Conformable Micro-Heat Exchanger for Battery Thermal Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thermal management systems for electronic devices and batteries are inefficient, space-consuming, and costly, failing to maintain optimal temperature ranges effectively.
Innovation Solution
Mechanically conformable micro-heat exchangers with flexible substrates and channels carrying nanofluids or heat-transfer fluids, capable of conforming to various shapes and positions, providing efficient heating or cooling by using custom-made fluids with enhanced thermal characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional thermal management systems are used, then temperature control function is provided, but the system takes up undesirably high amount of space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible thin-film substrates with integrated microchannels that can be conformally attached to battery surfaces. This thin-film approach replaces bulky conventional thermal management components, dramatically reducing the volume occupied while maintaining effective heat transfer capability through direct contact with the battery surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal management system is segmented into multiple flexible modules, each with its own microchannel network. These modular segments can be distributed across different battery surfaces, providing comprehensive thermal coverage without requiring a single large-volume cooling system, thus reducing overall space occupation.
2Temperature
If conventional thermal management systems are used, then temperature control function is provided, but the cost is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes nanofluids with enhanced thermal conductivity parameters to improve heat transfer efficiency. By changing the fluid properties (adding nanoparticles to base fluids), the system achieves superior thermal management performance without requiring expensive complex hardware, thereby reducing overall system cost while maintaining temperature control efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs fluid-based thermal management through microchannels carrying nanofluids. This hydraulic approach is more cost-effective than solid-state cooling solutions, leveraging well-established fluid heat transfer mechanisms to provide efficient temperature control at lower manufacturing costs.
3Temperature
If conventional thermal management systems are used, then cooling function is provided, but the cooling efficiency is not sufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fundamentally changes the thermal parameters of the cooling fluid by incorporating nanoparticles to create nanofluids with enhanced thermal conductivity and heat capacity. This parameter enhancement allows the fluid to absorb and transport heat more efficiently, directly improving cooling effectiveness and reducing energy loss in the thermal management system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from conventional bulk cooling to micro-scale channel cooling, utilizing microchannels with dimensions in the micrometer range. This dimensional reduction increases the surface-area-to-volume ratio, enabling much more efficient heat transfer between the battery and cooling fluid, thereby significantly improving cooling efficiency and thermal management effectiveness.
4Temperature
If rigid heat exchangers are used, then structural stability is maintained, but the heat exchanger cannot conform to various battery shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible thin-film substrates that can be conformally attached to battery surfaces of various shapes. This flexibility enables the heat exchanger to adapt to different battery geometries while maintaining intimate thermal contact, solving the contradiction between structural stability and shape adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal management system is designed with flexible, dynamically adaptable components rather than rigid fixed structures. The flexible substrate and microchannel network can deform and conform to different battery shapes, providing both structural integrity and shape adaptability for effective thermal contact across various battery configurations.
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 solution enables efficient temperature control with reduced space and cost, maintaining optimal performance of electronic devices and batteries by conforming to their shapes and providing superior thermal management.
Implementation Method 1
flexible channels configured to carry a nanofluid or other heat-transfer fluid... channels carrying a heat-transfer fluid... ability to absorb, carry, and/or deliver heat to or from the subject structure
Data Source
AI summary
A mechanically conformable micro-heat exchanger for use in managing temperature of a subject component. The exchanger includes a flexible fluid tube. In various embodiments, the tube is connected to a flexible substrate, such as by a flexible polymer. The exchanger can be changed manually from an initial shape to a first shape to conform to a shape of the subject component. The flexible fluid tube is configured to channel heat-transfer fluid through a heat-transfer tube section of the tube. The heat-transfer fluid is configured to cool or heat the subject component when, in operation of the mechanically conformable micro-heat exchanger, the heat-transfer fluid is channeled through the heat-transfer tube section.