Battery Pack Venting-Cooling Layout for Uniform Cell Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery packs face challenges in maximizing energy density, productivity, and safety due to separate venting and cooling units occupying space, leading to inefficient cooling of vent gases and increased risk of thermal runaway propagation.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design incorporating a combined venting and cooling member with a single-layer arrangement of venting and cooling units, including partition walls to separate and optimize flow paths, allowing effective venting and cooling while minimizing space and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate venting and cooling units are used, then safety and cooling functions are provided, but space occupancy increases and energy density decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the venting unit and cooling unit into a single integrated component. The venting unit includes vent holes for discharge, while the cooling unit includes cooling channels for heat dissipation. These two functional units are merged into one structure that serves both safety venting and thermal management purposes simultaneously, thereby reducing the total space occupied compared to having separate units.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated component performs multiple functions: it provides venting for safety through the venting unit with vent holes, and it provides cooling through the cooling unit with cooling channels. This multi-functional design allows a single component to replace what would traditionally require separate venting and cooling systems, improving space efficiency while maintaining both safety and thermal management capabilities.
2Reliability
If separate venting and cooling units are used, then safety and cooling functions are provided, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the venting unit and cooling unit into a single integrated component, the patent reduces the number of parts that need to be manufactured and assembled. The venting unit with vent holes and the cooling unit with cooling channels are formed as one piece, simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing assembly steps compared to producing and assembling separate venting and cooling units.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-functional integrated component reduces manufacturing complexity by eliminating the need to manufacture separate venting and cooling units. A single molding or fabrication process can produce the entire assembly with both venting and cooling functions, reducing tooling requirements, inventory management, and assembly operations.
3Temperature
If conventional cooling methods are used, then cooling is provided, but uniform cooling of battery cells is difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling unit is designed with cooling channels that are positioned to correspond with the locations of multiple battery cells. This localized cooling approach ensures that each battery cell receives appropriate cooling at its specific position, achieving uniform temperature distribution across all cells rather than using a generic cooling method.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple cooling channels within the cooling unit, with each channel serving specific battery cells. This segmentation allows for distributed and uniform cooling across the battery pack, ensuring that heat is dissipated evenly from multiple cells simultaneously rather than from a single location.
4Reliability
If venting is directed without proper guidance, then vent gas is discharged, but it may reach occupants or propagate thermal runaway
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated component acts as an intermediary structure that receives vent gas from the vent holes and directs it through controlled pathways. The component includes features that guide the vent gas flow away from hazardous zones such as battery cell locations and occupied spaces, preventing thermal runaway propagation and protecting occupants while still providing effective venting.
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 energy density, reduces production costs, and improves safety by effectively suppressing heat transfer and directing vent gases away from occupants, while ensuring uniform cooling and venting of battery cells.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling unit configured to cool the battery assembly
Implementation Method 2
effective cooling of vent gases
Implementation Method 3
a venting unit configured to allow vent gas discharged from the vent hole to flow therethrough
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack according to the present disclosure includes: at least one battery assembly including a plurality of battery cells and having a vent hole on a first direction side; a pack case in which an accommodation space configured to accommodate the battery assembly is formed; and a cooling and venting member disposed on the first direction side of the battery assembly. The cooling and venting member includes a venting unit configured to allow vent gas discharged from the vent hole to flow therethrough, and a cooling unit configured to cool the battery assembly.