Partitioned Battery Cell Housing for Direct Liquid Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current battery cooling methods suffer from low heat transfer efficiency due to the use of thermal adhesives and cooling plates, which increase thermal resistance and reduce the overall energy density of batteries.
Innovation Solution
A battery cell design that includes a partitioning portion within the housing to separate the electrode assembly cavity from a cooling liquid cavity, allowing direct heat transfer from the electrode assembly to the cooling liquid, with hermetically sealed end caps to prevent liquid ingress and enhance isolation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If thermal adhesives and cooling plates are used for battery cooling, then the cooling structure is established, but the thermal resistance increases and heat transfer efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the thermal adhesive layer from the heat transfer path, allowing the cooling plate to directly contact the battery cell housing. This extraction of the adhesive layer eliminates the thermal resistance it introduces, enabling more efficient heat transfer from the battery to the cooling liquid.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent integrates the cooling plate directly with the battery cell housing structure, merging two previously separate components (cooling plate and housing) into a unified assembly. This merging eliminates intermediate thermal barriers and creates a direct thermal coupling between the battery and cooling system.
2Temperature
If cooling plates and thermal adhesives are added to the battery structure, then cooling capability is provided, but the overall energy density of the battery decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling plate is merged with the battery cell housing structure, combining the cooling function with the structural housing. This integration allows the cooling system to utilize existing structural space rather than adding separate cooling components, thereby preserving battery energy density while providing effective cooling capability.
3Temperature
If partitioning portion and hermetic sealing are implemented, then cooling efficiency is improved and electrolytic corrosion is prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The battery cell internal space is segmented into distinct functional zones using a partitioning portion: one zone for the electrode assembly and another for the cooling liquid flow channel. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each zone while maintaining simple overall structure, improving cooling efficiency without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The partitioning portion and hermetic sealing structure serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide thermal isolation between electrode and cooling liquid, prevents electrolytic corrosion by blocking liquid ingress, and maintain structural integrity. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, balancing complexity with performance.
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 design simplifies the heat transfer path, significantly improves cooling efficiency, and maintains a high degree of integration and assembly simplicity while preventing electrolytic corrosion.
Implementation Method 1
the heat generated in the first cavity can be transferred, through the partitioning portion alone, to the cooling liquid in the second cavity
Implementation Method 2
taken away by the cooling liquid
Data Source
AI summary
A battery cell includes an electrode assembly, a housing, and two end caps. The housing includes two openings opposite to each other in a first direction, a housing wall closing around, and a partitioning portion disposed in the housing wall. The partitioning portion partitions an inner cavity of the housing into a first cavity and a second cavity independent of each other in a second direction. The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. The first cavity is configured to accommodate the electrode assembly. The second cavity forms a flow channel for a cooling liquid. The two end caps are disposed at the two openings, respectively. The end caps are hermetically connected to the housing wall, and the end caps are hermetically connected to end faces of the partitioning portion, respectively.