Porous Cooling Buffer for Battery Module Heat Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional battery modules face challenges in forming and changing heat transfer paths, require increased work and time for assembly, and have high manufacturing costs due to complex cooling structures.

Innovation Solution

A battery module with a porous cooling/buffering member beneath the battery cell laminate, featuring a truss structure or spring arrangement, supports the load and facilitates heat emission, allowing for easy formation of heat transfer paths and enhancing structural stability while reducing the number of components and manufacturing costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If a conventional cooling plate structure is used, then heat can be emitted from the battery cells, but the heat transfer path is difficult to form and change, and manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat emission efficiencyVSAvoidcooling structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the cooling function with the buffer member into a single integrated component. The porous buffer member serves both as a mechanical buffer to absorb expansion forces and as a heat transfer medium through which coolant flows, eliminating the need for separate cooling plates and reducing structural complexity while maintaining effective heat emission from battery cells

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The buffer member is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: mechanical buffering against expansion, heat conduction from battery cells, and coolant flow channel provision. This multi-functional design simplifies the overall cooling system structure while maintaining effective temperature control

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Stability of the object's composition

If multiple separate components (cartridge, cell cover, cooling plate) are bound to battery cells, then structural stability is improved, but work requirements and assembly time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidassembly time
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the cartridge, cell cover, and cooling plate into a single integrated housing structure that encloses the battery cells. This unified structure provides the necessary structural stability while significantly reducing the number of assembly steps and binding operations required compared to conventional multi-component designs

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Temperature

If a conventional cooling plate is mounted beneath battery cells, then heat transfer is achieved, but the number of components and manufacturing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat transfer efficiencyVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling function is integrated into the buffer member itself, which is already required for mechanical support and expansion accommodation. By incorporating coolant flow channels within the porous buffer structure, the patent eliminates the need for separate cooling plates, reducing component count, assembly complexity, and manufacturing costs while maintaining effective heat transfer from battery cells

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 enables efficient heat transfer, structural stability, and compact module design, reducing manufacturing costs by simplifying the cooling structure and allowing for easier modification of heat paths.

Implementation Method 1

a cooling/buffering member, mounted beneath the battery cell laminate to support a load of the battery cell laminate, and formed of a porous structure to emit heat generated from the battery cell laminate during a charge and discharge process down the battery cell laminate

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP3340367B1Battery module comprising buffering and cooling member having porous structure
Publication Date: 2021.07.14 LG ENERGY SOLUTION LTD
  • EP3340367B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3340367B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3340367B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention provides a battery module including: a battery cell laminate in which a plurality of battery cells having a structure in which an electrode assembly is inside a sealed battery case with an electrolyte solution are arranged with the sides being in contact with each other; and a cooling/buffering member, mounted beneath the battery cell laminate to support a load of the battery cell laminate, and formed of a porous structure to emit heat generated from the battery cell laminate during a charge and discharge process down the battery cell laminate.