Battery Module Top Spray Cooling With Insulating Oil
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery modules suffer from limited cooling performance and temperature deviations due to indirect water-cooling methods, leading to safety and durability issues, and the use of potting resin increases weight and cost.
Innovation Solution
A battery module design that directly cools battery cells using insulating oil sprayed from the top to the bottom through a network of cooling pipes with perforated holes, ensuring uniform cooling and maintaining airtightness without the need for potting resin.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If indirect water-cooling method using cooling water is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the cooling performance is limited due to heat transfer path length and temperature deviations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a heat dissipation plate as an intermediary component between the battery cells and cooling water. The heat dissipation plate receives heat from multiple battery cells through its upper surface and transfers it to cooling water flowing through channels in its lower surface, effectively mediating heat transfer and reducing the overall heat transfer path length while maintaining manufacturing simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The battery module is divided into multiple heat dissipation plates, each serving a specific region of battery cells. This segmentation allows for localized heat management, reduces heat transfer distances, and enables parallel cooling of multiple cell groups simultaneously, improving overall cooling performance without significantly increasing manufacturing complexity
2Device complexity
If bottom cooling using heat sink is used, then the structure is simple, but the heat transfer path is long and cooling efficiency is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from bottom-only cooling to a dual-sided cooling approach where heat dissipation plates contact battery cells on their upper surfaces and transfer heat to cooling water through their lower surfaces. This dimensional change in heat transfer path enables simultaneous cooling from both top and bottom, effectively doubling the cooling efficiency without proportionally increasing device complexity
3Quantity of substance
If cooling water temperature increases during circulation, then the cooling effect decreases at the outlet compared to the inlet, but maintaining constant low temperature requires additional cooling systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs multiple heat dissipation plates with cooling water channels that allow different regions of the battery module to be cooled independently. Each heat dissipation plate receives cooling water at relatively uniform temperature, enabling localized heat removal and reducing temperature deviations between different battery cell locations throughout the module
4Reliability
If potting resin is applied to prevent thermal propagation, then safety is improved, but weight and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the potting resin from the battery module design, replacing it with a passive heat dissipation plate structure that provides both cooling and thermal isolation functions. This eliminates the need for fire-retardant potting resin, reducing both weight and cost while maintaining safety through efficient heat management
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
Enhances cooling efficiency by minimizing temperature deviations and preventing leaks, while reducing weight and cost, and ensuring safe operation by using insulating oil that does not require periodic replacement.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling medium for cooling may be directly introduced into the module housing and be in direct contact with the battery cells
Implementation Method 2
the cooling water does not directly contact the battery cells but indirectly contacts them through the module housing that accommodates the battery cells
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Provided is a battery module capable of improving the cooling performance of battery cells by directly cooling the battery cells. A battery module of the present disclosure includes a cell module assembly including a plurality of battery cells; a module case that supports a bottom and side surfaces of the cell module assembly and opens a top of the cell module assembly; and a top cooling cover assembly that is coupled to the module case and covers the top of the cell module assembly to form a sealed structure and cools the battery cells from the top to the bottom thereof by directly spraying insulating oil.