Spacer Passage Blocking for EV Battery Cooling Air Leakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Energy storage apparatuses face a reduction in cooling efficiency due to gaps formed between spacers, leading to leakage of cooling air and inefficient heat dissipation in electric vehicle batteries.
Innovation Solution
The energy storage apparatus incorporates spacers with overlapping passage blocking portions and projecting portions that increase resistance and pressure loss for cooling air, preventing air leakage and maintaining cooling efficiency even when gaps form between spacers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If spacers are arranged adjacently to each other with battery cells sandwiched between them, then the battery cells are properly supported and cooled, but gaps form between spacers which cause cooling air to leak and reduce cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer is divided into multiple functional portions: a passage forming portion that creates cooling channels between spacers, and passage blocking portions at both ends that prevent air leakage through gaps. This segmentation allows the spacer to simultaneously support battery cells and control cooling air flow paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The passage blocking portions extend in the width direction (third direction) perpendicular to both the arrangement direction of battery cells (first direction) and the cooling air flow direction (second direction). This dimensional extension allows the blocking portions to overlap with adjacent spacers and effectively seal gaps without interfering with the primary cooling function.
2Ease of manufacture
If cooling air flows through gaps between spacers, then assembly is simplified, but cooling air leaks before contributing to battery cell cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The passage blocking portions act as intermediary elements that intercept and redirect cooling air flow. Instead of allowing air to leak directly through gaps between spacers, the blocking portions force air to follow the intended path through the passage forming portions, thereby preventing energy loss while maintaining the simple spacer-based assembly structure.
3Reliability
If passage blocking portions overlap in the width direction, then cooling air leakage is prevented, but the spacer structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The passage blocking portions serve multiple functions simultaneously: they block cooling air leakage through gaps, provide structural support for battery cells, and define the boundaries of cooling passages. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity while achieving reliable air containment.
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 configuration effectively suppresses the reduction in cooling efficiency by increasing air resistance and pressure loss, ensuring consistent cooling performance despite gaps between spacers, thus enhancing the overall cooling efficiency of energy storage devices.
Implementation Method 1
increasing air resistance and pressure loss
Implementation Method 2
increasing air resistance and pressure loss
Implementation Method 3
Cooling air flows through the cooling gap 50 and cools the battery cells 33
Implementation Method 4
cools the battery cells 33
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an energy storage apparatus which includes: an energy storage device; and a first spacer and a second spacer that sandwich the electric storage device, wherein each of the spacers includes: a passage forming portion that forms a passage for passing cooling air in a second direction that is perpendicular to a first direction in which the energy storage device and the spacers are arranged; and a passage blocking portion disposed at one end in the second direction, and wherein, in a view along a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, the passage blocking portion of one of the spacers and the passage blocking portion of the other of the spacers overlap.