Thermally Conductive Battery Module Frame for Runaway Resilience
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lithium-ion battery packs face challenges in dissipating heat effectively, particularly in extreme temperature conditions, which can lead to thermal runaway and damage to adjacent cells.
Innovation Solution
The battery pack design incorporates a thermally conductive frame with specific aperture configurations and potting materials to manage heat transfer and prevent thermal runaway, featuring a heating element and passive cooling system, with a thermally conductive frame having a high thermal mass and conductivity, and strategically placed apertures to dissipate heat efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a thermally conductive frame with high thermal mass and conductivity is used, then heat dissipation capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is divided into modular battery modules, each with its own thermally conductive frame. This segmentation allows heat management to be distributed across multiple independent units, improving overall heat dissipation capability while keeping each module's complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
A thermally conductive frame acts as an intermediary between battery cells and the external environment. The frame with high thermal mass and conductivity (at least 175 W/m/K) absorbs and dissipates heat from the cells, managing temperature without requiring direct complex cooling systems on each cell.
2Temperature
If apertures are strategically placed in the thermally conductive frame, then heat dissipation efficiency is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The thermally conductive frame features apertures with different distances from cell centers at different locations. Interior apertures have smaller distances to their respective cell centers, while exterior apertures have larger distances. This local variation in aperture positioning optimizes heat dissipation efficiency for each cell's specific thermal environment.
3Reliability
If potting material is disposed between battery cells and the frame, then thermal runaway prevention is improved, but heat transfer capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The potting material is applied locally between the battery cells and the thermally conductive frame, providing thermal insulation precisely where needed to prevent thermal runaway propagation. This localized insulation allows the frame to remain thermally conductive in other areas, maintaining overall heat transfer capability while protecting against thermal runaway.
Solution Approach 2:
The potting material serves as a pre-positioned thermal barrier that cushions against thermal runaway events before they can propagate between cells. This protective layer is in place beforehand, preventing catastrophic thermal runaway spread while allowing controlled heat dissipation through the frame.
4Reliability
If exterior apertures are positioned farther from cell centers, then thermal runaway propagation prevention is improved, but heat dissipation efficiency worsens
Solution Approach 1:
Exterior apertures are positioned with larger distances from cell centers compared to interior apertures. This deliberate positioning creates a thermal buffer zone that prevents thermal runaway propagation to adjacent modules, while the aperture configuration maintains adequate heat dissipation efficiency through optimized airflow and thermal radiation patterns.
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 design enhances thermal resilience, allowing the battery pack to maintain functionality even after a thermal runaway event and effectively dissipate heat across the battery cells, ensuring the pack remains operational under extreme conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a thermally conductive frame having a plurality of apertures... the thermally conductive frame has a thermal mass of at least 850 joule per kilogram per kelvin (J/kg/K) and a thermal conductivity of at least 175 Watts per meter-Kelvin (W/m/K)
Implementation Method 2
a first potting material disposed in each of the plurality of apertures between each of the plurality of battery cells and the thermally conductive frame... the first potting material has a thermal conductivity that is lower than a thermal conductivity of the thermally conductive frame
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack having a plurality of battery modules is provided. Each of the plurality of battery modules includes a thermally conductive frame having a plurality of apertures, a plurality of battery cells, wherein each of the plurality of battery cells is disposed in one of the plurality of apertures, and a first potting material disposed in each of the plurality of apertures between each of the plurality of battery cells and the thermally conductive frame.