Battery Module, Electric Storage Device and Electric System

• US 20090258282A1
• Filed: 04/02/2009
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vehicle Energy Japan, Inc. (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Vehicle Energy, Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: HARADA, Susumu, SATO, Seiichi, ONISHI, Masuhiro, TSURUMI, Yoshihisa
• Granted Patent: US 8,440,339 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/61
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6563 with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery module is configured so that the first cell string and the second cell string are arranged between the first plate member and the second plate member and the second cell string is arranged closer to the second plate member side than the first cell string is and is arranged closer to the outlet side than the first cell string is. At the inlet side of the housing, the inlet is arranged closer to the first plate member than to the second cell string, at least a part between the inlet side of the second cell string and the second plate member is covered by the inlet-side guide plate, and the cooling air is introduced into the housing through the inlet so as to form a flow of the cooling air along the first plate member and a flow of the cooling air along the inlet-side guide plate.

Claims

1. A battery module, comprising:

a housing that comprises a first plate member with an elongated shape in a flow direction of a cooling air and a second plate member provided in a position facing the first plate member;

a first cell string comprising a plurality of cells arranged along the first plate member;

a second cell string comprising a plurality of cells arranged along the second plate member;

an inlet through which the cooling air is introduced into the housing;

an outlet through which the cooling air in the housing is discharged;

an inlet-side guide plate provided on an inlet side of the housing;

an outlet-side guide plate provided on an outlet side of the housing, wherein;

the first cell string and the second cell string are arranged between the first plate member and the second plate member;

the second cell string is arranged closer to the second plate member side than the first cell string is and is arranged closer to the outlet side than the first cell string is;

at the inlet side of the housing, the inlet is arranged closer to the first plate member than to the second cell string, at least a part between the inlet side of the second cell string and the second plate member is covered by the inlet-side guide plate, and the cooling air is introduced into the housing through the inlet so as to form a flow of the cooling air along the first plate member and a flow of the cooling air along the inlet-side guide plate; and

at the outlet side of the housing, the outlet is arranged closer to the second plate member than to the first cell string, and at least a part between the outlet side of the first cell string and the first plate member is covered by the outlet-side guide plate.

2. A battery module according to claim 1, wherein:

at the inlet side of the housing, the cooling air collides with a cell disposed closest to the inlet side of the first cell string so as to form the flow of the cooling air along the first plate member and the flow of the cooling air along the inlet-side guide plate.

3. A battery module according to claim 1, wherein:

a plurality of cooling passages are formed in the housing; and

the plurality of cooling passages comprises;

a first cooling passage that is formed between the first cell string and the first plate member and extends along the first plate member from the inlet;

a second cooling passage that is formed between the second cell string and the second plate member and extends along the second plate member to the outlet;

a third cooling passage that is formed by a gap between the cells and allows the first cooling passage and the second cooling passage to be communicated with each other;

a fourth cooling passage that is formed between the inlet-side guide plate and cells disposed closest to the inlet side of the first cell string and the second cell string and extends from the inlet to the second cooling passage; and

a fifth cooling passage that is formed between the outlet-side guide plate and cells disposed closest to the outlet side of the first cell string and the second cell string and extends from the first cooling passage to the outlet.

4. A battery module according to claim 1, further comprising:

a discharge chamber, kept in isolation from a space in the housing, into which a discharge medium is discharged from the cells.

5. A battery module according to claim 4, further comprising:

a pair of side plates that sandwich the first cell string and the second cell string, in which a connection conductor for electrically connecting the cells is embedded; and

a cover member, disposed outside the housing, that covers each of the pair of side plates, wherein;

the discharge chamber is formed with each of the pair of side plates and the cover member.

21. An electric storage device, comprising:

the battery module according to claim 1, that comprises the cells electrically connected with one another in series; and

a battery control device that controls a state of each of the cells and notifies a higher-rank control device of the state of each the cells.

