Battery Pack Coolant Outlet Bending for Uniform Cell Cooling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery packs with coolant inlet and outlet ports located at opposite ends of the case suffer from non-uniform cooling, leading to temperature deviations between battery cells, which can result in performance deterioration and potential overheating or explosion due to inadequate coolant distribution.
Innovation Solution
The battery pack design features a coolant outlet port bent laterally at a 90-degree angle to the coolant flow direction, along with an inclined coolant introduction part, to ensure uniform coolant distribution and reduce temperature deviations between battery cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the coolant outlet port is located at the opposite end of the battery pack case from the coolant inlet port with parallel top and bottom flow spaces, then the battery pack structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the coolant flux in the flow channel adjacent to the coolant outlet port is greatly reduced causing high temperature deviation between battery cells
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by bending the coolant outlet port at an angle of 30 to 60 degrees relative to the longitudinal direction of the battery pack case. This asymmetric configuration prevents the coolant from flowing directly toward the outlet port, thereby improving coolant distribution uniformity across all flow channels and reducing temperature deviation between battery cells while maintaining manufacturing simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameter of the coolant outlet port by introducing a bending angle of 30 to 60 degrees. This parameter modification alters the coolant flow direction and distribution characteristics, ensuring more uniform coolant flux across different flow channels without significantly complicating the manufacturing process
2Manufacturing precision
If the coolant outlet port is bent at an angle of at least 30 degrees to the coolant flow direction, then cooling uniformity is improved and temperature deviation is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a moderate asymmetric bend angle of 30 to 60 degrees in the coolant outlet port, which is sufficient to improve coolant distribution uniformity without excessive complexity. This balanced asymmetric design achieves the desired cooling uniformity while avoiding overly complex structural modifications
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the bending angle parameter within the range of 30 to 60 degrees, finding the optimal balance between improving cooling uniformity and maintaining device simplicity. This parameter optimization ensures adequate temperature uniformity across battery cells without introducing unnecessary structural complexity
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 significantly improves cooling uniformity, reducing temperature deviations and enhancing the overall performance and safety of the battery pack by maintaining consistent coolant flow rates across all cells.
Implementation Method 1
a coolant to cool the battery cells or the unit modules flows from one side to the other side of the battery module
Implementation Method 2
a coolant to cool the battery cells or the unit modules flows from one side to the other side of the battery module
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a battery pack including a plurality of battery cells or unit modules, each of which has two or more battery cells mounted therein, mounted in a battery pack case such that the battery cells or the unit modules are stacked in an upright or upside-down fashion, wherein the battery pack case is provided at an upper part and a lower part thereof with a coolant inlet port and a coolant outlet port, through which a coolant to cool the battery cells or the unit modules, i.e. unit cells, flows from one side to the other side of the battery module in a direction perpendicular to the stacked direction of the unit cells, the battery pack case is further provided with a flow space ('coolant introduction part') extending from the coolant inlet port to the battery module and another flow space ('coolant discharge part') extending from the battery module to the coolant outlet port, and the coolant outlet port is bent in a lateral direction at an angle of at least 30 degrees to a flow direction of the coolant introduced through the coolant inlet port.