Battery Cell TIM Coating with Meshed Substrate for Uniform Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thermal interface material (TIM) coating methods for battery cells, such as slot die coaters, result in laterally uneven TIM films and increase equipment costs due to the need for spinning processes, which are not efficient for uniform thickness and heat dissipation in battery packs.
Innovation Solution
A novel TIM coating method using a rotating or moving mechanism with a slot die coater and a meshed substrate with pores to ensure uniform TIM film thickness on battery cells, where the substrate's design, including curvature radius, thickness, and pore size, along with controlled fluid flow and rotation/motion speed, allows for even distribution and adherence of TIM fluid, forming a laterally uniform film.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a slot die coater is used to coat TIM material onto battery cells, then continuous production of wide layer of coated TIM material is achieved, but the TIM film becomes laterally uneven in thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a meshed substrate as an intermediate carrier between the slot die coater and the battery cell. The TIM fluid is first deposited onto the meshed substrate in a controlled manner, then transferred to the battery cell surface. This intermediate dimension allows for better control of fluid distribution and thickness uniformity while maintaining continuous production capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The meshed substrate acts as an intermediary element that receives the TIM fluid from the slot die coater and subsequently transfers it to the battery cell. This mediator enables decoupling of the coating process into two stages: controlled deposition on the meshed substrate followed by transfer to the final substrate, thereby improving thickness uniformity without sacrificing productivity.
2Manufacturing precision
If a spinning process is adopted after TIM coating to achieve uniform thickness, then TIM film uniformity is improved, but equipment cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the thickness control function from the spinning process and transfers it to the meshed substrate design and coating process. By carefully designing the meshed substrate geometry and controlling the TIM fluid deposition, uniform thickness is achieved directly during coating without requiring subsequent spinning operations, thereby eliminating the need for expensive spinning equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The meshed substrate serves as a disposable or reusable intermediate carrier that enables uniform coating without requiring expensive spinning equipment. The meshed substrate can be simple in structure and potentially disposable, replacing the need for complex and costly spinning mechanisms while achieving the desired coating uniformity.
3Ease of manufacture
If TIM fluid is directly coated onto battery cell surface, then coating process is simple, but heat dissipation performance is reduced due to uneven thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The meshed substrate serves as an intermediary that improves heat dissipation performance by ensuring uniform TIM film thickness. The meshed substrate controls fluid distribution during deposition, creating a laterally uniform TIM layer that enhances thermal contact between battery cells and cooling plates, thereby improving heat dissipation while maintaining process 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
The method effectively forms TIM films with uniform thickness on battery cells, enhancing heat dissipation and reducing equipment costs by optimizing the coating process without the need for spinning, thus improving the efficiency and performance of battery packs.
Implementation Method 1
A novel TIM coating method using a rotating or moving mechanism with a slot die coater and a meshed substrate with pores to ensure uniform TIM film thickness on battery cells
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal interface material coating method for battery cells is disclosed. According to the present invention, a coating system comprising a rotating mechanism, a slot die coater and a substrate is provided so as to be adopted for coating a TIM material onto at least one battery cell. Particularly, the substrate is a meshed plate including a plurality of pores. As such, in case of a coating fluid flow rate of a slit nozzle of the slot die coater, a rotation speed of the rotation mechanism, a thickness of the substrate, and a pore size of the substrate all having been properly designed, it is able to form a TIM film having a laterally-uniform thickness on the battery cell by using the coating system.