Battery Pack Recessed Case Bottom for Coolant Leakage Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery packs face overheating issues due to coolant leakage from cracks in the cooler, which can form a closed circuit with battery cells, leading to overheating.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design featuring a recessed bottom portion in the case to contain any leaking coolant, preventing it from contacting the battery modules, while maintaining reduced weight and cost by using the case's bottom as a partition for heat exchange with the coolant.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of stationary object
If battery modules are directly mounted on the upper surface of the cooler to reduce weight and cost, then weight and cost are reduced, but coolant leakage risk increases when cracks occur between the cooler walls
Solution Approach 1:
A waterproof sheet is introduced as an intermediary layer between the battery modules and the cooler. This sheet prevents coolant from contacting the battery modules even when cracks occur in the cooler walls, while allowing the battery modules to remain directly mounted on the cooler for weight reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The waterproof sheet is separated from the cooler structure, allowing the cooler to be designed purely for thermal management while the waterproofing function is extracted and implemented through the separate waterproof sheet layer.
2Device complexity
If battery modules are directly mounted on the cooler without additional protective structures, then device complexity is reduced, but the risk of overheating from coolant contact increases
Solution Approach 1:
The waterproof sheet serves as a simple intermediary barrier that prevents harmful coolant contact with battery modules, adding minimal structural complexity while effectively eliminating the overheating risk.
Solution Approach 2:
A thin waterproof film is used to provide protection against coolant leakage. This flexible thin film structure maintains low device complexity while providing effective barrier protection between the cooler and battery modules.
3Reliability
If a waterproof sheet is added between battery modules and cooler to prevent coolant contact, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
A simple thin waterproof film is used instead of complex protective structures. This film provides effective coolant leakage prevention while adding minimal structural complexity to the battery pack design.
Solution Approach 2:
The waterproof sheet is implemented as a simple, inexpensive protective layer that can be easily replaced if needed, providing cost-effective reliability improvement without significant structural complexity increase.
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
Effectively prevents coolant from contacting battery modules, thereby suppressing overheating and reducing the weight and cost of the battery pack by containing leaks within the recessed area.
Implementation Method 1
a cooler configured to use a bottom portion of the case including a mounting surface on which the battery module is mounted as a partition, the cooler exchanging heat between the battery module and a coolant through the bottom portion
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack of the present disclosure includes at least one battery module, a case that accommodates the battery module, a cooler configured to use a bottom portion of the case including a mounting surface on which the battery module is mounted as a partition, the cooler exchanging heat between the battery module and a coolant through the bottom portion, and a recess formed on the bottom portion so as to be recessed from the mounting surface, the recess surrounding the mounting surface along a pair of side portions and a pair of end wall portions of the case.