Battery Module with Hollow Metal Spacers for Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing secondary battery packaging for vehicles lacks high pyrogenic tolerance, particularly with lithium-ion batteries that generate more heat, posing safety concerns due to inadequate heat dissipation and potential thermal runaway.
Innovation Solution
A battery module design featuring multiple battery blocks with hollow spacers between them, allowing for efficient heat dissipation and electrical connectivity, where the spacers are made of the same metal material as the blocks, promoting uniform thermal conductivity and air cooling, and optionally incorporating insulation to prevent current flow between blocks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If battery blocks are arranged closely to increase energy density, then space utilization is improved, but heat dissipation capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is segmented into multiple battery blocks with hollow spacers between them. This segmentation creates thermal isolation zones that prevent heat accumulation while maintaining compact arrangement, resolving the contradiction between space utilization and heat dissipation.
Solution Approach 2:
Hollow spacers are introduced as intermediary elements between battery blocks. These spacers serve as thermal barriers and air circulation channels, mediating the thermal interaction between adjacent battery blocks to improve heat dissipation without sacrificing space efficiency.
2Reliability
If thermal insulation is enhanced to prevent thermal runaway, then safety is improved, but heat dissipation capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system is divided into isolated thermal zones using hollow spacers between blocks. This segmentation contains potential thermal runaway within individual blocks while allowing controlled heat dissipation through the hollow spaces, achieving both safety and thermal management.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the battery pack have different thermal properties - battery blocks provide structural containment while hollow spacers provide thermal isolation. This local differentiation of thermal quality enables simultaneous heat dissipation and thermal runaway prevention.
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 design achieves high pyrogenic tolerance by enhancing heat dissipation and preventing thermal runaway, ensuring safer and more reliable battery performance, especially in high-temperature applications like on-vehicle systems.
Implementation Method 1
a hollow spacer placed between two adjacent battery blocks
Implementation Method 2
the spacers are made of the same metal material as the blocks, promoting uniform thermal conductivity
Implementation Method 3
the spacers are made of the same metal material as the blocks, promoting uniform thermal conductivity
Data Source
AI summary
A battery module includes a plurality of battery blocks formed by arranging a plurality of unit cells in each block; and a hollow spacer placed between two adjacent battery blocks. The accommodation member and the spacer may be made of the same metal material. The spacer may be formed to include an insulation member for insulating two joined battery blocks from each other.