Battery Unit Cooling Bands for Electrode Heat Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing battery unit designs with gel heat transfer members fail to effectively cool the cell stack due to the heat transfer member not abutting against the cell stack, leading to increased mass and usage of the heat transfer member, and irregular cooling surfaces that increase the cooler's mass.
Innovation Solution
A battery unit design featuring a heat transfer member with bands that extend along the stacking direction, overlapping with electrodes to efficiently transfer heat from high-temperature areas, while also functioning as an adhesive to secure the cooling surface, reducing the amount of heat transfer member used and the cooler's mass by utilizing a flat cooling surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the heat transfer member is arranged to abut against the cell stack to improve cooling efficiency, then the cooling performance is improved, but the mass and amount of heat transfer member used increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat transfer member is configured with bands that selectively overlap with the electrodes at high-heat generation areas. This local concentration of heat transfer material ensures efficient cooling where most needed (at the electrodes) while minimizing the total amount of heat transfer member used, thus reducing overall mass while maintaining cooling performance.
2Temperature
If the cooling surface has irregularities to increase surface area for heat transfer, then the heat transfer efficiency is improved, but the mass of the cooler increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of providing irregularities across the entire cooling surface, the invention creates localized irregularities only at the positions corresponding to the electrodes where heat generation is highest. This allows enhanced heat transfer efficiency at critical areas while keeping the rest of the cooling surface flat, thereby minimizing the increase in cooler mass.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the heat transfer member is pushed out into recesses to prevent movement, then the heat transfer member is secured, but the heat transfer member does not abut against the cell stack and cooling efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The bands of the heat transfer member are pre-configured to extend along the stacking direction and overlap with the electrodes before assembly. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the heat transfer member is pressed into place, the bands are already in the correct positions to abut against the cell stack and provide effective cooling, while the bands themselves prevent unwanted movement.
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 design efficiently cools high-heat areas near electrodes with a reduced amount of heat transfer member, suppressing the increase in mass and usage, and maintains a flat cooling surface to prevent mass increase in the cooler.
Implementation Method 1
Heat generated from the cell stack is transferred to the cooler via the heat transfer member
Data Source
AI summary
A battery unit disclosed herein includes a cell stack, bus bars, a cooler, and a heat transfer member. The cell stack includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The cooler includes a cooling surface that faces the second surface of the cell stack to cool the cell stack. The heat transfer member is arranged between the second surface of the cell stack and the cooling surface of the cooler to transfer heat of the cell stack to the cooler. The cooling surface of the cooler has a flat shape. The heat transfer member includes a plurality of bands extending along a stacking direction. The bands are located away from each other. At least one of the bands at least partially overlaps each of electrodes of a plurality of battery cells when viewed in a direction orthogonal to the cooling surface.