Battery Module Spacer Alignment for Uniform Cooling Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
The positioning of heat transfer plates in battery modules can become uneven during stacking, leading to varying surface pressures and inconsistent cooling performance due to the second portions of the plates not being aligned correctly with the thermal conductive member.
Innovation Solution
A battery module design that includes spacers with positioning portions and contact surfaces to align heat transfer plates and spacers, allowing for precise alignment of heat dissipation portions, and a manufacturing method that involves collective pressing of these components to ensure uniform positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If cell holders are stacked on each other with heat transfer plates positioned before stacking, then the heat transfer plate can be initially positioned, but position shift occurs during stacking causing uneven alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The heat dissipation portion of the heat transfer plate is bent in advance toward the thermal conductive member before stacking. This preliminary bending action ensures that when cell holders are stacked, the heat dissipation portions will automatically contact the thermal conductive member with uniform pressure, preventing position shift and maintaining alignment precision throughout the stacking process.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat transfer plate's heat dissipation portion is transformed from a flat state to a bent state, changing its geometric parameter. This bending deformation allows the plate to exert pre-compression force on the thermal conductive member, ensuring consistent contact pressure and uniform heat dissipation across all stacked cell holders without requiring precise manual alignment during assembly.
2Ease of manufacture
If heat transfer plates are positioned before stacking, then assembly is simplified, but surface pressure becomes non-uniform across different cell holders
Solution Approach 1:
The heat dissipation portion is pre-bent toward the thermal conductive member before stacking occurs. This preliminary deformation ensures that when the cell holders are stacked, each heat transfer plate applies uniform pre-compression force to the thermal conductive member, eliminating surface pressure non-uniformity that would otherwise occur with simple pre-positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the geometric parameter of the heat dissipation portion from flat to bent, the system transforms the contact pressure distribution. The bent configuration ensures that the heat dissipation portion makes consistent contact with the thermal conductive member across all stacked cell holders, maintaining uniform surface pressure without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms during assembly.
3Productivity
If heat dissipation portions are not uniformly aligned, then manufacturing is simpler, but cooling performance varies by cell holder
Solution Approach 1:
The heat dissipation portion is pre-bent toward the thermal conductive member before the stacking process. This preliminary action ensures that all heat transfer plates will be uniformly aligned with the thermal conductive member after stacking, guaranteeing consistent cooling performance across all cell holders while maintaining simple manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The geometric transformation of bending the heat dissipation portion changes its position and orientation parameters. This parameter change ensures that regardless of minor variations in stacking position, each heat transfer plate maintains uniform contact with the thermal conductive member, thereby ensuring consistent cooling performance across all cell holders without compromising manufacturing efficiency.
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
Improves cooling performance by ensuring consistent contact pressure and alignment of heat dissipation portions, enhancing the thermal management of battery modules.
Implementation Method 1
Heat generated in the battery cell is dissipated to the housing through the heat transfer plate and the thermal conductive member
Implementation Method 2
Heat generated in the battery cell is dissipated to the housing through the heat transfer plate and the thermal conductive member
Data Source
AI summary
A battery module is configured so that cooling performance can be improved. The battery module includes multiple battery cells stacked on each other, a spacer provided at an end portion of each battery cell, and heat transfer plates each of which has a heat absorption portion arranged between the multiple battery cells stacked on each other to absorb heat from the battery cells and a heat dissipation portion dissipating the heat absorbed by the heat absorption portion to the outside. The heat dissipation portion is bent relative to the heat absorption portion 20a, and is exposed through between the battery cells to contact the spacer. The spacer includes contact portions having contact surfaces contacting the heat dissipation portion, and a positioning portion having a surface facing a direction opposite to that of the contact surface and defining the position of the spacer.