Side Bus Bar Cooling Structure for Lower-Height Battery Packs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery packs have inefficient heat dissipation due to thermal pads and heatsinks being coupled to the bottom portion, leading to increased height and cost, while heat generation primarily occurs at electrode leads and bus bars.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design where a heat dissipation member is positioned in contact with the bus bar at the side surface of the battery module, incorporating a thermal pad and heatsink with a flow path for fluid cooling, reducing the overall height and manufacturing cost by focusing heat dissipation on the primary heat emission points.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If thermal pad and heatsink are coupled to the bottom portion of battery module, then heat dissipation is provided, but heat dissipation efficiency is low and total height is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from coupling heat dissipation components to the bottom surface (vertical dimension) to coupling them to the side surface (horizontal dimension). This dimensional change allows heat dissipation without increasing the battery pack's height, as the thermal pad and heatsink are now attached laterally to the bus bar rather than stacked vertically beneath the battery module.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies heat dissipation components specifically to the side surface where the bus bar is located, which is the actual heat generation point. This localized approach concentrates thermal management resources at the precise location of heat emission rather than distributing them across the entire bottom surface, improving efficiency while reducing overall component area.
2Temperature
If thermal pad and heatsink are manufactured to correspond to total size of bottom portion, then heat dissipation coverage is maximized, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent localizes heat dissipation components to only the side surface area where the bus bar is positioned, rather than manufacturing thermal pads and heatsinks to cover the entire bottom portion. This reduces the area and material required for heat dissipation components, directly lowering manufacturing costs while maintaining effective heat management at the actual heat source location.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the heat dissipation function from the bottom portion structure and relocates it to the side surface. This separation allows the heat dissipation components to be sized only according to the bus bar's dimensions rather than the entire battery module footprint, reducing material usage and manufacturing 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 design enhances heat dissipation efficiency by targeting the primary heat emission points and reduces the battery pack's height and manufacturing costs by minimizing the area and height of the heat dissipation member.
Implementation Method 1
a heat dissipation member provided in contact with a bus bar at a side surface of the battery module
Implementation Method 2
a heatsink coupled to the thermal pad, wherein the heatsink includes a flow path through which a cooling fluid flows
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a battery pack including a battery module having a plurality of battery cells, and a heat dissipation member provided in contact with a bus bar at a side surface of the battery module where electrode leads of the battery cells and the bus bar coupled to the electrode leads are disposed.