Battery Cooling Plenum Flow Guide Vane Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
High voltage battery cooling systems face challenges in maintaining uniform air flow across battery cells due to limited inlet plenum volume and pressure differences, leading to inconsistent cooling and increased noise, vibration, and harshness, especially when using cabin air for cooling without affecting climate control.
Innovation Solution
A traction battery cooling system with a battery inlet housing featuring first and second inlets, coupled with ducts and flow guide vanes to redirect and mix air flows asymmetrically, ensuring consistent flow volumes across cooling passages and reducing turbulence, thereby improving cooling efficiency and reducing noise and vibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single inlet plenum is used for battery cooling, then the structure is simple, but the air flow distribution across battery cells is non-uniform due to pressure differences
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet plenum is divided into multiple separate inlets (first inlet and second inlet) positioned at different locations. Each inlet has its own flow guide vane, allowing independent control of air flow from different regions of the vehicle cabin into the battery cooling system, thereby achieving more uniform air distribution across the battery cells.
Solution Approach 2:
Flow guide vanes are installed at specific locations within each inlet to locally redirect and equalize the air flow. These vanes create localized flow control zones that balance the pressure differences and ensure uniform air distribution across all cooling passages, particularly addressing the non-uniform flow issue in specific regions of the battery pack.
2Manufacturing precision
If flow guide vanes are added to redirect and mix air flows, then air flow uniformity is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Flow guide vanes are introduced as intermediary components within the inlets to mediate and redirect the air flow from different sources. These vanes act as flow control elements that mix and equalize the air from the first and second inlets before it enters the cooling passages, achieving uniform flow distribution without requiring complex external flow control systems.
3Temperature
If cabin air is used for battery cooling, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but noise and vibration increase due to turbulent flow mixing
Solution Approach 1:
Flow guide vanes are positioned upstream within the inlets to preliminary redirect and smooth the air flow before the turbulent mixing occurs. This preliminary flow conditioning reduces the intensity of turbulence and minimizes the associated noise and vibration while still achieving effective mixing and uniform distribution of cabin air across the battery cooling passages.
4Manufacturing precision
If multiple inlets are used to improve flow distribution, then cooling uniformity is improved, but the available plenum volume is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The flow guide vanes are positioned at different angular orientations within the inlets to redirect air flow from multiple directions into the cooling passages. This multi-dimensional flow redirection approach allows effective use of limited plenum volume by utilizing spatial orientation rather than requiring additional volume, achieving uniform cooling distribution within the constrained space.
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 system ensures uniform cooling across all battery cells, reduces noise and vibration, and allows for the use of climate-controlled cabin air without impacting occupant satisfaction, while minimizing fan power requirements and maintaining efficient packaging within the vehicle.
Implementation Method 1
The flow guide vane is positioned to redirect flow from the first duct to mix with flow from the second duct
Data Source
AI summary
A system for cooling a traction battery includes a battery inlet housing having first and second inlets. A first duct is coupled to the first inlet, and a second duct is coupled to the second inlet. A flow guide vane is disposed within the battery inlet housing adjacent to the first inlet. The flow guide vane is positioned to redirect flow from the first duct to mix with flow from the second duct.