Integrated Battery Case Cooling Block for Lightweight Rigidity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery cases face a challenge in maintaining mechanical rigidity while reducing weight to increase energy density.
Innovation Solution
The battery case design reduces the number of members and through-pipes, while strengthening the cooling block structure to maintain mechanical rigidity, allowing for a larger number of battery cells and increased energy density.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the weight of the battery case is reduced by excluding components and changing materials, then the energy density of the battery is increased, but the mechanical rigidity of the battery case is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling block and support flange are merged into a single integrated component. The support flange is formed as an integral part of the cooling block, eliminating the need for separate support components while maintaining structural rigidity through the unified design.
Solution Approach 2:
The support flange extends in multiple directions (downward and then forward/backward) to create a three-dimensional support structure. This multi-directional extension provides structural reinforcement without adding significant weight, as the support is distributed across different spatial dimensions rather than requiring additional components.
2Device complexity
If the number of members in the battery case is reduced, then the weight of the battery case is reduced and energy density is increased, but the mechanical rigidity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functional components are merged into fewer integrated members. The cooling block incorporates the support flange, and the side members are designed as single extruded components, reducing the total number of parts while maintaining structural integrity through clever integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The side members serve multiple functions: they provide structural support, define the boundaries of the battery case, and integrate with the cooling block through the support flange. This multi-functionality allows fewer components to perform the work of many, maintaining rigidity while reducing complexity.
3Weight of moving object
If through-pipes are removed to reduce weight, then the energy density is increased, but the structural support and cooling functionality may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling channels are merged directly into the cooling block structure, eliminating the need for separate through-pipes for cooling functionality. The support flange is also merged with the cooling block, providing structural support without requiring additional pipework.
Solution Approach 2:
The unnecessary through-pipes are extracted and removed from the design. By integrating cooling channels directly into the cooling block and using the support flange for structural reinforcement, the patent eliminates redundant components that would add weight without providing sufficient functional benefit.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery case includes a cooling block configured to constitute a lower portion of a battery case. The cooling block includes an upper portion on which a battery module is seated and is configured as an extruded component having therein a cooling channel formed in a transverse direction. The cooling block also includes a support flange formed at a front or rear end thereof and extending outward. The battery case further includes a side member configured to constitute a front or rear side of the battery case, configured as an extruded component extending in the transverse direction, and configured such that a surface of the side member and a surface of the cooling block, which face each other, are joined to each other in a state in which a lower surface of the side member is seated on an upper surface of the support flange of the cooling block.