Battery cooling unit and battery module including the same

Cooling unit with temperature gradient mitigation using oscillating heat pipes and phase-change material capsules

This technology optimizes battery thermal management by combining oscillating heat pipes to mitigate temperature gradients between hot and cold spots on the battery surface with phase-change material (PCM) capsules that act as thermal buffers, along with a carbon fiber/nanotube-based heat transfer layer.

High-energy density batteries have historically suffered from performance degradation and reduced reliability due to localized heating during charge and discharge cycles, which creates significant temperature variations and hotspots within the cells.

This technology utilizes oscillating heat pipes to redistribute heat from high-temperature areas to cooler regions, incorporates PCM capsules mixed with polyurethane filler (including a carbon fiber/nanotube heat transfer layer) as a thermal buffer, and stacks a refrigerant-based roll-bond heat exchanger on the exterior. By achieving energy-efficient cooling and uniform temperature distribution, it can be applied to improve the stability and lifespan of battery thermal management and safety systems.

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Key Features:

• Heat pipes configured to oscillate between high-temperature and low-temperature regions on one side of the battery
• A phase-change section provided on the outer surface of the heat pipes, with a heat exchange section provided on the outer surface of the phase-change section
• A configuration where the phase-change section includes phase-change material capsules between the heat pipes and the heat exchange section to serve as a thermal buffer
• Cooling unit that mitigates temperature gradients by combining oscillating heat pipes, phase-change material capsules, and a carbon fiber heat transfer layer

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