Heat Pipe Battery Cooling System for EV Thermal Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional battery cooling systems for electric vehicles are bulky and complex due to the need for large coolant circulation, leading to issues with coolant leakage and high manufacturing costs.

Innovation Solution

A battery cooling system that incorporates a cold plate, a heat transfer plate with contact portions, and heat pipes to efficiently transfer heat, reducing the size of the coolant circulating device and simplifying the system, while preventing coolant leakage and lowering manufacturing costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If a large amount of coolant is circulated to cool the battery cell, then the cooling effect is improved, but the size of the cooling system becomes bulky and the system becomes complicated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery cell temperatureVSAvoidcooling system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical coolant circulation system with a phase-change heat pipe system. Heat pipes use capillary action and phase change (evaporation/condensation) of working fluid to transfer heat, eliminating the need for pumps, valves, and complex circulation paths while achieving effective battery cooling

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the coolant circulation components (pump, circulation path) from the cooling system and replaces them with passive heat pipe technology, simplifying the system structure while maintaining cooling effectiveness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Temperature

If a large amount of coolant is circulated to cool the battery cell, then the cooling effect is improved, but coolant leakage risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery cell temperatureVSAvoidcooling system reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent eliminates the mechanical coolant circulation system that is prone to leakage by using heat pipes with sealed working fluid. The heat pipe's closed-loop phase change system prevents coolant leakage while maintaining effective heat transfer from the battery cell

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Temperature

If a large amount of coolant is circulated to cool the battery cell, then the cooling effect is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery cell temperatureVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the complex mechanical coolant circulation system with simpler heat pipe technology, reducing manufacturing costs by eliminating pumps, circulation paths, and associated components while achieving the same cooling effect

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent removes the expensive coolant circulation infrastructure and replaces it with cost-effective heat pipe technology, reducing overall system manufacturing cost while maintaining battery cooling performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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 reduces the size and weight of the cooling system, enhances reliability, and improves heat transfer efficiency, addressing the challenges of coolant leakage and manufacturing costs in traditional systems.

Implementation Method 1

a plurality of heat pipes which transfer heat between the cold plate and the contact portion

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat pipe: Heat Pipe

Data Source

PatentEP3392955B1Cooling system including heat pipes
Publication Date: 2022.04.06 FUJIKURA LTD
  • EP3392955B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3392955B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3392955B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

A battery cooling system for cooling an in-vehicle battery for supplying electric energy to a vehicle is provided. The battery cooling system includes a cold plate which includes an inlet, a flow path, and an outlet of a coolant, a heat transfer plate which includes at least one contact portion which is in contact with the in-vehicle battery, and a plurality of heat pipes which transfer heat between the cold plate and the contact portion.