Battery Heat Sink Venting with Intermediate Cooling Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing cooling devices for electrical energy stores, which have heat sinks arranged on the same side as venting elements, suffer from a reduced cooling surface area due to openings that form venting channels for hot gas, compromising cooling efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of intermediate cooling elements arranged between energy storage cells and extending along cell housing sidewalls, which are thermally coupled to a heat sink designed as a double-walled storage enclosure, to compensate for the loss of cooling surface area and enhance heat transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If openings are formed in the heat sink for venting channels, then hot gas can escape from the energy storage cells, but the cooling surface area of the heat sink is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into two distinct components: the heat sink with venting openings for hot gas escape, and intermediate cooling elements positioned in the free spaces between energy storage cells. This segmentation allows the heat sink to focus on venting while the intermediate cooling elements compensate for the lost cooling surface area by providing additional cooling contact with the cell sidewalls.
Solution Approach 2:
Intermediate cooling elements are introduced as intermediary components between the energy storage cells and the heat sink. These elements extend along the cell housing sidewalls in the free spaces, acting as thermal mediators that transfer heat from the cell surfaces to the heat sink, thereby compensating for the cooling surface area lost due to venting openings.
2Productivity
If intermediate cooling elements are added to compensate for cooling surface area loss, then cooling efficiency is maintained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate cooling elements are integrated with the existing cell array structure by positioning them in the free spaces between adjacent energy storage cells. This merging approach allows the additional cooling functionality to be incorporated without requiring separate mounting structures or significant modifications to the overall device architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate cooling elements utilize the three-dimensional free spaces between cells by extending along the sidewalls, effectively adding cooling surface area in a vertical/dimensional direction rather than requiring additional horizontal space. This dimensional approach maintains cooling efficiency without proportionally increasing device footprint or structural complexity.
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 configuration ensures reliable hot gas bleeding and maintains good cooling efficiency while providing a space-saving design and increased stability for the electrical energy store.
Implementation Method 1
The intermediate cooling elements are arranged in free spaces of the cell array between the energy storage cells and are designed to emit waste heat from the energy storage cells to the heat sink
Implementation Method 2
a cooling device for an electrical energy store having a heat sink for arrangement on one side of a cell array formed from energy storage cells of the electrical energy store and for cooling the energy storage cells
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling device for an electrical energy store, having a heat sink for arranging on one side of a cell assembly formed of energy storage cells of the electrical energy store and for cooling the energy storage cells is provided. The heat sink has openings for aligned arrangement so as to form degassing elements of the energy storage cells. The openings form a degassing duct for a hot gas of the energy storage cells that leaks via the degassing elements. The cooling device has intermediate cooling elements for arranging in clearances of the cell assembly between the energy storage cells in order to compensate for a loss of cooling surface that results from the openings of the heat sink. The intermediate cooling elements are arranged on the heat sink and are designed to dissipate waste heat from the energy storage cells to the heat sink.