Battery Module Cooling Duct Harness Plug Sealing

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing battery modules suffer from incomplete sealing between the harness and the cooling duct, leading to reduced air flow efficiency and cooling performance due to gaps at the points of contact, which affects the overall performance and reliability of the battery pack.

Innovation Solution

A battery module design incorporating a harness accommodating plug made of ductile and elastic materials, such as silicon or rubber, which is inserted into a through hole in the duct housing to provide a tight seal, ensuring air-tight contact between the harness and the cooling duct, thereby eliminating gaps and enhancing sealing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the harness penetrates the duct from inside to outside, then electrical connection to BMS is enabled, but gaps form between the duct and harness causing incomplete sealing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing reliabilityVSAvoidair flow efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

A sealing member is introduced as an intermediary component between the harness and the cooling duct. This sealing member fills the gap formed by the harness penetration, preventing air leakage while maintaining the electrical connection function. The sealing member acts as a mediator that resolves the conflict between enabling harness penetration and maintaining sealing integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The sealing member is designed as a flexible component that can deform to accommodate the non-uniform cross-section of the harness. This flexibility allows the sealing member to conform to the harness shape and eliminate gaps, ensuring complete sealing without restricting the harness penetration function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Ease of manufacture

If the duct is not completely sealed due to harness penetration, then harness installation is simplified, but blasting pressure decreases and cooling efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveharness installation easeVSAvoidcooling efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing member serves as an intermediary that allows the harness to penetrate the duct while preventing air leakage. This enables simplified harness installation without compromising cooling efficiency, as the sealing member maintains blasting pressure despite the harness penetration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the harness cross-section is non-uniform due to kinks and leaning, then wire flexibility is improved, but gap formation between duct and harness increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewire flexibilityVSAvoidsealing completeness
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing member is designed as a flexible component that can adapt to the non-uniform cross-section of the harness caused by kinks and leaning. This flexibility allows the sealing member to conform to the harness shape at any position, ensuring complete sealing without restricting wire flexibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The sealing member's physical parameters (shape, size, material properties) are designed to accommodate variations in harness cross-section. By making the sealing member flexible and adaptable, it can adjust to different harness configurations while maintaining sealing integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 improved sealing increases air flow speed and cooling efficiency within the battery module, facilitates easier assembly and maintenance, and prevents water or moisture penetration, resulting in enhanced performance and reliability.

Implementation Method 1

a harness accommodating plug air-tightly inserted into the through hole and having a plurality of wire accommodating holes

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

A battery module design incorporating a harness accommodating plug made of ductile and elastic materials, such as silicon or rubber

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDuctility: Plasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3285328B1Battery module having improved cooling duct sealing properties
Publication Date: 2020.06.03 LG CHEM LTD
  • EP3285328B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3285328B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3285328B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is a battery module having improved sealing properties of a cooling duct. The battery module includes a battery stack, in which an inlet of an air flow path is opened at one side and an outlet of the air flow path is opened at another side, and a plurality of cooling ducts combined to two side portions of the battery stack to respectively communicate with the inlet of the air flow path and the outlet of the air flow path. At least one of the plurality of cooling ducts includes a plug accommodating part defining a through hole, and a harness accommodating plug air-tightly inserted into the through hole and having a plurality of wire accommodating holes. The harness accommodating plug passes a wire of the internal harness or a wire of the external harness through the wire accommodating hole. The internal harness and the external harness are electrically combined around the harness accommodating plug.