Battery Pack Cooling Mechanism with Asymmetric Tube Arrangement
Solution Overview
Problem
Battery packs face challenges in uniformly cooling battery modules, leading to potential instability and inefficiency due to heat accumulation, which can affect the performance and safety of energy storage systems in devices like electric vehicles and mobile devices.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design featuring a cooling mechanism with inflow and outflow tubes arranged symmetrically around the center line of battery modules, allowing for uniform cooling of the entire area and optimizing the compressor efficiency by minimizing pressure differences through parallel passage arrangements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a conventional cooling mechanism is used, then the cooling structure is simple, but the cooling uniformity across battery modules deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling mechanism employs asymmetric tube arrangement where inflow tubes are positioned at the center line and outflow tubes are positioned outwardly therefrom. This asymmetric configuration creates a temperature gradient along the heat transfer medium flow path, enabling the superheated portion to cool low-temperature battery module areas while maintaining overall cooling uniformity without requiring complex additional components
2Use of energy by moving object
If the cooling passages are arranged in parallel, then the compressor efficiency is improved, but the pressure difference between inflow and outflow decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the flow path parameters by arranging passages in parallel rather than in series. This parameter change reduces the overall length of the cooling passage and minimizes the pressure difference between inflow and outflow, thereby improving compressor efficiency while maintaining effective cooling performance
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 effectively cools the battery modules uniformly, enhancing safety and efficiency by reducing heat-related issues and improving the compressor's performance, thereby extending the operational life and reliability of battery packs.
Implementation Method 1
passages arranged adjacent to the plurality of battery modules to conduct a heat transfer medium to cool the plurality of battery modules
Implementation Method 2
a portion of the cooling passage in which the heat transfer medium is superheated is arranged at low-temperature portions of the battery modules
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack includes: a plurality of battery modules each including a plurality of battery cells arranged side by side in a first direction; and a cooling mechanism having passages arranged adjacent to the plurality of battery modules to conduct a heat transfer medium to cool the plurality of battery modules, the cooling mechanism including: a plurality of inflow tubes arranged adjacent to a center line extending through centers of the plurality of battery modules in the first direction, the plurality of inflow tubes having first distal ends to receive heat transfer medium and second distal ends to discharge heat transfer medium; and a plurality of outflow tubes connected to the second distal ends of the plurality of inflow tubes to discharge heat transfer medium therefrom, the plurality of outflow tubes being disposed in a position further outwardly from the center line than the plurality of inflow tubes.