Immersion Battery Cooling with Heat Pipe Isolation Against Moisture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery cooling methods, such as air-cooling and fluid-cooling, are inadequate in maintaining constant internal battery temperatures, leading to potential overheating, fire, and explosion risks, especially in electric vehicle battery packs, and they also fail to prevent moisture generation during the cooling process.
Innovation Solution
A battery cooling apparatus with a housing containing cooling oil and an oil cooling part that uses a combination of a heat pipe and a refrigerant system, where the refrigerant flows through a cooling pipe to maintain a preset temperature range, preventing the refrigerant from contacting the oil and incorporating an oil flow part to enhance heat exchange efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional air-cooling or fluid-cooling methods are used, then the battery pack structure is simple, but the cooling effect decreases when the battery cell is overheated for a long time and moisture is generated from the cooling oil
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into two independent parts: a first cooling part (heat pipe) that maintains temperature within a preset range to prevent moisture generation, and a second cooling part (refrigerant system) that provides additional cooling capacity. This segmentation allows each part to operate within optimal temperature ranges, preventing the cooling oil from overheating and generating moisture while still achieving effective cooling of the battery cell.
Solution Approach 2:
The first cooling part (heat pipe) acts as an intermediary between the battery cell and the second cooling part (refrigerant system). It first absorbs heat from the battery cell and maintains the cooling oil temperature within a safe range, then the second cooling part further cools the heat pipe through refrigerant circulation. This intermediary structure prevents direct contact between the refrigerant and cooling oil, avoiding moisture generation while achieving effective cooling.
2Reliability
If a single cooling part system is used, then the device complexity is low, but the system cannot constantly control the internal temperature of the battery to prevent overheating
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into two independent parts: a first cooling part (heat pipe) that maintains temperature within a preset range to prevent moisture generation, and a second cooling part (refrigerant system) that provides additional cooling capacity. This segmentation allows each part to operate within optimal temperature ranges, preventing the cooling oil from overheating and generating moisture while still achieving effective cooling of the battery cell.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses different cooling mechanisms for different temperature conditions: the heat pipe operates passively through phase change at controlled temperature ranges, while the refrigerant system activates when additional cooling is needed. This parameter-based operation allows the system to adapt to varying thermal conditions without requiring complex active control mechanisms, maintaining reliability while managing complexity.
3Productivity
If the refrigerant inlet and outlet parts are disposed at the lower end of the oil cooling part, then the heat exchange efficiency is high, but the inlet and outlet parts come into contact with the oil causing moisture generation
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet and outlet parts are positioned at the upper end of the oil cooling part, utilizing the vertical dimension to separate the refrigerant circulation path from the cooling oil. This spatial arrangement in another dimension (vertical positioning) allows the refrigerant to flow through the cooling pipes without contacting the cooling oil, preventing moisture generation while maintaining effective heat exchange through the pipe walls.
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 effectively maintains constant battery internal temperatures, prevents overheating-related fires and explosions, and avoids moisture generation during the cooling process, thereby improving battery efficiency and safety.
Implementation Method 1
the first cooling part may include a heat pipe in which a hollow is formed
Implementation Method 2
a heat pipe in which a hollow is formed, and the second cooling part may be provided in the hollow
Implementation Method 3
a cooling pipe in which a cooling path is formed, wherein the refrigerant may flow through the cooling path
Implementation Method 4
the refrigerant may flow through the cooling path
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a battery cooling apparatus and provides a battery cooling apparatus including a housing formed to accommodate a cooling oil in which a plurality of battery cells are contained and an oil cooling part which is provided in the housing and exchanges heat with the cooling oil, wherein the oil cooling part includes a first cooling part which maintains a temperature in a preset temperature range to exchange heat with the cooling oil and a second cooling part which exchanges heat with the first cooling part using a refrigerant supplied from an outside.