Cooling system and method for lithium-ion battery module

• US 10,062,934 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2014
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CPS Technology Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Obasih, Kem M., DeKeuster, Richard M., Houchin-Miller, Gary P., Cash, Stephen D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Usyatinsky, Alex
• Application Number:
  US14/340,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20150093613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,496 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6555 arranged between the cells
• 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 10/656 characterised by the type of heat-exchange fluid
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6562 with free flow by convection only
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/227 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A system includes a battery module having electrochemical cells and a housing configured to receive the electrochemical cells. The housing includes a first sidewall having a first surface and a second surface. The housing also includes cooling channels extending through the first sidewall of the housing from the first surface to the second surface, where the cooling channels are configured to permit fluid flow through the cooling channels for cooling the electrochemical cells. Each of the cooling channels includes a first cross-sectional area across the first surface of the first sidewall and a second cross-sectional area across the second surface of the first sidewall, where the first cross-sectional area is not equal to the second-cross sectional area. Each of the cooling channels also includes a tapered portion extending between the first-cross sectional area and the second cross-sectional area.

Claims

1. A battery module, comprising:

a plurality of electrochemical cells arranged in a stack disposed within a housing wherein the housing comprises;

a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposite the first sidewall, wherein the first and second sidewalls extend along the same direction as the stack such that each electrochemical cell of the plurality of electrochemical cells is disposed between the first sidewall and the second sidewall, wherein each of the first and second sidewalls comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, and wherein each electrochemical cell of the plurality of electrochemical cells comprises a terminal end having at least one terminal, a base end opposite the terminal end, a first side extending between the terminal end and the base end, and a second side extending between the terminal end and the base end, wherein the first sidewall extends adjacent to and along the first side of each electrochemical cell of the plurality of electrochemical cells, and wherein the second sidewall extends adjacent to and along the second side of each electrochemical cell of the plurality of electrochemical cells; and

a plurality of cooling channels extending through the corresponding first and second sidewalls of the housing from the respective first surface to the respective second surface, wherein the plurality of cooling channels is configured to permit fluid flow therethrough for cooling the plurality of electrochemical cells by heat transfer from the plurality of electrochemical cells, through at least a portion of the housing, and to the plurality of cooling channels, and wherein at least one cooling channel of the plurality of cooling channels comprises;

a first cross-sectional area across the first surface of the corresponding first or second sidewall and a second cross-sectional area across the second surface of the corresponding first or second sidewall, wherein the first cross-sectional area and the second-cross sectional area are different; and

a tapered portion extending between the first-cross sectional area and the second cross-sectional area.

2. The battery module of claim 1, wherein each cooling channel of the plurality of cooling channels comprises a common cross-sectional shape corresponding to the first and second cross-sectional areas.

3. The battery module of claim 1, wherein a first cooling channel of the plurality of cooling channels comprises a first cross-sectional shape corresponding to the first and second cross-sectional areas, a second cooling channel of the plurality of cooling channels comprises a second cross-sectional shape corresponding to the first and second cross-sectional areas, wherein the first cross-sectional shape is different than the second cross-sectional shape.

4. The battery module of claim 1, comprising a cooling insert disposed within a cavity of the housing, the cavity extending along and within the corresponding first or second sidewall between at least two cooling channels of the plurality of cooling channels.

5. The battery module of claim 4, wherein the cooling insert comprises a metal material configured to conduct heat away from the plurality of electrochemical cells.

6. The battery module of claim 4, wherein the cooling insert comprises two broad faces configured to extend within the corresponding first or second sidewall and between the at least two cooling channels of the plurality of cooling channels, wherein at least one of the two broad faces is disposed within the at least two cooling channels of the plurality of cooling channels.

7. The battery module of claim 6, wherein the two broad faces of the cooling insert are substantially flat.

8. The battery module of claim 6, wherein the cooling insert comprises a plurality of cooling fins disposed on at least one of the two broad faces, wherein at least one cooling fin of the plurality of cooling fins is configured to extend at least partially within a cooling channel of the plurality of cooling channels.

9. The battery module of claim 6, wherein the cooling insert comprises a plurality of insert channels disposed on the at least one of the two broad faces, wherein each of the plurality of insert channels is configured to be disposed into a corresponding cooling channel of the plurality of cooling channels.

10. The battery module of claim 6, wherein the cooling insert comprises a plurality of cooling fins disposed on at least one of the two broad faces, wherein each cooling fin of the plurality of cooling fins is configured to extend at least partially into the corresponding first or second sidewall of the housing.

11. The battery module of claim 4, wherein the cooling insert comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is disposed within the cavity of the housing and the second portion extends crosswise relative to the first portion and along a base surface of the housing.

