Immersion-Cooled BBU Enclosure for Low-Power Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery backup units (BBUs) face challenges in managing heat generated during battery charging and discharging, as cooling systems require additional power, which is problematic when the BBU is used for backup power, especially with increasing energy consumption and heat production.
Innovation Solution
A battery backup unit with a multifunction unit that stacks battery cells in ascending order within an IT enclosure submerged in a two-phase cooling fluid, allowing serial discharge and efficient thermal management without additional power consumption, using liquid-level sensors and switches to control battery cell discharge based on fluid levels and thermal properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a cooling system is added to manage battery heat, then thermal management is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful heat generated by battery charging/discharging into a beneficial cooling mechanism. The two-phase cooling fluid absorbs heat from the batteries during phase change (evaporation), transforming the waste heat into a useful cooling effect without requiring external power input for active cooling components
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system operates autonomously using the heat generated by the batteries themselves to drive the cooling process. The two-phase fluid absorbs heat and undergoes phase change, creating natural convection currents that circulate the cooling fluid without requiring external pumps or power input, making the system self-sufficient
2Quantity of substance
If battery cells are stacked to increase capacity, then energy storage is improved, but thermal management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the structural support function with the thermal management function into a single integrated system. The battery cells are stacked vertically within the enclosure that contains the two-phase cooling fluid, combining the mechanical support structure with the thermal management environment into one unified design
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different cooling strategies to different locations based on thermal requirements. The two-phase cooling fluid provides intensive cooling where batteries are located, while other areas of the enclosure have different thermal characteristics, creating localized thermal management zones
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 provides efficient thermal management, enhanced battery performance, extended backup time, ease of maintenance, and scalability, all while eliminating the need for additional power to operate the cooling system, thereby improving the overall efficiency and availability of the BBU.
Implementation Method 1
submerged in a two-phase cooling fluid
Implementation Method 2
two-phase cooling fluid
Implementation Method 3
efficient thermal management
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments are disclosed of a battery backup unit (BBU). The BBU includes an information technology (IT) enclosure adapted to hold a two-phase cooling fluid. A battery stack is adapted to be positioned within the IT enclosure and submerged in the two-phase cooling fluid. The battery stack has N battery cells, N≥2, and each battery cell has a top surface. The battery cells are stacked in ascending order, the first battery cell being the lowest battery cell in the battery stack and the Nth battery cell being the highest battery cell in the battery stack. An initial distance between a surface of the two-phase cooling fluid and the top surface of the Nth battery cell, and an inter-cell distance between the top surfaces of each pair of consecutive battery cells in the stack, are determined based on the storage capacity of the battery cells and the thermal properties of the two-phase cooling fluid.