Battery Cell Terminals With Separate Thermal Paths for Low-Resistance Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current thermal management systems for battery cells are inefficient, requiring significant energy to achieve desired cooling or heating effects due to high thermal resistance between the thermal connection surfaces and the active parts of the battery cells.
Innovation Solution
The electric battery cell design incorporates separate thermal connection surfaces on the cell terminals that are geometrically and thermally close to the electrodes and electrolyte, allowing for direct heating or cooling with minimal thermal resistance, and can be thermally coupled with a coolant channel for enhanced cooling or heating performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If thermal management systems use conventional thermal connection surfaces integrated with electric connection surfaces, then the structure is simpler, but the thermal resistance between the thermal connection surfaces and the active parts of the battery cells is high, requiring significant energy to achieve desired cooling or heating effects
Solution Approach 1:
The cell terminal is segmented into separate electric connection surfaces and thermal connection surfaces. This segmentation allows each surface to be optimized for its specific function: the electric connection surface for electrical conductivity and the thermal connection surface for thermal conductivity, thereby reducing thermal resistance and energy consumption without compromising structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the cell terminal are assigned different properties: the thermal connection surface is designed with high thermal conductivity and direct geometric proximity to the active parts (electrodes and electrolyte), while the electric connection surface maintains electrical conductivity. This local differentiation of properties enables efficient heat transfer with minimal energy loss
2Loss of energy
If the thermal connection surface is geometrically close to the electrodes and electrolyte, then the thermal resistance is minimized and cooling/heating efficiency is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal connection surface and electric connection surface are merged into a single integrated cell terminal structure. This merging ensures that the thermal connection surface is inherently positioned close to the active parts during manufacturing, reducing the need for high-precision separate positioning while maintaining low thermal resistance
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 enables efficient cooling or heating of battery cells with reduced energy consumption, improving the thermal management of battery assemblies and enhancing their electrical performance.
Implementation Method 1
The thermal connection surface is configured to transfer heat... only a comparatively little thermal resistance exists between the thermal connection surface and the active parts of the battery cell
Implementation Method 2
a coolant channel may be thermally coupled to the thermal connection surface... heat from the battery cells is transferred into the coolant. If the coolant is used for heating, heat from the coolant is transferred into the battery cells
Data Source
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AI summary
The disclosure relates to a battery assembly (10) comprising at least one electric battery cell (12) and at least one coolant channel (38, 40) being configured to guide a coolant. The at least one electric battery cell (12) comprises at least a first electrode (24) being electrically connected to a first cell terminal (20) and a second electrode (26) being electrically connected to a second cell terminal (22). Moreover, each of the first cell terminal (20) and the second cell terminal (22) comprises an electric connection surface (28, 30) for electrically connecting the respective first cell terminal (20) or second cell terminal (22) and at least one of the first cell terminal (20) and the second cell terminal (22) comprises a thermal connection surface (34, 36) being separate from the respective electric connection surface (28, 30). The coolant channel (38, 40) is thermally coupled to the thermal connection surface (34, 36). Additionally, an electric battery cell (12) for such a battery assembly (10) is presented. Moreover, a vehicle comprising a battery assembly (10) is explained.