12. The battery module of claim 4, wherein the housing is molded over the cooling insert.

13. The battery module of claim 1, comprising a fan configured to blow air through the plurality of cooling channels from the smaller of the first cross-sectional area or the second cross-sectional area toward the larger of the first cross-sectional area or the second cross-sectional area.

24. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the battery module is a lithium ion battery.

14. A housing for a battery module, comprising:

a first sidewall and a second sidewall disposed opposite the first sidewall; and

a first plurality of internal slots and a second plurality of internal slots disposed between the first and second sidewalls of the housing and defined by a plurality of partitions extending inwardly from the first and second sidewalls, respectively, wherein the first plurality of internal slots is configured to receive a first side of each electrochemical cell of a plurality of electrochemical cells, the second plurality of internal slots is configured to receive a second side of each electrochemical cell of the plurality of electrochemical cells, and the partitions of the plurality of partitions are spaced such that each internal slot of the first plurality and second plurality of internal slots is sized to accommodate one or more electrochemical cells of the plurality of electrochemical cells, wherein the first and second sidewalls of the housing each comprise;

a terminal surface configured to be disposed proximate terminals of the electrochemical cells, wherein the terminal surface has a planar orientation aligned with a direction in which the partitions extend inwardly;

a base surface aligned with and disposed opposite the terminal surface; and

a plurality of cooling channels extending through the first and second sidewalls from the terminal surface to the base surface, wherein the plurality of cooling channels are configured to permit fluid flow therethrough proximate sides of the plurality of electrochemical cells for cooling the plurality of electrochemical cells by heat transfer from the plurality of electrochemical cells, through at least the housing, and to the plurality of cooling channels, wherein each cooling channel of the plurality of cooling channels is tapered from the terminal surface to the base surface or from the base surface to the terminal surface.

15. The housing of claim 14, comprising:

a first cavity extending within the first sidewall and a second cavity extending within the second sidewall, wherein each of the first and second cavities extend through at least a portion of the plurality of cooling channels; and

a first cooling insert configured to be disposed within the first cavity and a second cooling insert configured to be disposed within the second cavity.

16. The housing of claim 15, wherein each of the first and second cooling inserts is configured to be inserted into the first and second cavities, respectively, or wherein the housing is molded over each of the first and second cooling inserts to form the first and second cavities, respectively.

17. The housing of claim 15, wherein the first cooling insert comprises a plurality of cooling fins, and each cooling fin of the plurality of cooling fins is configured to be at least partially disposed within a corresponding cooling channel of the plurality of cooling channels.

18. The housing of claim 15, wherein the first cooling insert comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is disposed within the first cavity of the housing and the second portion extends crosswise relative to the first portion and along a base housing surface.

19. The housing of claim 14, wherein each cooling channel of the plurality of cooling channels comprises substantially the same cross-sectional shape, wherein the cross-sectional shape is a triangle, a square, a rectangle, a circle, an ellipse, or an oval.

20. A housing for a battery module, comprising:

at least one sidewall configured to be disposed along sides of electrochemical cells received by the housing, wherein the at least one sidewall comprises;

a terminal surface configured to be disposed proximate terminals of the electrochemical cells;

a base surface disposed opposite the terminal surface;

a plurality of tapered cooling channels extending through the at least one sidewall from the terminal surface to the base surface; and

a cavity extending within the at least one sidewall and coupled to the plurality of tapered cooling channels; and

a cooling insert configured to be disposed within the cavity such that the cooling insert at least partially extends through the plurality of tapered cooling channels, wherein the cooling insert comprises a plurality of cooling tubes disposed through the cooling insert, and wherein each cooling tube of the plurality of cooling tubes is configured to be disposed in a corresponding tapered cooling channel of the plurality of tapered cooling channels.

21. The housing of claim 20, wherein the cooling insert comprises a plurality of cooling fins extending from a broad face of the cooling insert, wherein each cooling fin of the plurality of cooling fins is configured to at least partially extend into a corresponding tapered cooling channel of the plurality of tapered cooling channels.

22. The housing of claim 20, wherein each tapered cooling channel of the plurality of tapered cooling channels comprises a first cross-sectional area across the top surface of the at least one sidewall and a second cross-sectional area across the base surface of the at least one sidewall, wherein the first cross-sectional area is not equal to the second cross-sectional area.

23. The housing of claim 20, wherein each tapered cooling channel of the plurality of tapered cooling channels is tapered from the terminal surface of the at least one sidewall to the base surface of the at least one sidewall or from the base surface of the at least one sidewall to the terminal surface of the at least one sidewall, wherein each tapered cooling channel of the plurality of tapered cooling channels comprises a common cross-sectional shape at the terminal surface of the at least one sidewall, and wherein the common cross-sectional shape is a triangle, a square, a rectangle, a circle, an ellipse, or an oval.

25. The housing of claim 20, wherein the housing is at least partially a polymer material.