POWER SOURCE APPARATUS

• US 20100061061A1
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Murata, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,974,095 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/699
• 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 10/6551 Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6567 Liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• 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: H01M 8/04029 Heat exchange using liquids
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A power source apparatus includes a power source module which is formed of a plurality of power source elements, a case which houses the power source module and a cooling liquid, a fan which is placed in the case in a state in which the fan is immersed in the cooling liquid together with the power source module, the fan forming a laminar flow of the cooling liquid, the laminar flow having a width at least substantially the same as a length of the power source element in a length direction of the power source element.

Claims

1. A power source apparatus comprising:

a power source module which is formed of a plurality of power source elements;

a case which houses the power source module and a cooling liquid; and

a fan which is placed in the case in a state in which the fan is immersed in the cooling liquid together with the power source module, the fan forming a laminar flow of the cooling liquid, the laminar flow having a width at least substantially the same as a length of the power source element in a length direction of the power source element.

2. The power source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of power source elements are arranged in parallel in a direction in which the laminar flow flows.

3. The power source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fan forms the laminar flow which flows in a direction substantially perpendicular to the length direction of the power source element.

4. The power source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fan forms the laminar flow as a first flow between the power source module and the case, and a second flow branches from the laminar flow formed by the fan and flows between the power source elements arranged in parallel in the flow direction of the laminar flow.

5. The power source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power source module includes a pair of end plates which supports both terminals of each of the power source elements, and

wherein the fan is provided for the end plates.

6. The power source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power source module is placed such that a distance from an inner wall of the case to the power source module is larger than a distance between the adjacent ones of the power source elements arranged in parallel in the flow direction of the laminar flow.

7. The power source apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6claim 1, wherein the case is provided with a flow directing portion for directing at least part of the laminar flow of the cooling liquid between the power source elements.

8. The power source apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the flow directing portion is formed to have a protruding shape which protrudes in a direction substantially perpendicular to the flow direction of the laminar flow from the inner wall of the case, and a peak of the protruding shape is placed between the power source elements and is formed to have a long shape extending in the length direction of the power source element.

9. The power source apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a height of the protruding shape in the flow directing portion is changed depending on the number of the power source elements arranged in parallel in the flow direction of the laminar flow.

10. The power source apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a first plate member for directing the cooling liquid flowing out of the fan to space between the power source module and the case, and a second plate member for directing the cooling liquid directed to the space between the power source module and the case to an inlet side of the fan.

11. The power source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fan is a cross flow fan.