Swappable Prismatic Battery Modules With Immersion Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery management systems face challenges in efficiently controlling the operating temperature of battery cells, particularly in electric vehicles, due to the limitations of cylindrical cells and the lack of effective cooling solutions for bus bars, which can lead to reduced energy density and increased risk of overheating.
Innovation Solution
The development of swappable battery modules featuring immersion-thermally controlled prismatic battery cells, where thermal fluid circulates through the cells and bus bars, providing direct thermal transfer and maintaining a uniform temperature profile, and a modular design allowing for easy connection and disconnection from external chargers for efficient charging and thermal management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cylindrical battery cells are used with liquid cooling, then cooling efficiency is improved, but energy density decreases due to packing limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is segmented into modular units with prismatic cells arranged in stacks, allowing flexible configuration that improves packing density while maintaining effective liquid cooling pathways between stacks
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from cylindrical to prismatic cell geometry, enabling three-dimensional stacking arrangements that optimize space utilization and energy density while preserving liquid cooling effectiveness through inter-stack flow paths
2Reliability
If battery cells are isolated from liquid passages, then cell safety is improved, but heat transfer efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
A thermal management plate serves as an intermediary component between battery cells and liquid passages, enabling efficient heat transfer while maintaining cell integrity and safety through indirect thermal coupling
3Device complexity
If bus bar cross-sections are reduced, then device complexity is decreased, but overheating risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal management plate acts as an intermediary heat dissipation component, allowing the use of smaller bus bars by providing an additional thermal pathway that prevents overheating while reducing overall system complexity
4Temperature
If swappable battery modules are made stationary, then thermal management is improved, but charging flexibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The battery module system is designed with dynamic characteristics, allowing it to function as a stationary module with integrated thermal management during vehicle operation, and as a movable, swappable unit with external cooling capabilities during charging operations
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 temperature control, increases energy density, reduces the risk of overheating, and enables higher charge rates while maintaining safety, by using prismatic cells and a modular design that facilitates efficient thermal management and easy swapping of battery modules.
Implementation Method 1
thermal fluid circulates through the cells and bus bars, providing direct thermal transfer
Implementation Method 2
thermal fluid circulates through the cells and bus bars, providing direct thermal transfer
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are swappable battery modules comprising immersion-thermally controlled prismatic battery cells and methods of operating thereof. A method comprises positioning a swappable battery module on an external charger comprising charger fluidic ports and sliding the swappable battery module to the charger fluidic ports until these charger's ports are fluidically coupled with the module's fluidic ports. Specifically, the external charger comprises an enclosure and a module support rail slidably coupling the swappable battery module and the enclosure. The module support rail comprises a rail base, a first slider, a second slider, and a lever-based unit, interconnecting the rail base and both sliders. The rail base is fixed to the enclosure, while the second slider is detachably coupled to the module. The two sliders move at different speeds or at the same speed relative to the charger base depending on proximity of the first end plate to the charger base.