US-12626972-B2 - Heat exchanger

US12626972B2US 12626972 B2US12626972 B2US 12626972B2US-12626972-B2

Abstract

A heat exchanger for cooling battery cells includes a plurality of first heat exchange plates each including a first water jacket, and a plurality of second heat exchange plates each including a second water jacket. A second water supply inlet is disposed on the opposite side of the first water jacket and the second water jacket from a first water supply inlet in the flow direction, and a second water discharge outlet is disposed on the opposite side of the first water jacket and the second water jacket from a first water discharge outlet in the flow direction.

Inventors

Yuya Ishihara
Masataka Yoshida
Tadahiro FUKUSHIMA
Hiromitsu Sato

Assignees

HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20221229
Priority Date: 20220107

Claims (6)

1 . A heat exchanger that cools a battery cell, the heat exchanger comprising: a plurality of first heat exchange plates each including a first water jacket through which cooling water flows; and a plurality of second heat exchange plates each including a second water jacket through which the cooling water flows, wherein each of the first heat exchange plates and each of the second heat exchange plates are alternately stacked, the cooling water flows inside the first water jacket and inside the second water jacket in a first direction that is orthogonal to a stacking direction of the first heat exchange plates and the second heat exchange plates, each of the first heat exchange plates includes a first water supply inlet configured to supply the cooling water to the first water jacket, and a first water discharge outlet configured to discharge the cooling water from the first water jacket, each of the second heat exchange plates includes a second water supply inlet configured to supply the cooling water to the second water jacket, and a second water discharge outlet configured to discharge the cooling water from the second water jacket, the second water supply inlet is disposed on an opposite side of the first water jacket and the second water jacket from the first water supply inlet in the first direction, and the second water discharge outlet is disposed on an opposite side of the first water jacket and the second water jacket from the first water discharge outlet in the first direction, in the first direction, the first water discharge outlet is disposed on a same side of the first water jacket as the first water supply inlet, in a second direction that is orthogonal to the stacking direction and the first direction, the first water supply inlet and the first water discharge outlet are disposed at different positions, in the first direction, the second water discharge outlet is disposed on a same side of the second water jacket as the second water supply inlet, and in the second direction, the second water supply inlet and the second water discharge outlet are disposed at different positions.
2 . The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the first heat exchange plates each include a first turn header configured to cause the cooling water flowing from the first water supply inlet to flow toward the first water discharge outlet, the first turn header is disposed on an opposite side of the first water jacket from the first water supply inlet and the first water discharge outlet in the first direction, the first turn header is formed in a curved surface shape protruding toward an outer side of the first heat exchange plate in the first direction, the second heat exchange plates each include a second turn header configured to cause the cooling water flowing from the second water supply inlet to flow toward the second water discharge outlet, the second turn header is disposed on an opposite side of the second water jacket from the second water supply inlet and the second water discharge outlet in the first direction, and the second turn header is formed in a curved surface shape protruding toward an outer side of the second heat exchange plate in the first direction.
3 . A heat exchanger that cools a battery cell, the heat exchanger comprising: a plurality of first heat exchange plates each including a first water jacket through which cooling water flows; and a plurality of second heat exchange plates each including a second water jacket through which the cooling water flows, wherein each of the first heat exchange plates and each of the second heat exchange plates are alternately stacked, the cooling water flows inside the first water jacket and inside the second water jacket in a flow direction that is orthogonal to a stacking direction of the first heat exchange plates and the second heat exchange plates, each of the first heat exchange plates includes a first water supply inlet configured to supply the cooling water to the first water jacket, and a first water discharge outlet configured to discharge the cooling water from the first water jacket, each of the second heat exchange plates includes a second water supply inlet configured to supply the cooling water to the second water jacket, and a second water discharge outlet configured to discharge the cooling water from the second water jacket, the second water supply inlet is disposed on an opposite side of the first water jacket and the second water jacket from the first water supply inlet in the flow direction, the second water discharge outlet is disposed on an opposite side of the first water jacket and the second water jacket from the first water discharge outlet in the flow direction, the first water supply inlet of each of the first heat exchange plates includes a first water supply connection portion configured to be inserted into the first water supply inlet of another one of the first heat exchange plates, the first water discharge outlet of each of the first heat exchange plates includes a first water discharge connection portion configured to be inserted into the first water discharge outlet of another one of the first heat exchange plates, the second water supply inlet of each of the second heat exchange plates includes a second water supply connection portion configured to be inserted into the second water supply inlet of another one of the second heat exchange plates, and the second water discharge outlet of each of the second heat exchange plates includes a second water discharge connection portion configured to be inserted into the second water discharge outlet of another one of the second heat exchange plates.
