Battery system with heat exchange device

• US 10,347,955 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2016
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Company Limited
• Inventors: Ho, Ming-Hui
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Lisa S
• Application Number:
  US15/218,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20160336628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/27 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/04 Construction or manufacture in general H01M10/058, H01M10/12, H01M10/28, H01M10/38 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/617 for achieving uniformity or desired distribution of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• 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 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6557 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6568 characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings
• 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 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A battery pack is provided including: a plurality of battery cells arranged in multiple battery cell rows; one or more heat exchange spaces; and a device for providing heat exchange to the battery pack. Further, the device includes a heat conduction medium passage arranged in the heat exchange spaces, such that the heat conduction medium passage surrounds multiple battery cells in each battery cell row. The heat conduction medium passage is provided with at least a first group of channels and a second group of channels, which are in contact with the surface of each battery cell, and a heat conduction medium is provided in the first group of channels and the second group of channels. The heat conduction medium flows in the first group of channels in a direction opposite from the flow of the heat conduction medium in the second group of channels.

Claims

1. A battery pack, comprising:

a plurality of battery cells, wherein the plurality of battery cells are arranged in multiple battery cell rows, and each battery cell row comprises multiple battery cells;

one or more heat exchange spaces, wherein each heat exchange space is arranged between adjacent battery cell rows or at one side of each battery cell row; and

a device to provide heat exchange to the battery pack,

wherein, the device comprises a heat conduction medium passage arranged in the one or more heat exchange spaces, such that the heat conduction medium passage surrounds the multiple battery cells in each battery cell row,

the heat conduction medium passage is provided with at least a first group of channels and a second group of channels extending in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a first axis running through two opposite ends of each battery cell and are arranged in parallel to a second axis running through all of the battery cells in the cell row, wherein the first axis and the second axis are orthogonal,

the first group of channels and the second group of channels are in contact with a surface of each battery cell,

the first group of channels and the second group of channels are provided with at least one inlet and at least one outlet, respectively,

a heat conduction medium is injected, from a conduction medium source, into the first group of channels and in the second group of channels at the same or substantially same time, the heat conduction medium in the first group of channels configured to flow from the at least one inlet to the at least one outlet, the heat conduction medium in the second group of channels configured to flow from the at least one inlet to the at least one outlet, wherein the conduction medium source is located outside of the first and second groups of channels, and

a heat insulation layer is disposed between the first group of channels and the second group of channels.

2. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the heat insulation layer comprises a thermal insulating material made of at least one of glass fiber, asbestos, rock wool, and aerogel felt.

3. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the first group of channels and the second group of channels are spaced apart, and air in the space between the first group of channels and the second group of channels forms the heat insulation layer.

4. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein a flow direction of the heat conduction medium in the first group of channels is opposite to a flow direction of the heat conduction medium in the second group of channels.

5. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the battery pack is provided with the heat exchange spaces, and two battery cell rows are arranged between each pair of adjacent heat exchange spaces.

6. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein at least one channel is arranged in the first group of channels, each channel of the first group of channels having a first inlet and a first outlet;

and at least one channel is arranged in the second group of channels, and each channel of the second group of channels having a second inlet and a second outlet.

7. The battery pack of claim 6, wherein the first inlet of the first group of channels is connected with a first input port, the first outlet of the first group of channels is connected with a first output port, the second inlet of the second group of channels is connected with a second input port, and the second outlet of the second group of channels is connected with a second output port.

