PCB Battery Clamshell Plate With Air Cooling and Vibration Resistance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Developing battery-powered vehicles, especially for aircraft, requires mechanical and electrical coupling of battery cells while minimizing weight, resisting shock and vibration, and addressing lithium battery thermal runaway and fire protection, with liquid cooling being challenging in aircraft, necessitating consideration for air cooling.
Innovation Solution
A battery module clamshell plate comprising stacked laminate layers, including a top, middle, and bottom laminate layer, with integrated circuitry and mechanical fasteners for securing battery cells, and incorporating air cooling conduits and thermal management features like electric heat tracing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If liquid cooling is used for battery thermal management, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cooling function from a separate liquid cooling system and integrates it directly into the battery cell structure through internal cooling channels within the clamshell plate, eliminating the need for external liquid cooling infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The clamshell plate serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical support for the battery cells, enables thermal management through integrated cooling channels, and offers structural protection, thereby eliminating the need for separate cooling system components
2Reliability
If battery cells are mechanically coupled together in large numbers, then electrical connection reliability is improved, but weight and structural complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the mechanical support function and electrical connection function into a single integrated clamshell plate structure, where the plate simultaneously holds multiple battery cells and provides electrical connections through integrated conductive elements
Solution Approach 2:
The clamshell plate performs multiple functions in one component: mechanical support for battery cells, electrical connection through integrated bus bars or conductive paths, thermal management via cooling channels, and structural protection, thereby reducing the number of separate components and overall weight
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 provides a robust, lightweight, and thermally managed battery module that effectively secures multiple battery cells, ensures reliable electrical connections, and integrates cooling and thermal protection, enhancing safety and performance for aircraft applications.
Implementation Method 1
air cooling conduits
Implementation Method 2
electric heat tracing
Data Source
AI summary
The invention is a battery clamshell plate comprising a plurality of laminate layers stacked and connected together. The laminate layers may be made of printed circuit board (PCB). The laminate layers may have cut outs to house battery cells, of which the battery cells are connected to the battery clamshell plate by friction or mechanical means. The invention considers strategies to minimize weight and to ensure resistance to shock and vibration failures. This invention also considers air cooling in between cells.