Battery Cell Frame Vent Openings for Resin-Cooled Pack Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Secondary battery packs face challenges in heat dissipation and safety due to heat accumulation and potential for fire or explosion, especially when multiple batteries are densely packed and subjected to high-rate discharge, leading to rapid temperature increases and heat island phenomena.
Innovation Solution
A secondary battery pack design featuring cylindrical cells with thermally conductive resin between the cells and pack housing, a cell frame with a coating prevention part to prevent thermally conductive resin from sealing electrode terminals, and a gas vent structure to discharge excess pressure, along with a lattice structure on the pack housing for enhanced heat dissipation and mechanical stiffness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If multiple secondary batteries are densely packed in a narrow space to increase energy density, then the energy density and output of the battery pack are improved, but heat dissipation becomes difficult and heat accumulation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is divided into modular units with individual cell frames for each battery cell. Each cell frame independently manages heat dissipation for its enclosed cell through dedicated heat dissipation fins, preventing heat accumulation even when multiple cells are densely packed together.
Solution Approach 2:
Heat dissipation is extended into the vertical dimension by incorporating heat dissipation fins that protrude from the cell frames. This three-dimensional heat dissipation structure increases the heat exchange surface area without increasing the horizontal footprint, allowing effective heat dissipation in densely packed configurations.
2Temperature
If thermally conductive resin is applied to fill gaps between batteries and housing for thermal management, then heat dissipation is improved, but the resin may obstruct safety vents on electrode terminals
Solution Approach 1:
The safety vent openings on the electrode terminals are extracted from the general gap-filling region. The cell frame design includes dedicated openings that allow thermally conductive resin to fill gaps between the battery cell and housing while explicitly excluding the resin from the safety vent areas, ensuring vent functionality is preserved.
Solution Approach 2:
The cell frame structure implements different properties in different regions: the gaps between the battery cell and housing are filled with thermally conductive resin for heat dissipation, while the safety vent openings remain clear to maintain their safety function. This spatial differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction.
3Power
If high-rate discharge is performed to meet power demands, then the power output is improved, but temperature rapidly increases due to heat generation proportional to square of current
Solution Approach 1:
Heat dissipation pathways are established in advance through the cell frame structure with integrated heat dissipation fins and thermally conductive resin filling gaps between cells and housing. This preliminary thermal management infrastructure is in place before high-rate discharge occurs, enabling rapid heat removal during high-power operations and preventing dangerous temperature increases.
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
The design effectively prevents thermally conductive resin from obstructing safety vents, ensures safe operation during abnormal conditions, enhances heat dissipation efficiency, and increases the durability and mechanical strength of the battery pack.
Implementation Method 1
a thermally conductive resin interposed between an inner surface of the pack housing forming the inner space and an outer surface of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells
Implementation Method 2
a gas vent structure to discharge excess pressure
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A secondary battery pack includes a plurality of cylindrical battery cells arranged in one direction and having electrode terminals respectively formed at one end and the other end thereof; a connection plate configured to electrically connect the plurality of cylindrical battery cells with each other; a pack housing having an inner space in which the plurality of cylindrical battery cells are mounted so that the electrode terminals are located in a horizontal direction; a thermally conductive resin interposed between an inner surface of the pack housing forming the inner space and an outer surface of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells; and a cell frame configured to surround an upper portion of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells and at least a portion of outer surfaces of both ends of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells at which the electrode terminals are formed, the cell frame having an opening through which the electrode terminals are exposed out, the cell frame having a coating prevention part formed to protrude outward from at least a portion of a rim of the opening.