Inverted EV Battery Cooling Pad for Uniform Heat Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric vehicle battery packs face challenges in achieving uniform and efficient cooling of battery cells, particularly in transferring heat generated by battery cells with minimal power and volume requirements.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a battery cooling assembly that inverts the battery cell array with a thermally-conductive cooling pad in contact with the lower cell surfaces, circulating coolant through the pad, and utilizing a cooling fan for enhanced air circulation, along with a thermally insulating layer to protect the battery from thermal degradation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a liquid-cooled pad is used to transfer heat from battery cells, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but achieving uniform cooling across all cells becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The battery cell array is divided into multiple segments with alternating orientations (first subset with upper surfaces facing downward, second subset with lower surfaces facing downward). Each segment contacts the cooling pad through its respective surface, ensuring uniform heat distribution across the entire array while maintaining efficient thermal contact with the liquid-cooled pad.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of cooling all cells from one orientation, the patent inverts alternate cells to face opposite directions. This inversion strategy allows the cooling pad to contact both upper and lower cell surfaces, distributing thermal load uniformly across the battery array and preventing localized overheating.
2Stability of the object's composition
If cooling system capacity is increased to cool all battery cells uniformly, then temperature uniformity is improved, but system volume and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The battery array is segmented into alternating orientations, allowing a single cooling pad to efficiently cool all cells through their respective contact surfaces. This segmentation eliminates the need for separate cooling systems for different cell groups, reducing overall cooling system volume while maintaining uniform temperature distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid-cooled pad serves as a universal cooling component that contacts both upper and lower surfaces of battery cells through the inverted arrangement. This multi-functional design allows one cooling system to handle the entire battery array uniformly, eliminating the need for additional cooling components and reducing system volume.
3Loss of energy
If cooling system capacity is increased to achieve efficient heat transfer, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the battery array into alternating orientations, the system achieves efficient heat transfer from all cells through a single cooling pad without requiring additional active cooling components. This passive thermal management approach reduces power consumption while maintaining high heat transfer efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The inverted battery cell arrangement enables the cooling pad to passively contact and cool all cells through gravity-assisted thermal conduction. The system utilizes the natural thermal properties of the materials and the geometric arrangement to achieve efficient cooling without requiring additional energy input from pumps or fans.
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 ensures uniform temperature distribution across battery cells, improves heat transfer efficiency, reduces cooling system power consumption, and enhances battery life by minimizing thermal stress, thereby optimizing the performance and fuel economy of electric vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal assembly in thermally-conductive contact with the upper cell surfaces of the array
Implementation Method 2
circulating coolant through the thermal assembly
Implementation Method 3
a thermally insulating layer to protect the battery from thermal degradation
Data Source
AI summary
An electric vehicle battery pack includes an array of battery cells each cell having an upper cell surface and a lower cell surface, the lower cell surface having a positive and a negative terminal; and a thermal assembly in thermally-conductive contact with the upper cell surfaces of the array. A battery pack cooling method is also disclosed.