BATTERY SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COOLING THE BATTERY SYSTEM

• US 20130255293A1
• Filed: 03/29/2012
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Energy Solution Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Gadawski, Thomas J., Ketkar, Satish, Nielson, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,105,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/121
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/0253 with variable speed
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 19/00 Arrangement or mounting of refrigeration units with respect to devices or objects to be refrigerated, e.g. infrared detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• 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 10/6569 Fluids undergoing a liquid-gas phase change or transition, e.g. evaporation or condensation heat pipes H01M10/6552
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery system and a method for cooling the battery system are provided. The system includes an evaporative cooling member, and a battery module having a housing, a battery cell, and a solid cooling fin. The housing holds the battery cell therein. The solid cooling fin has first and second panel portions. The first panel portion is disposed against the battery cell. The second panel portion extends through the housing and is disposed on the evaporative cooling member. The solid cooling fin conducts heat energy from the battery cell to the evaporative cooling member. The evaporative cooling member receives a gaseous-liquid refrigerant and transitions the gaseous-liquid refrigerant into a gaseous refrigerant utilizing the heat energy received from the solid cooling fin.

Claims

1. A battery system, comprising:

an evaporative cooling member having a conduit therein;

a battery module having a housing, a battery cell, and a solid cooling fin;

the housing configured to hold the battery cell therein, the solid cooling fin having first and second panel portions, the first panel portion being disposed against the battery cell, the second panel portion extending through the housing and being disposed on the evaporative cooling member, the solid cooling fin configured to conduct heat energy from the battery cell to the evaporative cooling member; and

the evaporative cooling member configured to receive a gaseous-liquid refrigerant in the conduit and to transition the gaseous-liquid refrigerant into a gaseous refrigerant utilizing the heat energy received from the solid cooling fin.

2. The battery system of claim 1, wherein the evaporative cooling member has a plate portion and the conduit, the plate portion having a first side and a second side, the plate portion further having a channel that extends from the first side into the plate portion, the conduit being disposed in the channel and thermally communicating with the plate portion.

3. The battery system of claim 2, wherein the channel is a serpentine-shaped channel and the conduit is a serpentine-shaped conduit.

4. The battery system of claim 2, wherein the plate portion is constructed of aluminum and the conduit is constructed of copper.

5. The battery system of claim 1, further having an external enclosure configured to hold the evaporative cooling member and the battery module therein.

6. The battery system of claim 5, wherein the external enclosure has a bottom enclosure portion, the battery system further having an insulative layer disposed between and contacting the bottom enclosure portion and a first side of the evaporative cooling member.

7. The battery system of claim 5, further having first and second interior walls coupled to the bottom enclosure portion;

and first and second top enclosure portions;

the first top enclosure portion being coupled to the first and second interior walls and to the bottom enclosure portion to define a first enclosed region;

the battery module being disposed in the first enclosed region.

8. The battery system of claim 7, wherein the first enclosed region is an airtight enclosed region.

9. The battery system of claim 7, wherein the second top enclosure portion is coupled to the first interior wall and to the bottom enclosure portion to define a second enclosed region for holding a compressor and a condenser therein.

10. The battery system of claim 1, further comprising:

a compressor fluidly coupled to the evaporative cooling member, the compressor configured to pump the gaseous refrigerant into a condenser; and

the condenser fluidly coupled to the compressor and to the evaporative cooling member, the condenser configured to receive the gaseous refrigerant from the compressor, the condenser further configured transition the gaseous refrigerant to the liquid refrigerant by extracting heat energy from the gaseous refrigerant.

11. The battery system of claim 10, further comprising an expansion valve fluidly coupled between the condenser and the evaporative cooling member, the expansion valve receiving the liquid refrigerant from the condenser and decreasing a pressure level of the liquid refrigerant to transition the liquid refrigerant into the gaseous-liquid refrigerant, the gaseous-liquid refrigerant being routed from the expansion valve to the evaporative cooling member.

12. The battery system of claim 10, further comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to generate a first signal indicative of a first temperature of the battery module at a first time;

a microprocessor operably coupled to the temperature sensor, the microprocessor configured to generate a second signal to induce the compressor to operate at a first operational speed in response to the first signal;

the temperature sensor further configured to generate a third signal indicative of a second temperature of the battery module at a second time, the second temperature being greater than the first temperature; and

the microprocessor further configured to generate a fourth signal to induce the compressor to operate at a second operational speed in response to the second signal, the second operational speed being greater than the first operational speed.

13. A method for cooling a battery system, the battery system having a battery module and an evaporative cooling member, the battery module having a housing, a battery cell, and a solid cooling fin, the evaporative cooling member having a conduit therein, the solid cooling fin having first and second panel portions, the first panel portion being disposed against the battery cell, the second panel portion extending through the housing and being disposed on the evaporative cooling member, the method comprising:

receiving a gaseous-liquid refrigerant in the conduit of the evaporative cooling member;

conducting heat energy from the battery cell to the evaporative cooling member utilizing the solid cooling fin to cool the battery module; and

transitioning the gaseous-liquid refrigerant in the evaporative cooling member into a gaseous refrigerant utilizing the heat energy received by the evaporative cooling member from the solid cooling fin.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the battery system further includes a compressor fluidly coupled to the evaporative cooling member, a condenser fluidly coupled to the compressor and to the evaporative cooling member, a microprocessor, and a temperature sensor, the method further comprising:

generating a first signal indicative of a first temperature of the battery module at a first time utilizing the temperature sensor;

generating a second signal to induce the compressor to operate at a first operational speed utilizing a microprocessor in response to the first signal;

generating a third signal indicative of a second temperature of the battery module at a second time utilizing the temperature sensor, the second temperature being greater than the first temperature; and

generating a fourth signal to induce the compressor to operate at a second operational speed utilizing the microprocessor in response to the second signal, the second operational speed being greater than the first operational speed.