Cooled BusWork for Shipboard Distribution and Energy Storage

The Navy is developing high-performance energy storage systems which generate considerable charge/discharge heating which is harmful to cell life and can cause catastrophic cell failure. Paragon Space Development Corporation is developing the Buswork Integrated Cooling System (BICS), a very low profile cooled laminated busbar concept, to address this thermal challenge. BICS is an integrated, module level solution which uses the high conduction of copper busbars to collect and spread heat from cell terminals to an innovative, very low profile mini-channel coldplate. This system will maintain 30Ah cell terminal temperatures below 60C given a continuous 15C discharge rate and a 40C shipboard thermal sink while achieving a coefficient of performance that can be greater than 100:1. The coldplate geometric architecture improves heat transfer and addresses flow distribution and stability with 1- and 2-phase fluids for two-tier performance that provides near term and future scalability. The phase II effort will address risks, cost, and performance of the concept developed in Phase I through a hybrid manufacturing process and iterative design-and-analysis cycles to produce a mature, low-cost cooling solution for Navy, other DoD, and commercial high energy applications. Performance will be demonstrated by simulated heat load and with high performance batteries.