Battery thermal management systems including heat spreaders with thermoelectric devices

• US 10,236,547 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2017
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentherm Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Gentherm Incorporated
• Inventors: Kossakovski, Dmitri, Piggott, Alfred, Barnhart, Todd Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Cullen, Sean P
• Application Number:
  US15/448,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20170271728A1
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 429120
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/02 using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/63 Control systems charging or discharging in response to temperature H01M10/44 , H01M10/443; measurement of temperature H01M10/48 , H01M10/486
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6551 Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6554 Rods or plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6572 Peltier elements or thermoelectric devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Disclosed embodiments include thermoelectric-based thermal management systems and methods configured to heat and/or cool an electrical device. Thermal management systems can include a heat spreader positioned near a localized heat general of the electrical device. A fin can be connected to the heat spreader with a thermoelectric device positioned on the fin. Electric power can be directed to the thermoelectric device to provide controlled heating and/or cooling to the electrical device.

Claims

1. A thermoelectric battery thermal management system configured to manage battery cell temperature, the thermoelectric battery thermal management system comprising:

a battery cell comprising an electrode configured to deliver electric power to or from the battery cell, the electrode connected to the battery cell on a first side of the battery cell, wherein the battery cell is capable of generating a hotspot corresponding to a temperature increase of the battery cell via the electrode delivering electric power to or from the battery cell, the hotspot having a center corresponding to a point or a region of the battery cell having a highest temperature relative to other regions of the battery cell;

a heat spreader on a second side of the battery cell and in thermal communication with the hotspot, the heat spreader over the center of the hotspot on the second side of the battery cell; and

a thermoelectric device comprising a main surface and a waste surface, the thermoelectric device configured to transfer thermal energy between the main surface and the waste surface of the thermoelectric device,

wherein the main surface of the thermoelectric device is in thermal communication with the heat spreader to heat or cool the battery cell by adjusting a polarity of electric current delivered to the thermoelectric device,

wherein a geometric center of the main surface of the thermoelectric device is substantially on a shortest thermal path on the heat spreader from the center of the hotspot toward the thermoelectric device with the geometric center of the main surface of the thermoelectric device projected onto a plane of the heat spreader extending along the second side of the battery cell, and

wherein the thermoelectric device is sized to allow for a plurality of positions on a plane of the geometric center projected onto the plane of the heat spreader.

2. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 1, wherein a location of the center of the hotspot is weighted based on at least one of a charge state of the battery cell or an age of the battery cell.

3. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 2, wherein the location of the center of the hotspot shifts within a range of locations over a period of time associated with operating the battery cell.

4. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric device is positioned away from at least one end of a battery cell side that extends along a major dimension of the thermoelectric device.

5. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 1, wherein a dimension of the main surface of the thermoelectric device extending along the second side of the battery cell is less than an extent of the second side along the dimension of the main surface of the thermoelectric device.

6. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 1, further comprising:

an other thermoelectric device comprising a main surface and a waste surface, the other thermoelectric device configured to transfer thermal energy between the main surface and the waste surface of the other thermoelectric device, wherein the main surface of the other thermoelectric device is in thermal communication with the heat spreader to heat or cool the battery cell by adjusting a polarity of electric current delivered to the other thermoelectric device, wherein the thermoelectric device and the other thermoelectric device are positioned proximate to opposite sides of the battery cell, and wherein a geometric center of the main surface of the other thermoelectric device is substantially on the shortest thermal path on the heat spreader with the geometric center of the main surface of the other thermoelectric device projected onto the plane of the heat spreader extending along the second side of the battery cell.

7. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the battery cell comprises an other electrode connected to the battery cell on the first side of the battery cell.

8. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the battery cell comprises an other electrode connected to the battery cell on a battery cell side opposite the first side of the battery cell.

9. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 1, further comprising an other battery cell, the other battery cell comprising an electrode configured to deliver electric power to or from the other battery cell, the electrode of the other battery cell connected to the other battery cell on a first side of the other battery cell, wherein the other battery cell is capable of generating an other hotspot corresponding to a temperature increase of the other battery cell via the electrode of the other battery cell delivering electric power to or from the other battery cell, the other hotspot having a center corresponding to a point or a region of the other battery cell having a highest temperature relative to other regions of the other battery cell, and wherein the battery cell and the other battery cell are stacked with the first side of the battery cell and the first side of the other battery cell positioned substantially in parallel along a same plane.

10. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 9, wherein the other battery cell is in thermal communication with the heat spreader to heat or cool the other battery cell by adjusting the polarity of the electric current delivered to the thermoelectric device.

11. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 9, further comprising:

an other heat spreader on a second side of the other battery cell and in thermal communication with the other hotspot, the other heat spreader over the center of the other hotspot on the second side of the other battery cell; and

an other thermoelectric device comprising a main surface and a waste surface, the other thermoelectric device configured to transfer thermal energy between the main surface and the waste surface of the other thermoelectric device, wherein the main surface of the other thermoelectric device is in thermal communication with the other heat spreader to heat or cool the other battery cell by adjusting a polarity of the electric current delivered to the other thermoelectric device, and wherein a geometric center of the main surface of the other thermoelectric device is substantially on an other shortest thermal path on the other heat spreader from the center of the other hotspot toward the other thermoelectric device with the geometric center of the main surface of the other thermoelectric device projected onto a plane of the other heat spreader extending along the second side of the other battery cell.

12. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 11, wherein the other thermoelectric device is sized to allow for a plurality of positions on the other heat spreader plane of the geometric center projected onto the plane of the other heat spreader.

13. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 1, further comprising a fin connected to the heat spreader and in thermal communication with the hotspot via the heat spreader, wherein the main surface of the thermoelectric device is in thermal communication with the heat spreader via being in thermal communication with the fin.

14. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 13, wherein the thermoelectric device is positioned on the fin, and wherein the size of the thermoelectric device allows for a plurality of positions on the fin.

15. A thermoelectric battery thermal management system configured to manage battery cell temperature, the thermoelectric battery thermal management system comprising:

a first battery cell comprising a first electrode configured to deliver electric power to or from the first battery cell, the first electrode of the first battery cell connected to the first battery cell on a first surface of the first battery cell, wherein the first battery cell is capable of generating a first hotspot corresponding to a temperature increase of the first battery cell via the first electrode of the first battery cell delivering electric power to or from the first battery cell, the first hotspot having a center corresponding to a point or a region of the first battery cell having a highest temperature relative to other regions of the first battery cell;

a second battery cell comprising a first electrode configured to deliver electric power to or from the second battery cell, the first electrode of the second battery cell connected to the second battery cell on a first surface of the second battery cell, wherein the second battery cell is capable of generating a second hotspot corresponding to a temperature increase of the second battery cell via the first electrode of the second battery cell delivering electric power to or from the second battery cell, the second hotspot having a center corresponding to a point or a region of the second battery cell having a highest temperature relative to other regions of the second battery cell;

a first heat spreader on a second surface of the first battery cell and in thermal communication with the first hotspot, the first heat spreader over the center of the first hotspot on the second surface of the first battery cell;

a second heat spreader on a second surface of the second battery cell and in thermal communication with the second hotspot, the second heat spreader over the center of the second hotspot on the second surface of the second battery cell, wherein the second surfaces of the first and second battery cells are substantially parallel to each other;

a third heat spreader in thermal communication with the first and second heat spreaders and extending substantially perpendicular to portions of the first and second heat spreaders over the centers of the first and second hotspots; and

a thermoelectric device comprising a main surface and a waste surface, the thermoelectric device configured to transfer thermal energy between the main surface and the waste surface of the thermoelectric device,

wherein the main surface of the thermoelectric device is in thermal communication with the third heat spreader to heat or cool the first and second battery cells by adjusting a polarity of electric current delivered to the thermoelectric device, and

wherein a geometric center of the main surface of the thermoelectric device is substantially on a shortest thermal path on at least one of the first or second heat spreader from the center of at least one of the first or second hotspot toward the thermoelectric device with the geometric center of the main surface of the thermoelectric device projected onto a plane of at least one the first or second heat spreader extending along the second surface of at least one of the first or second battery cell.

16. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 15, wherein the main surface of the thermoelectric device is over a geometric average center of the centers of the first and second hotspots projected onto the third heat spreader.

17. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 15, wherein a dimension of the main surface of the thermoelectric device extending along the second surface of at least one of the first or second battery cell is less than an extent of the second surface of the at least one of the first or second battery cell along the dimension of the main surface of the thermoelectric device.

18. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 15, further comprising:

a first fin connected to the first heat spreader and in thermal communication with the first hotspot via the first heat spreader; and

a second fin connected to the second heat spreader and in thermal communication with the second hotspot via the second heat spreader,

wherein the first and second fins are in thermal communication with the third heat spreader to at least in part provide thermal communication between the third heat spreader and the first and second heat spreaders.

19. A method of manufacturing a thermoelectric battery thermal management system configured to manage battery cell temperature, the method comprising:

thermally connecting a heat spreader to a battery cell comprising an electrode configured to deliver electric power to or from the battery cell, the electrode connected to the battery cell on a first surface of the battery cell, wherein the battery cell is capable of generating a hotspot corresponding to a temperature increase of the battery cell via the electrode delivering electric power to or from the battery cell, the hotspot having a center corresponding to a point or a region of the battery cell having a highest temperature relative to other regions of the battery cell,

wherein the heat spreader is connected on a second surface of the battery cell to be in thermal communication with the hotspot, the heat spreader positioned over the center of the hotspot on the second surface of the battery cell; and

thermally connecting a thermoelectric device to the heat spreader, the thermoelectric device comprising a main surface and a waste surface, the thermoelectric device configured to transfer thermal energy between the main surface and the waste surface of the thermoelectric device, wherein the main surface of the thermoelectric device is in thermal communication with the heat spreader to heat or cool the battery cell by adjusting a polarity of electric current delivered to the thermoelectric device,

wherein to thermally connect the thermoelectric device to the heat spreader, a position for the thermoelectric device is chosen from a plurality of positions based on a geometric center of the main surface of the thermoelectric device being positioned substantially on a shortest thermal path on the heat spreader from the center of the hotspot toward the thermoelectric device with the geometric center of the main surface of the thermoelectric device projected onto a plane of the heat spreader extending along the second surface of the battery cell.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising weighting a location of the center of the hotspot based on at least one of a charge state of the battery cell or an age of the battery cell.