Grooved Heat Pipe Assembly for Lightweight Battery Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat pipes used in battery cooling systems are complex and heavy due to the need for stiff materials to prevent parallelipedal heat pipes from touching, leading to reduced cooling performance and increased mass, especially when not in a vertical position.
Innovation Solution
A method for producing heat pipes using two tubes, where one is inserted into the other and sealed, filled with a heat-transfer fluid, and grooved for enhanced condensation and capillary action, with swaging and sealing techniques to maintain structural integrity and efficiency, using materials like annealed copper for high thermal conductivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If parallelpipedal heat pipes are used in battery cooling systems, then cooling performance is improved, but device complexity and mass increase due to the need for stiff materials to prevent pipes from touching
Solution Approach 1:
The heat pipe is divided into three distinct sections: an evaporation section with first dimensions, a condensation section with second dimensions, and an adiabatic section with third dimensions. This segmentation allows each section to be optimized independently for its specific function, reducing the need for overall structural stiffening while maintaining cooling performance.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the heat pipe are given different dimensional characteristics tailored to their specific functions. The evaporation section, condensation section, and adiabatic section each have optimized dimensions that match their operational requirements, rather than using uniform stiff dimensions throughout the entire pipe structure.
2Reliability
If parallelpipedal heat pipes are used to ensure structural stability, then reliability is improved, but mass increases due to the need for stiffer materials
Solution Approach 1:
The heat pipe is divided into three distinct sections: an evaporation section with first dimensions, a condensation section with second dimensions, and an adiabatic section with third dimensions. This segmentation allows each section to be optimized independently for its specific function, reducing the need for overall structural stiffening while maintaining cooling performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The dimensions of different heat pipe sections are varied to match functional requirements. The evaporation section, condensation section, and adiabatic section have different dimensional parameters optimized for their specific operations, allowing lightweight construction without compromising structural stability.
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform dimensional heat pipes are used for simplicity, then ease of manufacture is improved, but cooling efficiency decreases due to inadequate fluid circulation
Solution Approach 1:
The heat pipe is divided into three distinct sections: an evaporation section with first dimensions, a condensation section with second dimensions, and an adiabatic section with third dimensions. This segmentation allows each section to be optimized independently for its specific function, reducing the need for overall structural stiffening while maintaining cooling performance.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the heat pipe are given different dimensional characteristics tailored to their specific functions. The evaporation section, condensation section, and adiabatic section each have optimized dimensions that match their operational requirements, rather than using uniform stiff dimensions throughout the entire heat pipe structure.
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 method produces heat pipes that maintain cooling performance while reducing complexity and mass, ensuring effective fluid movement and heat exchange across various orientations, thus enhancing battery cooling efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
each heat pipe, sometimes called heat-pipe, contains a fluid which vaporizes in the vicinity of the battery cells, under the effect of the heat emitted during battery operation
Implementation Method 2
The vapour thus formed therefore fills the heat-pipe as far as the beginning of the dissipation element
Implementation Method 3
When the vapour is in that part of the heat pipes which is positioned in the dissipation element, the atmospheric air circulating in this dissipation element cools the fluid to the point at which it returns to the liquid phase
Implementation Method 4
the tubes employed in the production method are grooved in the shape of a helicoid on their internal surface
Data Source
AI summary
A method for producing a heat pipe comprises the following steps, performed on a first tube made from a malleable material: the diameter of the tube is swaged at a first end, and the end thus swaged is sealed closed; a second tube, of a smaller diameter than the first, is inserted into the second end of the first tube the second end of the first tube is swaged around the second tube and the interface between the two tubes is sealed the pipe thus created is partially filled with a heat-transfer fluid the air contained in the pipe is removed; and the free end of the second tube is sealed closed.