Inverted Battery Cell Pack Layout for Vent Isolation and Lower Height
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery cell packs in electric vehicles require additional thermal protection and insulation materials that increase the battery height, compromising compactness and efficiency, while also risking short circuits due to conductive gases and coolant flow.
Innovation Solution
A battery cell pack design featuring a frame with intermediate walls and a thermal protection plate on the bottom side, using plastic and mica materials for insulation, and a cooling plate on the top side, which directs gas venting downwards and reduces the risk of short circuits, maintaining safety without increasing battery height.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a thermal protection plate is placed between the battery cell and the vehicle cabin floor, then passenger safety is improved, but battery height increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reorients the battery cell from a conventional vertical orientation (with terminals facing upward) to an inverted orientation (with terminals facing downward). This dimensional change allows the thermal protection plate to be positioned on the bottom side of the cell rather than between the cell and cabin floor, thereby maintaining safety functionality while reducing battery height and eliminating the need for additional insulation layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the conventional battery cell configuration by placing the thermal protection plate on the bottom side and orienting the gas vent downward. This inversion allows the protection plate to serve its safety function while being integrated into the bottom structure, thus avoiding the need for extra height to accommodate separate protection layers between the cell and cabin.
2Reliability
If additional thermal protection and insulation materials are added, then thermal safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the thermal protection plate with the bottom structure of the battery cell, integrating the safety function into the existing structural framework. The frame structure is designed to hold the protection plate as part of its configuration, thereby providing thermal safety without requiring separate, additional insulation materials or complex multi-layer assemblies.
Solution Approach 2:
The bottom side of the battery cell structure is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides structural support, houses the thermal protection plate for safety, and manages gas venting through the inverted orientation. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated components for each function, thereby reducing overall structural complexity while maintaining comprehensive thermal safety.
3Ease of operation
If the battery cell is oriented with terminals facing upward, then ease of connection is improved, but risk of short circuit from conductive gases increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional battery orientation so that terminals face downward instead of upward. This inversion redirects the gas vent away from the terminals, preventing conductive gases from causing short circuits. The frame structure is specifically designed with openings and positioning to accommodate this inverted orientation and facilitate safe gas discharge away from electrical components.
4Temperature
If cooling plate is placed below the bottom side of cells, then cooling efficiency is improved, but thermal insulation requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repositions the cooling plate from below the bottom side of the cells to the top side, contacting the upper surface of the battery cell. This dimensional repositioning allows the cooling system to be integrated with the top structure rather than requiring additional insulation material below the cell to prevent thermal losses to the ambient environment.
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 configuration enhances safety by preventing short circuits and thermal damage, reduces battery height, and improves packaging efficiency, allowing for a more compact and robust battery structure that maintains thermal protection without additional barriers.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal protection material plate is typically placed between a top cover and the top side of the battery including the terminals and the cell vent, protecting the passenger cabin of the vehicle from high temperatures
Implementation Method 2
in order to reduce the temperature of the cells, a cooling plate is typically placed below a bottom side of the cells
Implementation Method 3
in order to reduce thermal losses from the cell and cooling system to the ambient, a thermal insulation material is placed below the cooling system
Data Source
AI summary
A battery cell pack including a battery cell having first and second terminals and a gas vent on a bottom side of the battery cell; a frame on the bottom side of the battery cell, the frame including: a frame plate including first and second openings aligned with the first and second terminals and a third opening aligned with the gas vent, and first and second intermediate frame walls extending perpendicular to the frame plate; and a thermal protection plate extending between the intermediate frame walls, wherein the intermediate frame walls and the thermal protection plate form a channel along a length of the bottom side of the battery cell between the terminals. The present disclosure further relates to a battery pack including a plurality of battery cell packs and an electric vehicle including a battery pack.