Battery Pack Separator With Inward Gas Channels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery pack cooling systems face challenges in achieving uniform cooling due to pressure losses and differences in cooling capability between input and output sides, leading to temperature unevenness and inefficiencies in cooling multiple batteries, especially in high-temperature environments and compact designs.
Innovation Solution
The battery pack incorporates insulating separators with gas channels that have entranceways and exitways positioned inward from the sides of the battery block, reducing pressure losses and enabling more uniform cooling by smoothing the flow of cooling gas, and various configurations are used to maintain electrical insulation and reduce pressure differences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling air channels are established between adjacent battery cells with air ducts extending in the battery cell stacking direction, then cooling capability is provided, but pressure losses increase and uniform cooling cannot be achieved due to pressure differences between input-side and output-side
Solution Approach 1:
The gas channels are configured to extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the battery cell stacking direction, rather than parallel to it. This inversion of the conventional channel orientation allows cooling gas to flow across the battery cells horizontally, reducing the pressure difference between input and output sides and achieving more uniform cooling across all battery cells.
Solution Approach 2:
The separator is designed with asymmetric features including a first gas channel extending perpendicular to the stacking direction and a second gas channel extending in the stacking direction but positioned to connect with the first channel. This asymmetric configuration optimizes the flow path to reduce turbulence and pressure losses while maintaining effective cooling.
2Temperature
If large gaps are allocated between battery cells to facilitate cooling, then cooling efficiency improves, but the battery pack size increases which contradicts the demand for smaller size battery packs
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the gap size between battery cells in the vertical direction, the invention introduces gas channels that extend in a horizontal direction (perpendicular to stacking) through the separator. This dimensional change allows effective cooling to be achieved within the same vertical footprint by utilizing the horizontal dimension for heat dissipation pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas channels are nested within the separator structure itself, which is already positioned between the battery cells. The separator with integrated gas channels is inserted into the existing inter-cell space, allowing the cooling system to be embedded within the battery pack structure without requiring additional external space or increasing the overall pack volume.
3Temperature
If the air duct openings are made large to supply cooling air for many cooling air channels, then cooling coverage improves, but the difference in cross-sectional area between air ducts and cooling air channels increases, causing pressure losses to increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple gas channels of relatively small cross-sectional area distributed throughout the separator, rather than relying on a single large air duct. Each gas channel provides localized cooling coverage, and collectively they achieve comprehensive cooling of all battery cells. This segmentation maintains more uniform flow distribution and reduces pressure losses by avoiding large area differences between inlet and channel openings.
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 solution reduces pressure losses and enhances cooling uniformity across all battery cells, improving the overall cooling capability and maintaining electrical insulation, even in compact designs and during battery expansion.
Implementation Method 1
This allows cooling gas near entranceways and exit ways to be smoothly introduced to, and exhausted from, the gas channels and reduces cooling gas pressure losses in those regions.
Implementation Method 2
Power source apparatus on-board present day hybrid cars are cooled by forced ventilation of the batteries with cooling air delivered by fan.
Implementation Method 3
cooling gas to be smoothly introduced to, and exhausted from, the gas channels
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack includes plural battery cells (1), and insulating separators (10) disposed between adjacent battery cells (1), where the plurality of battery cells are disposed in a stacked configuration with a prescribed gap between the adjacent battery cells. A separator (10) has plural gas channels that enable the flow of cooling gas. The gas channels have cooling gas entranceways and exit ways, which open at the sides of the battery block formed by the stacked battery cells. The separator 10 has cut sections formed to position the entranceways and exit ways of the gas channels inward from the sides of the battery block.This allows cooling gas near entranceways and exit ways to be smoothly introduced to, and exhausted from the gas channels, and reduces cooling gas pressure losses in those regions.