Battery Module Heat Transfer Layer for End Plate and Busbar Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery modules face challenges in effectively cooling high-current environments and fast charging scenarios, leading to accelerated battery cell deterioration and increased risk of explosion or ignition due to inadequate heat dissipation from battery cells and busbars.
Innovation Solution
A battery module design incorporating a heat transfer member made of a flowable material, such as a gel, that fills the spaces between the battery cell stack, busbar frames, and end plates, allowing direct contact and efficient heat transfer, thereby improving cooling efficiency and insulation performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a conventional cooling structure with thermal conductive resin layer is used, then the battery module structure is simple, but the heat dissipation efficiency is insufficient leading to temperature rise and battery deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a heat transfer member as an intermediary substance filled in spaces between battery cells, busbar frames, and end plates. This heat transfer member mediates heat transfer from heat-generating components to cooling structures, significantly improving heat dissipation efficiency and preventing temperature rise that would otherwise lead to battery deterioration and safety issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the flowable properties of the heat transfer member (which can be in gel or liquid form) to fill spaces and maintain continuous thermal contact. The fluid-like characteristics allow the heat transfer member to adapt to space variations and maintain effective thermal coupling between components, enhancing cooling efficiency in high-current and fast charging scenarios.
2Quantity of substance
If battery cells are stacked in a compact arrangement to increase capacity, then the energy density is improved, but the heat generated from multiple cells accumulates and becomes difficult to dissipate
Solution Approach 1:
The heat transfer member acts as a thermal intermediary distributed throughout the battery module, including in spaces between stacked battery cells. This intermediary facilitates heat extraction from multiple cells simultaneously, preventing heat accumulation while maintaining the compact high-capacity arrangement of the battery cells.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces heat transfer members in three-dimensional spaces between battery cells, busbar frames, and end plates. This spatial distribution of thermal management components adds thermal management capability across multiple dimensions, enabling effective heat dissipation from densely stacked cells without compromising capacity.
3Power
If high-current busbars are used to increase power output, then the power delivery is improved, but the heat generated from busbars increases and requires additional cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The heat transfer member serves as a thermal intermediary that contacts busbar frames and facilitates heat transfer from high-current busbars. This intermediary enables efficient thermal management of busbars, allowing high power output while preventing excessive temperature rise that would otherwise require reduced current capacity.
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 effectively dissipates heat generated from battery cells and busbars, enhancing the stability and lifespan of the battery module by minimizing temperature deviations and preventing moisture and foreign matter ingress, thus reducing the risk of explosion or ignition.
Implementation Method 1
a heat transfer member formed in a space between the battery cell stack and each of the pair of end plates
Implementation Method 2
allowing direct contact and efficient heat transfer, thereby improving cooling efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
A battery module including a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked, a housing that surrounds the battery cell stack, and a pair of end plates that cover the exposed front and rear surfaces of the battery cell stack, respectively, and the battery module comprises a heat transfer member formed in a space between the battery cell stack and each of the pair of end plates.