Integrated Cooling Manifold Layout for Battery Coolant Leak Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery systems face challenges with coolant leakage from external cooling manifolds, which can lead to short circuits and hazardous conditions, while also occupying additional space and preventing compact integration.
Innovation Solution
A battery system with an integrated cooling manifold inside the housing, featuring a leakage protection member that encloses and drains leaked coolant to the bottom portion, combined with a detection unit to detect leaks, ensuring safe operation and compact design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an external cooling manifold is used, then cooling function is provided, but coolant leakage can occur leading to short circuits and hazardous conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling manifold is extracted from the external configuration and integrated inside the housing, removing it from the harmful external environment where leakage could cause short circuits. The manifold is now enclosed within the housing structure, isolating potential leakage sources from electrical components.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling manifold is nested inside the housing structure, with the leakage protection member further enclosing the manifold. This nested configuration creates multiple layers of protection, where the manifold is protected by both the housing and the dedicated leakage protection member.
2Reliability
If an external cooling manifold is used, then cooling function is provided, but additional space is occupied preventing compact integration
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling manifold is merged with the housing structure, integrating the cooling function into the existing housing volume rather than adding a separate external component. This combining approach eliminates the need for additional external space while maintaining the cooling function.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling manifold is nested within the housing interior space, utilizing otherwise unused volume within the existing housing boundaries. This nesting allows the cooling system to occupy space that is already allocated to the battery system rather than requiring additional external volume.
3Reliability
If coolant leaks from the cooling manifold, then cooling function fails, but detection and response time is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The leakage protection member is pre-positioned to enclose the cooling manifold before any leakage can occur. This preliminary configuration ensures that if leakage happens, the coolant is immediately contained and directed to the collection area, enabling rapid detection and response.
Solution Approach 2:
The leakage detection sensor provides immediate feedback when coolant is detected in the collection area, alerting the system to the leakage condition. This feedback mechanism enables real-time monitoring and rapid response to leakage events, minimizing the time between leakage occurrence and system response.
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 integrated cooling manifold with leakage protection and detection ensures safe operation by preventing coolant contact with high-voltage components and enabling quick detection of leaks, allowing for compact integration and efficient thermal management.
Implementation Method 1
a leakage protection member enclosing at least a portion of the cooling manifold, the leakage protection member extending toward a bottom portion of the housing along the cooling manifold such that coolant that is leaked from the cooling manifold is drained through the leakage protection member toward the bottom portion of the housing
Implementation Method 2
a detection unit including at least one leakage sensor positioned at the bottom portion of the housing and configured to detect coolant drained toward the bottom portion by the leakage protection member
Data Source
AI summary
A battery system includes accommodation chambers on top of each other in a housing with side portions, each one of the accommodation chambers including cells and a cooling plate; a cooling manifold inside the housing including a vertically extending portion that vertically extends along a side portion of the housing, the cooling manifold being connected to each of the cooling plates; a leakage protection member enclosing at least a portion of the cooling manifold, the leakage protection member extending toward a bottom portion of the housing along the cooling manifold such that coolant that is leaked from the cooling manifold is drained through the leakage protection member toward the bottom portion of the housing; and a detection unit including at least one leakage sensor positioned at the bottom portion of the housing and configured to detect coolant drained toward the bottom portion by the leakage protection member.