Integrated Battery Cooling System for Hybrid Vehicles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing battery cooling systems for hybrid electric vehicles face challenges in maximizing cooling efficiency while minimizing package volume and weight, particularly when integrating high-voltage and secondary batteries in a single housing, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs.

Innovation Solution

An integrated battery cooling system that uses a cooling module with a cooling plate and fins to indirectly cool a secondary battery using cooling water from a high-voltage battery, optimizing the package structure to simplify heat transmission and reduce weight and volume, while preventing deterioration of cooling performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If high-voltage battery and secondary battery are disposed in a single housing, then manufacturing cost is reduced and package volume is minimized, but cooling efficiency deteriorates and system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidcooling efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling system is segmented into two distinct cooling paths: a first cooling passage dedicated to the high-voltage battery and a second cooling passage dedicated to the secondary battery. This segmentation allows each battery type to receive optimized cooling independently, maintaining high cooling efficiency while integrating both batteries in a single housing to reduce manufacturing cost and package volume.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If separate cooling systems are used for high-voltage battery and secondary battery, then cooling efficiency is maintained, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling systems for the high-voltage battery and secondary battery are merged into a single integrated cooling device. The housing contains both batteries, and the cooling system uses a unified structure with separate internal passages (first cooling passage for high-voltage battery, second cooling passage for secondary battery) to maintain efficient cooling while reducing overall system complexity and manufacturing cost compared to completely separate systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If cooling water is directly used for both batteries, then cooling performance is maximized, but heat transmission path becomes complex and package volume increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling performanceVSAvoidpackage volume
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling passages are configured to extend in different spatial dimensions and orientations within the housing. The first cooling passage is positioned to contact the high-voltage battery, while the second cooling passage is positioned to contact the secondary battery. This dimensional arrangement allows efficient heat transmission to both batteries without requiring a complex three-dimensional network of passages, thereby minimizing package volume while maintaining cooling performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 system effectively reduces manufacturing costs and package volume, enhances cooling efficiency, and maintains optimal cooling performance by primarily cooling the high-voltage battery and secondarily cooling the secondary battery, thereby improving the commercial value of the vehicle.

Implementation Method 1

a cooling channel through which cooling water flows from the inlet port and configured to transmit heat to the high-voltage battery

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

a cooling module configured to receive cooling water discharge from the cooling channel, transmit heat to the secondary battery, and to discharge the cooling water therein to the outlet port

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP3534454B1Integrated battery cooling system
Publication Date: 2020.09.16 HYUNDAI MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP3534454B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3534454B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3534454B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An integrated battery cooling system is provided. The system includes a housing having a high-voltage battery and a secondary battery therein and having an inlet port and an outlet port formed on the outer side thereof to receive and discharge cooling water. A cooling channel is formed with cooling water flowing therethrough from the inlet port and the cooling channel transmits heat to the high-voltage battery. A cooling module receives the cooling water discharged from the cooling channel, transmits heat to the secondary battery, and then cools the secondary battery.