Modular Cooling Plate with Zone-Specific Fluid Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling devices for objects with heterogeneous heating zones, such as vehicle batteries, fail to effectively cool different areas to uniform temperatures due to either providing homogeneous cooling or being excessively bulky.
Innovation Solution
A modular cooling device with a heat transfer plate having distinct parts with varying cooling capacities, where the heat transfer fluid circulates differently through each part to address temperature differences, utilizing passive circulation means and turbulence elements to achieve targeted cooling or heating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a cooling plate with uniform cooling capacity is used, then the device structure is simple, but it cannot effectively cool different temperature zones of the object
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling plate is divided into multiple zones with different cooling capacities, where each zone has a different fluid flow rate to match the local heat generation of different battery modules. This allows the plate to provide non-uniform cooling exactly where needed, addressing the adaptability issue while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling plate is segmented into multiple independent zones with separate fluid circuits, allowing each zone to be controlled independently. This segmentation enables different cooling capacities in different areas without requiring a completely complex system architecture.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a finned cooling device is used to cool different zones, then the cooling capacity is increased, but the device size becomes excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the flow rate parameter of the cooling fluid in different zones to achieve different cooling capacities. By adjusting this single parameter rather than changing the physical structure (like adding fins), the device maintains a compact size while still providing zone-specific cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses fluid dynamics (hydraulics) to control cooling capacity by varying flow rates through different zones. This approach replaces the need for bulky mechanical structures like fins, achieving the desired cooling differentiation through fluid control instead.
3Productivity
If the cooling fluid flow rate is increased in high-temperature zones, then the cooling efficiency is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different flow rates locally to different zones based on their specific cooling needs. High-temperature zones receive higher flow rates for efficient cooling, while low-temperature zones receive lower flow rates to minimize energy consumption. This localized approach optimizes the balance between cooling efficiency and energy use.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies excessive cooling (higher flow rates) only where and when needed in high-temperature zones, rather than uniformly across the entire system. This partial application of excessive action achieves the necessary cooling efficiency in critical areas while avoiding unnecessary energy consumption in other areas.
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 device efficiently reduces temperature differences across an object's zones, ensuring uniform temperature distribution while being compact and easy to manufacture, suitable for various applications with multiple temperature zones.
Implementation Method 1
a heat transfer fluid and at least one plate through which said fluid passes and which is intended to come into contact with said object... The plate comes into contact with the object to reduce the temperature differences between the different zones of said object
Implementation Method 2
at least one zone of the two zones comprising turbulent elements capable of creating the transition of the flow into turbulent flow
Implementation Method 3
The plate comes into contact with the object to reduce the temperature differences between the different zones of said object... primarily by thermal conduction, by being placed in contact with said object
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a device (10, 50) intended for modifying the temperature of an object (1) including at least two areas (2, 3) brought to different temperatures, said device (10, 50) including a heat-transfer fluid and at least one plate (11, 51) crossed by said fluid and intended for coming into contact with said object (1). The main feature of a device according to the invention is that the plate (11, 51) comprises means for circulating said fluid making it possible to differentiate at least two separate portions (12, 13, 52, 53) of said plate (11, 51) each having its own capacity to vary the temperature of one of the areas (2, 3) of said object (1), said plate (11, 51) coming into contact with the object (1) so as to reduce the temperature differences between the various areas (2, 3) of said object (1).