COOLING SYSTEM FOR A BATTERY ASSEMBLY

• US 20110206964A1
• Filed: 02/24/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Weber, Derek R., Boor, Paul J., Odumodu, Kennedy U.
• Application Number:
  US12/711,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20110206964A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/120
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6557 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/656 characterised by the type of heat-exchange fluid
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49908 Joining by deforming

Abstract

A cooling assembly for a battery assembly including at least one conduit and at least one cooling plate, the conduit having a flexible portion to facilitate a relative movement between an inlet end and an outlet end thereof to selectively expand and contract the cooling assembly, and the cooling plate including a flow channel formed therein, wherein at least one battery cell is disposed adjacent and in heat transfer communication with the at least one cooling plate to transfer heat from the at least one battery cell to a fluid disposed in the flow channel.

Claims

1. A cooling system for a battery assembly comprising:

a first conduit including a flexible portion to facilitate a relative movement between an inlet end and an outlet end thereof to selectively expand and contract the cooling system, wherein the first conduit receives a fluid therein; and

at least one cooling plate coupled to the first conduit, the cooling plate including a flow channel formed therein for receiving the fluid therein, wherein the fluid absorbs heat from at least one battery cell of the battery assembly.

2. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the cooling system further comprises a second conduit including a flexible portion to facilitate a relative movement between an inlet end and an outlet end thereof to selectively expand and contract the cooling system.

3. The cooling system of claim 2, wherein the flexible portion of at least one of the first conduit and the second conduit facilitates an axial expansion and contraction of at least one of the first conduit and the second conduit.

4. The cooling system of claim 2, wherein the flexible portion of at least one of the first conduit and the second conduit facilitates a bending of at least one of the first conduit and the second conduit to facilitate an expansion and contraction of at least one of the first conduit and the second conduit.

5. The cooling system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first conduit and the second conduit includes apertures formed therein to facilitate fluid communication between the conduit and the at least one cooling plate.

6. The cooling system of claim 2, wherein each of the first conduit and the second conduit includes a rigid portion having apertures formed therein to facilitate fluid communication between the conduits and the at least one cooling plate.

7. The cooling system of claim 2, wherein the at least one cooling plate is integrally formed with at least one of the first conduit and the second conduit.

8. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the at least one cooling plate includes a substantially planar surface in heat transfer communication with a substantially planar surface of the at least one battery cell.

9. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the flow channel is formed adjacent a periphery of the at least one cooling plate.

10. A battery assembly for a battery system comprising:

a cooling system including a first conduit including a flexible portion to facilitate a relative movement between an inlet end and an outlet end thereof to selectively expand and contract the cooling system, wherein the first conduit receives a fluid therein, and at least one cooling plate coupled to the first conduit, the cooling plate including a flow channel formed therein for receiving the fluid therein, wherein the cooling plate includes at least one substantially planar surface; and

at least one battery cell including at least one substantially planar surface, wherein the at least one substantially planar surface of the at least one battery cell is in heat transfer communication with the at least one substantially planar surface of the cooling plate to facilitate a transfer of heat from the at least one battery cell to the fluid disposed in the cooling system.

11. The battery assembly of claim 10, wherein the cooling system further comprises a second conduit including a flexible portion to facilitate a relative movement between an inlet end and an outlet end thereof to selectively expand and contract the cooling system.

12. The battery assembly of claim 11, wherein the flexible portion of at least one of the first conduit and the second conduit facilitates an axial expansion and contraction of at least one of the first conduit and the second conduit.

13. The battery assembly of claim 11, wherein the flexible portion of at least one of the first conduit and the second conduit facilitates a bending of at least one of the first conduit and the second conduit to facilitate an expansion and contraction of at least one of the first conduit and the second conduit.

14. The battery assembly of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first conduit and the second conduit includes apertures formed therein to facilitate fluid communication between the conduit and the at least one cooling plate.

15. The battery assembly of claim 11, wherein each of the first conduit and the second conduit include a rigid portion having apertures formed therein to facilitate fluid communication between the conduits and the at least one cooling plate.

16. The battery assembly of claim 11, wherein the at least one cooling plate is integrally formed with at least one of the first conduit and the second conduit.

17. A method for assembly a battery assembly, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a first conduit including a flexible portion to facilitate a relative movement between an inlet end and an outlet end thereof to selectively expand and contract the cooling system;

providing at least one cooling plate coupled to the first conduit, the at least one cooling plate including a flow channel formed therein for receiving a fluid therein;

providing at least one battery cell;

causing an expansion of the cooling system;

disposing the at least one battery cell adjacent the at least one cooling plate; and

causing a compression of the cooling system to facilitate a contact of the at least one cooling plate with the at least one battery cell, wherein the at least one cooling plate is in heat transfer communication with the at least one battery cell.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

providing a second conduit including a flexible portion to facilitate a relative movement between an inlet end and an outlet end thereof to selectively expand and contract the cooling system.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the flexible portion of at least one of the first conduit and the second conduit facilitates an axial expansion and contraction of at least one of the first conduit and the second conduit.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the flexible portion of at least one of the first conduit and the second conduit facilitates a bending of at least one of the first conduit and the second conduit to facilitate an expansion and contraction of at least one of the first conduit and the second conduit.