Battery Pack Heat Exchanger Plate With Dissimilar Alloy Brazing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermal regulation systems for electric and hybrid vehicle batteries face challenges in balancing mechanical strength, weight, and operational efficiency, particularly in managing temperature extremes and maintaining brazeability while minimizing cost and weight.
Innovation Solution
A heat exchanger plate design that incorporates a base plate with a stronger first core material and a channel plate with a weaker second core material, both coated with specific layers to enhance brazing and thermal management, thereby defining an inlet, outlet, and conduit for heat transfer fluid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If stronger materials are used for heat exchanger plates to protect batteries from external forces, then mechanical strength is improved, but weight increases and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger plate uses different materials for different functional regions: the base plate uses a stronger first material (e.g., aluminum alloy 6000 series) for structural support, while the channel plate uses a lighter second material (e.g., aluminum alloy 3000 series) for fluid conduction. This local differentiation provides mechanical strength only where structurally necessary while reducing weight in non-critical areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs composite construction by brazing two different aluminum alloy materials together. The first material provides structural strength and the second material provides thermal conduction efficiency. This composite approach achieves the required mechanical properties without using uniformly strong (and thus heavier) materials throughout the entire plate structure.
2Strength
If stronger materials are used for heat exchanger plates to protect batteries from external forces, then mechanical strength is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger plate uses different materials for different functional regions: the base plate uses a stronger first material (e.g., aluminum alloy 6000 series) for structural support, while the channel plate uses a lighter second material (e.g., aluminum alloy 3000 series) for fluid conduction. This local differentiation provides mechanical strength only where structurally necessary while reducing weight in non-critical areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs composite construction by brazing two different aluminum alloy materials together. The first material provides structural strength and the second material provides thermal conduction efficiency. This composite approach achieves the required mechanical properties without using uniformly strong (and thus heavier) materials throughout the entire plate structure.
3Weight of moving object
If different core materials are used in base plate and channel plate, then weight is reduced and thermal regulation is improved, but brazing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies specific coating layers on the surfaces of different core materials to standardize their brazing characteristics. The coating layers are selected to have compatible brazing parameters (temperature range, flux composition, wetting properties) despite the different substrate materials, enabling reliable brazing joints between dissimilar aluminum alloys.
Solution Approach 2:
The coating layers act as intermediary surfaces between the different core materials during brazing. These coatings facilitate metallurgical bonding by providing a transition zone that accommodates the different properties of the two aluminum alloy materials, enabling successful joining without direct contact between incompatible substrates.
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 provides enhanced structural strength, improved thermal regulation, and reduced weight, addressing the tradeoffs between mechanical strength, cost, and operational efficiency in battery thermal management systems.
Implementation Method 1
a lower coating layer that coats the first core material... and the lower coating layer enhances brazing of the base plate to the channel plate
Implementation Method 2
The heat transfer fluids thus cool the batteries by absorbing the heat they emit, and evacuating the heat to one or more one or more heat exchangers
Implementation Method 3
circulating one or more heat transfer fluids, such as air or water, in a conduit circuit
Data Source
AI summary
A heat exchanger plate, for thermal management of one or more battery packs, includes a base plate including a first core material and a lower coating layer. A channel plate is disposed adjacent to the base plate, the channel plate including at least one channel formed therein and a second core material different from the first core material. The base plate and channel plate combine to define an inlet, an outlet, and a conduit for propagating heat transfer fluid. The first core material is stronger than the second core material and the lower coating layer enhances brazing of the base plate to the channel plate. A related battery unit includes a battery pack and the heat exchanger plate. A related method includes forming the base plate and channel plate, brazing the base plate to the channel plate, and propagating heat transfer fluid between the inlet and outlet via the conduit.