Battery Block Thermal Conductance Design for Heat Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery blocks face challenges in effectively managing heat generated by high-capacity secondary cells, leading to increased risks of thermal runaway and chain reactions during abnormal heat generation, as the increased capacity of secondary cells overwhelms the heat absorption capabilities of neighboring cells.
Innovation Solution
A battery block design featuring a metal case with strategically arranged holes, where the minimum thickness section between holes satisfies specific thermal conductance ratios, ensuring efficient heat transfer and dispersion to prevent abnormal heat generation in neighboring cells, incorporating a staggered arrangement and varying thickness to optimize thermal conductivity and capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If high-capacity secondary cells are used to increase power output, then the power and energy storage capability are improved, but the heat generation increases and overwhelms the heat absorption capabilities of neighboring cells, leading to thermal runaway risks
Solution Approach 1:
A heat-absorbing material is introduced as an intermediary substance between adjacent secondary cells. This material acts as a thermal buffer that absorbs excess heat from cells experiencing abnormal heat generation, preventing direct heat transfer to neighboring cells and avoiding chain reactions while allowing high-capacity cells to operate
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal properties of the battery system are modified by introducing a material with specific heat absorption characteristics. The heat-absorbing material changes the thermal conductivity and heat capacity parameters in the spaces between cells, enabling better thermal management of high-capacity cells
2Reliability
If plastic walls are used to block radiant heat between cells, then thermal runaway prevention is improved, but the heat generated in abnormally heated cells cannot be effectively dissipated, potentially causing temperature accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the battery block are treated differently: heat-absorbing materials are placed in specific locations between cells where heat transfer is most critical, while maintaining open spaces for overall heat dissipation. This local differentiation allows simultaneous achievement of thermal runaway prevention and heat dissipation
3Temperature
If the thickness of the battery case is increased to improve heat absorption, then the heat absorption capability is improved, but the device size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heat absorption function is segmented and distributed to multiple locations between individual cells rather than concentrating it in the battery case structure. The heat-absorbing materials are placed strategically in the spaces between cells, allowing thin-walled cases while maintaining overall heat absorption capability through distributed thermal management
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
The battery block effectively disperses heat from abnormally heated high-capacity cells, preventing chain reactions and ensuring stable operation by maintaining a balance between thermal conductivity and minimum thickness, thus enhancing safety and performance.
Implementation Method 1
the heat-absorbing material that is in contact with adjacent two secondary cells
Implementation Method 2
radiant heat from transmitting from an abnormally heated secondary cell to nearby secondary cells
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a battery block that accommodates unit cells having higher capacities, and, even in case of abnormal heat generation in the unit cell, does not cause abnormal heat generation in the neighboring unit cells, thereby preventing a chain reaction of degradations and abnormalities of the accommodated unit cells. The battery block of the present invention includes a battery case having a minimum thickness section satisfying the relationship “K2/K1≧K3−1”. K1 is the thermal conductance between the battery case and the unit cell. K2 is the thermal conductance of the minimum thickness section of the battery case between two neighboring holes for accommodating the respective unit cells. K3 is a ratio between the abnormal heat temperature of a reference cell and the ambient temperature causing abnormal heat generation in this cell.