Pouch Cell Cooling Frame With Foil Channel for Fast-Charge Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery cell cooling technologies, such as air cooling and liquid cooling on the top edge, are inadequate for efficiently managing the heat generated during fast charging and discharging, particularly in battery cells used in electric vehicles, which can affect their performance and lifespan.
Innovation Solution
A battery cell arrangement featuring pouch cells with a support frame that includes a cooling frame with a meandering cooling channel covered by a flexible foil, allowing direct liquid cooling and pressure compensation, and optionally incorporating compressible members and thermal insulation to enhance thermal contact and decoupling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If air cooling or top edge liquid cooling is used, then the cooling system is simple, but the heat dissipation efficiency is insufficient for fast charging and discharging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from one-dimensional cooling (top edge liquid cooling) or convection cooling (air cooling) to two-dimensional contact cooling by placing cooling plates on both top and bottom surfaces of the battery cells. This dimensional expansion significantly increases the heat dissipation area and efficiency without requiring a proportionally complex system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling plates are integrated into the battery module structure by nesting them between adjacent battery cells. The cooling plates utilize the inter-cell spaces, effectively using existing structural voids for thermal management functionality without adding external bulk or complexity to the overall battery pack design.
2Loss of energy
If cooling plates are placed between battery cells, then heat dissipation area increases, but manufacturing precision and assembly difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces compressible members (such as elastomeric elements or springs) between the cooling plates and battery cells to create a dynamically adaptable contact system. These compressible elements automatically compensate for dimensional variations and positioning tolerances, ensuring consistent thermal contact without requiring ultra-precise manufacturing and assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling plate design incorporates features that allow adjustment of contact pressure and thermal conductivity parameters. By varying these parameters, the system can accommodate different manufacturing tolerances and battery cell dimensional variations while maintaining effective thermal contact, thereby reducing the stringency of manufacturing precision requirements.
3Stability of the object's composition
If rigid cooling plates are used, then structural stability is good, but thermal contact uniformity deteriorates due to battery cell deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs thin, flexible thermal interface layers or compliant thermal pads between the rigid cooling plates and battery cells. These flexible intermediate layers conform to the battery cell surfaces even when cells deform during charging/discharging cycles, maintaining uniform thermal contact while the outer rigid cooling plates provide structural stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling plate assembly utilizes composite structures combining rigid materials (for structural stability) with compliant or phase-change materials (for thermal contact uniformity). This multi-material approach allows the system to simultaneously achieve mechanical stability and adaptive thermal contact, compensating for battery cell deformation effects.
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 effective thermal management by ensuring uniform cooling and pressure compensation, improving the performance and extending the lifespan of battery cells by efficiently dissipating heat.
Implementation Method 1
heat from the one component may flow to the other one via a contact area
Implementation Method 2
adjacent pouch cells may be directly liquid cooled with a cooling fluid running through the cooling channel
Implementation Method 3
The foil, which may be seen as a membrane, may seal a cooling fluid volume inside the cooling frame from the pouch cells
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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AI summary
A battery cell arrangement (18) comprises at least two pouch cells (10) and a support frame (20) arranged between the two pouch cells (10), the support frame (20) having a cooling frame (24) sandwiched between the pouch cells (10), wherein the cooling frame (24) has a cooling channel (26) running through the cooling frame (24) between an outlet (30) and an inlet (28), wherein the cooling channel (26) is covered by a foil (32) attached to the cooling frame (24) for forming a tubular passage through the cooling frame (24).