Externalized Battery Pack Cooling via Conductive Enclosure Panel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery pack thermal management systems are costly, complex, and pose risks to passengers due to integrated cooling conduits, which can lead to battery shorts and thermal runaway events if leaks occur, making repairs difficult and potentially catastrophic.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack thermal management assembly with a sealed enclosure, a thermally conductive upper panel, a corrugated conduit panel, and a layer of thermally conductive, electrically insulative material that contacts the batteries, with coolant channels and a circulation pump to manage heat externally, reducing the risk of leaks and simplifying repairs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If integrated cooling conduits are used within the battery pack, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but the risk of battery shorts and thermal runaway increases due to potential leaks
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling conduits are extracted from the internal battery pack structure and relocated to the external enclosure panel. The conduit panel is attached to the external surface of the upper enclosure panel, separating the cooling function from the battery containment function. This extraction eliminates the risk of coolant leaks causing battery shorts while maintaining thermal management effectiveness through the thermally conductive enclosure panel.
2Temperature
If integrated cooling conduits are used within the battery pack, then cooling performance is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is merged with the battery pack enclosure structure. The upper enclosure panel is made of thermally conductive material and serves dual functions: containing the batteries and conducting heat away from them. The conduit panel is attached to the external surface of this enclosure panel, integrating the cooling function into the existing structural component rather than adding a separate complex cooling system.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper enclosure panel is designed with multi-functionality: it provides structural containment for the batteries, serves as a thermally conductive heat transfer surface, and supports the externally attached conduit panel for coolant flow. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed and simplifies the overall system.
3Temperature
If integrated cooling conduits are used within the battery pack, then thermal management is improved, but repair difficulty increases due to sealed enclosure requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling conduits are extracted from the sealed battery pack enclosure and placed on the external surface. The conduit panel can be independently attached or removed from the upper enclosure panel, allowing the cooling system to be serviced, repaired, or replaced without compromising the sealed integrity of the battery pack enclosure or requiring complex disassembly procedures.
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 solution effectively maintains battery temperature while minimizing risks to passengers by externalizing the cooling system, reducing manufacturing complexity and costs, and preventing coolant leaks from causing battery shorts, thus enhancing safety and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
the upper enclosure panel is comprised of a thermally conductive material... the coolant channel is thermally coupled to the upper enclosure panel
Implementation Method 2
the layer of thermally conductive material is interposed between the upper surface of each battery of the plurality of batteries and an internal surface of the upper enclosure panel
Implementation Method 3
a circulation pump configured to pump the heat transfer medium through the coolant channel
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack thermal management assembly is provided for use with an electric vehicle in which the battery pack is sealed and mounted under the car. The batteries contained within the battery pack are thermally coupled via a layer of thermally conductive material to the interior surface of the pack's upper enclosure panel. A shaped conduit panel is attached to the exterior surface of the pack's upper enclosure panel. A cooling panel structure containing a coolant channel is defined by the enclosure panel's exterior surface and the conduit panel's interior surface.