8. An electric vehicle, comprising:

a battery pack, wherein the battery pack comprises;

a plurality of battery cells, wherein the plurality of battery cells are arranged in multiple battery cell rows, and each battery cell row comprises multiple battery cells;

one or more heat exchange spaces, wherein each heat exchange space is arranged between adjacent battery cell rows or at one side of each battery cell row; and

a device to provide heat exchange to the battery pack,

wherein, the device comprises a heat conduction medium passage arranged in the one or more heat exchange spaces, such that the heat conduction medium passage surrounds the multiple battery cells in each battery cell row,

the heat conduction medium passage is provided with at least a first group of channels and a second group of channels extending in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a first axis running through two opposite ends of each battery cell and are arranged in parallel to a second axis running through all of the battery cells in the cell row, wherein the first axis and the second axis are orthogonal,

the first group of channels and the second group of channels are in contact with a surface of each battery cell,

the first group of channels and the second group of channels are provided with at least one inlet and at least one outlet, respectively,

a heat conduction medium is injected, from a conduction medium source, into the first group of channels and in the second group of channels at the same or substantially same time, the heat conduction medium in the first group of channels configured to flow from the at least one inlet to the at least one outlet, the heat conduction medium in the second group of channels configured to flow from the at least one inlet to the at least one outlet, wherein the conduction medium source is located outside of the first and second groups of channels, and

a heat insulation layer is disposed between the first group of channels and the second group of channels.

9. The electric vehicle of claim 8, wherein the heat insulation layer comprises a thermal insulating material made of at least one of glass fiber, asbestos, rock wool, and aerogel felt.

10. The electric vehicle of claim 8, wherein the first group of channels and the second group of channels are spaced apart, and air in the space between the first group of channels and the second group of channels forms the heat insulation layer.

11. The electric vehicle of claim 8, wherein a flow direction of the heat conduction medium in the first group of channels is opposite to a flow direction of the heat conduction medium in the second group of channels.

12. The electric vehicle of claim 8, wherein the battery pack is provided with heat exchange spaces, and two battery cell rows are arranged between each pair of adjacent heat exchange spaces.

13. The electric vehicle of claim 8, wherein at least one channel is arranged in the first group of channels, each channel of the first group of channels having a first inlet and a first outlet;

and at least one channel is arranged in the second group of channels, and each channel of the second group of channels having a second inlet and a second outlet.

14. The electric vehicle of claim 13, wherein the first inlet of the first group of channels is connected with a first input port, the first outlet of the first group of channels is connected with a first output port, the second inlet of the second group of channels is connected with a second input port, and the second outlet of the second group of channels is connected with a second output port.

15. A method for implementing a battery pack, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of battery cells;

arranging the plurality of battery cells in multiple battery cell rows, and each battery cell row comprises multiple battery cells;

providing one or more heat exchange spaces;

arranging each heat exchange space between adjacent battery cell rows or at one side of each battery cell row;

providing heat exchange to the battery pack;

arranging a heat conduction medium passage in the one or more heat exchange spaces, such that the heat conduction medium passage surrounds the multiple battery cells in each battery cell row;

providing the heat conduction medium passage with at least a first group of channels and a second group of channels extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to an axial direction of each battery cell and arranged up and down along the axial direction of each battery cell;

contacting the first group of channels and the second group of channels with a surface of each battery cell;

providing the first group of channels and the second group of channels with at least one inlet and at least one outlet, respectively;

injecting a heat conduction medium, from a conduction medium source, into the first group of channels and in the second group of channels at the same or substantially same time, the heat conduction medium in the first group of channels configured to flow from the at least one inlet to the at least one outlet, the heat conduction medium in the second group of channels configured to flow from the at least one inlet to the at least one outlet, wherein the conduction medium source is located outside of the first and second groups of channels; and

disposing a heat insulation layer between the first group of channels and the second group of channels.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the heat insulation layer comprises a thermal insulating material made of at least one of glass fiber, asbestos, rock wool, and aerogel felt.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

spacing apart the first group of channels and the second group of channels; and

forming air in the space between the first group of channels and the second group of channels the heat insulation layer.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein a flow direction of the heat conduction medium in the first group of channels is opposite to a flow direction of the heat conduction medium in the second group of channels.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing the one or more heat exchange spaces; and

arranging two battery cell rows between each pair of adjacent heat exchange spaces.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

arranging at least one channel in the first group of channels, each channel of the first group of channels having a first inlet and a first outlet; and

arranging at least one channel in the second group of channels, and each channel of the second group of channels having a second inlet and a second outlet.