Thermoelectric Battery Thermal Management with Flapper Valve
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-performance batteries, such as lithium-based batteries used in electrical vehicles, face significant cycle life reduction and safety risks due to uncontrolled temperature charging, leading to increased lifetime costs and potential damage from thermal events, including fires.
Innovation Solution
A battery thermal management system utilizing a plurality of thermoelectric assemblies in series and parallel electrical communication, coupled with a circuit and fluid conduits, to selectively heat or cool the batteries, and a method of managing thermal parameters to prevent damage and ensure safe operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If batteries are charged at elevated temperatures to improve charging speed, then charging productivity increases, but cycle life decreases significantly and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
A thermoelectric device is introduced as an intermediary between the battery and the environment to actively control battery temperature during charging. The device uses electrical current to generate a temperature differential across its structure, allowing precise temperature management that enables fast charging while preventing thermal damage to the battery.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the electrical parameters (current, voltage) applied to the thermoelectric device based on real-time battery temperature measurements. By changing these parameters, the system can rapidly respond to temperature variations and maintain the battery within optimal charging temperature ranges, resolving the contradiction between charging speed and battery longevity.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If batteries are charged at low temperatures to improve safety, then safety risks decrease, but charging speed reduces and performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The thermoelectric device serves as an active thermal intermediary that can rapidly heat or cool the battery as needed. During charging, it prevents overheating; during cold conditions, it can provide thermal assistance, enabling safe and efficient charging across a wide temperature range.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical cooling systems (fans, pumps, radiators) with a solid-state thermoelectric device that uses electrical current to control heat transfer. This substitution enables more precise and rapid temperature control without moving parts, improving both safety and charging efficiency.
3Power
If thermoelectric assemblies are connected in series to increase voltage output, then power delivery improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thermoelectric cooling system is divided into multiple discrete assemblies, each capable of operating independently or in combination with others. This segmentation allows flexible configuration where assemblies can be connected in series for high-voltage applications or in parallel for high-current applications, adapting to different power requirements without requiring a completely different system design.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermoelectric assemblies are designed with universal electrical and thermal interfaces that allow them to function in multiple configurations. The same basic assembly unit can be deployed in series-parallel combinations to meet various voltage and current requirements, simplifying the overall system architecture by using a standardized component across different operating conditions.
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 system effectively manages battery temperatures, preventing cycle life reduction and safety hazards, while maintaining system reliability and reducing costs by using solid-state thermoelectric devices that do not rely on refrigerants, thus ensuring prolonged battery performance and safety.
Implementation Method 1
Each thermoelectric assembly can include a plurality of thermoelectric elements
Implementation Method 2
a first thermoelectric assembly of the plurality of thermoelectric assemblies is in electrical communication with a second thermoelectric assembly
Data Source
AI summary
A system for conditioning and moving a fluid can include a thermoelectric device comprising a first side and a second side, the first side configured to heat or cool the fluid with electrical current applied to the thermoelectric device. The system can include a fluid conduit configured to allow a fluid to flow therein and to transfer the fluid into being in thermal communication with the thermoelectric device. The system can include a flow control device in fluid communication with the thermoelectric device, the flow control device configured to direct the fluid in the fluid conduit with respect to the thermoelectric device. The system can include a flapper valve configured to move relative to the thermoelectric device to at least partially block flow of the fluid through a portion of the fluid conduit.