Energy Storage Heat Management Layout for Compact One-Side Service

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing energy storage systems face challenges with complex coolant and refrigerant loops, leading to increased space occupation, high maintenance costs, and reduced heat efficiency due to multi-pipeline connections, affecting the service life and stability of the system.

Innovation Solution

The energy storage system integrates the refrigerant and coolant flow channel plates in a single direction, with heat exchangers and pumps arranged adjacently, allowing for one-sided maintenance and reducing thickness, while incorporating a dehumidification module to manage ambient humidity and prevent condensation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple coolant loops and refrigerant loops are used to connect each component for heat exchange, then heat management capability is improved, but device complexity increases and space occupation increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat management capabilityVSAvoidpipeline complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple coolant loops and refrigerant loops into an integrated heat management apparatus where plate heat exchangers serve multiple functions simultaneously. The plate heat exchangers are configured to handle both cooling and heating operations, and the pipelines are merged to reduce redundancy, thereby maintaining heat management capability while reducing overall system complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The plate heat exchangers are designed as multi-functional components that can perform both cooling and heating operations. The same heat exchanger structure is used across different loops, and the system can switch between cooling mode and heating mode using the same hardware infrastructure, eliminating the need for separate dedicated components for each function

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If multiple coolant loops and refrigerant loops are used to connect each component for heat exchange, then heat management capability is improved, but space occupation increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat management capabilityVSAvoidspace occupation
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple pipelines into a shared infrastructure where the same physical pipes and heat exchangers serve multiple loops. By combining the coolant and refrigerant loops into an integrated apparatus with shared components, the overall space occupation is reduced while maintaining the necessary heat management capabilities across all components

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The heat management apparatus is designed with nested or stacked plate heat exchangers that maximize space utilization. The compact plate heat exchanger design allows multiple heat exchange surfaces to be nested within a small volume, enabling efficient heat transfer while occupying minimal space in the system

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Reliability

If multi-pipeline connection is used, then heat exchange capability is improved, but heat efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat exchange capabilityVSAvoidheat efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the coolant and refrigerant loops into an integrated system where heat can be directly transferred between the two loops through the plate heat exchangers. This reduces the number of intermediate heat transfer steps and minimizes thermal losses that would occur in separate, disconnected loops, thereby improving overall heat efficiency while maintaining heat exchange capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Reliability

If multi-pipeline connection is used, then heat exchange capability is improved, but maintenance difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat exchange capabilityVSAvoidmaintenance difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple loops into an integrated heat management apparatus with unified pipeline connections and centralized heat exchangers. This consolidation reduces the number of separate connection points and potential leak locations, making the system easier to maintain and repair while preserving the heat exchange capabilities of individual loops

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

5Reliability

If multi-pipeline connection is used, then heat exchange capability is improved, but overhaul area increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat exchange capabilityVSAvoidoverhaul area
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple pipelines and heat exchangers into a compact integrated apparatus, significantly reducing the physical footprint and overhaul area required. By consolidating components and using shared infrastructure, the system maintains full heat exchange capability across all loops while occupying minimal space during installation and maintenance operations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 configuration reduces operation and maintenance costs, improves system stability, and enhances heat management efficiency by minimizing space occupation and facilitating easy overhaul.

Implementation Method 1

the heat management apparatus is configured to exchange heat with the energy storage module

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat exchange: Heat Exchanger

Implementation Method 2

The evaporation plate heat exchanger and the condensation plate heat exchanger are fastened to the refrigerant flow channel plate

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 3

evaporation plate heat exchanger and condensation plate heat exchanger

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhase change: Phase Change

Implementation Method 4

The evaporation plate heat exchanger and the condensation plate heat exchanger are fastened to the refrigerant flow channel plate

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP4697451A1Energy storage system
Publication Date: 2026.02.18 HUAWEI DIGITAL POWER TECH CO LTD
  • EP4697451A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4697451A1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP4697451A1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

This application provides an energy storage system. The energy storage system includes a heat management apparatus and an energy storage module. The heat management apparatus is configured to exchange heat with the energy storage module. The heat management apparatus includes a refrigerant flow channel plate, a coolant flow channel plate, a multi-way valve, an evaporation plate heat exchanger, a condensation plate heat exchanger, and at least one pump. The refrigerant flow channel plate and the coolant flow channel plate are adjacently arranged in a first direction. The multi-way valve, the evaporation plate heat exchanger, and the condensation plate heat exchanger are adjacently arranged in a second direction. The at least one pump is arranged adjacent to the coolant flow channel plate in the first direction respectively, and the at least one pump is arranged adjacent to the refrigerant flow channel plate in a third direction respectively. According to the energy storage system provided in this application, main devices of the heat management apparatus can be arranged in a same direction and fastened to flow channel plates. This reduces a thickness of the heat management apparatus, and implements one-side maintenance and overhaul of the entire heat management apparatus, to reduce operation and maintenance costs of the energy storage system, and improve a service life and stability of the energy storage system.