Thermally Conductive Current Collector for Battery Cell Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery cell cooling methods are inefficient and costly, leading to increased battery pack costs, decreased efficiency, and limited thermal performance due to high internal thermal gradients and the need for external cooling, which can be exacerbated by cold operating conditions.
Innovation Solution
The use of internal current collectors that form both electrical and thermal connections with electrode plates, providing direct heat extraction and transfer via a thermally conductive path to an external cooling plate, reducing thermal resistance and enhancing heat distribution within the cell.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional external cooling methods are used, then cooling capability is provided, but thermal resistance is high and cooling efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the electrical current collector with thermal management functionality by integrating thermally conductive material into the current collector structure. This combines electrical current collection and heat extraction into a single integrated component, eliminating the need for separate cooling systems and reducing thermal resistance through direct thermal contact with electrode plates.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermally conductive material in the current collector acts as an intermediary between the electrode plates and the external cooling plate. It provides a direct thermal conduction pathway that mediates heat transfer from the internal heat sources (electrode plates) to the external cooling system, reducing thermal resistance and improving cooling efficiency.
2Temperature
If liquid cooling systems are used, then cooling capability is improved, but battery pack cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The current collector is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: electrical current collection and thermal conduction. By making the current collector thermally conductive, it serves dual purposes, eliminating the need for separate cooling system components and reducing overall system complexity and manufacturing cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention combines electrical and thermal management functions into a single integrated component (the thermally conductive current collector). This merging eliminates the need for separate liquid cooling systems, reducing material costs, assembly complexity, and manufacturing expenses while maintaining effective thermal management.
3Temperature
If conventional cooling methods are used, then external cooling is provided, but internal thermal gradients are high
Solution Approach 1:
The thermally conductive current collector is divided into multiple sections that contact different electrode plates throughout the cell. This segmentation allows heat to be extracted from multiple internal locations simultaneously, reducing internal thermal gradients and achieving more uniform temperature distribution throughout the battery cell.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from external surface cooling to internal volumetric cooling by embedding thermally conductive material within the current collector that contacts the electrode plates. This moves the cooling interface from the external boundary into the internal structure, enabling direct heat extraction from the heat-generating regions and reducing internal thermal gradients.
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 reduces thermal resistance and improves heat distribution within the battery cell, allowing for more efficient cooling and heating control, thereby enhancing the performance and longevity of battery cells, especially in cold conditions.
Implementation Method 1
provides a thermal conduction pathway for conducting heat from the electrode plates to an external cooling plate
Data Source
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AI summary
A battery pack includes a thermally conductive plate that can be cooled or heated, and an array of electrochemical cells. The cells include a stacked or rolled arrangement of electrode plates, and a current collector disposed in the battery cell that forms an electrical connection with the electrode plates and provides a thermal conduction pathway for conducting heat from the electrode plates to the thermally conductive plate.