Battery module

• US 10,121,997 B1
• Filed: 07/30/2014
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Blanco, Richard Lidio, Gow, Philippe H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crepeau, Jonathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martin, Angela J
• Application Number:
  US14/447,281
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 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 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6563 with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/658 by thermal insulation or shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• 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: H01M 50/24 adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion thermal insulation H01M10/658
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/30 Arrangements for facilitating escape of gases
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/392 with means for neutralising or absorbing electrolyte; with means for preventing leakage of electrolyte through vent holes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery module includes a housing that defines an inner volume and includes an airflow path from an aperture formed in a first end member of the housing, through the inner volume, to an aperture formed in a second end member of the housing; power cells mounted in the inner volume of the housing, where each of the power cells includes a vent member; and a barrier that at least partially interrupts a fluid pathway that extends between the vent members and at least one of the aperture formed in the first end member or the aperture formed in the second end member of the housing. The power cells are directionally mounted in the volume such that the vent members face an offset direction relative to at least one of the aperture formed in the first end member or the aperture formed in the second end member of the housing.

Claims

1. A data center battery module, comprising:

a housing that defines an inner volume and comprises an airflow path from an aperture formed in a first end member of the housing, through the inner volume, and to an aperture formed in a second end member of the housing;

a plurality of power cells mounted in the inner volume of the housing, each of the power cells comprising a vent member at an end of the power cell, the plurality of power cells directionally mounted in the inner volume such that the vent members face an offset direction relative to at least one of the aperture formed in the first end member or the aperture formed in the second end member of the housing, each of the plurality of power cells comprising a lithium-ion battery;

a barrier that at least partially interrupts a fluid pathway that extends between the vent members and at least one of the aperture formed in the first end member or the aperture formed in the second end member of the housing, the barrier comprising a baffle mounted in the inner volume near one of the first or second end members of the housing, the baffle formed from a first baffle portion that extends between sides of the housing and including a gap in a middle of the first baffle portion and a second baffle portion that is positioned offset from and adjacent the middle of the first baffle portion to define a plurality of gaps between the second baffle portion and the sides of the housing; and

an air chamber enclosed in the housing and fluidly decoupled from the airflow path, the air chamber defined between the first and second end members of the housing such that at least one of the vent members is in fluid communication with the air chamber, the air chamber comprising an absorbent material mounted within at least a portion of the air chamber and configured to absorb a liquid electrolyte from at least one of the plurality of power cells, the air chamber comprising at least two openings that fluidly couple the air chamber to an ambient environment external to the housing.

2. The data center battery module of claim 1, further comprising an air gap of between 2-3 mm between adjacent power cells.

3. The data center battery module of claim 1, further comprising a fluid absorbent material mounted in at least a portion of the inner volume.

4. The data center battery module of claim 3, wherein the fluid absorbent material is configured to absorb a liquid electrolyte discharged from one or more vent members.

5. The data center battery module of claim 1, further comprising:

an electrical connection electrically coupled to the plurality of power cells and exposed to an exterior of the housing; and

a power cell management system mounted in the housing.

6. The data center battery module of claim 1, wherein each of the lithium-ion batteries comprises a form factor 18650 lithium-ion battery.

7. The data center battery module of claim 1, wherein the offset direction is orthogonal relative to the airflow path.

8. The data center battery module of claim 1, further comprising a fan mounted in the aperture formed in the first end member.

9. The data center battery module of claim 1, further comprising an air gap between an inner surface of the housing and each of the plurality of power cells.

10. The data center battery module of claim 9, further comprising a thermal insulation material mounted in at least a portion of the air gap.

11. The data center battery module of claim 9, further comprising a frame mounted in the inner volume, the frame configured to support each of the plurality of power cells and define at least a portion of the air gap.

12. The data center battery module of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of power cells comprises a substantially cylindrical shape defined by a diameter of a body of the power cell and a length of the body, and each of the power cells is mounted in the inner volume such that an axis that the length of each body is orthogonal to the airflow path.

13. The data center battery module of claim 1, wherein the barrier comprises a first barrier and the baffle comprises a first baffle, the battery module further comprising a second barrier that at least partially interrupts the fluid pathway that extends between the vent members and at least one of the aperture formed in the first end member or the aperture formed in the second end member of the housing, the second barrier comprising a second baffle mounted in the inner volume near the other of the first or second end members of the housing.

14. The data center battery module of claim 13, wherein the second baffle is formed from a first baffle portion that extends between sides of the housing and including a gap in a middle of the first baffle portion and a second baffle portion that is positioned offset from and adjacent the middle of the first baffle portion to define a plurality of gaps between the second baffle portion and the sides of the housing.

15. The data center battery module of claim 8, wherein the barrier is positioned between the fan and the plurality of power cells.

16. The data center battery module of claim 1, further comprising a directional pressure valve mounted in at least one of the air chamber openings.

17. The data center battery module of claim 16, wherein the directional pressure valve is configured to open to allow airflow communication between the ambient environment and the air chamber based on a predetermined pressure or temperature of the air chamber.

18. The data center battery module of claim 1, wherein the absorbent material is mounted within a bottom portion of the air chamber adjacent a floor of the housing and below a bottom-most one of the plurality of power cells that is mounted in the housing nearest the floor of the housing.

19. The data center battery module of claim 18, wherein the absorbent material is mounted below the vent member of the bottom-most one of the plurality of power cells that is mounted in the housing nearest the floor of the housing.