Battery Cooling Heat Sink with Inverted Flow Path
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling devices for vehicle batteries face challenges in achieving uniform fluid flow due to complex structures, leading to high production costs.
Innovation Solution
The cooling device features inlet and outlet openings directly connected to specific channels on the heat sink, with strategically aligned flow openings to ensure coolant flows directly to the farthest channels, preventing preferential flow into nearest channels and using a smaller secondary opening to prevent air lock formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the inlet is positioned to connect to nearest channels, then the coolant flow path is shortened, but the coolant flow becomes non-uniform with preferential flow into nearest channels
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet is positioned and oriented to connect to the farthest channel instead of the nearest channel. This inverted approach causes the coolant to flow through all channels in sequence from farthest to nearest, ensuring uniform flow distribution across all channels while maintaining efficient cooling.
2Manufacturing precision
If a complex heat sink structure with multiple distributors is used, then uniform coolant flow can be achieved, but production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex multi-distributor structure from the heat sink design. Instead, a single inlet positioned to connect to the farthest channel is used, which simplifies the overall structure while still achieving uniform coolant flow distribution, thereby reducing production costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The single inlet structure serves multiple functions: it distributes coolant to all channels uniformly, eliminates the need for multiple distributors, and simplifies the overall heat sink design. This universal approach replaces what would traditionally require multiple separate components.
3Productivity
If the flow opening is large, then coolant flow rate increases, but air lock formation between inlet and nearest channel becomes problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The flow opening is oriented toward the farthest channel instead of the nearest channel. This inversion prevents air lock formation because the coolant flow path starts from the farthest point, allowing air to be naturally purged from the system as coolant fills the channels from far to near.
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 achieves a uniform coolant flow at reduced costs, enhancing heat transfer efficiency and preventing air pockets, thus extending battery service life.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling liquid flows in channels of a heat sink in order to cool the heat sink, which in turn is in thermal contact with the battery cells in order to dissipate their heat
Implementation Method 2
a cooling liquid flows in channels of a heat sink in order to cool the heat sink
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A cooling device for a vehicle battery with battery cells, comprising a heat sink (1) with channels (2) for flow with a coolant, wherein the heat sink (1) is provided for thermal contact with the battery cells, wherein at least one end of the heat sink (1) a coolant distributor (3) with an inlet (5) and/or an outlet (6) of coolant is provided, wherein at least some of the channels (2) of the heat sink (1) open into the coolant distributor (3) and wherein at least two channels (2) are flow-connected to the inlet (5) and/or the outlet (6), wherein a first flow opening (7) is formed at the inlet (5) and/or the outlet (6) of the coolant distributor (3), which points towards a main channel (10), wherein the main channel (10) of the at least two channels (2) that are flow-connected to the inlet (5) and/or the outlet (6) is the channel (2) which is furthest away from the inlet (5) and/or outlet (6).