22. An electric system, comprising:

an electric machine that generates a drive power by an electric power;

an electric power conversion device that is electrically connected to the electric machine so as to control the electric power to be supplied to the electric machine; and

an electric storage device that is electrically connected to the electric power conversion device so as to supply the electrical power to the electric power conversion device as a power source for the electric machine, wherein;

the electric storage device comprises a battery module that comprises a plurality of cells electrically connected with one another in series and that is electrically connected to the electric power conversion device, and a battery control device that controls a state of each of the cells and notifies a controller of the electric power conversion device of the state of each of the cells; and

the battery module is the battery module according to claim 1.

6. A battery module, comprising:

a battery housing package that comprises an inlet of a cooling medium on one end thereof and an outlet of the cooling medium on another end thereof; and

an assembled battery held in the battery housing package and constituted by cells electrically connected with one another, wherein

the assembled battery comprises (a) a first cell string in which a plurality of the cells are arranged side by side along a direction from an inlet side to an outlet side with central axes of the plurality of the cells disposed in parallel with one another and (b) a second cell string in which a plurality of the cells are arranged side by side along the direction from the inlet side to the outlet side with central axes of the plurality of cells disposed in parallel with one another;

the first cell string and the second cell string are stacked one on top of another;

the first cell string is arranged closer to the inlet side than the second cell string is;

the second cell string is arranged closer to the outlet side than the first cell string is;

the inlet opens on an extension of a line along which the first cell string is arranged; and

a cell arranged closest to the inlet of the first cell string functions as a diverter that diverts the cooling medium taken in through the inlet into at least two directions.

7. A battery module according to claim 6, wherein:

the outlet opens on an extension of a line along which the second cell string is arranged.

8. A battery module according to claim 6, wherein:

the battery housing package comprises (a) a battery housing chamber that houses the assembled battery, in which a cooling passage is formed and (b) a discharge chamber into which a discharge medium is discharged from the cell; and

the discharge chamber is provided next to both sides of the battery housing chamber and is isolated from the battery housing chamber by each of side walls of the battery housing chamber that sandwich the cells from a positive side the cells and a negative side of the cells.

9. A battery module according to claim 8, further comprising:

a connection conductor for electrically connecting the cells, wherein;

electrodes of each of the cells expose to the discharge chamber from both of the side walls of the battery housing chamber; and

the assembled battery is constituted with the cells electrically connected with one another by welding the connection conductor to electrodes of two different cells which expose from either one of the side walls of the battery housing chamber to the discharge chamber so as to electrically connect between the electrodes of the two different cells.

10. A battery module, comprising:

a cell string comprising a plurality of cells, with at least two cell strings stacked one on top of another;

a casing in which the cell strings are held and that comprises an inlet of a cooling air on one end thereof and an outlet of the cooling air on another end thereof, wherein;

the casing comprises an inlet passage that extends from the inlet in a direction from the one end of the casing to the other end and an outlet passage that extends to the outlet in a direction from the one end of the casing to the other end, with the inlet passage and the outlet passage disposed offset from each other in a height direction of the casing;

a height h1 and a height h2 are equal to each other, where the height h1 represents a height of the inlet passage which corresponds to a distance in the height direction between a one surface of the casing and a region closer to the one surface of the casing of cells arranged along the inlet passage, and the height h2 represents a height of the outlet passage which corresponds to a distance in the height direction between another surface of the casing and a region closer to the other surface of the casing of cells arranged along the outlet passage;

a gap δ

1 and a gap δ

2 are substantially equal to each other in width, where the gap δ

1 denotes a minimum gap between cells next to each other in an arrangement direction of cells of each of the cell strings, and the gap δ

2 denotes a minimum gap between a one end of the casing and a cell arranged closest to the inlet side of each of the cell strings and a minimum gap between another end of the casing and a cell arranged closest to the outlet side of each of the cell strings;

a cell arranged most upstream of a flow of the cooling air introduced into the casing through the inlet divides a mainstream of the cooling air into a plurality of substreams; and

the cell strings are cooled by the cooling air passing through the inlet passage, the outlet passage, the gap δ

1, and the gap δ

2.

