Vehicle Battery Pack Cooling via Engine Water Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle battery packs are prone to fire and explosion due to external impacts like collisions or short circuits, which existing technologies fail to adequately prevent.
Innovation Solution
A battery system that incorporates a cooling device using engine cooling water, injected by a safety device with a temperature sensor and controller to cool the battery pack, along with a material that increases electrical conductivity to quickly discharge energy and prevent accidents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling water is injected into the battery pack to cool it down, then the temperature of the battery pack is reduced and explosion risk is lowered, but the system complexity increases due to additional safety devices and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack uses the vehicle's existing cooling water system to cool itself down during thermal events. The cooling water from the engine cooling system is diverted to the battery pack through the safety device, allowing the battery to utilize the vehicle's own cooling resources without requiring a completely separate cooling infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling water system serves dual purposes: it cools the engine during normal operation and cools the battery pack during thermal events. The safety device enables the cooling water to be redirected to the battery pack when needed, making the cooling system multi-functional and reducing the need for separate cooling systems for the engine and battery.
2Reliability
If a safety device with temperature sensor and controller is added to inject cooling water, then battery pack safety is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety device integrates multiple functions including temperature monitoring, water flow control, and injection actuation into a single compact unit. The controller monitors battery temperature and automatically activates the safety device when thermal runaway is detected, providing comprehensive safety protection without requiring multiple separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety device acts as an intermediary between the cooling water system and the battery pack. It includes a temperature sensor that detects battery temperature, a controller that processes the temperature data, and an injection mechanism that delivers cooling water to the battery pack when needed, providing a coordinated safety response.
3Productivity
If material that increases electrical conductivity is added to the battery pack, then energy discharge speed is improved and accident prevention is enhanced, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conductivity-enhancing material changes the electrical properties of the electrolyte by increasing its ionic conductivity. This material modification allows for faster ion transport between electrodes during discharge, improving the battery's power delivery capability and energy discharge speed without requiring structural changes to the battery design.
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 system effectively prevents battery pack explosions by cooling the battery pack with engine cooling water and utilizing conductive materials to rapidly discharge energy, reducing manufacturing costs and enhancing safety.
Implementation Method 1
a safety device that injects the cooling water of the cooling device into the battery pack to cool the battery pack through impregnation of the cooling water to the plurality of battery cells
Implementation Method 2
A material that is dissolved into the cooling water injected into the battery pack and increases electrical conductivity may be provided in the battery pack
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a battery system for a vehicle, which comprises: a battery pack installed in a trunk room of the vehicle and provided with a plurality of battery cells and an electrolyte; a cooling device circulating cooling water to cool an engine installed in the vehicle; and a safety device that injects the cooling water of the cooling device into the battery pack to cool the battery pack through impregnation of the cooling water to the plurality of battery cells when a temperature of the battery pack increases to a preset temperature or more.