Horizontal Battery Module Cooling for Low-Height EV Packs
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to enhance the cooling effect of battery packs for electric vehicles while reducing their height, as traditional vertical stacking of battery cells leads to decreased cooling performance.
Innovation Solution
A battery module with horizontally stacked battery cells employs a water-cooling system, utilizing cooling fins and heat sinks with a refrigerant circulation system to efficiently dissipate heat.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If battery cells are vertically stacked in traditional manner, then battery pack height is reduced, but cooling performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from vertical stacking to horizontal stacking of battery cells, changing the spatial arrangement from one dimension (vertical) to another dimension (horizontal). This dimensional change allows the cooling fin to be effectively inserted between horizontally stacked cells, resolving the contradiction by maintaining compact height while enabling effective cooling through a different spatial configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling fin acts as an intermediary component inserted between horizontally stacked battery cells. This mediator facilitates heat dissipation by providing a thermal conduction path between adjacent cells, enabling effective cooling without compromising the compact horizontal stacking arrangement.
2Length of stationary object
If battery pack height is reduced for low body height electric vehicles, then air resistance coefficient is reduced, but cooling effect deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By switching from vertical to horizontal stacking, the patent enables effective cooling in a low-height configuration. The dimensional change allows the cooling fin to be positioned between horizontally stacked cells, maintaining the low battery pack height required for reduced air resistance while preserving cooling effectiveness through the horizontal arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling fin provides localized cooling at the interfaces between horizontally stacked battery cells. This local quality approach ensures that heat dissipation occurs precisely where needed—at the contact points between adjacent cells—maintaining effective cooling in the compact horizontal configuration.
3Length of stationary object
If horizontal stacking of battery cells is applied to reduce battery pack height, then cooling manner needs to be changed, but traditional cooling methods become ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adapts the cooling system to horizontal stacking by inserting the cooling fin between horizontally arranged cells, changing the cooling approach from vertical to horizontal configuration. This dimensional adaptation enables the cooling system to effectively serve the horizontally stacked battery cells while maintaining compact battery pack height.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling fin serves as an intermediary component specifically designed for horizontal stacking configurations. It mediates the thermal interaction between horizontally stacked battery cells, providing an effective cooling solution that is adapted to the horizontal arrangement and cannot be achieved by traditional vertical cooling methods.
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 effectively enhances cooling performance, maintains battery performance, and reduces the overall height of the battery pack, meeting the requirements for electric vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling fin inserted between the battery cell and a neighboring battery cell to cool the sub-module
Implementation Method 2
a cooling pipe through which the refrigerant is supplied and recovered and that is brazing-coupled to the cooling plate
Implementation Method 3
The cooling plate may be a heat sink
Implementation Method 4
The cooling plate may be a heat sink
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a battery module for a secondary battery, and a battery pack including the battery module. In the battery module, battery cells are horizontally stacked.