Thermal Insulation Cladding for EV Battery Heat Loss and Impact Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermal management systems in vehicles, particularly battery electric vehicles, face challenges in maintaining optimal battery temperatures in harsh conditions, leading to reduced range and increased risk of thermal runaway due to the limitations of metal casings and current insulation materials.
Innovation Solution
A thermal insulation cladding comprising a thermoplastic airtight core layer with cut fibers embedded in a thermoplastic matrix, providing a high thermal resistance (R-value) and combined with skin layers and optional additional fibrous layers to enhance structural stiffness and impact protection while optimizing thermal insulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If metal casings are used for battery boxes, then impact protection and structural integrity are improved, but thermal insulation performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite structure combining a metal core layer (steel or aluminum) for impact protection with a plastic skin layer (polymer coating) for thermal insulation. This multi-layer composite material integrates the advantages of both metals (strength) and plastics (thermal insulation), resolving the contradiction between needing impact resistance and minimizing heat loss in battery boxes.
2Loss of energy
If thick metal plates are combined with fibrous or foam layers for thermal management, then thermal insulation is improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the structural function and thermal insulation function into a single integrated component. The metal core with polymer coating serves both as the structural battery box and as the thermal insulation barrier, eliminating the need for separate thick metal plates and fibrous/foam insulation layers, thus reducing system complexity while maintaining thermal insulation performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a thin plastic skin layer (polymer coating) on the metal core to provide thermal insulation. This thin film approach replaces traditional thick fibrous or foam insulation layers, achieving effective thermal management with reduced complexity and weight while maintaining the structural integrity provided by the metal core.
3Loss of energy
If compressed fibrous solutions or foam solutions are used for thermal insulation, then thermal resistance is improved, but impact resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite material system where a metal core provides impact resistance and a plastic skin layer provides thermal insulation. This composite structure resolves the contradiction by assigning different functions to different material layers: the metal core handles mechanical impact loads while the plastic coating provides the thermal barrier, avoiding the use of compressed fibrous or foam materials that would compromise impact resistance.
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 proposed thermal insulation cladding significantly reduces heat loss and enables faster temperature stabilization of battery systems, allowing for faster charging and reduced energy consumption, while also providing enhanced impact protection and structural integrity.
Implementation Method 1
The core layer comprises cut fibers embedded in a thermoplastic matrix... providing for the required impact protection and or other requirements while reducing the impact of ambient temperatures on active thermal management of the vehicle
Implementation Method 2
a thermal resistance (R-value) of the core layer being at least 0.0025 m 2.K/W
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
Thermal insulation cladding (9 for automotive applications comprising at least a thermoplastic airtight core layer comprising filaments or cut fibers embedded in a thermoplastic matrix, characterised in that the thermal resistance (R-value) of the core layer is at least 0.0025 m2.K/W per mm of thickness, and the total thermal resistance (R-value) of the thermal insulation cladding is at least between 0.004 and 0.15 m2.K/W, preferably between 0.01 and 0.04 m2.K/W, more preferably between 0.01 and 0.035 m2.K/W.