Battery assembly with temperature control device

• US 10,141,616 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2014
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EnerDel, Inc. (Ener1, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EnerDel, Inc. (Ener1, Inc.)
• Inventors: Buck, Derrick S., Fattig, Robert N., Silk, Bruce J.
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Aniello, Nicholas P
• Application Number:
  US14/506,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20150024246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: 16510423, 16510433, 429 96-100
• 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 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/623 Portable devices, e.g. mobile telephones, cameras or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6551 Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6555 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6561 Gases
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6565 with recirculation or U-turn in the flow path, i.e. back and forth
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6566 Means within the gas flow to guide the flow around one or more cells, e.g. manifolds, baffles or other barriers H01M10/6565 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/103 prismatic or rectangular H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A battery module of the present invention is adaptable to be utilized in various configurations including and not limited to an overlapping battery cell packaging configuration and a vertical stack battery cell packaging configuration used in an automotive and non-automotive applications. The battery module has a plurality of battery heatsink assemblies with the cells disposed therebetween. A plurality of rods extend through the each heatsink assemblies to secure the heatsink assemblies and the cell with one another to form the battery module.

Claims

1. A battery assembly comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of battery packs positioned inside said housing, each of said battery packs including a plurality of assemblies, each assembly including a cell and a frame supporting the cell, the plurality of assemblies are removably connected to form a stack and are electrically connected together, each of said battery packs further includes at least one heat sink in contact with the cell;

a plurality of battery module housings removably supported by the housing, each battery module housing including an opening which receives at least one battery pack of the plurality of battery packs; and

a fluid circulation system defined by at least one inlet port in said housing for receiving fluid introduced into said housing and at least one outlet port defined in said housing, the fluid enters the at least one inlet port of the housing and is introduced to a tubular portion of the at least one heat sink of the respective battery packs, and the fluid exits the at least one outlet port of the housing, the fluid through the introduction to the tubular portion of the at least one heat sink manipulates temperature of each of the respective battery packs by removing heat therefrom.

2. The battery assembly of claim 1, wherein said housing includes a bottom portion which is separated into halves by a bridge.

3. The battery assembly of claim 2, wherein a first battery housing is positioned on a first side of the bridge and a second battery housing is positioned on a second side of the bridge such that the bridge separates the first battery housing and the second battery housing.

4. The battery assembly of claim 2, wherein the fluid flows along the bridge.

5. The battery assembly of claim 1, wherein each of said cells is a prismatic cell.

6. The battery assembly of claim 5, wherein each of said cells is a lithium ion cell.