Thermal Management Systems Including Vapor Chambers and Phase Change Materials and Vehicles Including the Same

• US 20200136216A1
• Filed: 10/31/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Dede, Ercan Mehmet, Joshi, Shailesh N.
• Granted Patent: US 11,387,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0233 the conduits having a particular shape, e.g. non-circular cross-section, annular F28D15/0241, F28D15/0266 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/04 with tubes having a capillary structure
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/021 the latent heat storage material and the heat-exchanging means being enclosed in one container F28D20/023 - F28D20/028 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6552 Closed pipes transferring heat by thermal conductivity or phase transition, e.g. heat pipes
• 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 10/659 by heat storage or buffering, e.g. heat capacity or liquid-solid phase changes or transition
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/14 Thermal energy storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A thermal management system for removing waste heat from a battery cell. The thermal management system includes a unit cell that includes a vapor chamber including an evaporator surface and a condenser surface. The evaporator surface and the condenser surface are fluidly connected by a wick. The unit cell also includes a phase change material (PCM) shell encapsulating a PCM. The evaporator surface is thermally coupled to the battery cell and absorbs waste heat generated by the battery cell. The condenser surface is thermally coupled to the PCM and rejects waste heat to the PCM.

Claims

1. A thermal management system for removing waste heat from a battery cell comprising:

a unit cell that comprises;

a vapor chamber comprising an evaporator surface and a condenser surface, wherein the evaporator surface and the condenser surface are fluidly connected by a wick; and

a phase change material (PCM) shell encapsulating a PCM, wherein

the evaporator surface is thermally coupled to the battery cell and absorbs waste heat generated by the battery cell, and

the condenser surface is thermally coupled to the PCM and rejects waste heat to the PCM.

2. The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the PCM shell comprises one or more ducts.

3. The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the PCM shell comprises a metal foam including one or more pores wherein the PCM fills one or more of the one or more pores.

4. The thermal management system of claim 3, wherein the first capsule comprises a first PCM and the second capsule comprises a second PCM.

5. The thermal management system of claim 4, wherein the specific heat capacity of the first PCM and the second PCM are different.

6. The thermal management system of claim 5, wherein the first capsule is thermally coupled directly to the battery cell through the PCM shell.

7. The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the unit cell further comprises:

a second vapor chamber comprising a second working fluid and a second evaporator surface and a second condenser surface that are fluidly connected by a second wick; and

a second PCM shell encapsulating a PCM, wherein;

the second evaporator surface is thermally coupled to the battery cell and absorbs waste heat generated by the battery cell;

the second condenser surface is thermally coupled to the PCM and rejects waste heat to the PCM.

8. The thermal management system of claim 7, wherein the second PCM shell comprises a third capsule and a fourth capsule.

9. The thermal management system of claim 8, wherein the third capsule comprises a third PCM and the fourth capsule comprises a fourth PCM.

10. The thermal management system of claim 9, wherein the specific heat capacity of the third PCM and the fourth PCM are different.

11. The thermal management system of claim 7 comprising an array of unit cells.

12. A unit cell for a battery module, the unit cell comprising:

a vapor chamber comprising an evaporator surface and a condenser surface, wherein the evaporator surface and the condenser surface are fluidly connected by a wick; and

a phase change material (PCM) shell encapsulating a PCM, wherein

the evaporator surface is configured to transfer heat to a working fluid to heat the working fluid to evaporate the working fluid,

the condenser surface is configured to transfer heat from the working fluid to the PCM to condense the working fluid, and

a latent heat of fusion temperature of the PCM is lower than a latent heat of vaporization temperature of the working fluid.

13. The unit cell of claim 12, wherein the PCM shell includes an inside capsule and an external capsule and the inside capsule and the external capsule encapsulate phase change materials with different specific heat capacities.

14. A vehicle including a thermal management system for removing heat from a plurality of battery cells of a battery module of the vehicle, the thermal management system comprising an array of unit cells, each unit cell comprising:

a vapor chamber comprising a working fluid and an evaporator surface and a condenser surface that are fluidly connected by a wick; and

a phase change material (PCM) shell encapsulating a PCM, wherein

the evaporator surface is thermally coupled to at least one of the plurality of battery cells and absorbs waste heat generated by at least one of the plurality of battery cells; and

the condenser surface is thermally coupled to the PCM and rejects waste heat to the PCM.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein each unit cells further comprises:

a second vapor chamber comprising a second working fluid and a second evaporator surface and a second condenser surface that are fluidly connected by a second wick; and

a second PCM shell encapsulating a PCM, wherein;

the second evaporator surface is thermally coupled to at least one of the plurality of battery cells and absorbs waste heat generated by at least one of the plurality of battery cells;

the second condenser surface is thermally coupled to the PCM and rejects waste heat to the PCM.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the PCM shell comprises a first capsule comprising a first PCM and a second capsule comprising a second PCM and the second PCM shell comprises a third capsule comprising a third PCM and a fourth capsule comprising a fourth PCM.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the first PCM and the third PCM are thermally coupled to opposing sidewalls of at least one of the plurality of battery cells.

18. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the PCM shell and the second PCM shell comprise one or more ducts.

19. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the latent heat of vaporization of the working fluid and the second working fluid of each unit cell are equivalent along a length of the array of unit cells.

20. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein the latent heat of vaporization of the working fluid and the second working fluid vary along the length of the array of unit cells.