Battery Pack Coolant Containment Pan for Leak Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery packs with cooling systems face the challenge of coolant leaks potentially reaching battery cells or high voltage components, which can lead to safety issues such as high voltage arcing and cell thermal runaway.
Innovation Solution
A coolant containment system is introduced, featuring a retention container with an inlet and outlet connected to coolant lines, a one-way valve to allow coolant entry, and a drain plug for one-way fluid exit, ensuring that any leaked coolant is retained and drained outside the battery pack.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a cooling plate system is implemented in the battery pack, then thermal management effectiveness is improved, but the risk of coolant leaks reaching battery cells and high voltage components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is divided into separate containment zones: a coolant containment area with a drainable pan for coolant leaks, and a battery cell area. This segmentation isolates the harmful coolant from the battery components while maintaining the cooling function through separate pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
A coolant containment pan acts as an intermediary barrier between the cooling system and battery components. The pan captures leaked coolant and provides a controlled drainage path, preventing direct contact between coolant and battery cells or high voltage components.
2Reliability
If coolant containment structures are added to isolate leaks, then safety against coolant leaks is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coolant containment pan is merged with the existing battery pack structure, integrating the containment function into the thermal management system rather than adding completely separate containment structures. The inlet and outlet lines are integrated into the pan structure itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The coolant containment pan serves multiple functions: it contains leaked coolant, provides a drainage path for excess coolant, and integrates with the cooling plate inlet/outlet lines. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate containment components.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If coolant is retained within the containment space during leaks, then protection of battery components is improved, but coolant loss increases until drainage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows coolant to be temporarily discarded into the containment pan during leak events, then recovered through controlled drainage back to the cooling system. This prevents permanent coolant loss while maintaining component protection during the drainage cycle.
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 coolant containment system effectively isolates and retains coolant leaks within the containment space, preventing them from reaching sensitive components and reducing the risk of safety hazards, while allowing for rapid drainage of excess coolant.
Implementation Method 1
a one-way valve is disposed in one of the retainer side walls of the coolant retention container, the one-way valve configured to allow the coolant from the battery pack to enter the containment space
Implementation Method 2
a drain plug connected to the coolant retention container and in communication with the containment space... configured to provide one-way fluid communication from the containment space to an environment outside the battery pack
Data Source
AI summary
A coolant containment system for a battery pack includes a coolant retention container defining a containment space, an inlet connected to the coolant retention container, the inlet connected to an inlet line configured to receive a coolant, an outlet connected to the coolant retention container, the outlet connected to an outlet line, the outlet line configured return a coolant, a drain plug connected to the coolant retention container and in communication with the containment space. The inlet line and the outlet line are disposed entirely within the containment space and any coolant from a leak is retained within the containment space and exits the containment space to an environment outside the battery tray via the drain plug.