Modular Battery Cold Plate Assembly With External Manifold Stiffening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cold plates for battery thermal management in electric vehicles are limited in size due to manufacturing constraints, such as the need for specialized equipment and high energy requirements for brazing, which hinders the cost-effective production of larger, more reliable heat exchangers.
Innovation Solution
A modular heat exchanger design comprising multiple heat exchanger elements with a flat cover plate and stamped base plates, featuring fluid flow passages and an external manifold for efficient heat transfer, allowing for larger sizes and reduced manufacturing complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional cold plates are made larger to improve reliability and reduce the number of components, then system reliability improves, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase due to specialized equipment and high energy requirements for brazing
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger is divided into multiple modular elements that can be manufactured separately using conventional equipment and then assembled together. Each module contains complete functional units with fluid flow passages, allowing the system to achieve large scale without requiring large-scale manufacturing equipment or high-energy brazing processes.
2Device complexity
If the number of cold plate components is reduced to simplify the system, then device complexity reduces, but the number of leak-prone fluid connections increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses multiple modular heat exchanger elements that maintain a manageable number of components while incorporating manifold structures that minimize the number of external fluid connections. Each module is self-contained with internal flow distribution, reducing the number of leak-prone external connections while maintaining system functionality.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional tooling is used to form ridges in base plates, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but the maximum size of the heat exchanger is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger is segmented into multiple modules of size compatible with conventional tooling and forming equipment. Each module can be manufactured using standard equipment to form ridges and fluid passages, then assembled into a larger overall system, thereby achieving large scale without requiring expensive large-format manufacturing equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple individually manufactured modules are combined through assembly to create a larger heat exchanger system. This merging of smaller, conventionally-manufactured units achieves the desired large scale while maintaining compatibility with conventional tooling and reducing overall manufacturing cost.
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 modular design enables the construction of larger heat exchangers with improved reliability and cost-effectiveness, facilitating better thermal management for battery electric vehicles by simplifying manufacturing and reducing the number of components and leak-prone connections.
Implementation Method 1
one or more battery cells and/or battery modules is supported, the cells and/or modules being in thermal contact with a heat transfer fluid circulating through one or more fluid flow passages inside the cold plate
Implementation Method 2
a heat transfer fluid circulating through one or more fluid flow passages inside the cold plate
Data Source
AI summary
A modular heat exchanger for battery thermal management having a plurality of similarly constructed heat exchange elements affixed to a cover plate and fluidly coupled with one another via a single external manifold structure that functions as both an inlet manifold and an outlet manifold for each of the heat exchange elements. Rigidity is improved with alternating tabs or overlapping tabs between adjacent elements, and/or side edges between adjacent elements having cutouts for receiving stiffening ribs formed in the cover plate. The external manifold structure provides additional stiffening for the interconnected heat exchange elements.