Deformable Cooling Conduits for EV Battery Impact Protection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Electric vehicles with undercarriage-mounted battery packs face risks of thermal runaway and damage from road debris or collisions, which existing protection methods do not adequately address, particularly concerning the severity of consequences such as battery pack fires.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack protection system utilizing deformable cooling conduits with thermal insulators and a ballistic shield, where the conduits absorb impact energy and regulate temperature, and the shield provides additional protection by absorbing impact energy before it reaches the battery pack.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the battery pack is mounted under the car to meet consumer expectations for range and performance, then the vehicle can achieve reasonable levels of range and performance, but the battery pack becomes vulnerable to damage from road debris and collisions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a protective system with energy-absorbing elements positioned between the battery pack and potential impact sources. These elements include deformable cooling conduits that can absorb impact energy through deformation, and a ballistic shield that provides additional cushioning against road debris and collisions, preventing direct contact between impacts and the battery pack
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary protective components between the battery pack and external harmful factors. The ballistic shield acts as a mediator that intercepts and absorbs impact energy from road debris, while deformable cooling conduits serve as intermediaries that absorb collision forces, preventing direct transmission of harmful forces to the battery pack
2Temperature
If traditional rigid cooling conduits are used in the battery pack, then effective cooling can be achieved, but the cooling system becomes vulnerable to damage from impacts and cannot absorb collision energy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the cooling conduits from rigid structures to dynamic, deformable elements. The cooling conduits are designed to deform under impact forces, absorbing collision energy while maintaining their cooling function. This dynamic behavior allows the cooling system to adapt to impact conditions, preserving both cooling efficiency and structural reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the cooling conduits by making them deformable rather than rigid. The conduits are designed with specific material properties and geometric characteristics that enable them to deform elastically or plastically under impact, absorbing energy while maintaining fluid flow for cooling. This parameter change allows the same cooling conduits to serve both thermal management and impact protection functions
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 system effectively absorbs impact energy and regulates battery temperature, reducing the risk of thermal runaway and damage, thereby enhancing the safety and reliability of undercarriage-mounted battery packs in electric vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
The cooling conduits, which are configured to deform and absorb impact energy when an object strikes the lower surface of the lower battery pack enclosure panel
Implementation Method 2
a thermal insulator interposed between the conduits and the lower enclosure panel. The thermal insulator may be comprised of a layer of thermally insulating material
Implementation Method 3
The coolant flowing within the coolant channels flows within a plane that is substantially parallel to the lower battery pack enclosure panel
Implementation Method 4
a ballistic shield may be mounted under the electric vehicle and under the battery pack, thus providing additional battery pack protection. The ballistic shield, which is typically fabricated from either a metal or a high density plastic
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack protection system is provided for use with an electric vehicle in which the battery pack is mounted under the car. The system utilizes a plurality of deformable cooling conduits located between the lower surface of each of the batteries and the lower battery pack enclosure panel, with a thermal insulator interposed between the conduits and the lower enclosure panel. A layer of thermally conductive material may be included which is interposed between the cooling conduits and the thermal insulator and in contact with a lower surface of each of the cooling conduits. The cooling conduits are configured to deform and absorb impact energy when an object, such as road debris, strikes the lower surface of the lower battery pack enclosure panel. Further protection may be achieved by positioning a ballistic shield, alone or with a layer of compressible material, under the bottom surface of the battery pack.