Battery Cooling Channel with Flow Guides for Uniform Water Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
High voltage batteries in hybrid, electric, and fuel cell vehicles generate significant heat due to high current consumption, necessitating an efficient cooling system to maintain performance and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus features a cooling channel with branch channels and flow guides that distribute cooling water uniformly, ensuring even heat exchange with the battery module, reducing pressure loss and improving heat dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If cooling water is introduced into a cooling channel without flow guides, then the structure is simple, but the flow distribution among branch channels is uneven leading to poor cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling channel is segmented into multiple branch channels through partition walls, and flow guides are segmented and positioned at specific locations to control flow distribution. This segmentation allows independent optimization of flow paths to achieve uniform cooling across different battery modules.
Solution Approach 2:
Flow guides are introduced as intermediary components between the inlet and branch channels. These flow guides act as mediators that redirect and distribute cooling water uniformly across multiple branch channels, solving the flow distribution problem without requiring complex valve systems.
2Productivity
If flow guides are added to uniformize cooling water flow, then cooling efficiency improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow guides are designed with specific geometric parameters (width, length, positioning) that are optimized to achieve uniform flow distribution. By carefully controlling these parameters, the system achieves improved cooling efficiency while maintaining manufacturability through standard fabrication processes.
3Temperature
If cooling water flow is increased to improve heat dissipation, then cooling performance improves, but pumping power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Flow guides are positioned at specific locations where flow maldistribution occurs, creating local flow correction zones. This localized approach uniformly distributes cooling water across branch channels without requiring a substantial increase in overall pumping power, thus improving heat dissipation efficiency while minimizing energy consumption.
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 enhances cooling efficiency, reduces pumping losses, and improves fuel efficiency by ensuring uniform flow and increased heat exchange between the battery and cooling water.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling channel disposed to exchange heat with a battery module by cooling water
Implementation Method 2
cooling water introduced through the inlet flows toward the outlet while passing through the branch channels
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for cooling a battery includes a cooling channel disposed to exchange heat with a battery module by cooling water and provided with an inlet into and an outlet through which the cooling water is introduced and discharged; branch channels formed in the cooling channel to be branched in parallel with a longitudinal direction of the cooling channel to make the cooling water introduced through the inlet flow toward the outlet while the cooling water passes through the branch channels; and a plurality of flow guides disposed between the inlet and the branch channels at a predetermined interval along a direction in which the branch channels are branched and guiding the flow of cooling water introduced through the inlet to allow the cooling water to be uniformly introduced into the respective branch channels.