Deep-Drawn Cooling Plate for Vehicle Battery Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling devices for vehicle batteries, particularly those with pouch cells, are either complex and expensive to produce or require additional components for effective heat transfer, and they often result in weight and installation space inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A cooling device comprising a flat metal sheet and a deformed metal sheet connected via a joining surface, with coolant lines and cavities for stiffening, allowing for a cost-effective and compact design that can integrate into the battery housing, enhancing heat transfer and reducing weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If flexible cooling plates are used to maximize heat transfer area, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but additional components are required to press the plate against the battery surface
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling plate utilizes the natural flexibility of the pouch cell packaging film to adapt its shape dynamically. The pouch cell's flexible packaging allows the cooling plate to conform to the battery surface without requiring external pressing components, resolving the contradiction between heat transfer efficiency and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The pouch cell's own flexible packaging structure serves the dual purpose of containing the battery components and providing the necessary compliance for heat transfer. The packaging film's inherent flexibility enables the cooling plate to self-adjust to the battery surface geometry without additional pressing mechanisms
2Stability of the object's composition
If rigid cooling plates with milled coolant lines are used, then structural stability is improved, but production becomes complicated and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling plate is constructed from thin metal sheets (0.5-2.0 mm) that are formed into shape through deep drawing rather than milling. This forming process creates the necessary structural stability and coolant channels while being significantly simpler and more cost-effective than traditional milling operations on solid metal plates
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing approach transitions from subtractive milling (complex, expensive) to formative deep drawing (simple, cost-effective). By changing the manufacturing parameter from material removal to plastic deformation, the production complexity and cost are reduced while maintaining structural stability
3Strength
If the second indentation depth is increased to enhance stiffening effect, then cooling plate rigidity is improved, but coolant line cross-section is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling plate employs localized indentations with different depths in different regions. The second indentation (for stiffening) is positioned and sized to provide maximum rigidity where needed, while the first indentation (for coolant flow) maintains adequate cross-section in critical flow areas. This spatial differentiation of indentation depths optimizes both rigidity and coolant flow independently
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, homogeneous cooling of pouch cells with reduced weight and production costs, optimizing heat transfer while minimizing additional components and installation space.
Implementation Method 1
The second metal sheet has at least one first indentation relative to the joining surface, which forms a coolant line with connections for a coolant system with the first metal sheet
Implementation Method 2
This maximizes the area over which heat is transferred and ensures optimum heat transfer between the battery and the cooling plate
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~7
AI summary
The device (10) has a cooling plate (12) formed by planar metal sheets (28) and a transformed metal sheet (30). The metal sheets are connected by joining surfaces (32). The transformer metal sheet comprises a hairpin-shaped recess (34) with respect to the joining surfaces. The recess with the planar metal sheets forms coolant lines (14). The metal sheet comprises recesses (27, 36) with respect to the joining surfaces. The recesses with the planar metal sheets form coolant-free cavities (20) for reinforcing the plate. An electrical insulating layer (26) is provided with ceramic additives. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a vehicle battery (2) a method for manufacturing a cooling device.