ENERGY STORAGE UNIT

• US 20110189526A1
• Filed: 09/30/2009
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: MAGNA E-Car Systems GmbH & Co. OG (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Michelitsch, Martin, Wuensche, Ralph
• Application Number:
  US13/121,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20110189526A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/120
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0468 Compression means for stacks of electrodes and separators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0481 Compression means other than compression means for stacks of electrodes and separators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6554 Rods or plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6555 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6556 Solid parts with flow channel passages or pipes for heat exchange closed pipes H01M10/6552
• 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 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/271 Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/278 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/293 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/502 Interconnectors for connecting terminals of adjacent batteries; Interconnectors for connecting cells outside a battery casing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/509 characterised by the type of connection, e.g. mixed connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/51 Connection only in series
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/512 Connection only in parallel
• 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

Abstract

An energy storage unit for storing electrical energy comprises a plurality of stacked flat cells, each having protruding electrodes. A cooling body of the energy storage unit is heat-conductively connected, at least in sections, to the flat cells. The cooling body at least partially consists of a plastic material and has openings through which the electrodes extend.

Claims

1. An energy storage unit (10, 10′

) for storing electrical energy comprising a plurality of stacked flat cells (12), each having protruding electrodes (14a, 14),

wherein the energy storage unit (10, 10′

) further comprises at least one cooling body (20) which is heat-conductively connected, at least in sections, to the stacked flat cells (12), wherein the cooling body (20) at least partially consists of a plastic material and has openings (24) through which the electrodes (14a, 14b) extend.

2. The energy storage unit according to claim 1,

wherein the cooling body (20) is comprised at least partially of an electrically insulating material.

3. The energy storage unit according to claim 1,

wherein the energy storage unit (10, 10′

) comprises a connection unit (18) interconnecting the flat cells (12) at least electrically, wherein the cooling body (20) is heat-conductively connected, at least in sections, to the connection unit (18).

4. The energy storage unit according to claim 3,

wherein the cooling body (20) is arranged between the flat cells (12) and the connection unit (18).

5. The energy storage unit according to claim 3,

wherein the connection unit (18) and/or the cooling body (20) are embodied in a plate-like shape and extend in a plane which is perpendicular to the respective extension plane of the flat cells (12).

6. The energy storage unit according to claim 3, wherein the connection unit (18) and the cooling body (20), at least in sections, with their surfaces abut on one another.

7. The energy storage unit according to claim 3, wherein the cooling body (20) is embodied as a carrier element for the connection unit (18) and/or for a cover element of the energy storage unit (10, 10′

).

8. The energy storage unit according to claim 7, wherein the cooling body (20) comprises fixing elements for fixing the connection unit (18) and/or a cover element of the energy storage unit (10, 10′

).

9. The energy storage unit according to claim 8, wherein the connection unit (18) has openings (22), particularly slots, which are in alignment with the openings (24) of the cooling body (20) and through which the electrodes (14a, 14b) extend, wherein the electrodes (14a, 14b) are connected to the connection unit (18) particularly at the side of the connection unit (18) facing away from the flat cells (12).

10. The energy storage unit according to claim 1, wherein cooling elements (46) are arranged between the flat cells (12), which cooling elements (46) are heat-conductively connected to the flat cells (12) and the cooling body (20).

11. The energy storage unit according to claim 10,

wherein the cooling elements (46) are configured in a plate-like shape and one cooling element (46) is arranged between each pair of adjacent flat cells (12).

12. The energy storage unit according to claim 10,

wherein the flat cells (12) are glued to the cooling elements (46).

13. The energy storage unit according to claim 10, wherein the cooling elements (46) are inserted in recesses (32) of the cooling body (20) and glued to the cooling body (20).

14. The energy storage unit according to claim 10, wherein each of the cooling elements (46) has at least one depression extending essentially in parallel to an extension plane of the cooling body (20).

15. The energy storage unit according to claim 10, wherein at least one hollow space (34), which is formed in the cooling body (20) and through which a coolant is able to flow, is associated with each of the cooling elements (46), wherein the hollow space (34) extends in parallel to the flat cells (12).

16. The energy storage unit according to claim 15,

wherein the hollow space (34) has a U-shaped cross section having two leg portions (36a, 36b) directed towards the associated cooling element (46), wherein the cooling element (46) extends into the area between the leg portions (36a, 36b).

17. The energy storage unit according to claim 15,

wherein the energy storage unit (10, 10′

) has at least one coolant duct (37) for supplying the hollow spaces (34) with coolant, wherein the coolant duct (37) opens into a coolant inlet (38) at a first end face of the energy storage unit (10, 10′

) and into a coolant outlet (39) at a second end face of the energy storage unit (10, 10′

).

18. The energy storage unit according to claim 17,

wherein the coolant inlet/outlet (38, 39) is configured for connection to a coolant outlet/inlet (39, 38) of another energy storage unit (10, 10′

).