Battery Module Projections and Ribs for Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The cooling performance of battery modules is adversely affected by the presence of projections on the side surfaces, which slow down the flow of cooling media, leading to reduced heat dissipation efficiency in assembled batteries.
Innovation Solution
The battery module design features projections and ribs on opposing side surfaces that are arranged in a lattice pattern, allowing for increased airflow speed and improved heat exchange by ensuring that projections are connected to ribs, maintaining a high level of cooling performance while maintaining structural strength and reducing wall thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If projections are added to the side surface of the battery module, then the structural strength is improved and wall thickness can be reduced, but the flow of cooling medium slows down at the downstream side of each projection, adversely affecting cooling performance
Solution Approach 1:
The side surface is segmented into multiple projections arranged in rows, with ribs connecting adjacent projections. This segmentation allows the cooling medium to flow through multiple pathways between the projections and ribs, preventing flow stagnation while maintaining structural strength. The segmented structure creates a lattice pattern that distributes the cooling medium flow more evenly across the surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The ribs are designed with a height smaller than that of the projections, creating different local flow characteristics. The regions between projections and ribs have optimized flow properties that enhance cooling efficiency. This local quality variation allows the structure to maintain strength where needed (at projections) while facilitating flow where required (in the spaces between projections and ribs).
2Volume of moving object
If the wall thickness of the battery case is reduced to improve energy density, then the overall size and weight are decreased, but the structural strength and rigidity of the case may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The side surface is divided into multiple projections and ribs forming a lattice structure. This segmentation allows the use of thinner wall material while maintaining overall structural strength through the distributed geometric pattern. The multiple projections and ribs provide reinforcement without requiring thick walls, thus improving energy density while preserving structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The combination of projections and ribs creates a composite-like structure where the geometric pattern itself provides reinforcement. This lattice pattern of projections and ribs acts as a structural composite that delivers high strength-to-weight ratio, enabling thinner walls while maintaining the required mechanical properties for the battery case.
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 enhances cooling efficiency by increasing airflow speed and heat exchange, maintaining high cooling performance even with projections on the side surfaces, and allows for a thinner wall structure while preserving the strength of the battery module case.
Implementation Method 1
a gaseous cooling medium such as air flows through a cooling passage located between two opposing battery modules
Implementation Method 2
an increase in the temperature of the battery cells in a battery module adversely affects the properties of the assembled battery
Data Source
AI summary
An assembled battery is formed by combining battery modules. Each battery module includes at least one battery cell and a rectangular box-shaped case that accommodates the at least one battery cell. The battery modules include a first battery module and a second battery module located adjacent to each other. The case of each of the first battery module and the second battery module includes an opposing side surface that is opposed to one of the first battery module and the second battery module. Each opposing side surface includes projections, which are laid out in rows, and ribs, which extend parallel to the layout direction of the projections. The ribs are smaller in height than the first projections. The ribs include connection ribs that connect the projections located in a predetermined range in the layout direction of the projections.