Battery Module Cooling Plate Channel Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional coolant passage designs with constant cross sections in battery modules lead to uneven heat transfer and temperature distribution, making it difficult to maintain uniform cell temperatures during charging and discharging operations.
Innovation Solution
A battery module with a cooling plate featuring a complex channel structure that includes multiple channels and communication parts, where coolant flows in opposite directions through different channels, allowing for heat exchange between channels and enhancing heat transfer and temperature uniformity across the module.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a coolant passage with constant cross section is used, then the structure is simple, but heat transfer is insufficient and temperature distribution becomes uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The coolant passage is divided into multiple segments (first, second, third, fourth channel parts) with different cross-sectional characteristics. Each segment handles coolant flow in a specific direction, and communication parts connect these segments to enable heat exchange. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both structural simplicity and effective heat transfer by distributing the cooling function across multiple specialized zones.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the coolant passage have different cross-sectional areas optimized for their specific functions. The communication parts have smaller cross-sections to facilitate heat exchange between adjacent channel parts, while the main channel parts have larger cross-sections for efficient coolant flow. This local optimization ensures uniform temperature distribution across the battery module while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
2Device complexity
If coolant flows uniformly through a straight channel, then the channel structure is simple, but heat transfer efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
The coolant flow path transitions from a single-dimensional straight channel to a multi-dimensional network with communication parts connecting adjacent channels. This dimensional expansion allows coolant to flow through multiple paths and enables heat exchange between channels, significantly improving heat transfer efficiency without excessive structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Communication parts serve as intermediary zones between adjacent coolant channels. These intermediate sections facilitate heat exchange by allowing thermal interaction between coolant flows in different channels, thereby enhancing overall heat transfer efficiency while maintaining a relatively simple channel structure.
3Ease of manufacture
If a cooling plate with simple channel is used, then manufacturing is easy, but temperature uniformity between cells cannot be secured
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling plate's coolant passage is segmented into multiple channel parts (first, second, third, fourth) with communication parts connecting them. This segmentation allows the system to achieve uniform temperature distribution across different cell positions while maintaining a manufacturing process that is relatively simple, as the segmented structure can be formed using conventional cooling plate manufacturing techniques.
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 solution effectively reduces temperature variations between cells, improves heat transfer efficiency, and extends battery life by maintaining uniform temperatures during charging and discharging operations.
Implementation Method 1
coolant is supplied to the cooling plate to cool the cells
Implementation Method 2
heat exchange between coolant in the first channel part and coolant in the fourth channel part, through the forth partition part
Data Source
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AI summary
An object of the present invention is to provide a battery module structure in which heat transfer between coolant and a cooling plate is made excellent by a coolant channel having a relatively simple structure, a temperature distribution of a cooling plate is made more uniform, and temperature of a plurality of cells is made uniform. A battery module 100 of the invention includes a plurality of cells 10, a cooling plate 1, and a channel part 2 formed in the cooling plate. The channel part 2 includes a first channel part 2A extending in an arrangement direction of the plurality of cells 10, a second channel part 2C extending in parallel to the first channel part 2A along the arrangement direction with a first partition part 3A interposed between the first channel part 2A and the second channel part 2C, and a first communication part 2B which brings one end of the first channel part 2A of the arrangement direction and one end of the second channel part 2C of the arrangement direction into communication with each other, and which turns a flowing direction of coolant in the first channel part 2A and the second channel part 2C.