Secondary Battery Cooling Using Fuel Cell Gas Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dedicated cooling devices for secondary batteries increase costs, require installation space, and add weight, making them inefficient for cooling purposes.
Innovation Solution
A cooling system that utilizes a fuel cell stack and a fuel storage device to feed fuel as a refrigerant through a heat absorbing flow path, where the fuel is adiabatically expanded to cool the secondary battery, and then consumed by the fuel cell stack for power generation, eliminating the need for a dedicated cooling device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a dedicated cooling device is provided for the secondary battery, then the cooling function is ensured, but the cost increases, installation space is required, and weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel serving the fuel cell stack is made to serve dual purposes: as fuel for power generation and as refrigerant for cooling the secondary battery. The fuel storage device and fuel supply system are designed to divert fuel to the heat absorbing flow path that passes through the secondary battery, enabling the same fuel infrastructure to perform both energy supply and thermal management functions simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling function is merged with the existing fuel supply system of the fuel cell stack. The fuel flow path is integrated with the heat absorbing flow path of the secondary battery, combining what would traditionally be separate systems (fuel delivery and cooling) into a unified configuration where fuel serves both purposes through the same delivery infrastructure.
2Temperature
If a dedicated cooling device is provided for the secondary battery, then the cooling function is ensured, but installation space is required
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel storage device and fuel supply system are designed to divert fuel to the heat absorbing flow path that passes through the secondary battery, enabling the same fuel infrastructure to perform both energy supply and thermal management functions simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate cooling device space.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling function is merged with the existing fuel supply system of the fuel cell stack. The fuel flow path is integrated with the heat absorbing flow path of the secondary battery, combining what would traditionally be separate systems (fuel delivery and cooling) into a unified configuration that shares the same spatial infrastructure.
3Temperature
If a dedicated cooling device is provided for the secondary battery, then the cooling function is ensured, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel storage device and fuel supply system are designed to divert fuel to the heat absorbing flow path that passes through the secondary battery, enabling the same fuel infrastructure to perform both energy supply and thermal management functions simultaneously, eliminating the need for additional cooling device weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling function is merged with the existing fuel supply system of the fuel cell stack. The fuel flow path is integrated with the heat absorbing flow path of the secondary battery, combining what would traditionally be separate systems (fuel delivery and cooling) into a unified configuration that shares the same weight burden.
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 system effectively cools the secondary battery without a dedicated cooling device, optimizing space and reducing costs by using the fuel cell stack's fuel as both a refrigerant and power source, preventing overheating and supercooling through temperature-controlled fuel flow adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
When the fuel that is stored in the fuel storage device in a state where the fuel can be discharged as gas is fed to the heat absorbing flow path in a state of low-pressure gas by adiabatic expansion, the vaporized gas exerts a function as a refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
the vaporized gas exerts a function as a refrigerant in the process of passing through the heat absorbing flow path, and takes heat from the power storage module
Data Source
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AI summary
[Object] To cool a secondary battery without providing a dedicated cooling device. [Solution] A cooling system (A) for a secondary battery (10) includes: a secondary battery (10) including a power storage module (12) and a heat absorbing flow path (15) that is a flow path of a refrigerant for cooling the power storage module (12); a fuel cell stack (20) that generates electric power by being fed with fuel; a fuel storage device (24) that stores the fuel in a state where the fuel can be discharged as gas; a first fuel flow path (25) that feeds the fuel stored in the fuel storage device (24) to the heat absorbing flow path (15) in a gaseous state; and a second fuel flow path (29) that feeds the fuel having passed through the heat absorbing flow path (15) to the fuel cell stack (20).