Energy storage pack

• US 10,020,550 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2017
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Inventors: Sumpf, Jr., Robert David, Villanueva, Ernest Matthew, Hegeman, David Elias, Batavia, Satvik Vipin, Singh, Ganesh Ramanarayan, Prilutsky, Alex, Kohn, Scott Ira, Edwards, Bruce Phillip, Tennessen, Peter Thomas, Gorasia, Jayesh Bharat, Ross, Hugh Burnett
• Primary Examiner(s): Apicella, Karie O'Neill
• Application Number:
  US15/437,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20170162922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6554 Rods or plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6556 Solid parts with flow channel passages or pipes for heat exchange closed pipes H01M10/6552
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6557 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An energy storage pack includes a coolant inlet manifold, a coolant outlet manifold, and a plurality of thermal-exchange tubes extending between the coolant inlet manifold and the coolant outlet manifold to exchange heat between coolant passing through the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes and a plurality of battery cells mounted adjacent to and among the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes within the energy storage pack. In one embodiment, at least one of coolant inlet manifold and the coolant outlet manifold includes a plurality of thermal-exchange tube terminating structures and a plurality of hose segments intercoupling the plurality of thermal-exchange tube terminating structures. The energy storage pack may further include a coolant inlet opening located on the coolant inlet manifold and a coolant outlet opening located on the coolant outlet manifold.

Claims

1. An energy storage pack comprising:

a coolant inlet manifold;

a coolant outlet manifold, wherein at least one of the coolant inlet manifold and the coolant outlet manifold comprises;

a plurality of thermal-exchange tube terminating structures; and

a plurality of hose segments intercoupling the plurality of thermal-exchange tube terminating structures; and

a plurality of thermal-exchange tubes extending between the coolant inlet manifold and the coolant outlet manifold to exchange heat between coolant passing through the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes and a plurality of battery cells mounted adjacent to and among the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes within the energy storage pack.

2. The energy storage pack of claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes comprise a first side surface, a second side surface, and a plurality of internal ribs coupling the first side surface to the second side surface.

3. The energy storage pack of claim 2, wherein the first side surface, the second side surface, and the plurality of internal ribs define a plurality of coolant passages.

4. The energy storage pack of claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes comprise scallop shapes along its length, at least some of the scallop shapes corresponding to battery cells.

6. The energy storage pack of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of thermal-exchange tube terminating structures comprises:

two half-tanks sandwiched to a corresponding end of a thermal-exchange tube of the plurality of thermal exchange tubes; and

two hose barbs, each coupled to a corresponding half-tank.

7. The energy storage pack of claim 6, wherein the two half-tanks, the two hose barbs, and the corresponding end of the thermal-exchange tube are brazed together.

8. The energy storage pack of claim 7, further comprising teeth that crimp together the two half-tanks.

9. The energy storage pack of claim 1, further comprising:

a coolant inlet opening located on the coolant inlet manifold; and

a coolant outlet opening located on the coolant outlet manifold.

5. An energy storage pack comprising:

a coolant inlet manifold;

a coolant outlet manifold;

a plurality of thermal-exchange tubes extending between the coolant inlet manifold and the coolant outlet manifold;

a first clamshell;

a second clamshell joined to the first clamshell to form an enclosure, the first clamshell and the second clamshell defining a plurality of battery receipt locations;

electronics at least partially residing adjacent the second clamshell;

a plurality of battery cells contained within the enclosure and residing within some of the plurality of battery receipt locations; and

a metal cylinder thermal-exchange structure having a height greater than a height of at least one battery cell and residing within a battery receipt location of the plurality of battery receipt locations,

wherein at least one of the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes resides adjacent to and provides heating and cooling to a corresponding group of battery cells of the plurality of battery cells and to the metal cylinder thermal-exchange structure.

19. The energy storage pack of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of thermal-exchange tube terminating structures, at least some of which include:

two half-tanks sandwiched to a corresponding end of a thermal-exchange tube of the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes; and

two hose barbs, each coupled to a corresponding half-tank.

20. The energy storage pack of claim 19, wherein the two half-tanks, the two hose barbs, and the corresponding end of the thermal-exchange tube are brazed together.

21. The energy storage pack of claim 20, further comprising teeth that crimp together the two half-tanks.

10. An energy storage pack comprising:

a first clamshell;

a second clamshell joined to the first clamshell to form an enclosure, the first clamshell and the second clamshell defining a plurality of battery receipt locations;

a plurality of battery cells residing within at least some of the plurality of battery receipt locations;

a heating/cooling system comprising;

a plurality of thermal-exchange tubes running adjacent to and providing heating and cooling to the plurality of battery cells;

a coolant inlet manifold coupled to first ends of the plurality of thermal exchange tubes; and

a coolant outlet manifold coupled to second ends of the plurality of thermal exchange tubes, wherein at least one of the coolant inlet manifold and the coolant outlet manifold comprises;

a plurality of thermal-exchange tube terminating structures; and

a plurality of hose segments intercoupling the plurality of thermal-exchange tube terminating structures;

electronics at least partially residing adjacent the second clamshell; and

at least one thermal-exchange structure residing within at least one of the plurality of battery receipt locations to exchange heat between the electronics and the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes.

11. The energy storage pack of claim 10, wherein, wherein the at least one thermal-exchange structure comprises a cylinder having a height greater than a height of a battery cell residing within an adjacent battery opening.

12. The energy storage pack of claim 10, further comprising a second thermal-exchange structure located between the at least one thermal-exchange structure and the electronics.

13. The energy storage pack of claim 12, wherein the second thermal-exchange structure comprises a metal plate.

14. The energy storage pack of claim 10, wherein at least one of the plurality of thermal-exchange tube terminating structures comprises:

two half-tanks sandwiched to a corresponding end of a thermal-exchange tube of the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes; and

two hose barbs, each coupled to a corresponding half-tank.

15. The energy storage pack of claim 14, wherein the two half-tanks, the two hose barbs, and the corresponding end of the thermal-exchange tube are brazed together.

16. The energy storage pack of claim 10, wherein at least some of the thermal-exchange tubes comprise a first side surface, a second side surface, and a plurality of internal ribs coupling the first side surface to the second side surface.

17. The energy storage pack of claim 16, wherein the first side surface, the second side surface, and the plurality of internal ribs define a plurality of coolant passages.

18. The energy storage pack of claim 10, wherein at least some of the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes comprise scallop shapes along its length, at least some of the scallop shapes corresponding to battery cells.