Battery Cold Plate Flow Layout for Heat Transfer and Burst Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermal management systems for battery packs in electric vehicles and buildings are inefficient, leading to reduced efficiency and range of electric vehicles and inadequate temperature control in energy storage systems.
Innovation Solution
A cold plate with a serpentine flow path and structural features that increase burst pressure threshold, featuring openings for concurrent fluid flow across opposing sides, and flanges for alignment and attachment to cell carriers, enhancing thermal management and structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a simple plate structure is used, then manufacturing is easier and device complexity is reduced, but burst pressure threshold and structural integrity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The plate is divided into multiple segments or sections with structural features distributed throughout. This segmentation allows the plate to maintain structural integrity and withstand higher burst pressures while still being manufacturable using standard processes. The structural features act as reinforcement elements that divide the plate into functional zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The plate incorporates structural features that create a composite structure, combining different material properties or structural configurations within the same component. This allows the plate to achieve higher strength and burst pressure resistance without significantly increasing manufacturing complexity, as the structural features can be integrated during the forming process.
2Temperature
If thermal fluid flow paths are extended to improve thermal management, then temperature control improves, but pressure loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow paths incorporate curved or serpentine configurations rather than straight lines. This curvature allows the thermal fluid to follow optimized paths that improve heat transfer efficiency while managing pressure loss through gradual direction changes. The curved paths increase the effective thermal contact area without proportionally increasing flow resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The plate structure incorporates localized structural features at specific positions along the flow paths. These features are strategically placed to enhance thermal management in high-heat areas while maintaining adequate flow characteristics. The local quality approach allows optimization of temperature control without uniformly increasing pressure loss throughout the entire system.
3Strength
If structural features are added to increase burst pressure threshold, then structural integrity improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The structural features are merged with the flow path design, combining structural reinforcement functions with thermal management functions in a single integrated structure. This merging reduces device complexity by eliminating the need for separate reinforcement elements while still achieving the desired burst pressure threshold.
Solution Approach 2:
The structural features serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide structural reinforcement to increase burst pressure threshold, define flow path boundaries, and potentially enhance heat transfer. This multi-functionality reduces the overall device complexity by consolidating multiple requirements into a single structural design.
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
Improves thermal management efficiency and structural integrity, thereby enhancing the performance and range of electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
Implementation Method 1
Thermally conductive structures can be used to thermally couple a cooling source to a component or other object, such as a battery cell
Implementation Method 2
a serpentine flow path for a thermal fluid from an inlet port to an outlet port
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the subject disclosure relate to various features of a cold plate for a battery module. The battery module may be implemented in an electric vehicle or in a building. The cold plate may include a middle plate that includes one or more openings at or near an fluid inlet, the openings configured to allow a cooling fluid to be introduced into the cold plate on a first side of the middle plate, and to concurrently flow on both sides of the middle plate.