Vertically Segmented Heat Sink for Battery Cooling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat sink designs for battery packs suffer from temperature gradients due to reduced cooling efficiency as the coolant moves further away from the inlet, leading to performance deterioration in battery systems.
Innovation Solution
A heat sink with two separated cooling channels arranged vertically and a common inlet and outlet, which reduces the distance coolant travels and prevents unnecessary temperature increases, ensuring uniform cooling across battery modules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a single cooling channel is used with a long path from inlet to outlet, then the cooling channel can cover a larger area, but the cooling efficiency reduces and temperature gradient increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling channel is divided into multiple separate channels (first cooling channel and second cooling channel) with different path lengths. The first cooling channel has a shorter path from inlet to outlet, while the second cooling channel has a longer path, allowing each channel to maintain effective cooling over its respective coverage area without excessive temperature rise
2Quantity of substance
If the coolant flow path is extended to cover more battery modules, then more modules can be cooled, but the coolant temperature increases and cooling efficiency reduces
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple cooling channels with different path lengths are created to cool different numbers of battery modules. The first cooling channel cools fewer modules with shorter path, while the second cooling channel cools more modules with longer path, optimizing the balance between coverage and temperature control
Solution Approach 2:
Different cooling channels are designed with different path lengths and cooling capacities according to the specific cooling needs of different battery module regions, allowing localized optimization of cooling performance
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 design enhances cooling efficiency by maintaining lower temperature rises with distance from the inlet, preventing coolant temperature increases, and achieving uniform cooling for battery modules, thereby improving system performance.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling channel (10) having a front separated channel (110, 210) and a rear separated channel (120, 220)
Implementation Method 2
A refrigerant flowing in the cooling channel 10 enters an inlet 11 and exits an outlet 12
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present disclosure discloses a heat sink with two or more separated channels. The heat sink according to the present disclosure includes a cooling channel through which a refrigerant passes to cool a secondary battery by an indirect cooling method, the secondary battery including a cell assembly in which at least two unit cells are stacked, each unit cell including a positive electrode plate, a separator, and a negative electrode plate, and a plurality of positive and negative electrode tabs protruding from the positive and negative electrode plates of each unit cell is electrically connected to positive and negative leads, respectively, wherein the cooling channel has two or more separated channels, the two or more separated channels have branches inside to allow a coolant to flow in each of the channels, and the branches are vertically arranged. According to the present disclosure, provision of a heat sink having a uniform cooling effect is enabled.