BATTERY MODULES AND ASSEMBLIES

• US 20120094165A1
• Filed: 10/19/2010
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: VALENCIA, PABLO Jr., ELANKUMARAN, KANTHASAMY
• Granted Patent: US 9,595,733 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 10/345 Gastight metal hydride accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/615 Heating or keeping warm
• 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 10/6551 Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6555 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6557 arranged between the cells
• 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: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A battery module is provided. The battery module includes a first battery cell; a heat transfer plate contacting the first battery cell and defining a perimeter, the heat transfer plate having a first thickness; a heat transfer fin extending from the perimeter of the heat transfer plate, the heat transfer fin having a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness; and a fluid conduit coupled to the heat transfer fin, whereby, during operation, heat is transferred from the first battery cell, to the heat transfer layer, to the heat transfer fin, and to the fluid conduit.

Claims

1. A battery module, comprising:

a first battery cell;

a heat transfer plate contacting the first battery cell and defining a perimeter, the heat transfer plate having a first thickness;

a heat transfer fin extending from the perimeter of the heat transfer plate, the heat transfer fin having a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness; and

a fluid conduit coupled to the heat transfer fin, whereby, during operation, heat is transferred from the first battery cell, to the heat transfer layer, to the heat transfer fin, and to the fluid conduit.

2. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the heat transfer plate and the heat transfer fin are integral with one another.

3. The battery module of claim 1, further comprising a second battery cell positioned such that the heat transfer plate is sandwiched between the first battery cell and the second battery cell.

4. The battery module of claim 3, wherein the heat transfer plate has a first face engaging the second battery cell and a second face opposite to the first face engaging the first battery cell, the first face and the second face being within the perimeter.

5. The battery module of claim 4, wherein the first battery cell and the second battery cell each have a perimeter that is approximately aligned with the perimeter of the heat transfer layer.

6. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the heat transfer plate and the heat transfer fin are parallel to one another.

7. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the heat transfer plate has a first thermal resistance and the heat transfer fin has a second thermal resistance, and wherein, during operation, the first thermal resistance is approximately equal to the second thermal resistance.

8. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the perimeter of the heat transfer plate is defined by a plurality of side edges, and wherein the heat transfer fin extends from one of the plurality of side edges.

9. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the heat transfer plate is a first heat transfer plate and the heat transfer fin is a first heat transfer fin, and wherein the battery module further comprises

a third battery cell,

a second heat transfer plate sandwiched between the second battery cell and the third battery cell, and

a second heat transfer fin extending from the second heat transfer plate and thermally coupling the second heat transfer plate to the fluid conduit.

10. The battery module of claim 9, wherein the fluid conduit has a serpentine arrangement.

11. The battery module of claim 9, wherein the second heat transfer plate has a third thickness and the second heat transfer fin has a fourth thickness, the fourth thickness being greater than the third thickness.

12. The battery module of claim 11, wherein the first thickness is approximately equal to the third thickness and the second thickness is approximately equal to the fourth thickness.

13. A battery module, comprising:

a plurality of stacked battery cells;

a plurality of heat transfer plates, each interposed between adjacent battery cells of the plurality of stacked battery cells and defined by at least a first side, each of the plurality of heat transfer plates has a first thickness;

a plurality of heat transfer fins, each extending from the perimeter of one of the plurality of heat transfer plates, each of the plurality of heat transfer fins having a second thickness greater than the first thickness; and

a heat sink coupled to each of the plurality of heat transfer fins.

14. The battery module of claim 13, wherein the plurality of heat transfer plates and the plurality of stacked battery cells have a first collective length and the plurality of heat transfer fins has a second collective length that is less than the first collective length.

15. The battery module of claim 13, wherein the heat sink is a fluid conduit.

16. The battery module of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of heat transfer fins is integral with the one of the plurality of heat transfer plates.

17. The battery module of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of heat transfer fins is parallel to the one of the plurality of heat transfer plates.

18. The battery module of claim 13, wherein the plurality of heat transfer fins has a first thermal resistance and the plurality of heat transfer plates has a second thermal resistance approximately equal to the first thermal resistance.

19. The battery module of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of battery cells has a first perimeter and each of the plurality of heat transfer plates has a second perimeter, and wherein the first perimeter is approximately aligned with the second perimeter.

20. A battery module, comprising:

a first battery cell;

a first heat transfer plate contacting the first battery cell and having a first thickness;

a second battery cell contacting the heat transfer plate;

a second heat transfer plate contacting the second battery cell and having a second thickness approximately equal to the first thickness;

a third battery cell contacting the second heat transfer plate;

a first heat transfer fin extending from the perimeter of the first heat transfer plate and integral with the first heat transfer plate, the first heat transfer fin having a third thickness greater than the first thickness;

a second heat fin extending from the perimeter of the second heat transfer plate and integral with the second heat transfer plate, the second heat transfer fin having a fourth thickness approximately equal to the third thickness; and

a fluid conduit coupled to the first heat transfer fin and the second heat transfer fin.