Battery Cell Assembly Cooling and Venting for Thermal Runaway
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing demand for safety in secondary batteries, particularly in mobility applications like battery electric vehicles, is not adequately addressed by existing technologies, which can lead to dangerous situations such as fires during thermal runaway events.
Innovation Solution
A battery cell assembly with a multi-faceted cooling structure and venting system, featuring upper and lower cover plates with integrated cooling channels and venting holes, along with pipes for fluid transfer, to manage heat and gas discharge effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling channels are integrated into cover plates, then temperature uniformity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling channels are integrated directly into the cover plates, merging the cooling function with the structural component. This eliminates the need for separate cooling plates or channels, reducing overall device complexity while achieving uniform temperature distribution across the battery cells.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover plates serve dual functions: providing structural support/containment for the battery cells and simultaneously acting as heat dissipation pathways through integrated cooling channels. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, addressing the complexity issue while maintaining effective thermal management.
2Reliability
If venting holes are provided in cover plates, then safety during thermal runaway is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The venting holes are incorporated directly into the cover plates, combining the safety venting function with the existing structural component. This eliminates the need for separate venting mechanisms or additional safety components, reducing device complexity while ensuring effective gas discharge during thermal runaway events.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover plates simultaneously provide structural support, thermal management through cooling channels, and safety venting through integrated holes. This multi-functionality approach allows a single component to address multiple requirements, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high safety standards.
3Temperature
If multiple cooling channels are used, then heat dissipation effectiveness is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into multiple separate cooling channels within the cover plates, allowing each channel to be independently designed and manufactured. This segmentation enables effective heat dissipation through multiple pathways while simplifying the manufacturing process compared to creating a single complex multi-channel structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple cooling channels are arranged in different spatial dimensions and orientations within the cover plates, enabling comprehensive heat dissipation from various directions. This dimensional arrangement improves heat dissipation effectiveness while maintaining manufacturability through standard machining or molding processes.
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 enhanced safety and reliability by uniformly controlling temperatures, reducing heat deviation, and effectively discharging high-temperature gases, thereby preventing thermal propagation and improving the safety and reliability of the battery cell assembly and pack.
Implementation Method 1
an upper cover plate facing an upper side of the cell block and including a first cooling channel configured such that a first fluid flows therethrough, and a lower cover plate facing a lower side of the cell block and including a venting hole and a second cooling channel configured such that a second fluid flows therethrough
Implementation Method 2
a lower cover plate facing a lower side of the cell block and including a venting hole
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Provided is a battery cell assembly including a cell block with a plurality of battery cells and a case configured to accommodate the cell block, in which the case includes an upper cover plate facing an upper side of the cell block and including a first cooling channel configured such that a first fluid flows therethrough, and a lower cover plate facing a lower side of the cell block and including a venting hole and a second cooling channel configured such that a second fluid flows therethrough.