Modular Battery Pack Assembly for Thermal Uniformity and Serviceability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery packs face challenges in managing temperature uniformity, identifying faulty cell modules, and optimizing the useful life of lithium-ion battery cells, leading to potential thermal events and reduced efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design with a battery management system that monitors temperature and voltage, includes resistive heating elements for uniform temperature distribution, and tracks useful life indicators to identify and replace faulty cell modules, using a modular structure with aluminum plates for thermal insulation and easy serviceability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a battery pack uses multiple cell modules to increase capacity, then the energy storage increases, but the temperature uniformity deteriorates and thermal events may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is divided into multiple independent cell modules, each with its own cooling channels and temperature management. This segmentation allows each module to be cooled independently, improving temperature uniformity across the entire high-capacity battery pack while maintaining the increased energy storage from multiple modules.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the battery pack are provided with customized cooling solutions based on their specific thermal characteristics. High-heat-generation areas receive enhanced cooling through dedicated cooling channels and heat sinks, while lower-heat areas use standard cooling, optimizing temperature uniformity across the entire battery pack.
2Reliability
If traditional battery monitoring methods are used, then the device complexity is low, but the ability to identify and locate faulty cell modules is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The battery management system continuously monitors voltage, temperature, and current from each cell module and provides real-time feedback. When a fault is detected, the system compares actual readings against expected values and provides feedback signals to identify the specific faulty module, enabling precise fault location while maintaining manageable system complexity through systematic monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
A centralized battery management controller acts as an intermediary between the multiple cell modules and the external monitoring system. This intermediary consolidates data from all modules, performs fault analysis, and identifies specific faulty modules, reducing the complexity that would otherwise be required to directly monitor each individual module.
3Quantity of substance
If battery cells are tightly packed to increase energy density, then the space utilization improves, but the thermal management capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Cooling channels are integrated into the structural components of the battery pack, such as the housing and cell holders, rather than adding separate cooling systems. This dimensional integration allows cooling functionality to be embedded within the structural framework, maintaining high energy density while providing effective heat dissipation pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
Heat sinks and thermal conductive materials are used as intermediaries between the densely packed battery cells and the cooling system. These intermediaries efficiently transfer heat from the compact cell arrangements to the cooling channels, enabling effective heat dissipation without increasing the overall pack volume or reducing energy density.
4Ease of repair
If non-modular battery design is used, then the manufacturing cost is lower, but the ease of repair and serviceability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is designed as a modular system with standardized cell modules that can be independently removed and replaced. This segmentation enables easy repair by allowing individual faulty modules to be swapped out without disassembling the entire battery pack, significantly improving serviceability while the standardized interfaces keep the overall complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular cell modules are designed with universal interfaces and standardized dimensions that allow them to be used in multiple positions and configurations within the battery pack. This universality simplifies the modular structure by reducing the number of unique components needed, making the modular design more cost-effective while maintaining excellent serviceability.
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 enhances temperature uniformity, prevents thermal cascading, extends the useful life of battery cells, and allows for efficient maintenance, improving the overall performance and safety of the battery pack.
Implementation Method 1
activating a resistive heating element within the internal cavity to adjust a temperature within the internal cavity of the battery housing to create a more uniform temperature distribution
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack includes a battery housing, a positive terminal, a negative terminal, and a plurality of cell module assemblies. The plurality of cell module assemblies are received within an internal cavity of the battery housing, and include a top CMA cell holder frame defining a plurality of first pockets, a bottom CMA cell holder frame defining a plurality of second pockets, a top collector plate coupled to the top CMA cell holder frame, a bottom collector plate coupled to the bottom CMA cell holder frame, and a plurality of battery cells. An aluminum midplate is arranged between at least two of the plurality of CMAs. The at least two of the plurality of CMAs are separated from one another with the aluminum midplate being arranged therebetween so that an air gap is formed between the at least two of the plurality of CMAs and the aluminum midplate.