4 . The heat exchanger according to claim 2 , wherein the first turn header includes a first recess portion that engages the second water supply inlet, and a second recess portion that engages the second water discharge outlet, and the second turn header includes a third recess portion that engages the first water supply inlet, and a fourth recess portion that engages the first water discharge outlet.
5 . The heat exchanger according to claim 4 , wherein the first recess portion and the second recess portion are provided at opposite end portions of the second turn header in the second direction, and the third recess portion and the fourth recess portion are provided at opposite end portions of the second turn header in the second direction.
6 . The heat exchanger according to claim 2 , further comprising: a first water supply/discharge header that includes the first water supply inlet and the first water discharge outlet; and a second water supply/discharge header that includes the second water supply inlet and the second water discharge outlet, wherein when viewed from the stacking direction, the first turn header at least partially overlaps the second water supply/discharge header whereas the second turn header at least partially overlaps the first water supply/discharge header.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-001533 filed on Jan. 7, 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heat exchanger. Description of the Related Art JP 2013-089577 A discloses a heat exchanger for cooling battery cells. In the heat exchanger, a plurality of heat exchange plates are stacked. Cooling water flows inside each heat exchange plate. Battery cells are provided between the stacked heat exchange plates. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the heat exchanger disclosed in JP 2013-089577 A, in each heat exchange plate, a variation occurs in the temperature of the cooling water flowing inside the heat exchange plate between an upstream region and a downstream region. Therefore, there is a possibility that the battery cell cannot be sufficiently cooled depending on a region where the battery cell is in contact with each heat exchange plate. In this case, there is a problem in that the discharge performance and durability of the battery cell are reduced. An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem. According to an aspect of the present invention, provided is a heat exchanger that cools a battery cell, the heat exchanger comprising: a plurality of first heat exchange plates each including a first water jacket through which cooling water flows; and a plurality of second heat exchange plates each including a second water jacket through which the cooling water flows, wherein each of the first heat exchange plates and each of the second heat exchange plates are alternately stacked, the cooling water flows inside the first water jacket and inside the second water jacket in a flow direction that is orthogonal to a stacking direction of the first heat exchange plates and the second heat exchange plates, each of the first heat exchange plates includes a first water supply inlet configured to supply the cooling water to the first water jacket, and a first water discharge outlet configured to discharge the cooling water from the first water jacket, each of the second heat exchange plates includes a second water supply inlet configured to supply the cooling water to the second water jacket, and a second water discharge outlet configured to discharge the cooling water from the second water jacket, the second water supply inlet is disposed on an opposite side of the first water jacket and the second water jacket from the first water supply inlet in the flow direction, and the second water discharge outlet is disposed on an opposite side of the first water jacket and the second water jacket from the first water discharge outlet in the flow direction. According to the present invention, a decrease in discharge performance and durability of a battery cell can be suppressed. The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a battery module; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a battery cell; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a battery cell stack and a heat exchanger; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first heat exchange plate and a second heat exchange plate; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the battery cell stack and the heat exchanger; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the battery cell stack and the heat exchanger; FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the battery cell stack and the heat exchanger; FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the battery cell stack; FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the battery cell stack; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the battery cell stack; FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a battery frame; FIG. 12 is a side view of the battery frame; FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a first water supply inlet; FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the heat exchanger; and FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the heat exchanger. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION First Embodiment [Configuration of Battery Module] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a battery module 10. In the following description of the structure of each member constituting the battery module 10, the description will be made using the directions and orientations of the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1. Arrows indicating the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis are also illustrated in the drawings other than FIG. 1, which will be described later. The directions and orientations of the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis indicated by the arrows in the drawings other than FIG. 1 correspond to the directions and orientati