Battery Pack Immersion Cooling with Non-Conductive Coolant Channels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thermal management systems for traction battery packs in electrified vehicles face challenges in efficiently managing thermal energy, particularly due to the risk of electrical shorts caused by conductive coolants and limitations in cooling performance during high-rate charging and discharging.
Innovation Solution
An immersion thermal management system utilizing a non-conductive coolant and a design featuring stand-offs within the enclosure assembly to create a coolant channel that directly contacts the cell stack, allowing for effective thermal energy transfer and preventing electrical shorts, while enabling high load demands without increasing hardware size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conductive coolant is used for thermal management, then cooling performance is improved, but electrical short risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces non-conductive coolant as an intermediary substance that transfers thermal energy between the battery cells and heat exchanger without conducting electricity. This mediator enables effective cooling while eliminating the electrical short risk associated with conductive coolants, directly resolving the technical contradiction between cooling performance and electrical safety.
2Temperature
If immersion thermal management system is used, then thermal management efficiency is improved, but hardware size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosure assembly serves multiple functions: it provides structural housing for the battery cells, acts as a thermal management component by incorporating coolant channels through stand-offs, and enables immersion cooling. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve high thermal management efficiency without increasing hardware size, as the same enclosure structure performs both mechanical and thermal management roles.
Solution Approach 2:
The coolant channels are integrated within the enclosure assembly structure itself, with stand-offs forming internal passages. The non-conductive coolant is nested within these channels, creating a compact immersion cooling system where thermal management components are embedded within the existing structural framework, avoiding additional external hardware and minimizing overall system volume.
3Temperature
If coolant channel directly contacts cell stack, then thermal energy transfer is improved, but electrical short risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The non-conductive coolant serves as a safe intermediary that enables direct thermal contact between the coolant channel and cell stack without creating electrical short pathways. The coolant molecules transfer thermal energy through conduction and convection while their non-conductive properties prevent electrical current flow, allowing direct contact configuration to achieve high thermal efficiency without electrical safety risks.
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 enables efficient thermal management, allowing for high-rate charging and discharging while preventing electrical shorts, thus improving the performance and reliability of traction battery packs.
Implementation Method 1
Coolant can be moved through the traction battery pack to help manage thermal energy within the traction battery pack
Implementation Method 2
directing a coolant through a coolant channel to manage thermal energy within the cell stack
Data Source
AI summary
A traction battery pack includes a cell stack, an enclosure assembly housing the cell stack, and stand-offs that space-apart the cell stack from a portion of the enclosure assembly to provide a coolant channel configured to communicate a coolant. The stand-offs can be part of the enclosure assembly or part of an insert separate from the enclosure assembly.