Bus Bar Fluid Channels for Lightweight Battery Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current battery cooling technologies for electric vehicles, such as electric aircraft, are cumbersome and add significant weight due to the use of coolant-filled cavities and complex piping systems, which can lead to thermal runaway and reduced battery performance.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a bus bar with a fluid channel that forms part of a cooling circuit, allowing for the pumping of cooling fluid to absorb heat and regulate battery temperature, thereby eliminating the need for additional cooling pipes and reducing weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If coolant-filled cavities and complex piping systems are used for battery cooling, then battery temperature can be controlled, but weight increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The bus bar is designed to integrate both electrical connection function and cooling circuit function into a single component. The bus bar contains internal fluid channels that allow cooling fluid to flow through, eliminating the need for separate cooling pipes and reducing overall system weight while maintaining effective heat dissipation from the battery cells.
2Temperature
If coolant-filled cavities and complex piping systems are used for battery cooling, then battery temperature can be controlled, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is simplified by merging the cooling circuit directly into the bus bar structure. The bus bar contains internal fluid channels that eliminate the need for separate external piping systems, reducing the number of components, connections, and potential failure points while maintaining effective temperature control.
3Temperature
If additional cooling pipes are added to the battery system, then cooling effectiveness improves, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bus bar serves dual purposes: electrical connection and heat dissipation. By integrating cooling fluid channels within the bus bar itself, the system achieves effective cooling without adding separate piping components, thereby maintaining cooling effectiveness while minimizing weight increase.
4Temperature
If traditional cooling systems are used, then battery temperature regulation is achieved, but energy capacity and weight characteristics are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated bus bar design combines electrical and thermal management functions into a single component. This eliminates the need for separate cooling pipes and associated fluids, reducing overall system weight and improving energy capacity characteristics while maintaining effective temperature regulation of the battery cells.
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 solution effectively maintains battery temperature within a safe range, preventing thermal runaway and extending battery life while minimizing weight, thus enhancing energy capacity and weight characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
The fluid channel is to receive a cooling fluid to cool the bus bar and reduce a temperature of the battery
Implementation Method 2
activating a pump to pump cooling fluid through the fluid channel in the bus bar
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for thermal management of batteries are disclosed herein. An example battery disclosed herein includes a housing defining a cavity and a battery cell disposed in the cavity of the housing. The battery cell has a terminal. The battery further includes a bus bar disposed in the cavity of the housing. The bus bar is coupled to the terminal. A fluid channel formed in the bus bar. The fluid channel is to receive a cooling fluid to cool the bus bar and reduce a temperature of the battery.