Battery Pack Cooling with Drainage and Dynamic Flaps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery packs face issues with insufficient cooling at high ambient temperatures, risk of battery flooding due to condensed water, and operational noise and dust ingress through air passages.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design featuring a circulation passage for air cooling, a heat exchanger positioned downstream of battery passages, and a drain passage to prevent water contact with battery cells, along with a mechanism to control air introduction and discharge to minimize noise and dust ingress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the evaporator and batteries are located at the same height to facilitate heat exchange, then cooling efficiency is improved, but condensed water flows toward the batteries causing flooding risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repositions the evaporator from the same horizontal level as the batteries to a lower vertical position beneath them. This dimensional change in spatial arrangement allows condensed water to drain away from the batteries while maintaining thermal coupling through the bottom surfaces of the battery cells, thus preventing flooding while preserving cooling efficiency.
2Temperature
If air supply and discharge passages are always open to maintain cooling performance, then heat dissipation is improved, but operational noise leaks and dust enters the case
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces static open passages with dynamic controllable flaps that can open or close based on operational requirements. During cooling operation, the flaps open to allow air flow; during non-operational periods, they close to prevent noise leakage and dust ingress, thus dynamically adapting the system state to different operational conditions.
3Reliability
If a seal member is interposed between battery tray and cover to prevent water entry, then water protection is improved, but the seal member deteriorates over time reducing long-term reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the seal member from the system by providing drainage pathways through the case structure itself. The case is designed with integrated drain holes and倾斜 surfaces that actively channel condensed water away from the batteries, eliminating the need for a seal member and its associated deterioration issues while maintaining water protection.
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 effectively prevents battery flooding, maintains cooling performance, and reduces operational noise and dust ingress, ensuring reliable battery operation and performance.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanging part that is disposed downstream of battery passages through which the air circulating in the circulation passage as circulating air flows to exchange heat with the battery cells
Implementation Method 2
a fan unit that blows air for cooling the battery cells
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack includes battery cells, a fan unit that blows air for cooling the battery cells, a case housing therein the battery cells and the fan unit, a circulation passage in which the air blown out from the fan unit flows before being sucked into the fan unit and after exchanging heat with the battery cells, a heat exchanging part that is disposed downstream of battery passages through which the air circulating in the circulation passage as an circulating air flows to exchange heat with the battery cells and below bottom ends of the batteries, and a drain passage that leads to outside of the case for drainage, the drain passage including a drain opening formed in the case so as to be located below the heat exchanging part.