Battery Cell Case Thermal Management via Composite Coating

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Solution Overview

Problem

Secondary battery cases are susceptible to heat damage, leading to potential explosions and reduced thermal stability, and existing solutions do not effectively address the insulation resistance and cooling efficiency issues during battery module assembly.

Innovation Solution

A battery cell design featuring a case with a first and second member connected on one side, forming a close contact surface, with recess parts and sealing parts that provide different inner volumes and distances to enhance cooling efficiency and prevent heat damage to the separator and coating layer.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the case is formed of a metal layer containing mostly aluminum and a coating layer, then the case can be manufactured with good formability, but the case becomes susceptible to heat damage and has reduced thermal stability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecase formabilityVSAvoidthermal stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The case is divided into a metal layer and a separate coating layer, allowing each layer to be optimized independently. The metal layer provides formability while the coating layer provides heat resistance and insulation, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and thermal stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The case uses a composite structure combining a metal layer (aluminum) with a heat-resistant coating layer. This composite material approach allows the case to maintain good formability from the metal while gaining thermal stability and heat resistance from the coating, directly addressing the contradiction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Device complexity

If the case structure is simplified to reduce manufacturing complexity, then ease of manufacture is improved, but the ability to prevent heat damage to the separator is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecase structure complexityVSAvoidheat damage to separator
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The case structure introduces an intermediary heat-resistant coating layer between the metal layer and the battery components. This coating layer acts as a thermal barrier that protects the separator from heat damage while adding minimal structural complexity to the case design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 design minimizes heat damage to the coating layer and separator, while improving cooling efficiency by increasing the contact area between the cooling plate and the case, thereby enhancing the overall thermal stability and reliability of the battery cell.

Implementation Method 1

the first member and the second member are connected to each other at one side thereof to form an close contact surface with which the electrode assembly is brought into close contact, and are sealed along the other sides except for the one side

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSealing:

Implementation Method 2

a distance from a first boundary located inside of a portion of the first sealing part, which is sealed with the second sealing part to a first outer surface of the first recess part, which is located on the first sealing part side is longer than a distance from a second boundary located inside of the second sealing part to a second outer surface of the second recess part, which is located on the second sealing part side

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP3644389A1Battery cell and method of manufacturing the same
Publication Date: 2020.04.29 SK ON CO LTD
  • EP3644389A1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP3644389A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3644389A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention provides a battery cell and a method of manufacturing the same. In particular, since a case of the battery cell may have poor thermal resistance, the present invention provides a battery cell capable of preventing a coating layer including an insulation layer in the case and an electrode assembly from being damaged by heat, and releasing the heat generated in the battery.