Battery Pack Coolant Manifold Plate With Integrated Cooling Rails
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery packs generate significant heat during discharge, requiring efficient cooling systems that optimize form factor, weight, and power supply while minimizing external cooling losses.
Innovation Solution
A coolant manifold system with vertical and horizontal rails integrated into the battery pack housing, featuring a manifold plate with rail-receiving grooves and inserts, optimizing coolant flow and thermal management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If external cooling channels are used, then cooling system simplicity is improved, but cooling efficiency deteriorates due to heat loss to environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cooling function with the battery pack housing structure by integrating cooling channels directly into the housing walls. This combines the structural support function with the thermal management function, eliminating the need for separate external cooling components while maximizing cooling efficiency through direct contact with battery cells.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling channels are nested within the battery pack housing structure itself, with channels formed as cavities or passages within the housing walls. This nesting approach allows the cooling system to be embedded within the existing structural framework, reducing overall system complexity while improving thermal management efficiency.
2Volume of moving object
If battery packs are clustered in centralized configuration, then space utilization is improved, but heat removal capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cooling system into multiple independent cooling circuits, with each circuit serving a specific module or section of the battery pack. This segmentation allows for distributed heat removal throughout the battery pack, preventing heat accumulation in centralized areas while maintaining compact overall dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling channels are strategically positioned in specific locations within the housing, with higher density of cooling channels in regions with higher heat generation. This local optimization ensures that heat removal capability is matched to the actual thermal load distribution, enabling effective heat management in compact configurations.
3Power
If high discharge rates are used, then power supply capability is improved, but heat generation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is designed to operate continuously during battery discharge, with coolant flowing through all cooling channels simultaneously. This continuous cooling action ensures that heat generated during high-power discharge is immediately removed, maintaining temperature control throughout the discharge process and enabling sustained high power output.
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 management by reducing external cooling losses and improving power supply integration, while allowing for compact and efficient battery pack design.
Implementation Method 1
a coolant manifold plate for supplying and return coolant to and from the battery modules
Implementation Method 2
the vertical coolant rail supplies coolant to each of the plurality of horizontal coolant rails
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack including a plurality of battery modules, each battery module including a plurality of battery cells, a coolant inlet, and a coolant outlet; a coolant manifold plate for supplying and return coolant to and from the battery modules, the coolant manifold plate including: a wall of the battery pack; a vertical coolant rail; a plurality of horizontal coolant rails, wherein the plurality of horizontal rails are parallel with one another and perpendicular to the vertical rail, the vertical coolant rail supplies coolant to each of the plurality of horizontal coolant rails, and the manifold plate supports each battery module.