Battery Maintenance Device Using Phase Change Material Thermal Buffer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery maintenance devices with electrical loads that generate excessive heat due to resistance face challenges in managing heat dissipation, which can damage components and result in bulky, heavy cooling solutions.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a phase change material thermally coupled to the heat-producing element, which has a specific heat index with a non-linear relationship to temperature, to absorb and manage heat effectively, reducing the rate of temperature change and allowing for intermittent heat dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electrical current flows through the load to perform maintenance functions, then the maintenance capability is improved, but excessive heat is generated that can damage components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful heat generated by the electrical load into a beneficial thermal management function. The phase change material absorbs the excess heat that would otherwise damage components, utilizing the heat as an energy source for the phase transition process that actively cools the load and maintains reliable operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a phase change material that undergoes phase transition (e.g., from solid to liquid) at a specific temperature range. This phase transition absorbs excessive heat from the electrical load, preventing component damage while allowing the load to continue performing maintenance functions at high current levels.
2Temperature
If conventional cooling solutions are used to dissipate heat, then heat management is improved, but the device becomes bulky and heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a phase change material that passively absorbs heat through phase transition without requiring active cooling components. This eliminates the need for bulky fans, heat sinks, or liquid cooling systems, significantly reducing device weight while effectively managing heat from the electrical load.
Solution Approach 2:
The phase change material provides self-service thermal management by automatically absorbing excess heat when the load generates excessive temperature. The material self-regulates the thermal environment without requiring external cooling systems, control mechanisms, or additional power consumption, thereby reducing device weight and complexity.
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 use of phase change materials stabilizes the temperature of heat-producing elements, reducing the need for large cooling systems and maintaining efficient operation while minimizing component damage from excessive heat.
Implementation Method 1
A phase change material is thermally coupled to the load. The phase change material has a specific heat index which has a non-linear relationship to temperature
Implementation Method 2
The phase change material has a specific heat index which has a non-linear relationship to temperature to thereby reduce a rate of change in temperature of the electrical load
Implementation Method 3
The heat is generated as an electrical current flows through the load and the resistance of the load causes heat to be generated from this current
Data Source
AI summary
A battery maintenance device configured to maintain a storage battery. An electrical connection couples the battery maintenance device to the storage battery. Maintenance circuitry couples to the battery through the electrical connection and performs maintenance on the battery. The maintenance circuitry includes an electrical load configured to draw an electrical current from the battery. The electrical current causes the electrical load to heat. A phase change material is thermally coupled to the load. The phase change material has a specific heat index which has a non-linear relationship to temperature to thereby reduce a rate of change in temperature of the electrical load.