Battery Cell TIM Coating with Meshed Substrate for Uniform Films
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thermal interface material (TIM) coating methods for battery cells result in uneven film thickness and require costly spinning processes, leading to inefficiencies in heat dissipation and increased equipment costs.
Innovation Solution
A novel TIM coating method using a rotating or moving mechanism, slot die coater, and an arc-shaped meshed substrate with controlled pore size and thickness to achieve laterally-uniform TIM films on battery cells, utilizing a substrate with slick layers and pressurizing apparatus to control fluid flow and distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional soaking method is used to form TIM film on cylindrical battery cell, then the coating process is simple, but the formed TIM film is laterally uneven in thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a meshed substrate as an intermediary carrier between the slot die coater and the battery cell. The substrate receives the TIM coating material and distributes it uniformly across its surface through its mesh structure, then transfers the evenly distributed TIM film to the battery cell surface, resolving the thickness uniformity issue while maintaining process simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes a meshed substrate with specific mesh sizes (10-200 mesh) to control the distribution of TIM coating material. The porous/meshed structure allows for even distribution of the coating material across the substrate surface, which is then transferred to the battery cell, achieving laterally uniform TIM film thickness
2Manufacturing precision
If slot die coater with spinning process is used to form TIM film on battery cell, then the TIM film can have laterally uniform thickness, but the equipment cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the spinning process from the coating system by using a meshed substrate as an intermediary carrier. The substrate receives the coating material through a slot die coater and distributes it uniformly through its mesh structure, achieving laterally uniform TIM film thickness without requiring the complex spinning equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The meshed substrate serves as an intermediary that receives the TIM coating from the slot die coater and distributes it uniformly before transferring to the battery cell. This intermediary approach eliminates the need for spinning equipment while maintaining film uniformity
3Productivity
If high aspect ratio slot-die outlet is used to deliver TIM fluid, then continuous production of wide layer of coated TIM material is achieved, but spinning process is required to make TIM film uniform
Solution Approach 1:
The meshed substrate acts as an intermediary that receives the continuous stream of TIM coating material from the high aspect ratio slot-die outlet and distributes it uniformly across its surface through the mesh structure. This eliminates the need for spinning while maintaining both continuous production capability and film uniformity
Solution Approach 2:
The meshed substrate with specific mesh sizes distributes the TIM coating material uniformly across its surface as it passes through the coating zone, enabling continuous production of laterally uniform TIM films without requiring spinning equipment
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 ensures uniform TIM film thickness on battery cells, enhancing heat dissipation and reducing equipment costs by optimizing fluid flow and distribution, thereby improving battery performance.
Implementation Method 1
The slot-die has a high aspect ratio outlet controlling the final delivery of the TIM fluid onto the surface of the battery cell. This results in the continuous production of a wide layer of coated TIM material on the surface of the battery cell
Implementation Method 2
After coating the TIM material onto the battery cell, the battery cell subsequently proceeds with the spin process, so as to make the coated TIM film comprises a laterally uniform thickness
Implementation Method 3
For enhancing the heat dissipation of the prismatic battery cells, each of the multiple prismatic battery cells is also coated with a thermal interface material (TIM) thereon
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.