Cooling Plate Flow Channel Geometry for Battery Cell Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery cells expand during use, compressing the cooling plate and reducing the volume of its flow channels, leading to decreased cooling efficiency due to a reduction in the amount of cooling liquid.
Innovation Solution
The cooling plate features flow channels with non-circular cross sections that change shape under external pressure to maintain or increase their volume, ensuring a constant total volume and preventing a decrease in cooling liquid, thus maintaining efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the cooling plate is subjected to external pressure from battery cell expansion, then the flow channel volume decreases, but the cooling efficiency is reduced due to decreased cooling liquid amount
Solution Approach 1:
The flow channel cross-section is designed to dynamically change shape in response to external pressure. Instead of maintaining a fixed circular cross-section that compresses uniformly, the non-circular cross-section (e.g., rectangular or elliptical) is engineered to deform in a way that preserves volume, allowing the cooling system to adapt to battery expansion while maintaining cooling performance
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the flow channel by using a non-circular cross-section design. This parameter change allows the flow channel to respond differently to external pressure - the shape transformation under compression ensures that the volume parameter remains constant even as the cross-sectional dimensions change, thereby maintaining cooling liquid volume and cooling efficiency
2Ease of manufacture
If the flow channel cross section is circular, then the structure is simple, but the volume decreases under external pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies asymmetry by using a non-circular cross-section (such as rectangular or elliptical) instead of a symmetric circular cross-section. This asymmetric shape is strategically chosen because it deforms more favorably under external pressure, allowing the channel to maintain its volume by redistributing material rather than uniformly compressing, thus preventing cooling liquid loss while still being manufacturable
3Quantity of substance
If overflow tanks are installed to compensate for cooling liquid loss, then cooling liquid volume is maintained, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the harmful effect of battery cell expansion (which compresses the cooling plate) into a beneficial outcome. By designing the flow channel with a non-circular cross-section, the compression force from battery expansion is transformed into a shape-changing mechanism that preserves flow channel volume, thereby maintaining cooling liquid volume without requiring additional overflow tanks or compensation systems
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 maintains cooling efficiency by preventing a reduction in the amount of cooling liquid and eliminating the need for overflow tanks, saving space and reducing maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
In the case that the cooling plate is subjected to an external pressure, the shape of the cross section of the first flow channel is changed to increase a volume of the first flow channel
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a cooling plate, a battery pack, and an electric device. The cooling plate has at least one flow channel. The at least one flow channel includes a first flow channel. The first flow channel has a cross section in a shape of a non-circle. In the case that the cooling plate is subjected to an external pressure, the shape of the cross section of the first flow channel changes to enable a volume of the first flow channel to be increased.