Immersion-Cooled Battery Pack Cover for Uniform Cell Heat Dissipation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional battery packs in electrified vehicles face challenges in efficiently dissipating heat generated during charging and discharging operations, which can affect battery performance.

Innovation Solution

A battery pack design featuring an enclosure assembly with a cover that includes perforations to disperse non-conductive coolant evenly across a battery array, allowing for uniform heat transfer and efficient cooling through immersion cooling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If conventional heat exchanger plates are used to dissipate heat from battery cells, then heat dissipation is achieved, but the cooling uniformity and heat transfer efficiency are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat dissipation efficiencyVSAvoidcooling uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs immersion cooling where a non-conductive coolant fluid directly contacts the battery cells, replacing conventional heat exchanger plates. The coolant is pumped through the battery pack, flowing over and around individual cells to achieve uniform heat extraction. This hydraulic approach enables superior cooling uniformity and heat transfer efficiency compared to plate-based systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent incorporates a porous coating on the bottom wall of the cover that distributes the coolant flow uniformly across the battery cells. The porous structure breaks up the coolant stream into numerous smaller flows, ensuring even heat dissipation across all cells. This resolves the cooling uniformity issue while maintaining high heat dissipation efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

2Temperature

If immersion cooling with non-conductive fluid is implemented, then uniform heat transfer and efficient cooling are achieved, but electrical conductivity concerns arise

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat transfer uniformityVSAvoidelectrical short prevention

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a non-conductive coolant fluid that creates an electrically inert environment around the battery cells. This non-conductive fluid prevents electrical current flow through the cooling system, eliminating the risk of electrical shorts while maintaining effective heat transfer. The fluid's electrical insulation properties ensure reliability without sacrificing cooling performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #39Inert atmosphere (Inert environment)

3Power

If high-rate charging and discharging are enabled, then power output increases, but heat generation increases requiring larger cooling systems

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecharging and discharging rateVSAvoidheat generation

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The immersion cooling system with forced circulation of non-conductive coolant provides high heat transfer coefficients that can handle the thermal loads from high-rate charging and discharging. The direct fluid-to-cell contact and porous distribution system enable rapid heat extraction, allowing the battery pack to sustain high power operations without requiring oversized cooling infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

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 design ensures uniform heat transfer among battery cells, enabling efficient heat dissipation and supporting high-rate charging and discharging without increasing hardware size, while preventing electrical shorts.

Implementation Method 1

the cover includes a wall including a plurality of perforations configured to disperse the non-conductive fluid

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFluid dispersion through perforations:

Implementation Method 2

The battery cells generate heat during charging and discharging operations. This heat must be dissipated in order to achieve a desired level of battery performance

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 3

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectImmersion cooling:

Data Source

PatentUS12531288B2Immersion cooling battery array designs for electrified vehicle battery packs

Publication Date: 2026.01.20 FORD GLOBAL TECH LLC

AI summary

This disclosure relates generally to battery packs, and more particularly to battery packs with immersion cooled battery arrays. In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack, including: an enclosure assembly including a cover, wherein the cover includes an inlet configured to receive non-conductive fluid, and wherein the cover includes a wall including a plurality of perforations configured to disperse the non-conductive fluid; and a battery array housed inside the enclosure assembly, wherein the battery pack is configured such that the non-conductive fluid dispersed by the wall of the cover is directed to the battery array.