Flexible Cell Receptacle for Uniform Battery Thermal Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing energy storage systems, such as lithium-ion batteries, face challenges in maintaining uniform temperature control across storage cells, leading to reduced electrical capacitance and potential damage due to uneven heat transfer and cell aging.
Innovation Solution
The energy storage system incorporates a device with contact sections and flexible regions that adapt to the position of volume-variable storage cells, ensuring maximum heat transfer and uniform temperature control by preventing air gaps and compensating for cell shape changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If rigid cell receptacles are used to maintain heat transfer, then thermal contact is improved, but the system cannot accommodate cell position changes or volume variations
Solution Approach 1:
The cell receptacle is designed with flexible regions that allow it to dynamically adapt its shape and position to accommodate volume changes and position variations of the storage cells, while rigid regions maintain thermal contact. This dynamic structure resolves the contradiction by enabling both thermal stability and adaptability to cell variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The cell receptacle is segmented into rigid regions for thermal contact and flexible regions for adaptation. This segmentation allows different parts of the same component to serve different functions: rigid sections maintain heat transfer while flexible sections accommodate cell position changes and volume variations.
2Ease of manufacture
If storage cells are allowed to change position during assembly, then ease of assembly is improved, but heat transfer between cells and receptacle deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible regions of the cell receptacle dynamically adjust to cell position changes during assembly, maintaining thermal contact without requiring precise positioning. This allows easy assembly while preserving heat transfer effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The receptacle's physical parameters (shape, position) are allowed to change within flexible regions to accommodate cell position variations, while rigid regions maintain consistent thermal contact parameters. This parameter flexibility enables easy assembly without compromising heat transfer.
3Temperature
If cooling or heating elements are added for temperature control, then temperature regulation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cell receptacle serves multiple functions: it provides mechanical support, enables easy assembly through flexibility, maintains thermal contact through rigid regions, and facilitates temperature control. By making the receptacle multi-functional, additional dedicated cooling/heating components are minimized, reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature control function is merged with the structural cell receptacle rather than being implemented as separate cooling/heating elements. The receptacle itself becomes the thermal management interface, combining structural and thermal functions to reduce device complexity.
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 solution ensures effective and uniform temperature control of storage cells, enhancing their electrical performance and longevity by maintaining optimal operating conditions and preventing premature failure.
Implementation Method 1
the device has flexible regions for adapting a position of the contact sections to a position of the storage cells
Implementation Method 2
the cell receptacle is rigid, wherein the storage cells are inserted into the cell receptacle... to maintain the greatest possible heat transfer between the storage cells and the cell receptacle
Data Source
AI summary
An energy storage system includes: a housing, in which volume-variable storage cells are arranged; and a device for controlling a temperature of the storage cells, the device being assigned to the storage cells. The device has contact sections for contacting the storage cells. The device has flexible regions for adapting a position of the contact sections to a position of the storage cells. The contact sections adjoin the flexible regions.