Battery Module Protrusion Cooling Channel Thermal Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing battery module water cooling systems face issues with non-uniform contact between the water cooling plate and the cell cover due to surface roughness or processing flatness, leading to increased contact thermal resistance and inner bubbles, which hampers thermal transfer efficiency and assembly productivity.
Innovation Solution
The battery module incorporates a cell cover with protrusion portions that directly contact the refrigerant within the cooling channel, eliminating the need for interfacial thermal contact materials and enhancing the structural coupling with a gasket for watertight sealing, thereby improving thermal transfer efficiency and reducing manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an interfacial thermal contact material is used between the water cooling plate and cell cover, then contact thermal resistance is reduced, but assembly complexity increases and manufacturing costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the interfacial thermal contact material from the cooling system structure. Instead of adding a thermal contact material layer between the water cooling plate and cell cover, the invention extracts this component entirely and achieves thermal contact through direct contact between the cooling channel and battery cell, simplifying the assembly structure while maintaining thermal transfer efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the cooling channel structure directly with the battery cell contact interface. The cooling channel is designed to directly contact the battery cell surface, combining the cooling function and thermal contact function into a single integrated structure, eliminating the need for separate thermal contact materials
2Ease of manufacture
If surface roughness or processing flatness of water cooling plate contact surface is poor, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but inner bubbles occur due to non-uniform contact, greatly increasing contact thermal resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a protrusion structure on the water cooling plate that contacts the battery cell. This protrusion design concentrates the contact area to a specific region, ensuring uniform and reliable thermal contact even when the overall surface flatness of the water cooling plate is not perfect, thereby maintaining thermal transfer efficiency while allowing more relaxed manufacturing tolerances
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different surface quality requirements to different areas of the water cooling plate. The protrusion contact area requires high precision for reliable thermal contact, while other areas of the water cooling plate can have lower manufacturing precision, optimizing the balance between manufacturing cost and thermal performance
3Reliability
If direct contact method is used for cooling battery cell, then thermal transfer efficiency is improved, but electrical insulation between battery cell and cooling water is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the cell cover as an intermediary component between the battery cell and cooling water. The cell cover maintains electrical insulation while the cooling channel is positioned to contact the battery cell through the cell cover structure, achieving both thermal efficiency and electrical insulation through this intermediary arrangement
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 thermal transfer efficiency by direct thermal exchange between the cell cover and refrigerant, reduces thermal resistance, and simplifies assembly by removing the need for interfacial thermal contact materials, ultimately lowering power consumption and manufacturing costs.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling channel portion (50) having a cooling channel (52) that a refrigerant flows formed therein and having one surface of the cooling channel (52) close to the one surface of the cell cover (30) to absorb heat of the battery cell (10)
Data Source
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AI summary
A battery module includes: a cell cover close to a battery cell and having one surface emitting heat of the battery cell; and a cooling channel portion having a cooling channel that a refrigerant flows formed therein and having one surface of the cooling channel close to the one surface of the cell cover to absorb heat of the battery cell. In a contact region of the cell cover and the cooling channel portion, the cell cover has a protrusion portion protruded in the direction of the cooling channel, and the cooling channel has a penetration hole for inserting the protrusion portion into an inner portion that the refrigerant flows.