Battery Cold Plate With Variable Fin Density
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery modules in vehicles generate excessive heat due to Joule heating and chemical reactions, leading to premature aging and potential physical distortions, necessitating an effective cooling system with a large cooling surface to manage heat dissipation.
Innovation Solution
A cold plate with varying fin densities in different subareas, where the second fin coverage is smaller than the first in areas with higher heat absorption, facilitating higher fluidity and increased contact area for enhanced heat dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a uniform fin distribution is used in the cold plate, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the heat dissipation efficiency is insufficient in areas with higher heat absorption
Solution Approach 1:
The cold plate employs different fin densities in different subareas: a first subarea with higher heat absorption from battery cells has a first fin coverage, while a second subarea with lower heat absorption has a second fin coverage smaller than the first. This local differentiation optimizes heat dissipation efficiency in high-heat zones without unnecessarily complicating the entire cold plate structure.
2Reliability
If a large cooling surface area is provided to draw excess heat, then the heat dissipation capacity increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly increasing fin coverage across the entire cold plate, the invention concentrates the cooling surface area enhancement in the first subarea where heat absorption is highest. The second subarea maintains a smaller fin coverage, thereby providing adequate heat dissipation capacity where needed while avoiding unnecessary complexity in low-heat zones.
3Reliability
If the fin coverage is increased in areas with higher heat absorption, then the heat dissipation efficiency improves, but the fluid flow resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cold plate strategically places higher fin coverage only in the first subarea that experiences the highest heat absorption from battery cells. The second subarea, which absorbs less heat, maintains a smaller fin coverage that creates less resistance to coolant flow. This localized approach optimizes heat dissipation efficiency without excessively impeding overall fluid flow.
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
This configuration allows for efficient heat dissipation in areas with higher heat absorption, prolonging battery module life and preventing overheating.
Implementation Method 1
a cold plate for a battery module comprising a plurality of cells that produces heat as charging and discharging
Implementation Method 2
facilitating higher fluidity and increased contact area for enhanced heat dissipation
Implementation Method 3
As the individual cells are charged and discharged, they may generate heat due to Joule heating caused by current flowing through the internal resistance of the cells
Data Source
AI summary
A cold plate for a battery module comprising a plurality of cells that produces heat as charging and discharging is disclosed. The cold plate includes a plurality of first fins distributed in a first subarea of the cold plate; and a plurality of second fins distributed in a second subarea of the cold plate; wherein a second fin coverage of the plurality of second fins distributed in the second subarea is smaller than a first fin coverage of the plurality of first fins distributed in the first subarea when an amount of heat absorption of the second subarea from the plurality of cells is greater than an amount of heat absorption of the first subarea from the plurality of cells.