BATTERY OF ACCUMULATORS OF EASY DESIGN AND ASSEMBLY

• US 20130122341A1
• Filed: 07/25/2011
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Inventors: Chatroux, Daniel, Desbois-Renaudin, Matthieu, De Paoli, Lionel
• Application Number:
  US13/812,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20130122341A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/99
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6557 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6561 Gases
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6566 Means within the gas flow to guide the flow around one or more cells, e.g. manifolds, baffles or other barriers H01M10/6565 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/103 Fuse
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/503 characterised by the shape of the interconnectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/51 Connection only in series
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/517 by fixing means, e.g. screws, rivets or bolts
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/522 Inorganic material
• 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

Abstract

A battery comprises electrochemical accumulators of which a subset defines a first stage of electrically parallel-connected accumulators and another subset defines a second stage of electrically parallel-connected accumulators. Each accumulator of the first stage is series-connected to an accumulator of the second stage by a third distinct electrical connector defined by a through-bore.

Claims

1-12. -12. (canceled)

13. An apparatus comprising a battery, said battery comprising first electrochemical accumulators having first and second axial ends having respective first and second electrical connection terminals formed thereon, second electrochemical accumulators having first and second axial ends having respective first and second electrical connection terminals formed thereon, first and second holders disposed so as to be facing each other, a third holder disposed so as to be facing said second holder, wherein said first, second, and third holders are electrically insulating, wherein each holder comprises recesses and passages made between each recess and recesses adjacent to said recess, said second holder comprising a plurality of recesses made in a first face and a plurality of recesses made in a second face, said recesses of said first and second faces facing each other and communicating by through-bores, said first axial ends of said first electrochemical accumulators being placed in a respective recess of said first holder, said second axial end of the first electrochemical accumulators being placed in a respective recess of said second holder, said first axial end of said second electrochemical accumulators being placed in a respective recess of said second face of said second holder, said second axial end of said second electrochemical accumulators being placed in a respective recess of said third holder, said recesses being configured to restrict axial and transverse motions of said electrochemical accumulators and to maintain separation of said electrochemical accumulators by an air gap, each holder comprising side walls restricting transverse motions of said electrochemical accumulators in the recesses in which said passages between said adjacent recesses are formed by grooves passing through lateral walls thereof, at least one mounted rod fixedly joining said first and second holders, at least one mounted rod fixedly joining said second and third holders, at least one first electrical connector passing through one of said passages of said first holder and electrically series-connecting two adjacent electrochemical accumulators among said first electrochemical accumulators, at least one second electrical connector passing through one of said passages of said third holder and electrically series-connecting two adjacent electrochemical accumulators among said second electrochemical accumulators, third electrical connectors, said first electrochemical accumulators comprising at least one first stage of electrically parallel-connected electrochemical accumulators, said second electrochemical accumulators comprising at least one second stage of electrically parallel-connected electrochemical accumulators, each electrochemical accumulator of said first stage being series-connected to an electrochemical accumulator of said second stage by a third distinct electrical connector by a through-bore.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said holders lack walls surrounding a median part of said electrochemical accumulators.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein median parts of two adjacent electrochemical accumulators are separated only by an air gap.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein each holder comprises at least one through-hole extending in parallel to said electrochemical accumulators and disposed between recesses of said holder so as to open into an air gap between said electrochemical accumulators.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein each holder comprises at least one passage extending transversally between a recess and a periphery of said holder.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said first electrochemical accumulators comprise at least two stages of electrically series-connected electrochemical accumulators, said two stages each comprising at least two electrically parallel-connected electrochemical accumulators, said first electrical connector comprising a metal plate that connects said stages in series and that connects said electrochemical accumulators of said two stages in parallel, said metal plate comprising a fuse section forming said parallel connection and passing through one of said passages between adjacent recesses.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said fuse section is sized to open an electrical connection between two of said electrochemical accumulators in parallel when one of said electrochemical accumulators is short-circuited.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said fuse section is sized to conduct current when one of said parallel-connected electrochemical accumulators forms an open circuit.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a charging and charge-balancing circuit connected to terminals of each of said series-connected stages.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said holders have a thickness, and wherein said passages between adjacent recesses extend up to half of said thickness.

23. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said recesses of a holder are laid out in a matrix of rows and columns.

24. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein each of said first electrochemical accumulators is series-connected to one of said second accumulators by a third distinct electrical connector.