Battery Module Coolant Receptacle and Gas Venting Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lithium-ion battery cells in battery modules experience significant heat-up during energy output or charging, leading to reduced service life and potential temperature gradients between cells, necessitating efficient temperature control to maintain cells below 40°C and prevent uneven aging.
Innovation Solution
A battery module design where the coolant fluid is circulated directly around the battery cells over the largest possible surface area, including the region around the gas venting opening, with a fluid-tight separation between the gas venting opening and coolant fluid receptacle to prevent pressure increase and ensure reliable temperature control and fluid containment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If coolant fluid is circulated around battery cells to control temperature, then temperature control reliability is improved, but pressure increase during gas venting may cause coolant escape and cell explosion
Solution Approach 1:
The battery module housing is segmented to form separate receptacles: a coolant fluid receptacle and a gas venting receptacle. This segmentation isolates the gas venting process from the coolant fluid, preventing pressure transmission to the coolant system while maintaining effective temperature control through the coolant circulation around battery cells.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas venting function is extracted from the coolant fluid system. A dedicated gas venting receptacle is created that is fluid-tightly separated from the coolant fluid receptacle, allowing gas to be vented independently without affecting coolant pressure or causing harmful effects to the temperature control system.
2Reliability
If gas venting opening is provided to discharge gas during fault, then safety is improved, but pressure increase in coolant fluid receptacle may cause coolant escape and cell explosion
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into functionally separate receptacles: one for coolant fluid circulation and another for gas venting. The gas venting receptacle is positioned to be as far as possible from battery cells and is fluid-tightly separated, ensuring that gas discharge does not transmit pressure to the coolant system, thereby eliminating the risk of coolant escape and cell explosion while maintaining safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas venting function is extracted and isolated in a separate receptacle that is fluid-tightly separated from the coolant fluid receptacle. This extraction prevents any pressure or gas from the venting process from affecting the coolant system, eliminating harmful effects while preserving the safety function.
3Productivity
If coolant fluid receptacle is positioned close to battery cells for effective cooling, then temperature control efficiency is improved, but gas pressure may directly affect coolant fluid causing escape
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented to create functionally separate receptacles: a coolant fluid receptacle positioned close to battery cells for efficient cooling, and a gas venting receptacle that is fluid-tightly separated. This segmentation allows the coolant receptacle to be optimally positioned for heat dissipation while the gas venting receptacle prevents pressure transmission, ensuring both efficiency and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure acts as an intermediary barrier between the gas venting receptacle and the coolant fluid receptacle. This intermediary separation is fluid-tight, preventing direct pressure transmission from gas venting to the coolant system, thereby maintaining both efficient cooling and reliable fluid containment.
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
This design achieves effective temperature control, prevents pressure increase, and ensures long service life by maintaining cells within a thermally stable range, while preventing coolant fluid escape and potential cell explosion.
Implementation Method 1
a direct and thermal contact can be constituted between the coolant fluid, which can flow through the coolant fluid receptacle, and the battery cell housing of the at least one battery cell
Implementation Method 2
the coolant fluid can be directly circulated around the battery cells of the battery module over the largest possible surface area
Data Source
AI summary
A battery module comprising a battery cell having a battery cell housing, and a battery module housing, wherein a coolant fluid intake is configured between the battery module housing and the battery cell housing, such that a direct and thermal contact is provided between the coolant fluid and the battery cell housing, wherein the battery cell housing further comprises a gas venting opening, which is configured to discharge gas from the interior of the battery cell housing directly to a surrounding environment, wherein the gas venting opening of the battery cell housing is isolated from the coolant fluid intake in a fluid-tight manner, wherein one lateral surface of the battery cell housing of the at least one battery cell, on which the gas venting opening is arranged, other than in the region of the gas venting opening, is essentially entirely enclosed by the coolant fluid intake.