Battery Cooling Layout With Opposed Refrigerant Flow Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery cooling devices using refrigerant suffer from uneven cooling, where the upstream side is more effectively cooled than the downstream side, leading to mixed regions of excessive and inadequate cooling on the battery's surface.
Innovation Solution
A battery cooling device is designed with a refrigeration cycle connected to a compressor, condenser, expansion device, and refrigerant reservoir, featuring a refrigerant distribution system that splits the refrigerant flow into one-side and other-side paths, each with multiple heat exchange units arranged in opposing directions to ensure even cooling across the battery's surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If refrigerant flows through a single flow path to cool the battery, then the cooling performance on the upstream side is improved, but the cooling performance on the downstream side deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The single flow path is divided into multiple flow paths (first flow path and second flow path) that are arranged in parallel. The refrigerant distribution device distributes the refrigerant to both flow paths, allowing the upstream side to be cooled by the first flow path while the downstream side is cooled by the second flow path, thus resolving the uneven cooling problem
Solution Approach 2:
Different flow paths are assigned to different regions of the battery based on their cooling requirements. The first flow path is configured to cool the upstream side where higher cooling capacity is needed, while the second flow path cools the downstream side, creating localized cooling quality matched to each region's thermal load
2Temperature
If refrigerant flows sequentially through multiple heat exchange units, then the upstream heat exchange units provide sufficient cooling, but the downstream heat exchange units provide insufficient cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The sequential flow path is segmented into parallel flow paths. By distributing refrigerant to multiple parallel paths, the system ensures that heat exchange units at different positions (upstream and downstream) all receive sufficient refrigerant flow, preventing the downstream units from becoming under-cooled
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a one-dimensional sequential flow arrangement to a two-dimensional parallel flow arrangement. This dimensional change allows refrigerant to reach heat exchange units at different positions simultaneously through multiple paths, ensuring uniform cooling capacity across all units
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 allows for more even cooling of the entire battery, as the varying cooling capacities of the heat exchange units on opposite surfaces are mutually compensated, reducing temperature variations and enhancing overall cooling performance.
Implementation Method 1
a one-side heat exchanger (40, 40A) that include a plurality of heat exchange units and through which the refrigerant flowing through the one-side flow path (11a) flows; an other-side heat exchanger (50, 50A) that include a plurality of heat exchange units and through which the refrigerant flowing through the other-side flow path (11b) flows
Data Source
AI summary
A battery cooling device capable of cooling an entire battery more evenly includes a one-side heat exchanger configured to cool a one side surface, and an other-side heat exchanger configured to cool the other side surface, which is a surface facing the one side surface. The one-side heat exchanger includes heat exchange units from a one-side first heat exchange unit to a one-side nth heat exchange unit in an order in which refrigerant flows. The other-side heat exchanger includes heat exchange units from an other-side nth heat exchange unit to an other-side first heat exchange unit in the order in which refrigerant flows. The other-side first heat exchange unit to the other-side nth heat exchange unit are provided at positions where the other-side first heat exchange unit to the other-side nth heat exchange unit face the one-side first heat exchange unit to the one-side nth heat exchange unit, respectively.