Thermal shunt for a battery

• US 5,324,597 A
• Filed: 11/12/1992
• Issued: 06/28/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Crown Cork & SEAL Company Incorporated (Crown Holdings Incorporated), Silent Power GmbH Fur Energiespeichertechnik
• Original Assignee: Silent Power GmbH Fur Energiespeichertechnik
• Inventors: Mangan, Michael F., Leadbetter, Alan, Molyneux, John
• Primary Examiner(s): KALAFUT, STEPHEN J
• Application Number:
  US07/941,134
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: 429/62, 429/120
• US Class Current: 429/62
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2013/008 Variable conductance materials; Thermal switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6552 Closed pipes transferring heat by thermal conductivity or phase transition, e.g. heat pipes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6554 Rods or plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6563 with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• 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 10/6569 Fluids undergoing a liquid-gas phase change or transition, e.g. evaporation or condensation heat pipes H01M10/6552
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/658 by thermal insulation or shielding
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A thermal shunt is provided for a battery contained in a thermally insulated container. The thermal shunt comprises an external heat sink, a heat conducting fluid, and a pump fluid which urges the heat conducting fluid into thermal contact with battery.

Claims

1. A battery arrangement comprising:

a thermally insulating container;

a battery having a battery surface with one or more selected points, the battery being contained within the thermally insulated container; and

a thermal shunt, the thermal shunt including

an external heat sink,

one or more containers for holding a thermally conductive fluid, the one or more containers connecting respective ones of the one or more selected points on the battery surface and the external heat sink,

a pump arranged to supply a pump fluid to the one or more containers to urge the thermally conductive fluid to make thermal contact between the one or more selected points on the battery surface and the external heat sink, and

temperature responsive means for actuating the pump.

2. A battery arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pump fluid includes the thermally conductive fluid.

3. A battery arrangement as claimed in claim 2 wherein the one or more containers are bellows.

4. A battery arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 2, 3, and 1 wherein the battery surface is a lower surface of the battery.

5. A battery arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pump fluid is any one of a pressurized gas and vapor.

6. A battery arrangement as claimed in claim 5 in which the one or more containers are provided as concentric bellows arrangements having inner and outer bellows, the gas or vapor being delivered to the bellows arrangements to urge the thermally conductive fluid to make thermal contact between the one or more selected points on the battery surface and the external heat sink.

7. A battery arrangement as claimed in claim 6 wherein the gas or vapor is delivered to the inner bellows and the thermally conductive fluid is urged between the inner and outer bellows to make thermal contact between the one or more selected points on the battery surface and the external heat sink.

8. A battery arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 5-7 wherein the battery surface is an upper surface of the battery.