EXTRUDED THERMAL FIN FOR TEMPERATURE CONTROL OF BATTERY CELLS

• US 20120045681A1
• Filed: 08/17/2010
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Klaus, Philip, Essinger, Reiner
• Granted Patent: US 8,492,019 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/120
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0585 of accumulators having only flat construction elements, i.e. flat positive electrodes, flat negative electrodes and flat separators
• 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 10/6557 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: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A thermal management system for a battery pack includes a plurality of main bodies disposed in a stack, an inlet conduit and an outlet conduit in fluid communication with the plurality of main bodies, and a retention panel coupled to the plurality of main bodies. The main bodies include a thermal fin and conduit and are formed using an extrusion process, which minimizes a weight of the thermal fin and heat sink while minimizing a cost of the thermal management system.

Claims

1. A thermal management system for a battery pack:

at least one battery cell; and

a main body having a battery cell retention area formed between a plurality of thermal fins and a first conduit in fluid communication with a source of a fluid, the first conduit in thermal communication with the thermal fins, wherein the at least one battery cell is received in the battery cell retention area to place the thermal fins in thermal communication with the at least one battery cell, and wherein the fluid is caused to flow through the first conduit and cooperates with the first conduit and the thermal fins to regulate a temperature of the at least one battery cell.

2. The thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein the first conduit is coupled to the thermal fins.

3. The thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein the first conduit is integrally formed with the thermal fins.

4. The thermal management system according to claim 3, wherein the main body is formed by an extrusion process.

5. The thermal management system according to claim 1, further comprising a retention channel formed on the first conduit of the main body for mounting the main body.

6. The thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein the thermal fins have a substantially planar portion, the planar portion of at least one of the thermal fins abutting the at least one battery cell.

7. The thermal management system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second conduit in fluid communication with the source of a fluid, the second conduit spaced from the first conduit and in thermal communication with the thermal fins; and

a transfer conduit providing fluid communication between the first conduit and the second conduit, wherein the fluid is caused to flow from the source of fluid through the first conduit, the transfer conduit, and the second conduit, and to the source of fluid, the fluid cooperating with the first conduit, the second conduit, and the thermal fins to regulate a temperature of the at least one battery cell.

8. The thermal management system according to claim 1, further comprising a swell compensation unit disposed adjacent the main body.

9. A thermal management system for a battery pack comprising:

a plurality of battery cells;

a plurality of main bodies disposed in a stack, each of the main bodies having a pair of battery cell retention areas formed therein between a plurality of thermal fins, a first conduit in thermal communication with the thermal fins, and a second conduit in thermal communication with the thermal fins, wherein the battery cells are received in the battery cell retention areas to place the thermal fins in thermal communication with the battery cells;

an inlet conduit providing fluid communication between at least one of the first conduits and a source of fluid;

an outlet conduit providing fluid communication between at least one of the second conduits and the source of fluid; and

a plurality of transfer conduits, one of the transfer conduits disposed between the first conduit and the second conduit of the main bodies to provide fluid communication between the first conduit and the second conduit, wherein the fluid is caused to flow from the source of fluid through the inlet conduit, the at least one of the first conduits, the transfer conduit, the at least one of the second conduits, the outlet conduit, and to the source of fluid, the fluid cooperating with the at least one of the first conduits, the at least one of the second conduits, and the thermal fins to regulate a temperature of the battery cells.

10. The thermal management system according to claim 9, wherein the thermal fins of each of the main bodies is integrally formed with the first conduit and the second conduit thereof.

11. The thermal management system according to claim 9, wherein the first conduit and the second conduit of each of the main bodies are coupled to the thermal fins thereof.

12. The thermal management system according to claim 9, wherein the first conduit and the second conduit of each of the main bodies are integrally formed with the thermal fins thereof.

13. The thermal management system according to claim 12, wherein the main body is formed by an extrusion process.

14. The thermal management system according to claim 9, further comprising a retention channel formed on each of the first conduit and the second conduit of each of the main bodies for mounting the main bodies.

15. The thermal management system according to claim 9, wherein the thermal fins have a substantially planar portion, the planar portion of at least one of the thermal fins of each main body abutting at least one of the battery cells.

16. The thermal management system according to claim 15, wherein the thermal fins have an arcuate portion formed between the planar portion and at least one of the first conduit and the second conduit.

17. The thermal management system according to claim 9, further comprising a swell compensation unit disposed adjacent at least one of the main bodies.

18. The thermal management system according to claim 9, further comprising a swell compensation unit disposed between each of adjacent ones of the main bodies.

19. The thermal management system according to claim 9, wherein the first conduit and the second conduit of each of the main bodies are substantially parallel with the battery cell retention area formed therein.

20. A thermal management system for a battery pack comprising;

a plurality of battery cells;

a plurality of extruded main bodies disposed in a stack, each of the main bodies having a pair of battery cell retention areas formed therein between a plurality of thermal fins, a first conduit in thermal communication with the thermal fins, and a second conduit in thermal communication with the thermal fins, wherein the first conduit and the second conduit of each of the main bodies are integrally formed with the thermal fins thereof, and wherein the battery cells are received in the battery cell retention areas to place the thermal fins in thermal communication with the battery cells;

a swell compensation unit disposed between each of the main bodies;

an inlet conduit providing fluid communication between at least one of the first conduits and a source of fluid;

an outlet conduit providing fluid communication between at least one of the second conduits and the source of fluid; and

a plurality of transfer conduits, one of the transfer conduits disposed between the first conduit and the second conduit of the main bodies to provide fluid communication between the first conduit and the second conduit, wherein the fluid is caused to flow from the source of fluid through the inlet conduit, the at least one of the first conduits, the transfer conduit, the at least one of the second conduits, the outlet conduit, and to the source of fluid, the fluid cooperating with the at least one of the first conduits, the at least one of the second conduits, and the thermal fins to regulate a temperature of the battery cells.