Plastic Battery Housing With Embedded Fluid Line Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The provision of fluid lines within drive batteries for vehicles is complex and costly, particularly due to the need for screw fixation of aluminum plates, which is not robust under temperature fluctuations, and snap-in connections are also cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
Integrating the fluid line into the housing wall itself through blow molding or thermoforming, using a plastic material with additives for enhanced thermal conductivity, eliminating the need for complex clamps, screws, or snap connections, and ensuring a strong, durable connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If aluminum plates with fluid lines are attached by screws to the housing shell, then the fluid line can be provided within the drive battery, but the manufacturing effort and complexity are high
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid line is integrated directly into the housing wall by embedding it during the plastic molding process, merging the housing structure and the fluid line into a single integrated component. This eliminates the need for separate aluminum plates and screw fixation, significantly reducing manufacturing effort and structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing wall serves multiple functions: it provides structural enclosure and simultaneously houses the fluid line for temperature control. The plastic material itself becomes a multi-functional element that combines structural support with thermal management pathways.
2Device complexity
If aluminum plates are fixed by adhesive, then the assembly is simpler, but the connection is not robust under temperature fluctuations
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid line is embedded within the housing wall material itself rather than being attached as a separate component. This integration ensures that the fluid line and housing move together as a unified structure, eliminating connection reliability issues under temperature fluctuations.
Solution Approach 2:
The plastic housing wall undergoes thermal expansion and contraction together with the embedded fluid line, maintaining consistent relative positioning and connection integrity across temperature ranges, unlike adhesive bonds that fail under thermal stress.
3Ease of operation
If snap-in connections are used to fix aluminum plates, then assembly is simplified, but the connection is too complex and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid line is incorporated into the housing wall during molding, eliminating the need for separate snap-in connections or assembly steps. The fluid line becomes an intrinsic part of the housing structure rather than an attached component.
4Ease of manufacture
If the fluid line is embedded in the housing wall, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but thermal conductivity may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The housing wall uses composite plastic materials with enhanced thermal conductivity properties, combining the cost advantages of plastic with improved heat transfer capabilities to match or exceed aluminum plate performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing wall design incorporates localized thermal management features, with the embedded fluid line positioned strategically to maximize heat transfer from battery cells at specific locations, ensuring effective cooling where most needed.
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 approach reduces manufacturing costs and complexity while maintaining effective temperature control, allowing direct contact between battery cells and the fluid line, with an insulating layer to manage heat transfer effectively.
Implementation Method 1
the housing wall comprises a plastic... efficient temperature control... plastic materials for the housing wall are sufficiently thermally conductive
Implementation Method 2
an insulating layer outside the fluid line can ensure that the cold or heat from the fluid line penetrates primarily to the inside
Data Source
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AI summary
A battery housing (1) for a drive battery (2) of a vehicle comprises a housing wall (3), wherein the housing wall (3) is made of a plastic. The battery housing (1) comprises a fluid line (4) for a temperature control medium. The fluid line (4) is at least partially embedded in the housing wall (3).