Inflatable Roll-Bonded Battery Cover for Uniform Cell Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery modules suffer from inefficient heat transfer, non-uniform cooling due to varying cell heights, and are prone to thermal runaway, leading to reduced performance and lifetime, especially in electric vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A battery unit with a top cover member composed of roll-bonded metal sheets that form cooling channels through inflation, compensating for height variations and ensuring uniform mechanical pressure and thermal conductivity by adapting to individual cell heights.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional rigid cooling structures are used, then manufacturing precision is improved, but adaptability to varying cell heights deteriorates, resulting in non-uniform cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The top cover member is constructed from flexible metal sheets that can be elastically deformed during inflation to adapt to varying battery cell heights. This flexibility allows the cooling channels to maintain uniform thermal contact with cells of different heights while preserving manufacturing precision through controlled elastic deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The top cover member transitions from a rigid pre-formed structure to a dynamically adaptable structure through inflation. The elastic deformation of metal sheets during inflation enables the cooling channels to adjust their position and shape to match the actual heights of individual battery cells, achieving uniform cooling across varying cell dimensions.
2Temperature
If uniform cooling is achieved through rigid structures, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but the complexity of accommodating height variations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible metal sheet construction eliminates the need for complex rigid structures with adjustable components. By using elastically deformable metal sheets that naturally conform to cell height variations during inflation, the design achieves uniform cooling while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The top cover member self-adjusts to accommodate height variations through elastic deformation during inflation. The metal sheets automatically conform to the battery cell surfaces without requiring external adjustment mechanisms, achieving uniform cooling distribution while minimizing structural complexity.
3Manufacturing precision
If metal sheets are roll-bonded before inflation, then manufacturing precision is improved, but the ability to form cooling channels deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The metal sheets are pre-roll bonded with precise positioning of cooling channel locations before inflation. This preliminary bonding action ensures manufacturing precision is maintained, while the subsequent inflation process easily forms the actual cooling channels by elastically deforming the pre-bonded sheets to conform to battery cell surfaces.
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 solution provides improved heat transfer performance, uniform cooling, and enhanced thermal conductivity, reducing the risk of thermal runaway and extending the battery module's lifespan.
Implementation Method 1
The top cover member includes a first metal sheet (31) on an inner side of the top cover member and a second metal sheet (32) on an outer side of the top cover member which are roll-bonded to each other
Implementation Method 2
The top cover member is configured to elastically press the first metal sheet against the plurality of battery cells by inflating the top cover member for forming the at least one cooling channel
Implementation Method 3
The top cover member further includes at least one cooling channel between bonding areas where the first metal sheet and the second metal sheet are roll-bonded
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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AI summary
The present disclosure refers to a battery unit (100). The battery unit (100) includes a frame (20) with a bottom member (21) and a plurality of side walls (22, 23, 24, 25), wherein the bottom member (21) and the plurality of side walls (22, 23, 24, 25) form an interior accommodation space (26) in which a plurality of battery cells (10) is accommodated. The top cover member (30) is fixed to the frame (20). The top cover member (30) includes a first metal sheet (31) on an inner side of the top cover member (30) and a second metal sheet (32) on an outer side of the top cover member (30) which are roll-bonded to each other. The top cover member (30) further includes at least one cooling channel (40) between bonding areas (33) where the first metal sheet (31) and the second metal sheet (32) are roll-bonded.