Cylindrical Battery Pack Cold Plate Layout for Uniform Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cylindrical battery systems face issues with low volume utilization efficiency due to serpentine tubes occupying significant space, high component count leading to increased costs, and poor heat dissipation uniformity among cells.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design that omits serpentine plates by arranging cells in a horizontal plane with equal spacing, using a cold plate on either side of the cell assembly, and incorporating a potting adhesive for consistent heat conduction and improved heat dissipation, along with a foaming adhesive layer for support and pressure relief.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If serpentine tubes are used as cooling pipelines between multiple columnar cells, then cooling function is provided, but volume utilization efficiency decreases due to large space occupied and high component count
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cooling pipeline function with the structural support function by using a cold plate that contacts multiple cells simultaneously. This integration eliminates the need for separate serpentine tubes between cells, providing effective cooling while maximizing volume utilization efficiency through simplified structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a planar serpentine tube arrangement to a three-dimensional cold plate structure that contacts the lower ends of multiple cells. This dimensional change allows cooling to be provided from below rather than between cells in the horizontal plane, improving space utilization.
2Temperature
If serpentine tubes are used as cooling pipelines, then cooling function is provided, but the number of components increases resulting in higher cost
Solution Approach 1:
The cold plate integrates multiple functions including cooling, structural support, and cell positioning into a single component. This merging reduces the total number of parts compared to using separate serpentine tubes for each cell, thereby lowering component count and manufacturing cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The cold plate serves multiple purposes: it provides cooling to multiple cells simultaneously, acts as a structural support element, and facilitates uniform heat dissipation across the battery pack. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional specialized components.
3Temperature
If serpentine tubes are used for cooling, then cooling is provided, but heat dissipation uniformity among multiple cells is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The cold plate is designed to contact the lower ends of multiple cells at specific locations, providing localized cooling where heat generation is highest. This targeted approach ensures uniform heat dissipation across all cells by addressing thermal management at the critical contact points.
Solution Approach 2:
The cold plate creates equipotential thermal conditions by providing uniform cooling contact to all cells through its extended structure. This ensures that heat is dissipated evenly across all cells, eliminating temperature gradients and achieving uniform heat dissipation throughout the battery pack.
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, simplifies structure, improves heat dissipation uniformity, and reduces part count, resulting in a more robust and faster assembly process.
Implementation Method 1
the consistency of heat conduction from each cell to the potting adhesive is good
Implementation Method 2
the contact between the cold plate and a colloid of the potting adhesive improves the heat dissipation uniformity of the cell assembly
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Provided are a battery pack and an electric apparatus, which relates to the technical field of batteries. The battery pack includes a box (10), a cold plate (22) and a cell assembly (30). The box (10) is provided with an accommodation space. The cell assembly (30) is located in the accommodation space and includes multiple cells (31). The multiple cells (31) are arranged in a horizontal plane and are disposed at equal spacing. A potting adhesive is filled in the cell assembly. The cold plate (22) fits an upper side and/or a lower side of the cell assembly (30) and the potting adhesive.