Phase-Change Cooling Plates for Uniform Battery Module Temperature

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional battery cooling structures for high-output applications, such as air mobility, suffer from temperature deviations and inefficiencies, leading to reduced performance and are often heavy, which is undesirable for lightweight applications.

Innovation Solution

A battery module with cooling plates filled with phase change materials, featuring chambers with varying phase change temperatures and a heat transfer interface, effectively absorbs heat while minimizing temperature deviations and maintaining a lightweight design.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If a conventional cooling block is brought into contact with one side of the battery cell, then the adjacent portion is cooled to a lower temperature, but the portion away from the cooling block reaches a higher temperature due to lower cooling efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling efficiencyVSAvoidtemperature deviation
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling plate is divided into multiple chambers (first chamber, second chamber, third chamber) that can be independently filled with different phase change materials having different phase change temperatures. This segmentation allows different regions of the battery cell to receive customized cooling, reducing temperature deviation across the cell while maintaining effective cooling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Temperature

If a liquid immersion cooling method is used to cool the battery cell, then effective cooling is achieved, but the battery module becomes heavier

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling effectivenessVSAvoidbattery module weight
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention utilizes phase change materials that absorb heat during phase transition (melting process). The cooling plate contains multiple chambers filled with different phase change materials having different phase change temperatures, which absorb heat from the battery cell during operation, providing effective cooling without requiring heavy liquid immersion systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #36Phase transitions

3Power

If high-output batteries are used for air mobility applications, then greater power is generated, but a large amount of heat is produced requiring more effective cooling

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoutput powerVSAvoidheat generation
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the thermal parameters of the cooling system by using phase change materials with different phase change temperatures in different chambers. This allows the cooling system to adapt to varying heat generation levels from high-output batteries, effectively managing heat while maintaining lightweight design for air mobility applications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 efficient cooling with reduced temperature variations across battery cells, enhancing performance and maintaining a lightweight structure.

Implementation Method 1

a plurality of cooling plates each installed between the adjacent battery cells among the plurality of battery cells to absorb heat from the plurality of battery cells; wherein the cooling plate is filled with the phase change material

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhase change: Phase Change

Implementation Method 2

cooling plate filled with phase change material... absorb heat from the plurality of battery cells

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat absorption: Latent Heat

Implementation Method 3

a heat transfer interface material coupled to one side of the plurality of battery cells to be in contact with the plurality of cooling plates, and receiving heat from the cooling plates

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 4

a cooling block coupled to one side of the heat transfer interface material to receive heat from the heat transfer interface material and transfer heat to the outside

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP4372871B1Battery module comprising cooling plate filled with phase change material
Publication Date: 2025.08.27 HYUNDAI MOBIS CO LTD
  • EP4372871B1 patent drawingFigure 1(a)~1(b)
  • EP4372871B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4372871B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A battery module comprises a plurality of battery cells, a plurality of cooling plates each installed between adjacent battery cells among the plurality of battery cells to absorb heat from the plurality of battery cells, a heat transfer interface material coupled to one side of the plurality of battery cells to be in contact with the plurality of cooling plates, and receiving heat from the cooling plates a cooling channel coupled to one side of the heat transfer interface material to receive heat from the heat transfer interface material and transfer heat to the outside, wherein each cooling plate of the pluarlity of colling plates is filled with the phase change material.