Battery Pack Bus Bar Cooling Structure for Heat and Cell Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rechargeable batteries generate heat during charging and discharging, which can lead to damage if not effectively dissipated, and existing structures fail to adequately address heat dissipation and cell fixation under shock and vibration.
Innovation Solution
A rechargeable battery pack design featuring a battery housing with an inner space, unit battery cells, first and second bus bars for electrical connections, and a cooling unit within the housing to facilitate heat transfer and dissipation through a cooling medium.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a plurality of unit battery cells are connected to achieve large capacity, then the battery capacity increases, but heat generation increases and requires effective heat dissipation structures
Solution Approach 1:
A cooling plate is introduced as an intermediary component between the battery cells and the housing. The cooling plate includes cooling channels that allow coolant flow, serving as a mediator to transfer heat away from the battery cells without directly modifying the cells themselves.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat dissipation function is extracted from the overall battery structure and implemented as a separate cooling plate component. This allows the cooling system to be designed and optimized independently while maintaining the battery cell configuration.
2Power
If the battery structure is designed for high output response, then power delivery improves, but heat generation increases requiring effective heat dissipation
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling plate acts as a thermal intermediary that enables high power output by providing a dedicated heat removal path. The cooling channels in the plate facilitate efficient heat transfer from the battery terminals and cells, allowing sustained high power operation.
3Strength
If the battery structure needs to withstand shock and vibration, then mechanical strength improves, but the structure becomes more complex requiring effective cell fixation
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling plate is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it provides thermal management through cooling channels, acts as a structural support element for the battery cells, and serves as a mounting surface for terminals and other components. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate structural support components.
Solution Approach 2:
The structural support function is merged with the thermal management function in the cooling plate. The plate's rigid structure provides mechanical support to the battery cells while its integrated cooling channels provide heat dissipation, combining two functions into one component.
4Temperature
If cooling channels are provided in the housing, then heat dissipation improves, but the housing structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling channels are extracted from the housing structure and implemented in a separate cooling plate. This allows the housing to remain simple while the cooling function is provided by a dedicated component that can be optimized independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal management function is segmented from the structural housing. The cooling plate is a separate, modular component that can be designed, manufactured, and optimized independently from the housing, allowing each component to be simplified for its specific function.
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
Effectively cools and dissipates heat generated during battery operations, enhancing the battery's durability and performance by transferring heat through bus bars and a cooling unit, while also fixing the cells securely.
Implementation Method 1
effectively cools and dissipates heat generated during charging and discharging of the rechargeable battery pack
Implementation Method 2
configured to allow a cooling medium to flow therein for cooling the unit battery cells
Data Source
AI summary
A rechargeable battery pack may include: a battery housing including an inner space; a series of unit battery cells accommodated in the inner space; a first bus bar configured to electrically connect the unit battery cells above the unit battery cells; a second bus bar configured to electrically connect the unit battery cells under the unit battery cells and contact a bottom plate of the battery housing in the inner space; and a cooling unit in the battery housing under the second bus bar configured to accommodate a cooling medium to flow therein for cooling the unit battery cells.