DESIGN OF A LARGE LOW MAINTENANCE BATTERY PACK FOR A HYBRID LOCOMOTIVE
First Claim
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1. A hybrid vehicle, comprising:
- (a) a prime mover for generating electrical energy;
(b) a battery pack for receiving, storing, and providing, as needed, the electrical energy, the battery pack comprising a plurality of battery cells; and
(c) at least one motor for consuming the electrical energy, wherein the vehicle comprises at least one of the following;
(c1) a hood assembly, the hood assembly comprising a chimney vent and hood and wall members respectively defining upper and lower plenums, the upper and lower plenums being in fluid communication with the chimney vent and separated by the wall member, the wall member inhibiting airflow between the upper and lower plenums, and the lower plenum being in fluid communication with and removing heated air from the battery pack, wherein heated air in the upper and/or lower plenums passes, by free convection, through the chimney vent and into the external environment;
(c2) a plurality of airflow channels in communication with the lower plenum, a first set of airflow channels being positioned between adjacent battery cells and a second set of airflow channels being positioned between battery cells and the wall member, the airflow channels in the first set having a first cross-sectional area normal to the direction of airflow and the airflow channels in the second set having a second cross-sectional area normal to the direction of airflow, and wherein the first cross-sectional area is greater than the second cross-sectional area;
(c3) a rack structure, the rack structure comprising a plurality of vertical and horizontal fire wall members defining a plurality of containment sections, each section receiving a corresponding set of battery cells, whereby a fire in one section is retarded from spreading to an adjacent section;
(c4) a fan positioned in a fan duct, the fan duct being in communication with the chimney vent, wherein, when the battery pack is less than a first temperature, the fan is disabled and removal of heated air from the battery pack is done by free convection alone and wherein, when the battery pack is more than a second temperature, the fan is enabled and removal of at least a portion of heated air from the battery pack is done by forced convection;
(c5) a plurality of vertical and longitudinal shock absorbers, a set of vertical and longitudinal shock absorbers being positioned in each containment section to absorb at least a portion of shock imparted to the absorbers by movement of and impacts to the vehicle;
(c6) an electrically insulating material positioned between the rack structure and a supporting deck of the vehicle and/or between each cell and a supporting member in the rack structure; and
(c7) a support plate structure supporting the battery rack, the support plate structure being operable to permit and limit movement of the battery rack relative to the support plate structure.
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to systems for prolonging battery life, such as maintaining battery cell temperatures in battery packs within specified limits, providing vibration and shock resistance, and/or electrically isolating groups of batteries from nearby conductive surfaces.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A hybrid vehicle, comprising:
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(a) a prime mover for generating electrical energy;
(b) a battery pack for receiving, storing, and providing, as needed, the electrical energy, the battery pack comprising a plurality of battery cells; and
(c) at least one motor for consuming the electrical energy, wherein the vehicle comprises at least one of the following;
(c1) a hood assembly, the hood assembly comprising a chimney vent and hood and wall members respectively defining upper and lower plenums, the upper and lower plenums being in fluid communication with the chimney vent and separated by the wall member, the wall member inhibiting airflow between the upper and lower plenums, and the lower plenum being in fluid communication with and removing heated air from the battery pack, wherein heated air in the upper and/or lower plenums passes, by free convection, through the chimney vent and into the external environment;
(c2) a plurality of airflow channels in communication with the lower plenum, a first set of airflow channels being positioned between adjacent battery cells and a second set of airflow channels being positioned between battery cells and the wall member, the airflow channels in the first set having a first cross-sectional area normal to the direction of airflow and the airflow channels in the second set having a second cross-sectional area normal to the direction of airflow, and wherein the first cross-sectional area is greater than the second cross-sectional area;
(c3) a rack structure, the rack structure comprising a plurality of vertical and horizontal fire wall members defining a plurality of containment sections, each section receiving a corresponding set of battery cells, whereby a fire in one section is retarded from spreading to an adjacent section;
(c4) a fan positioned in a fan duct, the fan duct being in communication with the chimney vent, wherein, when the battery pack is less than a first temperature, the fan is disabled and removal of heated air from the battery pack is done by free convection alone and wherein, when the battery pack is more than a second temperature, the fan is enabled and removal of at least a portion of heated air from the battery pack is done by forced convection;
(c5) a plurality of vertical and longitudinal shock absorbers, a set of vertical and longitudinal shock absorbers being positioned in each containment section to absorb at least a portion of shock imparted to the absorbers by movement of and impacts to the vehicle;
(c6) an electrically insulating material positioned between the rack structure and a supporting deck of the vehicle and/or between each cell and a supporting member in the rack structure; and
(c7) a support plate structure supporting the battery rack, the support plate structure being operable to permit and limit movement of the battery rack relative to the support plate structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for operating a hybrid vehicle, comprising:
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(a) generating, by a prime mover, electrical energy;
(b) receiving, storing, and providing, as needed and by a battery pack, the electrical energy, the battery pack comprising a plurality of battery cells;
(c) providing to at least one motor the electrical energy; and
(d) at least one of the following additional steps;
(d1) passing, by free convection, heated air through upper and/or lower plenums and through a chimney vent into the ambient atmosphere, wherein a hood assembly comprises the chimney vent and hood and wall members respectively defining the upper and lower plenums, the upper and lower plenums being in fluid communication with the chimney vent and separated by the wall member, the wall member inhibiting airflow between the upper and lower plenums, and the lower plenum being in fluid communication with and removing heated air from the battery pack;
(d2) passing heated air through a plurality of airflow channels in communication with the lower plenum, a first set of airflow channels being positioned between adjacent battery cells and a second set of airflow channels being positioned between battery cells and the wall member, the airflow channels in the first set having a first cross-sectional area normal to the direction of airflow and the airflow channels in the second set having a second cross-sectional area normal to the direction of airflow, and wherein the first cross-sectional area is greater than the second cross-sectional area;
(d3) providing a rack structure, the rack structure comprising a plurality of vertical and horizontal fire wall members defining a plurality of containment sections, each section receiving a corresponding set of battery cells, whereby a fire in one section is retarded from spreading to an adjacent section;
(d4) providing a fan positioned in a fan duct, the fan duct being in communication with the chimney vent, wherein, when the battery pack is less than a first temperature, the fan is disabled and removal of heated air from the battery pack is done by free convection alone and wherein, when the battery pack is more than a second temperature, the fan is enabled and removal of heated air from the battery pack is done by forced convection;
(d5) providing a plurality of vertical and longitudinal shock absorbers, a set of vertical and longitudinal shock absorbers being positioned in each containment section to absorb at least a portion of shock imparted to the absorbers by movement of and impacts to the vehicle;
(d6) positioning an electrically insulating material between the rack structure and a supporting deck of the vehicle and/or between each cell and a supporting member in the rack structure; and
(d7) providing a support plate structure, the support plate structure supporting the battery rack and being operable to permit and limit movement of the battery rack relative to the support plate structure. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification