Battery Module Cooling Circuit With Direct Liquid Pole Contact

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cooling systems for electrochemical batteries in vehicles with electrical propulsion are inefficient due to indirect cooling methods that do not directly address the heat generated at the electrical poles, leading to poor heat exchange and high energy consumption.

Innovation Solution

A cooling circuit with a refrigerant liquid that directly circulates through channeling walls within the battery modules, allowing direct contact with electrical connections and bypassing additional heat exchange elements, ensuring a unidirectional path for efficient heat removal.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If air is used to cool the electrical poles, then the cooling system is simple to implement, but the heat exchange efficiency is low due to reduced heat exchange surface and low specific heat of air

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of implementationVSAvoidcooling efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies hydraulic cooling by circulating a liquid refrigerant through channels formed directly in the electrical pole. This replaces air cooling with liquid cooling, which has higher specific heat and enables more effective heat removal from the electrical pole's internal structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from surface cooling to volumetric cooling by creating internal channels within the electrical pole. The refrigerant flows through these three-dimensional internal passages, allowing heat exchange throughout the volume of the pole rather than only at the surface, thereby increasing the effective heat exchange surface area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Area of stationary object

If refrigerant fluid is used with a third metallic element, then heat exchange surface is increased, but the system efficiency decreases because the third element is not in direct contact with the heat-generating pole

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat exchange surfaceVSAvoidsystem efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the electrical pole structure with the heat exchange function by integrating refrigerant channels directly into the pole's internal structure. This eliminates the need for a separate third metallic element, as the pole itself becomes both the electrical conductor and the heat exchange medium.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the third metallic element from the cooling system and replaces it with direct refrigerant-to-pole contact. By removing this intermediate element, the system achieves direct heat transfer from the heat-generating pole to the refrigerant, eliminating the thermal resistance introduced by the third element.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Power

If indirect cooling system with refrigerant fluid is used, then cooling capacity is increased, but the system complexity increases due to additional heat exchange elements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling capacityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the electrical pole and heat exchanger into a single integrated component. The refrigerant channels are formed directly within the pole structure, eliminating the need for separate heat exchange elements and reducing system complexity while maintaining high cooling capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 provides effective and efficient heat removal from electrochemical batteries without additional heat exchange elements, reducing energy consumption and improving cooling efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

A cooling circuit with a refrigerant fluid, preferably a liquid, that directly circulates through channels within the electrical energy storage system, eliminating the need for additional heat exchange elements and ensuring direct contact with the heat-generating poles

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

A cooling circuit with a refrigerant fluid, preferably a liquid, that directly circulates through channels within the electrical energy storage system... combined with a radiator and forced circulation system for efficient heat removal

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP4194258B1Cooling circuit and vehicle with electrical propulsion having a cooling circuit
Publication Date: 2026.04.29 FAST CHARGE ENG SRL
  • EP4194258B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4194258B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4194258B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3b

AI summary

A cooling circuit is described comprising an electrical energy storage system (8) comprising a plurality of chemical batteries (10) and/or electrostatic storage systems (15) adapted to power an electrical machine, preferentially an electric car (4) and one or more modules (9; 14), each module (9; 14) comprising a plurality of electrochemical batteries (10) and/or electrostatic storage systems (15), assembled within containment structures (11; 16), a radiator (36), means for forced circulation (37) of a refrigerant fluid configured to generate a flow of the refrigerant fluid, through the electrical energy storage system (8) and through the radiator (36). Each module (9; 14) comprises a mechanical structure (11) having channeling walls (18; 19; 24) that allow the refrigerant fluid, preferentially the refrigerant liquid, to directly lap the plurality of chemical batteries (10) and/or electrostatic storage systems (15), without the presence of further heat exchange elements.