Battery Pack Adhesive Curing via Adjacent Coolant Channel Heating
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Modern automotive high voltage battery packs face challenges in accelerating the cure time of thermal interface adhesives, which are essential for joining structural components and managing thermal resistance, due to the limitations of existing global heating systems that are either inaccessible or exceed component temperature limits.
Innovation Solution
The method involves leveraging adjacent component heating using preexisting rails such as coolant system channels and battery charging lines to conductively heat the adhesives, thereby accelerating the cure process without exceeding component temperature limits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If global heating systems are used to accelerate adhesive cure, then cure time is reduced, but component temperature limits are exceeded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local heating through coolant channels positioned adjacent to the adhesive interface, directing thermal energy specifically to the adhesive region rather than heating the entire battery pack. This localized approach accelerates cure while maintaining overall component temperatures within safe limits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a thermal mediator (coolant system) that transfers heat from a heat source to the adhesive interface. The coolant acts as an intermediary, enabling controlled heat transfer to the adhesive without direct contact with high-temperature sources that could damage battery components.
2Productivity
If global heating systems are used to accelerate adhesive cure, then cure speed is improved, but system accessibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repurposes the existing coolant system, which normally serves thermal management functions, to also provide adhesive cure heating. This multi-functional use of pre-existing infrastructure enables cure acceleration without adding separate heating equipment that would reduce system accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery pack's own coolant system performs the dual function of thermal management and adhesive curing. The system serves itself by utilizing its existing fluid circulation infrastructure to provide the heating needed for adhesive cure, eliminating the need for external or dedicated heating systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach decouples the adhesive's open time from the time to fixture strength, allowing for longer open times while significantly reducing the time to achieve the target bond strength, thus enhancing manufacturing efficiency and reducing the number of banked modules.
Implementation Method 1
directing a heating fluid through the enclosed volume, thereby heating the adhesive
Implementation Method 2
directing a charging current to at least one of the first battery cell and the second battery cell, thereby heating the adhesive
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the disclosure include systems and methods that leverage adjacent component heating to accelerate the cure time of thermal interface adhesives. An exemplary method can include receiving a battery pack and a thermal management system including a cooling plate, an upper tray, and a lower tray joined to opposite surfaces of the cooling plate to define an enclosed volume therebetween. The method includes wetting an interface between the battery pack and the thermal management system with an adhesive and joining the battery pack to the thermal management system at the interface. The method includes directing a heating fluid through the enclosed volume, thereby heating the adhesive. The method includes, responsive to determining that a temperature of the adhesive has reached a target temperature, maintaining the temperature for a soak time according to a cure curve of the adhesive to achieve a target bond strength.