BATTERY HAVING A HOUSING PARTIALLY FILLED WITH COOLING FLUID

• US 20120183830A1
• Filed: 01/28/2010
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Li-Tec GmbH
• Original Assignee: Li-Tec Battery GmbH (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Schaefer, Tim, Gutsch, Andreas, Hohenthanner, Claus-Rupert, Kaiser, Joerg, Mikus, Holger
• Granted Patent: US 8,790,809 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 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• 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 10/6567 Liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6569 Fluids undergoing a liquid-gas phase change or transition, e.g. evaporation or condensation heat pipes H01M10/6552
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5038 Heating or cooling of cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Battery 1, comprising at least a battery cell 2, which is arranged within a battery housing 3, characterized in that the battery housing 3 is partially filled with a cooling liquid 4. Method for cooling of said battery, wherein at least a portion of the cooling liquid 4 is evaporated.

Claims

1. Battery (1) comprising:

at least one battery cell (2),

which is arranged in a battery housing (3), wherein

the battery housing (3) is partially filled with a cooling liquid (4), and that

the battery cell (5) is enclosed by a cooling liquid (4) up to a maximum amount of 50%.

2. Battery (1) according to claim 1, wherein

the battery cell (2) is enclosed by a cooling liquid (4) in an amount of at least 2%.

3. Battery (1) according to claim 2, wherein

the battery cell (2) comprises at least one cell compartment (6), which is sealed by a casing (5) of the battery cell (2), and in which an electrical cell (7) is arranged.

4. Battery (1) claim 3, wherein

the battery cell (2) comprises at least two current conductors (8), which protrude through a casing (5) of the battery cell (2).

5. Battery (1) according to claim 4, wherein

the battery cell (2) comprises a casing and a heat-conducting plate (9), wherein the heat-conducting plate (9) comprises a section of the heat-conducting plate (11), which is arranged outside of the casing (5) of the battery cell (2).

6. Battery (1) according to claim 5, wherein

the section of the heat-conducting plate (11) is at least partially, preferably completely, enclosed by a cooling liquid (4).

7. Battery (1) according to claim 6, wherein

at least one current conductor (8) comprises a section of the current conductor (10), which protrude through a casing (5) of the battery cell (2), and which is at least partially, preferably completely, surrounded by a cooling liquid (4).

8. Battery (1) according to claim 7, wherein

the battery cell (2) is enclosed by a cooling liquid (4) up to a maximum amount of 20%, in particular, up to a maximum amount of 10%.

9. Battery (1) according to claim 8, wherein

the battery cell (2) comprises a casing and that the casing (5) of the battery cell (2) is not surrounded by a cooling liquid (4).

10. Battery (1) according to claim 9, wherein

the battery cell (2) comprises a casing and that at least two current conductors (8) protrude through the casing (5) of the battery cell (2) in the same direction.

11. Battery (1) according to claim 10, wherein

the battery cell (2) comprises a casing and that at least one current conductor (8) protrudes towards the downwards direction through the casing (5) of the battery cell (2).

12. Battery assembly (20), comprising at least one battery according to claim 11, wherein a cooling device (12) is connected to the battery housing.

13. Battery assembly (20) according to claim 12, wherein an exit port (16) of the battery housing is connected to an entrance port (13) of the cooling device, wherein the exit port (16) of the battery housing is arranged above a coolant level line.

14. Battery assembly (20) according to claim 13, wherein an exit port (16) of the battery housing is connected to an entrance port (13) of the cooling device, wherein the exit port (16) of the battery housing is arranged in a lid area (18) of the battery housing (3).

15. Battery assembly (20), according to claim 14, wherein the cooling device (12) comprises a condenser.

16. Battery assembly (20), according to claim 15, wherein an exit port (14) of the cooling device is connected to an entrance port (15) of the battery housing.

17. A method for cooling a battery according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the cooling liquid (4) is evaporated.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein an evaporated portion of the cooling liquid (4) is cooled by means of a cooling device (12).

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein an evaporated portion of the cooling liquid (4) is cooled by means of a cooler (12).

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein an evaporated portion of the cooling liquid (4) is condensed