Modular Heat Exchange Device for Battery Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in developing heat exchange devices for hybrid or electric vehicles is the variability in battery layouts, which complicates the design and connection of heat exchangers, leading to difficulties in thermal regulation and increased production costs due to the need for separate heat exchangers for each battery type.
Innovation Solution
A modular heat exchange device with interconnected heat exchangers featuring parallel primary manifolds and various connector types (through-connector, closing connector, plugging connector, etc.) that allow easy mechanical and fluid connections, enabling flexible configuration and uniform heat transfer while maintaining a flat profile without major roughness, facilitating adaptation to different battery configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate heat exchangers are produced for each battery type to accommodate layout variability, then thermal regulation effectiveness is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger is designed with a standardized modular structure featuring parallel primary manifolds with connection orifices at both ends, allowing the same heat exchanger type to be used across different battery models and configurations, eliminating the need for model-specific heat exchangers while maintaining effective thermal regulation
2Adaptability or versatility
If complex connectors are used to connect heat exchangers in modular devices, then connection flexibility is improved, but connection difficulty and interference with thermal contact increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger is divided into modular units that can be connected in series or parallel configurations through simple connectors inserted into connection orifices, allowing flexible adaptation to different battery layouts while maintaining easy connection and removal operations without interference with thermal contact
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 simplifies the connection of heat exchangers, enhances thermal contact with batteries, reduces production costs by allowing identical heat exchanger types, and provides flexible heat transfer fluid circuit modulation, effectively addressing the variability in battery layouts and improving thermal regulation.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchange surface A inside which a heat transfer fluid is intended to circulate
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a heat exchange device (1) comprising a first heat exchanger (101) and a second heat exchanger (102) which are connected to one another, the first (101) and second (102) heat exchangers each comprising a heat-exchange surface (A) inside which a heat-transfer fluid is intended to circulate, each of the first (101) and second (102) heat exchangers comprising two primary fluid headers (11) arranged respectively at two of the ends of the heat-exchange surface (A), said primary headers (11) of the one same heat exchanger (101, 102) being parallel with one another and extending in a plane parallel to that of the heat exchange surface (A), each primary header (11) comprising a coupling orifice (12) oriented along the same axis as said primary header (11), the at least first (101) and second (102) heat exchangers being arranged in the one same plane so that at least one coupling orifice (12) of the first heat exchanger (101) faces a coupling orifice (12) of the second heat exchanger (102), the exchange device (1) further comprising at least one connector (201, 202) comprising a first coupling portion (20a) and a second coupling portion (20b).