Perforated Cold Plate Layout for Uniform Battery Cooling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cold plate heat exchangers face challenges in achieving uniform temperature distribution across battery cells due to non-uniform coolant temperatures, leading to inefficient cooling and temperature gradients, which affect battery performance and cycle-life.
Innovation Solution
A heat exchanger design comprising a first plate, a second plate, and a perforated plate positioned between them, with the perforated plate having a plurality of openings or nozzles to facilitate even fluid flow and temperature control, ensuring uniform cooling across battery cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional cold plate designs with flow passages are used, then the working fluid can circulate and absorb heat, but the fluid temperature increases before cooling the next cell, causing non-uniform temperature distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The cold plate is divided into multiple independent cooling zones or channels, each with its own fluid inlet. This segmentation allows different portions of the battery pack to be cooled independently with fresh coolant, preventing the temperature gradient that occurs in single-channel designs where fluid heats up as it progresses through the system.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is designed with varying channel dimensions, flow rates, or thermal conductivities in different regions of the cold plate to match the local heat generation characteristics of battery cells. This ensures uniform temperature distribution across all cells by providing enhanced cooling where needed most.
2Device complexity
If single-channel cold plate design is used, then device complexity is reduced, but temperature gradients between cells increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cold plate incorporates multiple parallel flow channels or cooling zones instead of a single channel. Each channel can be independently configured to optimize cooling distribution, achieving uniform temperature control across battery cells while maintaining a relatively simple overall plate structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system transitions from one-dimensional linear flow to a two-dimensional or three-dimensional network of channels distributed across the cold plate surface. This dimensional expansion allows simultaneous cooling of multiple cell regions with optimized flow paths.
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 design enhances temperature uniformity and cooling efficiency, providing consistent temperature control and improving battery performance by reducing temperature gradients and maintaining optimal operating conditions.
Implementation Method 1
the battery performance and cycle-life depend heavily on the applied load (and therefore on the charge/discharge rate), and the operating conditions (such as temperature). Batteries generally work efficiently over a range of discharge rates (C/8-2 C), operating temperatures (typically from 20° C. to 45° C.)
Implementation Method 2
the heat is transferred to a fluid that circulates in a cold plate. The cold plate consists of flow passages for the working fluid (e.g. water-ethylene glycol 50/50% solution) which absorb heat generated by battery cells
Data Source
AI summary
A heat exchanger may include a perforated plate having a plurality of openings sandwiched between a first plate and a second plate. The first plate may have a first plate central planar surface, a first plate peripheral wall extending from an internal face of the first plate central planar surface towards the second plate, and an inlet permitting fluid flow on to the internal face of the central planar surface. The second plate may have a second plate central planar surface, a second plate peripheral wall extending from an internal face of the second plate central planar surface towards the first plate, and an outlet permitting fluid to exit the heat exchanger. The first plate, the second plate and the perforated may be coupled and define a fluid passage for flow of a heat exchanger fluid from the inlet to the outlet.