Battery Module Air-Duct Separator for Uniform Cell Cooling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The thermal cascade effect in battery modules leads to significant temperature differences between electrochemical cells, reducing the overall energy storage capacity and shortening the battery life of electric vehicles due to uneven heat dissipation.
Innovation Solution
A battery module design featuring a middle separator with multiple air ducts and ventilation holes that allows air to be drawn from different directions, enhancing heat dissipation by supplementing cooling air and reducing temperature gradients between cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If electrochemical cells are stacked to increase energy storage capacity, then the volume efficiency improves, but thermal cascade effect causes excessive temperature difference between cells
Solution Approach 1:
The battery module is segmented into multiple cooling zones with separate air ducts for different cell layers. Each layer has its own cooling channel that can be independently controlled, allowing differential cooling strategies to address the thermal cascade effect while maintaining high cell density
Solution Approach 2:
Different cooling intensities are applied to different regions of the battery module based on local thermal characteristics. The air duct system provides localized cooling control, with higher cooling capacity directed to high-temperature regions and reduced cooling to low-temperature regions, thereby reducing temperature differences across the stacked cells
2Volume of moving object
If heat dissipation space is compressed to reduce product volume, then the compactness improves, but thermal cascade effect intensifies causing uneven temperature distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system transitions from traditional planar heat dissipation to three-dimensional multi-layer air duct architecture. Air channels are distributed across multiple vertical layers, enabling efficient heat removal from stacked cells without increasing the horizontal footprint, thus maintaining compactness while improving thermal uniformity
Solution Approach 2:
Air ducts are nested within the battery module structure, with cooling channels integrated between cell layers rather than adding external cooling volume. The multi-layer duct system is embedded in the existing module architecture, providing enhanced cooling capability without increasing overall product volume
3Device complexity
If air cooling is used to dissipate heat, then the simplicity of the cooling system improves, but single-direction air flow causes gradual temperature increase along the flow path reducing cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The single air flow path is segmented into multiple parallel channels distributed across different layers. Each channel provides a relatively short cooling path, preventing excessive temperature rise of cooling air while maintaining the simplicity of passive air cooling without complex active control systems
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system adds vertical dimension to air flow paths, creating multi-layer parallel cooling channels. This three-dimensional air distribution enables multiple independent cooling routes that reduce the thermal gradient along each flow path while maintaining overall system simplicity
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
This design ensures more uniform cooling, maintaining the energy storage capacity and prolonging the service life of the battery module by minimizing thermal cascade effects and maintaining consistent temperatures across electrochemical cells.
Implementation Method 1
Through the main air duct, the first secondary air duct, and the second secondary air duct disposed in the middle separator, ventilation and heat dissipation may be separately performed on the first electrochemical cell layer and the second electrochemical cell layer
Implementation Method 2
air can be taken from different directions through the main air duct, the first secondary air duct, and the second secondary air duct of the middle separator, and the air supply unit exhausts air in the middle separator out of the case through the first ventilation hole
Data Source
AI summary
This application relates to a battery module, including a case, a first electrochemical cell layer, a second electrochemical cell layer, a middle separator, and an air supply unit. A main air duct, a first secondary air duct, and a second secondary air duct are disposed in the middle separator. The main air duct penetrates the middle separator. A first ventilation hole and a second ventilation hole are disposed on the case. In this application, by using the middle separator in the battery module, heat dissipation effect of air intake on three sides and air exhaust on one side may be implemented, and a cooling capability for the first electrochemical cell layer and the second electrochemical cell layer may be improved, thereby reducing a temperature difference of the battery module, and improving a service life of the battery module. This application further relates to a transportation means equipped with the battery module.