Internal Cooling Line Sealing in Stacked Battery Packs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rechargeable battery packs with external cooling lines are prone to damage from external impacts, leading to potential fires and leakage due to disturbed cooling water flow or breakage.
Innovation Solution
A rechargeable battery pack design where the cooling water line is formed internally, with a first cooling line extending vertically and a second cooling line along the inner bottom surface, connected by an inclined line, and sealed using connection parts with flange and groove structures to prevent external damage and ensure stable sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the cooling line is exposed and installed at the outside of the battery housing, then the cooling line is accessible for installation and maintenance, but the cooling line is vulnerable to external impact causing breakage, leakage, and fire
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling line is nested inside the battery housing rather than being exposed externally. The housing serves as a protective container that shields the cooling line from external impacts while maintaining the cooling function. This nesting approach resolves the contradiction by providing physical protection without compromising cooling effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery housing acts as an intermediary protective layer between external impact sources and the cooling line. Instead of directly exposing the cooling line to external environment, the housing mediates by absorbing or distributing impact forces, thereby protecting the cooling line while still allowing heat dissipation functionality.
2Reliability
If the cooling line is moved inside the battery housing, then the cooling line is protected from external impact, but the installation and maintenance complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into modular components including the cooling line, connection parts with sealing structures, and integration points within the housing. This segmentation allows for standardized installation procedures and facilitates maintenance by enabling component-level replacement without disassembling the entire battery system.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling line and connection parts are pre-assembled with integrated sealing structures before final installation into the housing. This preliminary preparation simplifies the installation process by reducing the number of steps required during assembly and ensures proper sealing is achieved from the outset, reducing maintenance needs.
3Reliability
If connection parts with sealing structures are used to connect cooling lines between unit battery packs, then the sealing reliability is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection part integrates multiple functions into a single component: mechanical connection, sealing, and fluid flow pathway. By merging the sealing structure directly into the connection part rather than using separate sealing elements, the design improves sealing reliability while actually simplifying manufacturing compared to multi-component assemblies.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection part is designed as a universal component that can be used to connect cooling lines between any unit battery packs in the stack. This multi-functional design standardizes the connection approach across the entire battery assembly, reducing the variety of unique parts needed and simplifying manufacturing through repetition of a proven design.
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 internal cooling water line design enhances durability by preventing external impact damage and ensures efficient water circulation, reducing the risk of leakage and improving overall sealing.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of unit battery packs stacked and coupled to each other in multiple stages, the unit battery packs having a cooling water line formed therein to circulate cooling water inside the unit battery pack
Implementation Method 2
A plurality of first friction protrusions may protrude on an outer surface of the first connection pipe
Data Source
AI summary
A rechargeable battery pack including: a plurality of unit battery packs stacked and coupled to each other in multiple stages, the unit battery packs having a cooling water line formed therein to circulate cooling water inside the unit battery pack; and a connection part connecting the cooling water line in adjacent ones of the unit battery packs to each other such that the cooling water line is configured to circulate cooling water therebetween.