Immersion-Cooled Battery Module Sealing for Leak-Safe Thermal Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery cooling technologies face challenges in maintaining effective cooling performance, preventing thermal runaway, and ensuring safety against fire, while also increasing manufacturing costs and reducing energy density due to inefficient use of space and materials.
Innovation Solution
An immersion-cooled battery module design that directly contacts battery cells with a cooling liquid, utilizing a sealing structure with a sealing cover and end cover to minimize leakage, and incorporates insulating blocks and a communication groove for efficient liquid flow, reducing the need for additional cooling components and improving energy density.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If heat sink contacts only the lower edge portion of battery cells, then the structure is simple, but the cooling performance is poor and thermal runaway cannot be prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs liquid cooling by circulating coolant through channels formed in the lower edge portion of battery cells, transforming from simple heat sink contact to an active fluid-based cooling system that directly removes heat from the battery cell lower edges where heat generation is concentrated
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple independent cooling channels corresponding to different battery cells, with each cell having its own cooling passage. This segmentation allows independent cooling control for each cell while maintaining structural simplicity through standardized modular design
2Ease of manufacture
If end plate with simple structure is used to seal opening, then manufacturing is easy, but there is constant risk of insulating oil leakage and inferior durability
Solution Approach 1:
The end plate is constructed as a composite structure combining multiple materials with different properties - the base plate provides structural strength while integrated sealing rings made of elastomeric materials provide flexible sealing. This composite approach maintains manufacturing simplicity through integrated design while achieving superior sealing durability
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing structure incorporates flexible sealing rings that can deform to accommodate manufacturing tolerances and thermal expansion. These flexible elements maintain reliable sealing under varying operating conditions while allowing the end plate itself to remain structurally simple and easy to manufacture
3Adaptability or versatility
If independent pipes are supplied for each battery module case, then each module can be cooled independently, but it requires a lot of space and increases manufacturing cost
Solution Approach 1:
Adjacent battery modules share common coolant supply and return manifolds, merging multiple independent piping systems into a single integrated network. This reduces the total number of pipes required while maintaining the ability to independently control cooling flow to each module through individual flow control valves
Solution Approach 2:
The coolant manifolds are designed as universal components that can serve multiple battery modules simultaneously. The manifold structure incorporates standardized connection interfaces that allow the same component to supply coolant to different modules, reducing overall system complexity and manufacturing cost
4Quantity of substance
If multiple battery modules are densely placed in limited space, then energy density increases, but cooling performance deteriorates and thermal runaway risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is designed with localized cooling channels positioned at the lower edge portions of battery cells where heat generation is most intense. This local quality approach concentrates cooling capacity where it is most needed, enabling effective thermal management in densely packed modules while maintaining safety
Solution Approach 2:
Coolant acts as an intermediary substance that transfers heat from the battery cell lower edges to external cooling systems. The coolant circulation system serves as a thermal mediator between the densely packed battery modules and the external environment, enabling high energy density while preventing thermal runaway through active heat removal
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
Enhances cooling performance, prevents thermal runaway, minimizes liquid leakage, and improves energy density by reducing the number of modules and associated piping, while ensuring electrical safety and structural integrity.
Implementation Method 1
a first cooling plate... configured to cool the lower edge portion of the battery cells by direct contact therewith
Data Source
AI summary
An immersion-cooled battery module is disclosed herein. The immersion-cooled battery module can includes a battery assembly with a plurality of battery cells and a module case having an opening at least at one end to accommodate the battery assembly. A cooling liquid in an internal space of the module case can be connected to the opening. A sealing cover is inserted into the opening of the module case to airtightly cover the opening. An end cover can be coupled to the opening into which the sealing cover is inserted to cover the opening. The sealing cover can includes a wall portion facing the opening edge of the module case forming the opening at a predetermined distance. At least a part of the edge portion of the end cover is configured to be inserted and coupled between the opening edge and the wall portion.