Common Cooling Plate Layout for Vehicle Battery Module Stacks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery stack cooling systems, particularly in vehicles, face challenges in providing sufficient cooling for demanding applications due to limited space and inefficiencies in traditional liquid cooling designs, which can impact safety, storage capacity, and charging speed.
Innovation Solution
A battery stack design incorporating a common cooling plate with apertures between supporting side walls and bottom plates allows for side cooling, increasing the contact surface area and providing robust support for battery cells, enabling efficient liquid coolant flow across multiple modules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a common cooling plate is arranged between supporting side walls and battery cells, then cooling performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cooling function across multiple battery modules by introducing a common cooling plate that serves multiple modules simultaneously. This consolidates what would otherwise require separate cooling solutions for each module, improving thermal management efficiency while the modular integration keeps complexity manageable
Solution Approach 2:
The common cooling plate performs multiple functions: it provides thermal cooling to battery cells, serves as a structural support element between modules, and facilitates coolant distribution across multiple modules. This multi-functionality improves cooling performance without proportionally increasing device complexity
2Strength
If connecting elements protrude through cooling plate apertures, then structural support is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is segmented into discrete connecting elements that protrude through specific apertures in the cooling plate. This segmentation allows for standardized, modular connection points that simplify manufacturing by breaking down the complex task of integrating support and cooling into discrete, repeatable components with controlled precision requirements at each interface
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting elements act as intermediaries that bridge the structural support function and the cooling function. By positioning these connectors through apertures in the cooling plate, the design creates a standardized interface point where structural and thermal management systems intersect, making the precision requirements manageable through standardized component design
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 enhances cooling performance, maintaining battery stacks within specified temperature ranges, improving safety and charging efficiency while optimizing space utilization in vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
The first and second battery modules comprises a respective bottom support plate... a first common cooling plate arranged between the first supporting side wall and the battery cells... allowing efficient liquid coolant flow across multiple modules
Implementation Method 2
Liquid cooling is a popular solution within battery systems for vehicles. This involves pumping cooland through pipes and plates built into the battery packs
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
The present invention relates to a battery stack (1) for a vehicle (2), the battery stack (1) comprising a first battery module (4) and a second battery module (5), each comprising battery cells (6,7) being stacked in a depth direction (z) of the battery stack (1). The first and second battery modules (4,5) comprises a first and a second supporting side wall (8,9,10,11) respectively for supporting the battery cells (6,7) in the respective first and second battery module (4,5). The first and second battery modules (4,5) furthermore comprises a respective bottom support plate (12,13), the first and the second battery modules (4,5) comprising a respective first connection arrangement (14,14') for connecting the respective bottom plate (12,13) to the respective first supporting side wall (8,10) of the respective battery module (4,5). The first connection arrangements (14,14') comprises one or more connecting elements (14a,14a') protruding out from the bottom plate (12,13) and/or from the first supporting side wall (8,10) of the respective battery modules (4,5). The battery stack (1) furthermore comprises a first common cooling plate (15) arranged between the first supporting side wall (8,10) and the battery cells (6,7) in both of the first and the second battery modules (4,5), the first common cooling plate (15) being provided with apertures (16) extending through the first common cooling plate (15) and being configured for allowing each of the connecting elements (14a, 14a') of the first connection arrangements (14,15') to extend therethrough and the first common cooling plate (15) to be arranged between the first supporting side wall (8,10) and the bottom plate (12,13) of the respective battery module (4,5).