Battery Pack Spacer With Composite Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery packs face challenges in preventing heat propagation between modules, which can lead to irregular states, and existing spacers either hinder cooling or do not effectively isolate heat transfer.
Innovation Solution
A spacer system with cooling elements of varying thermal conductivities and an insulating material is used to create a thermal barrier between battery modules, ensuring efficient cooling and delayed heat transfer, while maintaining structural integrity and allowing for temperature sensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If spacers completely fill the gap between battery modules to prevent heat propagation, then heat transfer between modules is reduced, but convection and cooling of the battery modules is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer is designed with spatially varying thermal conductivity: the first and second regions have higher thermal conductivity to conduct heat away from battery modules, while the third region has lower thermal conductivity to block heat propagation between adjacent modules. This local differentiation allows simultaneous achievement of cooling and heat isolation.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer is constructed as a composite structure with regions of different thermal conductivity values, combining materials or structures that facilitate heat removal with those that block heat transfer, enabling the spacer to perform both cooling support and heat propagation prevention functions.
2Productivity
If battery modules are arranged compactly to maximize space utilization, then productivity is improved, but heat propagation between adjacent modules increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer introduces local quality variations in thermal conductivity within the compact battery pack structure, allowing dense arrangement of battery modules while strategically placing low thermal conductivity regions to block heat propagation paths between adjacent modules.
3Ease of manufacture
If spacers are made of plastic material to provide electrical insulation and structural support, then ease of manufacture is improved, but thermal conductivity is insufficient for effective cooling support
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer combines plastic material advantages (electrical insulation, ease of manufacture, structural support) with regions of enhanced thermal conductivity through composite construction, achieving both manufacturability and effective heat dissipation support.
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 spacer system effectively prevents heat propagation, enhances cooling efficiency, and allows for precise temperature monitoring, thereby improving the reliability and safety of battery packs.
Implementation Method 1
The insulating material has a lower thermal conductivity than the first and as the second thermal conductivity, so that heating of the first battery module does not result or only delayed in a heating of the second battery module
Implementation Method 2
The spacer is a first cooling member of a first thermal conductivity, which is in surface contact with a first of the battery modules. The spacer comprises a second cooling member of a second thermal conductivity, which is in surface contact with a second of the battery modules
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
A battery pack (100) comprising a plurality of battery modules (10, 11, 12, 13, 14) includes a spacer (20) arranged between the battery modules (10, 11, 12, 13, 14). The spacer (20) comprises a first cooling element (30) made of a first thermally conductive material, which is in planar contact with a first of the battery modules (10), and a second cooling element (32) made of a second thermally conductive material, which is in planar contact with a second of the battery modules (11). It further comprises a space (40) between the cooling elements (30, 32), which is at least partially filled with an insulating material. The insulating material has a lower thermal conductivity than both the first and the second thermally conductive materials, so that heating of the first battery module (10) does not result in heating of the second battery module (11), or only does so with a delay.