Bus Bar Cooling Gap Layout for Battery Cell Heat Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing battery systems face issues with thermal energy generation and temperature rise due to Joule heating in bus bar plates, leading to adverse effects on battery cells, including accelerated temperature rise and deteriorated temperature balance, which affects electrical characteristics and lifetime.
Innovation Solution
A battery system design with a cooling gap and ventilation between bus bar plates and the battery block, utilizing a chimney effect to enhance heat insulation and air ventilation, thereby suppressing temperature rise and maintaining temperature balance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the number of battery cells connected in parallel is increased to increase maximum current output, then the maximum current output is improved, but the thermal energy generation in bus bar plates increases causing temperature rise of battery cells
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces air as an intermediary cooling medium between the bus bar plates and battery cells. A cooling structure is provided that creates a cooling passage allowing air flow between the bus bar plates and the battery cells, enabling heat transfer from the bus bar plates to the air, thereby preventing direct heat transmission to the battery cells
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes pneumatic cooling by introducing air flow through cooling passages. The cooling structure includes air inlet holes and air outlet holes that enable air to flow through the cooling passage, using the kinetic energy and heat capacity of moving air to remove thermal energy from the bus bar plates and prevent battery cell overheating
2Power
If bus bar plates are used to connect parallel blocks in series, then voltage output is improved, but Joule heating in bus bar plates causes adverse heating effect on nearby battery cells
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful thermal energy generated by Joule heating in the bus bar plates by introducing a separate cooling structure. The cooling passage is provided between the bus bar plates and battery cells, allowing air to carry away the thermal energy, thereby separating the electrical connection function from the thermal management function
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling structure acts as an intermediary between the bus bar plates and battery cells, intercepting the thermal energy before it can affect the battery cells. The air flow in the cooling passage serves as a thermal intermediary that absorbs and removes heat from the bus bar plates
3Temperature
If cooling structures are added to reduce temperature rise, then temperature control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling structure is designed to perform multiple functions: it provides mechanical support for the bus bar plates, creates the cooling passage for air flow, and serves as a thermal barrier between the bus bar plates and battery cells. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device 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
Effectively suppresses temperature rise of battery cells caused by bus bar plates, improving heat insulation and maintaining electrical characteristics, thus extending the battery system's lifetime and performance.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing a chimney effect to enhance heat insulation and air ventilation
Implementation Method 2
the sum of the currents flowing through respective battery cells 904A in parallel blocks 904Ap flows into bus bar plates 903. In other words, the total current of parallel blocks 904Ap flows through bus bar plates 903, and a large amount of thermal energy is generated by the Joule heating
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention suppresses a temperature rise of a battery cell due to a bus bar plate connected to first and second lead plates. In battery system 1 in which a plurality of battery cells 4A included in battery block 4 are connected in series as well as in parallel by connecting the end-face electrodes of battery cells 4A with first lead plate 7A and second lead plate 7B that are connected by bus bar plates 3, a temperature rise of a specific battery cell 4A caused by bus bar plates 3 is suppressed by ensuring cooling gap 5 between bus bar plates 3 and battery block 4, and enabling the air in cooling gap 5 to rise quickly when the temperature of bus bar plate 3 rises due to the Joule heating of the load current.