Coolant Jacket Battery Pack for Dense Cell Clamping and Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
In battery packs for electric vehicles, there is a challenge in arranging and applying pressure to individual battery cells while effectively managing temperature, especially during rapid charging, due to limitations in existing cooling methods and structural constraints.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design featuring a battery case with alternately arranged battery cells and coolant jackets made of deformable thin plates, where a non-compressed fluid is used to expand the coolant jackets, applying pressure to the cells and allowing for efficient cooling of cell side surfaces, eliminating the need for additional pressing mechanisms and enabling high-density cell arrangement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If battery cells are tightly bundled in a module-to-pack form, then temperature management from bottom surfaces is achieved, but the quantity of mounted battery cells is limited due to space constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is divided into individual cell units that can be directly mounted in the battery case without requiring complete module assembly. This segmentation allows for more flexible arrangement and higher density of battery cells in the available space.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling approach transitions from bottom-surface cooling only to multi-dimensional cooling by introducing coolant jackets that contact the side surfaces of battery cells. This adds a lateral cooling dimension, improving temperature management while freeing up bottom space for additional cells.
2Quantity of substance
If cell-to-pack form is adopted to increase quantity of mounted battery cells, then mounting density improves, but it becomes challenging to arrange individual battery cells and apply pressure to mount them
Solution Approach 1:
The coolant jacket serves multiple functions simultaneously: it cools the battery cells through side-surface contact, applies pressing force to secure the cells in position, and provides structural support. This merging of cooling and mounting functions simplifies the overall system while increasing cell quantity.
Solution Approach 2:
The coolant jacket is designed as a multi-functional component that performs cooling, pressing, and structural support duties. This universal component eliminates the need for separate pressing mechanisms, reducing device complexity while enabling higher cell mounting density.
3Temperature
If bottom surface cooling is used for temperature management, then cooling function is provided, but cooling of cell side surfaces is required for rapid charging applications
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system extends from one-dimensional bottom-surface cooling to three-dimensional multi-surface cooling by adding coolant jackets that contact the side surfaces of battery cells. This dimensional expansion enables effective heat removal during rapid charging operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The coolant jacket acts as an intermediary component that facilitates heat transfer from the battery cell side surfaces to the coolant flowing through the jacket. This intermediary structure enables effective side-surface cooling while maintaining the bottom-surface cooling capability.
4Reliability
If additional pressing mechanisms are added to secure battery cells, then mounting reliability improves, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing function is merged with the cooling function by designing the coolant jacket to apply pressing force while providing thermal management. This integration eliminates the need for separate pressing mechanisms, maintaining mounting reliability while reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The coolant jacket performs self-service by simultaneously providing cooling and pressing functions. The hydraulic pressure applied to expand the coolant jacket inherently provides the pressing force needed to secure the battery cells, eliminating the need for additional actuating mechanisms.
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 configuration increases mounting density, maintains pressure on battery cells without additional mechanisms, allows for effective cooling of cell side surfaces, and enhances the overall rigidity of the battery pack, addressing the limitations of existing cooling methods and structural constraints.
Implementation Method 1
two thin plates (31 and 32) having plasticity that are surface-joined to each other... By flowing a non-compressed fluid at a predetermined pressure into the coolant passage (34) of each of the coolant jackets (30) to expand the coolant jacket (30) by plastic deformation
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of coolant jackets (30) cooling the plurality of battery cells... the plurality of battery cells (20) and the plurality of coolant jackets (30) are clamped and fixed
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack includes a battery case, battery cells, and coolant jackets. The coolant jacket includes two thin plates having plasticity that are surface-joined to each other, and a coolant inlet, a coolant passage, and a coolant outlet that are formed as gap portions. The battery cell and the coolant jacket are alternately arranged in surface contact with each other in the battery case. By flowing a non-compressed fluid at a predetermined pressure into the coolant passage of the coolant jacket to expand the coolant jacket by plastic deformation, the battery cells and the coolant jackets are clamped and fixed between two end plates.