Immersion-Cooled Prismatic Battery Module With Integrated Bus Bar Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery modules face challenges in efficiently managing the operating temperature of prismatic battery cells, particularly due to self-heating and environmental factors, and often neglect the cooling of bus bars, leading to reduced energy density and potential safety issues.
Innovation Solution
The development of immersion-cooled battery modules with prismatic cells, where thermal liquid directly contacts the cells and bus bars through fluid channels formed by top, bottom, and side covers, and end plates, allowing for efficient heat dissipation and uniform cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If liquid cooling is used with direct contact between thermal liquid and battery cells, then heat dissipation efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for fluid channels and covers
Solution Approach 1:
The top and bottom covers serve dual functions: they provide structural enclosure for the battery cells and simultaneously form fluid channels for thermal liquid flow. This integration eliminates the need for separate cooling plates or heat exchanger components, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining effective heat dissipation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system merges the structural housing components (covers) with the thermal management function (fluid channels). By combining these functions into single components, the patent reduces the number of parts and assembly steps while achieving direct liquid-to-cell cooling for improved heat dissipation.
2Reliability
If immersion cooling with direct liquid contact is implemented, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase for sealing and fluid channel formation
Solution Approach 1:
The covers perform both sealing and fluid channel formation functions, reducing the number of separate sealing components needed. This integration simplifies the sealing architecture while maintaining reliable liquid containment and direct thermal contact with battery cells.
3Quantity of substance
If prismatic battery cells are used with immersion cooling, then energy density is improved compared to cylindrical cells, but heat transfer uniformity becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from single-sided cooling to multi-dimensional cooling by forming fluid channels on both top and bottom covers. This allows thermal liquid to contact multiple surfaces of the prismatic cells simultaneously, achieving uniform heat transfer across the entire cell array while maintaining high energy density.
4Reliability
If bus bars are included in the cooling system, then overall thermal management is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bus bars serve dual functions as electrical conductors connecting cell terminals and as heat dissipation components immersed in the thermal liquid. This integration eliminates the need for separate cooling mechanisms for bus bars, maintaining simple system architecture while achieving comprehensive thermal management.
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 solution enhances heat dissipation and energy efficiency, maintains optimal performance, increases operating capabilities, and reduces the need for extensive cooling infrastructure, while providing silent operation and higher hardware density.
Implementation Method 1
thermal liquid directly contacts the cells and bus bars through fluid channels formed by top, bottom, and side covers
Implementation Method 2
thermal liquid directly contacts the cells and bus bars through fluid channels formed by top, bottom, and side covers, and end plates, allowing for efficient heat dissipation
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are battery modules comprising immersion-cooled prismatic battery cells and methods of fabricating thereof. A battery module comprises prismatic battery cells that are stacked along the primary module axis. The module also comprises top, bottom, and side covers and two end plates, collectively enclosing these battery cells. Each cover forms two fluid channels, both fluidically open to the prismatic battery cells. Furthermore, the module comprises bus bars that interconnect the cell terminals and protrude into the fluid channels formed by the top cover. One end plate comprises two fluid ports for connecting to a thermal management system. Each port is fluidically coupled to one fluid channel, formed by the top cover, and one fluid channel, formed by the bottom cover. The other end plate fluidically couples the two fluid channels, formed by the top cover, and, separately, the two fluid channels, formed by the bottom cover.