Miba FLEXcooler® – Next Level Battery Cooling Technology

Authors

Dipl.-Ing. M. Liebl, Miba Friction Holding GmbH, Laakirchen; T. Haidwagner MSc, Dipl.-Ing. F. Pöhn, Dipl.-Ing. Dr. A. Sonnleitner, Miba eMobility GmbH, Laakirchen; Dipl.-Ing. (FH) S. Gaigg, Voltlabor GmbH, Bad Leonfelden / Miba eMobility GmbH, Laakirchen:

Year

2021

Print Info

Production/Publication ÖVK

Summary

Thermal management is a critical success factor for an electric vehicle and its acceptance in the market. A long service life, a short charging time and energy density are directly related to an efficient battery cooling system. Traditional battery cooling takes the form of a plate, usually made from aluminum, with embedded channels for the coolant. The battery cells, which are usually surrounded by a metal sleeve, and the cooling plate consist of rigid surfaces. Any direct contact – for example, due to manufacturing tolerances – always leads to an air gap and thereby to poor heat conductivity. By adding thermal interface materials (gap fillers), good thermal coupling can be achieved at this point. However, based on the Miba Design Thinking Process, the cooling plate has been replaced by a flexible heat exchanger, which adjusts its shape to the battery cell. This causes direct thermal contact between the heat exchanger and the battery cell, even without the use of thermally conductive paste. For cylindrical cells the direct thermal contact of a flexible cooler without the requirement of a gap filler enables a particular easy realization of a double-sided cooling of cylindrical cells: The flexible cooler is simply inserted in the space between the cylindrical cells and assumes the shape of the cell surface once coolant is flowing through it. Moreover it is compatible with cell to pack designs with increased energy density and additional structural functions.

Number of pages

11 Order