COOLING SYSTEM OF BATTERY PACK

• US 20070194757A1
• Filed: 10/16/2006
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Energy Solution Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: NAMGOONG, John E., YANG, Heekook, YOON, Junill, AHN, Jaesung
• Granted Patent: US 7,683,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/150
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/652 characterised by gradients for achieving a desired temperature gradient H01M10/617
• 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 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/244 Secondary casings; Racks; Suspension devices; Carrying devices; Holders characterised by their mounting method
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/249 specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a cooling system for cooling a battery pack mounted in a vehicle, wherein the battery pack is mounted at the inner lower end of the vehicle constructed in a corrugated structure including alternating valleys and peaks, battery modules constituting the battery pack are arranged such that unit cells constituting each battery module are mounted vertically on the corrugated lower end of the vehicle, and the cooling system comprises a coolant inlet port and a coolant outlet port formed at a lower-end member of a housing surrounding the outer surface of the battery pack in a sealed state. According to the present invention, the coolant inlet port and the coolant outlet port are formed using the structure of the vehicle. Consequently, the cooling system can be stably mounted to the vehicle, the inner space of the vehicle is efficiently utilized, and the volume of the battery system is minimized. Furthermore, the partitions are mounted in the battery pack for uniformly supplying coolant. Consequently, heat generated from the battery is effectively removed, and the temperature difference between unit cells is minimized during the cooling process.

Claims

1. A cooling system for cooling a battery pack mounted in a vehicle, wherein

the battery pack is mounted at the inner lower end of the vehicle constructed in a corrugated structure including alternating valleys and peaks,

battery modules constituting the battery pack are arranged such that unit cells constituting each battery module are mounted vertically on the corrugated lower end of the vehicle, and

the cooling system comprises a coolant inlet port and a coolant outlet port formed at a lower-end member of a housing surrounding the outer surface of the battery pack in a sealed state.

2. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the lower-end member of the housing is constructed in a structure corresponding to the corrugate lower end of the vehicle.

3. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the coolant inlet port and the coolant outlet port are formed by the corrugated structure of the lower-end member of the housing.

4. The cooling system according to claim 1, further comprising:

partitions mounted between the battery modules for guiding passage of coolant such that the coolant introduced into the cooling system through the coolant inlet port can ascend vertically at least once and then descend toward the coolant outlet port.

5. The cooling system according to claim 4, wherein the partitions are mounted on the lower-end member of the housing at predetermined positions where a large majority of coolant can be prevented from directly flowing from the coolant inlet port to the coolant outlet port.

6. The cooling system according to claim 4, wherein two or more partitions are alternately mounted at an upper-end member and the lower-end member of the housing.

7. The cooling system according to claim 4, wherein the partitions are arranged between the coolant inlet port and the coolant outlet port in the direction perpendicular to the battery modules.

8. The cooling system according to claim 5, wherein each partition has a plurality of through-holes having small diameters.

9. The cooling system according to claim 8, wherein the through-holes are constructed such that the inner diameters of the through-holes are decreased from the upper part to the lower part of each partition.

10. The cooling system according to claim 2, wherein the coolant inlet port and the coolant outlet port are formed by the corrugated structure of the lower-end member of the housing.

11. The cooling system according to claim 6, wherein each partition has a plurality of through-holes having small diameters.

12. The cooling system according to claim 7, wherein each partition has a plurality of through-holes having small diameters.