow path 310 in the refrigerant layer 300 may further include a throttling section 403 between the second refrigerant flow path 312 and the third refrigerant flow path 313 to throttle the flow rate of the refrigerant. The pressure of the refrigerant in the third refrigerant flow path 313 may be lower than the pressure of the refrigerant in the second refrigerant flow path 312. This can further reduce the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the second region.

Figure 19 is a plan view showing a third modified example of the configuration of the heat exchange plate 100.

The heat exchange plate 100 may have a heat conducting member having a first thermal conductivity disposed between the battery cell group 32 and the heat exchange plate 100 in at least a portion of the first region of the heat exchange plate 100. In addition, the heat exchange plate 100 may have a heat insulating member 404 having a second thermal conductivity in at least a portion of the second region of the heat exchange plate 100 as shown in FIG. 19. The first thermal conductivity may be greater than the second thermal conductivity. For example, the first thermal conductivity may be 100 times or more greater than the second thermal conductivity.

In this way, by providing the insulating member 404 in at least a portion of the second region, it is possible to prevent condensation water from occurring in the second region, which becomes cold. In addition, by providing the insulating member 404 in at least a portion of the second region, it is possible to prevent condensation water occurring in the second region from approaching the high-voltage system that outputs the power of the battery cell group 32.

Figure 20 is a plan view showing a fourth modified example of the configuration of the heat exchange plate 100.

As shown in FIG. 20, the heat exchange plate 100 may further include a condensed water recovery section 405 in the second region of the heat exchange plate 100 for recovering condensed water generated in the portion of the heat exchange plate 100 including the second region.

As a result, condensed water that may occur in the second region, which becomes cold, is collected in the condensed water collection section 405, preventing the condensed water generated in the second region from approaching the high-voltage system that outputs the power of the battery cell group 32.

In addition, the condensed water recovery unit 405 may be configured to discharge the recovered condensed water into a condensed water storage unit (not shown) provided outside the battery pack 10. The moisture stored in the condensed water storage unit may be adsorbable by a desiccant.

The configurations shown in Figs. 18, 19, and 20 can be combined as appropriate. For example, the heat exchange plate 100 may be configured to include at least two of the constriction section 403 shown in Fig. 18, the heat insulating member 404 shown in Fig. 19, and the condensed water recovery section 405 shown in Fig. 29.

Figure 21 is a plan view showing a fifth modified example of the configuration of the heat exchange plate 100. Figure 22 shows an example of a p-h diagram for the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit 50 and the refrigerant flow path 310 shown in Figure 21. In the p-h diagram shown in Figure 21, the vertical axis indicates pressure and the horizontal axis indicates specific enthalpy.

21, the refrigerant flow path 310 in the refrigerant layer 300 of the heat exchange plate 100 may include a third refrigerant flow path 313 connected to the refrigerant input section 131, a second refrigerant flow path 312 connected to the third refrigerant flow path 313 and arranged along a predetermined direction, a plurality of branched refrigerant flow paths 315 branching from the second refrigerant flow path 312, and a first refrigerant flow path 311 in which the plurality of branched refrigerant flow paths 315 join and connect to the refrigerant output section 132. At least a portion of the third refrigerant flow path 313 may be included in the second region. That is, the refrigerant flowing in from the refrigerant input section 131 flows in the order of the third refrigerant flow path 313, the second refrigerant flow path 312, the branched refrigerant flow path 315, and the first refrigerant flow path 311, and flows out from the refrigerant output section 132.

Due to pressure loss in the refrigerant flow path 310, the temperature of the refrigerant tends to decrease from the refrigerant input section 131 to the refrigerant output section 132, so the refrigerant temperature may have the following relationship:

Temperature of the refrigerant at the refrigerant input section 131 > Temperature of the cooling liquid at the cooling liquid input section 121 > Temperature of the cooling liquid at the cooling liquid output section 122 > Temperature of the refrigerant at the refrigerant output section 132

In this case, according to the configuration shown in FIG. 21, the refrigerant that has entered the refrigerant flow path 310 exchanges heat with the cooling liquid in the second region, and as shown in FIG. 22, the refrigerant is cooled, so that the cooling efficiency in the first region can be improved.

The heat exchange plate 100 shown in FIG. 21 may be appropriately combined with the configurations shown in FIG. 18, FIG. 19, and FIG. 20. For example, the heat exchange plate 100 shown in FIG. 21 may be configured to include at least one of the constriction section 403 shown in FIG. 18, the heat insulating member 404 shown in FIG. 19, and the condensed water recovery section 405 shown in FIG. 29.

Although the embodiments have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications, corrections, substitutions, additions, deletions, and equivalents within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the components in the above-described embodiments may be combined in any manner as long as it does not deviate from the spirit of the invention.

The technology disclosed herein is useful for regulating the temperature of vehicle batteries.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 vehicle 2 vehicle body 3 wheel 3a first wheel 3b second wheel 4 electric motor 10 battery pack 20 housing 30 battery module 31 battery module group 32 battery cell group 40 coolant circuit 41 pump 42 reservoir tank 50 refrigerant circuit 51 compressor 52 condenser 53 air conditioning evaporator 100 heat exchange plate 101 first planar member 102 second planar member 103 third planar member 110F front surface 121 coolant input portion 122 coolant output portion 131 refrigerant input portion 132 refrigerant output portion 150 wall portion 151 first wall surface 152 second wall surface 153 end surface 161 first convex portion 162 second convex portion 171 first intersection 172 second intersection 200 Cooling liquid layer 210 Cooling liquid flow path 211 First cooling liquid flow path 212 Second cooling liquid flow path 300 Refrigerant layer 301 Input refrigerant flow path 302 Output refrigerant flow path 303 Branch refrigerant flow path 303A First refrigerant flow path 303B Second refrigerant flow path 310 Refrigerant flow path 311 First refrigerant flow path 312 Second refrigerant flow path 313 Third refrigerant flow path 314 Fourth refrigerant flow path 315 Branch refrigerant flow path 401 Refrigerant flange 402 Plate 403 Throttle portion 404 Heat insulating member 405 Condensed water recovery portion

Claims (20)

