Battery Cell Cooling Structure to Limit Thermal Runaway Heat Spread
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Solution Overview
Problem
Secondary batteries packed tightly in small spaces are vulnerable to thermal events like thermal runaway, which can lead to fire and explosion, and conventional cooling methods using high thermal conductivity materials can accelerate heat transfer, increasing the risk of spreading the event to neighboring cells.
Innovation Solution
A cooling device is designed with two surfaces made of materials with different thermal conductivities, where one surface is in contact with the battery cell and the other is in contact with an adjacent cell, using a refrigerant channel for cooling, thereby minimizing heat transfer between cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling devices made of high thermal conductivity material are placed between battery cells, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but heat transfer acceleration occurs during thermal runaway, increasing fire and explosion risk
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling device employs different materials with different thermal conductivities for its first surface and second surface. The first surface contacting the battery cell uses high thermal conductivity material for effective cooling, while the second surface facing adjacent cells uses low thermal conductivity material to prevent heat transfer during thermal runaway. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between cooling effectiveness and heat transfer prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling device is constructed as a composite structure combining materials with different thermal conductivities in a single component. This composite design allows the device to simultaneously achieve high cooling performance through the high thermal conductivity material while preventing heat spread to adjacent cells through the low thermal conductivity material, thus resolving the technical contradiction.
2Reliability
If additional insulating sheets are added to prevent heat transfer, then safety is improved, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling function and heat transfer prevention function are merged into a single cooling device structure. The device integrates both cooling channels for active cooling and surfaces with different thermal conductivities for passive heat transfer prevention, eliminating the need for separate insulating sheets and reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling device performs multiple functions simultaneously: it provides active cooling through refrigerant circulation and prevents heat transfer to adjacent cells through its dual-surface design. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for additional dedicated insulating components, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining safety.
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 provides improved cooling performance and safety by preventing heat transfer to neighboring cells during thermal runaway without the need for additional insulating sheets, while maintaining energy density.
Implementation Method 1
configured to cool at least one of the plurality of battery cells by flowing a refrigerant through the refrigerant channel
Implementation Method 2
the first surface and the second surface are made of materials with different thermal conductivities
Data Source
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AI summary
A battery cell stack according to various embodiments comprises: a plurality of battery cells; one or more cooling devices in contact with at least one of the plurality of battery cells; and a case accommodating the plurality of battery cells and the one or more cooling devices, wherein each of the one or more cooling devices includes a refrigerant flow path therein, is configured to cool at least one of the battery cells by flowing a refrigerant through the refrigerant flow path, and may include a first surface and a second surface having different thermal conductivities. Various other embodiments are possible.