Battery Pack Liquid Guides for Axial Coolant Flow and Cell Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermal management systems for battery packs in electrified vehicles are inefficient in guiding liquid coolant between cells, leading to suboptimal thermal energy management.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising liquid guides and thermal fins that maintain spacing between battery cells to facilitate coolant flow, with compressible guides accommodating cell expansion and thermal fins enhancing thermal transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If battery cells are placed in close proximity to maximize space utilization, then the productivity and space efficiency are improved, but thermal management efficiency deteriorates due to inadequate coolant flow paths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the battery cell structure into segments by introducing spacers at regular intervals along the cell stack. These spacers create discrete cooling channels that segment the coolant flow path, ensuring efficient thermal management while maintaining compact cell arrangement. The segmentation allows coolant to access multiple regions of the battery stack without requiring excessive spacing between cells.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cooling channels in the axial dimension (along the length of the battery stack) rather than only in the radial direction. By placing spacers that extend axially and creating channels between cells in this dimension, the system achieves effective thermal management while maintaining close proximity of cells in the planar dimensions, thus resolving the contradiction between space utilization and thermal management.
2Manufacturing precision
If spacers are made rigid to maintain precise spacing between cells, then manufacturing precision is improved, but adaptability deteriorates when battery cells expand or contract due to temperature changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of the spacers from rigid to compressible. The spacers are made of elastomeric material that can be compressed axially when battery cells expand or contract due to temperature changes or swelling. This allows the spacers to maintain their spacing function while adapting to dimensional changes in the battery cells, resolving the contradiction between precision and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs elastomeric spacers that function as flexible elements between the rigid battery cells. These flexible spacers can deform under compression to accommodate cell expansion while maintaining the necessary spacing for coolant flow. The flexibility allows the system to adapt to thermal and mechanical changes without compromising the precision of cell spacing.
3Temperature
If coolant flow channels are enlarged to improve thermal transfer, then heat dissipation efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional structural components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the spacers serve multiple functions: they maintain spacing between cells, provide compression resistance, enable coolant flow distribution, and accommodate cell expansion. By integrating these multiple functions into a single component, the system achieves effective thermal management through existing structural elements rather than adding separate cooling components, thus avoiding increased device complexity while improving heat dissipation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the spacing function and the cooling channel formation function into the same spacer component. The spacers both maintain the necessary gaps between battery cells and simultaneously define the coolant flow paths. This integration eliminates the need for separate cooling channel structures, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining effective thermal transfer.
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
Enhances thermal energy management by improving coolant flow and thermal transfer efficiency within the battery pack, accommodating cell expansion, and preventing particulate venting.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of thermal fins, the plurality of battery cell groups separated from each other by at least one of the battery cell groups
Implementation Method 2
the liquid guides are compressible
Data Source
AI summary
A traction battery pack assembly includes a plurality of battery cell groups disposed along a cell stack axis of a cell stack. Each of the battery cell groups includes at least one battery cell. A plurality of liquid guides are configured to guide a liquid coolant axially between the battery cell groups. The battery cell groups are separated from each other by at least some of the liquid guides within the plurality of liquid guides.