Wave-Shaped Cooling Module for EV Battery Thermal Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling modules for electric vehicle energy storage systems are inefficient in terms of cooling effectiveness while increasing bulk and weight, and are costly to implement.
Innovation Solution
A cooling module design featuring a parallelepiped exchanger plate with a hollow circulation chamber containing a cooling liquid, wave-shaped interface elements, and phase-change materials, optimized for reduced pressure drops and heat exchange efficiency without increasing size or weight, and incorporating PTC thermistors for heat production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional cooling modules are used, then cooling function is provided, but cooling effectiveness is insufficient and bulk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The interface elements are designed with wave-shaped curved surfaces instead of flat surfaces. This curvature increases the surface area for heat exchange between the cooling liquid and the battery modules, improving cooling effectiveness without increasing the overall bulk of the cooling module.
Solution Approach 2:
The wave-shaped interface elements introduce a third dimension to the heat exchange surface. By creating undulating surfaces that extend in the vertical dimension, the patent increases the effective heat transfer area within the same horizontal footprint, thereby improving cooling without increasing bulk.
2Temperature
If conventional cooling modules are used, then cooling function is provided, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wave-shaped interface elements provide increased heat exchange surface area with minimal additional material. The curved geometry allows more efficient heat transfer per unit mass of cooling module, reducing the weight required to achieve the same cooling effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the interface elements from flat to wave-shaped, which increases the surface area-to-volume ratio. This parameter change improves heat exchange efficiency without proportionally increasing the mass of the cooling module.
3Temperature
If conventional cooling modules are used, then cooling function is provided, but implementation cost is high
Solution Approach 1:
The wave-shaped interface elements can be manufactured using standard sheet metal forming techniques. The curved surfaces are created through bending and shaping operations that are commonly available in manufacturing, keeping implementation costs reasonable while achieving superior heat exchange efficiency.
4Temperature
If cooling liquid circulation is increased, then cooling effectiveness improves, but pressure drops increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wave-shaped interface elements promote turbulent flow patterns in the cooling liquid. This turbulence enhances heat transfer coefficients and improves cooling effectiveness while the distributed wave structure prevents large pressure drops by gradually directing flow rather than creating abrupt restrictions.
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 solution achieves high cooling efficiency and effectiveness with reduced size, weight, and implementation costs, enhancing thermal management in electric vehicle energy storage systems.
Implementation Method 1
a hydraulic circuit is obtained for the forced circulation of a cooling liquid
Implementation Method 2
and phase-change materials
Implementation Method 3
incorporating PTC thermistors for heat production
Implementation Method 4
wave-shaped interface elements, and phase-change materials, optimized for reduced pressure drops and heat exchange efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling module for an electrical energy storage system for an electric drive vehicle. The cooling module has an exchanger plate that is hollow on the inside so as to have, on the inside, a circulation chamber that is designed to contain a cooling liquid. The exchanger plate has: an inlet opening that is obtained through a front wall of the exchanger plate and is designed to allow the cooling liquid to flow into the circulation chamber, and an outlet opening that is obtained through a rear wall of the exchanger plate and is designed to allow the cooling liquid to flow out of the circulation chamber. The cooling module has a plurality of interface elements, which are placed inside the circulation chamber, are shaped like a wave, and are arranged in rows.