The car body and
A first wheel and a second wheel coupled to the vehicle body;
a battery cell group including a plurality of battery cells, the battery cell group being arranged along a predetermined surface in the vehicle body;
a heat exchange plate disposed along the predetermined surface in the vehicle body;
an electric motor that drives at least the first wheel using electric power supplied from the battery cell group;
A vehicle including a refrigerant circuit having at least a compressor and a condenser,
The heat exchange plate is
A first surface disposed along the predetermined surface;
a second surface opposite the first surface;
a coolant flow path for circulating a coolant between the first surface and the second surface;
a coolant flow path for circulating a coolant between the first surface and the second surface,
The refrigerant flow path has a refrigerant input portion through which the refrigerant enters the refrigerant flow path from the refrigerant circuit, and a refrigerant output portion through which the refrigerant exits the refrigerant flow path to the refrigerant circuit,
the first surface has a first region in which the battery cell group is arranged and a second region in which the battery cell group is not arranged,
The coolant flow path is configured across the first region and the second region,
The refrigerant output portion is disposed in the second region.
vehicle. 2. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1,
The refrigerant input portion is disposed in the second region closer to the first region than the refrigerant output portion.
vehicle. A vehicle according to claim 1 or 2,
The vehicle includes a coolant circuit having at least a pump;
the coolant flow path has a coolant input from the coolant circuit into the coolant flow path and a coolant output from the coolant flow path into the coolant circuit;
At least one of the coolant input portion and the coolant output portion is disposed in the second region.
vehicle. A vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
a heat conducting member having a first thermal conductivity and disposed between the battery cell group and the heat exchange plate in at least a portion of the first region of the heat exchange plate;
a heat insulating member having a second thermal conductivity in at least a portion of the second region of the heat exchange plate;
the first thermal conductivity is greater than the second thermal conductivity;
vehicle. A vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The second region of the heat exchange plate further includes a condensed water recovery section that recovers condensed water generated in a portion of the heat exchange plate including the second region.
vehicle. A vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
the first surface further includes a third region on an opposite side of the first region from the second region, the third region being a region in which the battery cell group is not disposed,
The coolant flow path is configured across the first region, the second region, and the third region.
vehicle. A vehicle according to any one of claims 3 to 6,
The refrigerant flow path is
A first refrigerant flow path connected to the refrigerant input portion;
A plurality of branch refrigerant flow paths branched from the first refrigerant flow path;
a second refrigerant flow path in which the plurality of branched refrigerant flow paths join;
a third refrigerant flow path connecting the second refrigerant flow path to the refrigerant output portion,
At least a portion of the third refrigerant flow path is included in the second region.
vehicle. A vehicle as claimed in claim 7,
The refrigerant flow path further includes a throttle portion between the second refrigerant flow path and the third refrigerant flow path for throttling a flow rate of the refrigerant.
vehicle. 9. A vehicle according to claim 8,
The pressure of the refrigerant in the third refrigerant flow path is lower than the pressure of the refrigerant in the second refrigerant flow path.
vehicle. A vehicle according to any one of claims 7 to 9,
The cooling fluid flow path includes:
a first coolant flow passage connected to the coolant input portion and arranged along a predetermined direction;
a second coolant flow path connected to the first coolant flow path, arranged along the predetermined direction, and connected to a coolant output port;
At least a portion of the first coolant flow passage intersects at least a portion of the branch coolant flow passage in the second region when viewed from a normal direction of the predetermined plane,
At least a portion of the second coolant flow path intersects at least a portion of the branch refrigerant flow path in the second region when viewed from a normal direction of the predetermined plane.
vehicle. The car body and
A first wheel and a second wheel coupled to the vehicle body;
a battery cell group including a plurality of battery cells, the battery cell group being arranged along a predetermined surface in the vehicle body;
an electric motor that drives at least the first wheel using electric power supplied from the battery cell group;
A heat exchange plate that can be installed in a vehicle having a refrigerant circuit having at least a compressor and a condenser,
A first surface disposed along the predetermined surface;
a second surface opposite the first surface;
a coolant flow path for circulating a coolant between the first surface and the second surface;
a coolant flow path for circulating a coolant between the first surface and the second surface,
The refrigerant flow path has a refrigerant input portion through which the refrigerant enters the refrigerant flow path from the refrigerant circuit, and a refrigerant output portion through which the refrigerant exits the refrigerant flow path to the refrigerant circuit,
the first surface has a first region in which the battery cell group is arranged and a second region in which the battery cell group is not arranged,
The coolant flow path is configured across the first region and the second region,
The refrigerant output portion is disposed in the second region.
Heat exchange plate. A heat exchange plate according to claim 11,
The refrigerant input portion is disposed in the second region closer to the first region than the refrigerant output portion.
Heat exchange plate. A heat exchanger plate according to claim 11 or 12,
The vehicle includes a coolant circuit having at least a pump;
the coolant flow path has a coolant input from the coolant circuit into the coolant flow path and a coolant output from the coolant flow path into the coolant circuit;
At least one of the coolant input portion and the coolant output portion is disposed in the second region.
Heat exchange plate. A heat exchanger plate according to any one of claims 11 to 13,
a heat conducting member having a first thermal conductivity and disposed between the battery cell group and the heat exchange plate in at least a portion of the first region;
a heat insulating member having a second thermal conductivity in at least a portion of the second region;
the first thermal conductivity is greater than the second thermal conductivity;
Heat exchange plate. A heat exchanger plate according to any one of claims 11 to 14,
The second region further includes a condensed water recovery section that recovers condensed water generated in a portion of the heat exchange plate including the second region.
Heat exchange plate. A heat exchanger plate according to any one of claims 11 to 15,
the first surface further includes a third region on an opposite side of the first region from the second region, the third region being a region in which the battery cell group is not disposed,
The coolant flow path is configured across the first region, the second region, and the third region.
Heat exchange plate. A heat exchanger plate according to any one of claims 13 to 16,
The refrigerant flow path is
A first refrigerant flow path connected to the refrigerant input portion;
A plurality of branch refrigerant flow paths branched from the first refrigerant flow path;
a second refrigerant flow path in which the plurality of branched refrigerant flow paths join;
a third refrigerant flow path connecting the second refrigerant flow path to the refrigerant output portion,
At least a portion of the third refrigerant flow path is included in the second region.
Heat exchange plate. 18. A heat exchange plate according to claim 17,
The refrigerant flow path further includes a throttle portion between the second refrigerant flow path and the third refrigerant flow path for throttling a flow rate of the refrigerant.
Heat exchange plate. 19. A heat exchange plate according to claim 18,
The pressure of the refrigerant in the third refrigerant flow path is lower than the pressure of the refrigerant in the second refrigerant flow path.
Heat exchange plate. 20. A heat exchanger plate according to any one of claims 17 to 19,
The cooling fluid flow path includes:
a first coolant flow passage connected to the coolant input portion and arranged along a predetermined direction;
a second coolant flow path connected to the first coolant flow path, arranged along the predetermined direction, and connected to a coolant output port;
At least a portion of the first coolant flow passage intersects at least a portion of the branch coolant flow passage in the second region when viewed from a normal direction of the predetermined plane,
At least a portion of the second coolant flow path intersects at least a portion of the branch refrigerant flow path in the second region when viewed from a normal direction of the predetermined plane.
Heat exchange plate.

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