Immersion-Cooled Battery Module With Split Cell Carrier Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery modules for immersion cooling are mechanically complex, expensive to manufacture, and difficult to handle.
Innovation Solution
A battery module design featuring a cell carrier divided into two sub-carriers with blind hole receptacles and a hollow profile, allowing easy assembly and disassembly without tools, combined with a simple mechanical design and efficient temperature control through longitudinal flow of a temperature control medium.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a traditional battery module design with integrated cell carrier is used, then the structure is mechanically stable, but the device complexity increases and manufacturing becomes expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The cell carrier is divided into two separate sub-carriers (first sub-carrier and second sub-carrier) that can be independently handled and assembled. Each sub-carrier contains blind holes for cell reception, and they are joined together to form the complete cell carrier structure. This segmentation reduces the complexity of handling and assembling the entire cell carrier while maintaining mechanical stability through the joined structure.
2Manufacturing precision
If a complex assembly structure is used to ensure precise cell positioning, then the positioning accuracy is improved, but the ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the cell carrier into two sub-carriers with blind holes, the positioning function is simplified. Each sub-carrier can be manufactured separately with standard blind hole drilling and tapping operations, avoiding complex integrated machining. The blind holes themselves provide the positioning function when the sub-carriers are joined, eliminating the need for additional complex positioning mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The blind holes in the sub-carriers automatically provide cell positioning through their geometric constraints. When cells are inserted into the blind holes of both sub-carriers, the holes themselves serve as the positioning feature, eliminating the need for separate positioning devices or complex adjustment mechanisms.
3Ease of operation
If the cell carrier is designed as a single integrated piece, then the structural integrity is maintained, but the ease of operation for assembly and disassembly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cell carrier is segmented into two sub-carriers that can be easily separated and recombined. This allows the cell carrier to be disassembled into manageable parts for easier handling and assembly operations. The sub-carriers can be independently manipulated during assembly and disassembly, reducing the operational complexity compared to a single large integrated piece.
Solution Approach 2:
The sub-carriers are pre-configured with blind holes and joining features during manufacturing. This preliminary preparation allows for quick and easy assembly by simply joining the pre-prepared sub-carriers, eliminating the need for complex assembly operations while maintaining structural integrity through the pre-designed joining interface.
4Manufacturing precision
If tool-based assembly methods are used to ensure precise joining, then the joining precision is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sub-carriers are designed with self-aligning blind holes and joining features that automatically guide the assembly process. The geometric constraints of the blind holes and joining interfaces provide self-positioning, eliminating the need for complex external tooling or specialized assembly equipment. Standard hand tools or simple fixtures are sufficient to achieve precise joining.
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 simplifies manufacturing and handling while enhancing temperature control efficiency by ensuring direct contact and longitudinal flow of the medium, reducing mechanical complexity and costs.
Implementation Method 1
During operation of the battery module, the housing, cell carrier, and cell casings are in direct contact with a temperature control medium. A temperature control medium is a medium for cooling or heating cells. It therefore serves to transport heat.
Implementation Method 2
This type of cell temperature control is called immersion temperature control or immersion cooling. Consequently, the housing, cell carrier, cell casings, and temperature control medium are compatible with each other.
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 1c
AI summary
Shown and described is a battery module (47) with a plurality of electrical cells (3), a cell carrier (2) and a housing (48). Each of the cells (3) has a cylindrical cell housing (4) with a cell longitudinal axis (5), a cell jacket (6),a first cell cap (7) and a second cell cap (8). For each of the cells (3), the first cell cap (7) closes off a first end of the cell jacket (6) and is a first electrical cell contact (9) in the first cell cap (7), and the second cell cap (8) closes off a second end of the cell jacket (6) and is a second electrical cell contact (10) in the second cell cap (8). The cell carrier (2) has a cell receptacle (11) for each of the cells (3) with a receptacle longitudinal axis (12) for receiving the cell (3). Each of the cells (3) is arranged in one of the cell receptacles (11), and the receptacle longitudinal axis (12) and the cell longitudinal axis (5) coincide. The cell carrier (2) is arranged in the housing (48). The invention solves the problem of providing a battery module (47) for immersion cooling, which mitigates or overcomes at least one of the disadvantages of mechanical complexity, manufacturing complexity, and handling complexity in the prior art. The problem is solved bythat the receiving longitudinal axes (12) are parallel to one another, that the cell carrier (2) is divided into a first sub-carrier (14) and a second sub-carrier (15) in a carrier plane (13) perpendicular to the receiving longitudinal axis (12), that the first sub-carrier (14) and the second sub-carrier (15) can be moved apart and brought together and brought together, that each of the cell receptacles (11) is formed by a blind hole (16) with a blind hole wall (17) and a blind hole bottom (18) on the one hand in the first sub-carrier (14) and on the other hand in the second sub-carrier (15), that each of the cells (3) can be pushed into and pulled out of the blind hole (16) of the first sub-carrier (14) and into the blind hole (16) of the second sub-carrier (15) of one of the cell receptacles (11) without damage, that the cell carrier (2) has a first cover (22) fitting onto the first sub-carrier (14) and a second cover (23) fitting onto the second sub-carrier (15),that, on the one hand, the first cover (22) and the first sub-carrier (14) and, on the other hand, the second cover (23) and the second sub-carrier (15) can be moved apart and brought together along the longitudinal receiving axis (12), that the housing (48) has a hollow profile (49) with a profile interior (50), a first open profile end (51) and a second open profile end (52), that the cell carrier (2) can be pushed in and out of the profile interior (50) without damage along an insertion axis (53) perpendicular to the longitudinal receiving axis (12) through the first profile end (51), and that the hollow profile (49) arranges the cell carrier (2) perpendicular to the insertion axis (53).