BATTERY MODULE

• US 20120183823A1
• Filed: 04/23/2010
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Akasol GmbH (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Akasol GmbH (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Von Borck, Felix, Eberleh, Björn
• Application Number:
  US13/266,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20120183823A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/81
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/443 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• 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 10/653 characterised by electrically insulating or thermally conductive materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6553 Terminals or leads
• 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 10/663 the system being an air-conditioner or an engine
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/262 with fastening means, e.g. locks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/291 characterised by their shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/293 characterised by the material
• 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

The invention relates to a battery module which consists of a plurality of interconnected cells that have respective positive and negative terminals. The module is characterized in that the flat terminals have cut-out sections and are arranged in two rows in such a manner that the short ends of adjacent flat terminals of a respective row face each other, in that the terminals of every row are maintained at a distance to each other by specifically arranged, conductive spacer elements and optionally insulating spacer elements, in that within the module, the cells are electrically connected in series and/or in parallel by specifically arranging their positive and negative terminals in the one or the other row, and in that the terminals of every row and the interposed spacer elements are pressed against each other by a bracing device.

Claims

1. A battery module comprising a plurality of cells connected to one another which each have a positive and a negative terminal, wherein the terminals which are of areal design and provided with cutouts are arranged in at least two rows such that the broad sides of adjacent areal terminals of a respective row confront one another, wherein the terminals of each row are held at a spacing from one another by systematically disposed conductive spacer elements wherein within the module the cells are connected electrically in at least one of series and parallel to one another by systematic arrangement of their positive and negative terminals in the one or other row and wherein the terminals of each row and also the spacer elements arranged there between are pressed against one another by a clamping device.

2. A battery module in accordance with claim 1, wherein the areal terminals are formed by extensions of the electrodes of the cells and are designed for active cooling of the cells by intentional heat dissipation and are connectable to a cooling device capable of leading away heat.

3. A battery module in accordance with claim 1, wherein the clamping device is formed by at least one tubular clamping bolt through which a cooling fluid can optionally flow and with which the cell terminals of the row are heat-conductingly connected.

4. A battery module in accordance with claim 3, wherein the clamping bolts are surrounded by an insulting sleeve or are provided with an electrically insulating coating.

5. A battery module in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cells have at least substantially the shape of a flat parallelepiped, with the positive and negative areal terminals of each cell being arranged in at least one plane arranged parallel to the broad sides of the parallelepiped-shaped cell.

6. A battery module in accordance with claim 1, wherein the one pole of the battery module is connected at a first end of the one row and the other pole is connected to the second end of the same row disposed opposite to the said first end and is connected via an extension to the first end of the other row adjacent to the said first end so that electrical connections can be effected to the two poles at a common side of the battery module.

7. A battery module in accordance with claim 6, wherein a spacer element of the other row is extended to the side of the other row to hold the extension.

8. A battery module in accordance with claim 1, wherein the areal terminals of the cells have cutouts shaped to receive clamping bolts forming the clamping device.

9. A battery module in accordance with claim 1, wherein a cooling module is provided which has cooling plates at first and second mutually oppositely disposed sides of the battery module and also heat conducting connection plates extending between these sides which form compartments between them accommodating the cells.

10. A battery module in accordance with claim 9, wherein two in particular areal parallelepiped-shaped cells are arranged in each compartment, wherein in each case one cell can be arranged at the outer side of each of the outer connection plates, whereby each cell is arranged at least one side adjacent to a heat dissipating connection plate, i.e. each connection plate is arranged between two cells.

11. A battery module in accordance with claim 9, wherein the cooling plates arranged at the sides can be flowed through by a coolant in one of a snake-like manner and in parallel through corresponding passages of the plates and optionally through a connection line between the cooling plates.

12. A battery module in accordance with claim 11, wherein the snake-like passages each have an inlet and an outlet, with the inlets and the outlets being provided on one side of the battery module, on the same side as the pole terminals.

13. A battery module in accordance with claim 1, wherein it has a two-part insulating housing through one part of which the pole terminals and coolant connections are led out.

14. A battery module in accordance with claim 13, wherein the housing has a pre-stressing means to press the adjacently disposed cells against the heat-conducting connection plates arranged adjacent to these cells.

15. A battery module in accordance with claim 13, wherein the housing furthermore has a connection point for a battery management system at the same side of the housing as the pole terminals and the coolant connections.

16. A battery module in accordance with claim 1, wherein an electronic system for monitoring and adaptation of the electrical and thermal cell parameters is attached to the side of the battery module at which the clamping device is provided and wherein the parameters are directly picked up at the spacer elements by contacting.

17. A battery module in accordance with claim 9, wherein a further cooling plate connects the two said laterally disposed cooling plates and wherein a plurality of cooling passages are guided in parallel from a common inlet at the one side of the battery module via the further cooling plate to a common outlet at the oppositely disposed side of the battery module.

18. A battery module in accordance with claim 17, wherein the common inlet and the common outlet are arranged at the front side of the battery module at least substantially in the same plane as the front side of the battery module in which the positive and negative terminals of the battery cells are arranged and wherein a further cooling plate which is integrally formed with the two cooling plates is arranged at the oppositely disposed sides of the battery module at the rear side of the battery module.

19. A battery module in accordance with claim 1, wherein both the conducting spacer elements and also the insulating spacer elements consists of metal and the insulating spacer elements are provided with an insulation at their surface regions contacting the conductive parts.

20. A battery module in accordance with claim 19, wherein the clamping bolts and the spacer elements consists of the same metal or of metals with comparable thermal coefficients of expansion.

21. A battery module in accordance with claim 19, wherein the spacer elements consists of aluminum.

22. A battery module in accordance with claim 21, wherein the conductive spacer elements are provided with a conductive coating, for example of nickel, and the insulating spacer elements are provided with an insulating coating, for example an anodized layer and/or an organic or inorganic insulating layer.

23. A battery module in accordance with claim 1 wherein the terminals of each row are held at a spacing from one another by systematically disposed conductive spacer elements and by insulating spacer elements.