11. A battery module according to claim 10, wherein:

the height h1 is at least 0.25 times and at most 0.5 times as a diameter of the cell.

14. A battery module according to claim 10, wherein:

cells facing the outlet passage are provided with a thermal insulator.

15. A battery module according to claim 10, wherein:

at least three of the cell strings are stacked one on top of another.

16. A battery module according to claim 10, further comprising:

a pair of electric insulators that sandwich the cell strings, wherein;

a busbar for electrically connecting the cells is embedded in the electric insulators; and

the busbar is welded to the cells.

17. A battery module according to claim 10, further comprising:

at least two battery blocks arranged in parallel, with each of the battery blocks having a structure in which the cell strings are held in the casing.

19. A battery module according to claim 17, wherein:

a cell arranged most upstream of a flow of the cooling air introduced into the casing through the inlet divides a mainstream of the cooling air into a plurality of substreams.

12. A battery module, comprising:

a cell string comprising a plurality of cells, with at least two cell strings stacked one on top of another;

a casing in which the cell strings are held and that comprises an inlet of a cooling air on one end thereof and an outlet of the cooling air on another end thereof, wherein;

the casing comprises an inlet passage that extends from the inlet in a direction from the one end of the casing to the other end and an outlet passage that extends to the outlet in a direction from the one end of the casing to the other end, with the inlet passage and the outlet passage disposed offset from each other in a height direction of the casing;

a height h1 is smaller than a height h2, where the height h1 represents a height of the inlet passage which corresponds to a distance in the height direction between a one surface of the casing and a region closer to the one surface of the casing of cells arranged along the inlet passage, and the height h2 represents a height of the outlet passage which corresponds to a distance in the height direction between another surface of the casing and a region closer to the other surface of the casing of cells arranged along the outlet passage;

a gap δ

1 and a gap δ

2 are substantially equal to each other in width, where the gap δ

1 denotes a minimum gap between cells next to each other in an arrangement direction of cells of each of the cell strings, and the gap δ

2 denotes a minimum gap between a one end of the casing and a cell arranged closest to the inlet side of each of the cell strings and a minimum gap between another end of the casing and a cell arranged closest to the outlet side of each of the cell strings;

a cell arranged most upstream of a flow of the cooling air introduced into the casing through the inlet divides a mainstream of the cooling air into a plurality of substreams; and

the cell strings are cooled by the cooling air passing through the inlet passage, the outlet passage, the gap δ

1, and the gap δ

2.

13. A battery module according to claim 12, wherein:

the gap δ

1 is at least 0.03 times as large as a diameter of the cell; and

the height h1 is at least 0.25 times and at most 0.5 times as the diameter of the cell.

18. A battery module, comprising:

a casing that comprises an inlet of a cooling air on one end thereof and an outlet of the cooling air on another end thereof; and

a cell group that is held in the casing and that comprises a plurality of cell strings in which a plurality of cells are arranged from one end side to another end side of the casing, with the cell strings stacked one on top of another, wherein;

the casing comprises an inlet passage that extends from the inlet in a direction from the one end of the casing to the other end and an outlet passage that extends to the outlet in the direction from one end of the casing to the other end, with the inlet passage and the outlet passage disposed offset from each other in a height direction of the casing; and

a height h1 gradually becomes smaller from one end side of the casing toward the other end side of the casing while a height h2 gradually becomes larger from one end side of the casing toward the other end side of the casing, where the height h1 represents a height of the inlet passage which corresponds to a distance in the height direction between a one surface of the casing and a region closer to the one surface of the casing of cells arranged along the inlet passage, and the height h2 represents a height of the outlet passage which corresponds to a distance in the height direction between another surface of the casing and a region closer to the other surface of the casing of cells arranged along the outlet passage.

20. A battery module according to claim 18, wherein:

a thickness of the casing in a region facing the inlet passage becomes larger from one end side of the casing toward the other end side; and

a thickness of the casing in a region facing the outlet passage becomes smaller from one end side of the casing toward the other end side.