Battery Cooling Plate Insulation for Edge Creepage Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery cell cooling systems face challenges in achieving reliable insulation and efficient heat transfer while maintaining a compact design, as conventional insulation methods are prone to damage, require complex constructions, and fail to adequately address manufacturing tolerances and edge/corner insulation issues.
Innovation Solution
An insulating and cooling assembly where the insulating element lies in the same plane as the cooling plate's main side, providing a flat surface for insulation layers that extend beyond the cooling plate edges, enhancing creepage distances and tolerance compensation, and using fastening elements for secure fixation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If thin insulating films (Kapton, polyester) are used on battery cells, then insulation is provided, but mechanical sensitivity increases and risk of partial discharges increases due to small thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses glass fiber reinforcement combined with silicone rubber to create a composite insulating material. The glass fiber mat provides mechanical strength and dimensional stability, while the silicone rubber matrix provides electrical insulation and flexibility. This composite structure resolves the contradiction by achieving both high insulation reliability and mechanical strength simultaneously.
2Reliability
If insulation materials are applied to corners and edges of battery cells, then insulation coverage is improved, but application difficulty increases and edges remain critical for creepage distances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state and properties of the insulating material by using a two-component silicone system that transitions from liquid to elastic solid upon curing. This allows the material to flow and conform to complex geometries including corners and edges during application, then maintains its shape and provides reliable insulation afterward, resolving the contradiction between coverage and application ease.
3Volume of moving object
If cooling plates are designed for compact battery assemblies, then space efficiency improves, but insulation reliability deteriorates due to reduced creepage distances and difficult accessibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the insulating element beyond the planar surface of the cooling plate into the third dimension, creating an insulating barrier that protrudes toward the battery cell. This dimensional extension effectively increases creepage distances without increasing the footprint area, allowing compact design while maintaining insulation reliability.
4Reliability
If insulation coatings are applied to cooling surfaces, then insulation is provided, but adhesion reliability decreases due to cracks, pores, and detachments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible silicone rubber-based insulating material that can accommodate thermal expansion and contraction of the cooling plate without cracking or detaching. The elastic properties of the silicone create a durable bond that maintains insulation integrity under thermal cycling, resolving the contradiction between providing insulation and maintaining adhesion stability.
5Reliability
If low-voltage insulation is implemented only in battery region with high-voltage insulation moved to other locations, then insulation is provided, but construction complexity increases and sufficient insulation cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates both cooling and high-voltage insulation functions into a single multi-functional component. The insulating element serves simultaneously as a thermal barrier, electrical insulator, and mechanical support structure, eliminating the need for separate insulation components and reducing overall construction complexity while achieving sufficient insulation.
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 solution ensures reliable electrical insulation and efficient thermal conductivity with reduced risk of damage, allowing for a compact and durable battery cell assembly design.
Implementation Method 1
an insulating layer (6), in particular a glass fiber reinforced silicone insulating layer, on a first main side (4a) of the cooling plate (4), whose first main side (4a) is intended for thermal contact with a battery cell (3)
Implementation Method 2
water flows through the cooling plate
Implementation Method 3
a coolant such as water flows through the cooling plate
Data Source
AI summary
An insulating and cooling assembly for at least one battery cell includes: at least one cooling plate with a first main side for thermal contact with the at least one battery cell, and with a first and an opposing second end side, and including an insulating element for electrical insulation on a first end side of the cooling plate. A first side surface of the insulating element lies substantially in the same plane as the first main side of the cooling plate.