Cooling system for high temperature battery

• US 5,432,026 A
• Filed: 03/24/1994
• Issued: 07/11/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daimler-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: von Scarpatetti, Diether, Bull, Rodger N., Sahm, Dietrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Kalafut, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANEY, CAROL DIANE
• Application Number:
  US08/216,889
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• Field of Search: 429/120, 429/148, 429/112, 429/62
• US Class Current: 429/120
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00278 for the battery arrangement of batteries B60R16/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/22 the heat being derived otherwise than from the propulsion plant B60H1/0025, B60H1/00492 and B60H1/03 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/003 Component temperature regulation using an air flow
• 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: H01M 10/39 working at high temperature
• 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 10/6556 Solid parts with flow channel passages or pipes for heat exchange closed pipes H01M10/6552
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6561 Gases
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/658 by thermal insulation or shielding
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A high-temperature battery for a vehicle with an electric drive and that supplies the electric drive with power has a thermally insulating housing in order to avoid thermal losses. The battery also has a cooling system that limits the operating temperature during the charging and during the power drain. The dissipated heat of the cooling system is used to heat the vehicle. There is provision for the vehicle to be preheated during the charging of the battery so that during the driving mode the temperature to which the passenger compartment has been heated merely has to be maintained. Thus, even when the overall amounts of dissipated heat from the cooling system are low, heating to a comfortable degree is possible.

Claims

1. High-temperature battery for supplying power to vehicles that have an electric drive, comprising:

a thermally insulating housing that houses the battery so as to avoid thermal losses, the thermally insulating housing having at least one wall; and

a cooling system that limits operating temperature during charging of the battery and during power drain of the battery, the cooling system having a cooling element through which air flows to remove heat from the battery, wherein the cooling element is arranged inside the thermally insulating battery housing, is hermetically sealed, has air inlet and air outlet connecting elements, and only penetrates the wall of the thermally insulating housing with the air inlet and air outlet connecting elements;

wherein the cooling element is a plate-shaped hollow element.

2. High-temperature battery according to claim 1, wherein the plate-shaped hollow element is arranged horizontally above the cells of the high-temperature battery.

3. High-temperature battery according to claim 1, wherein the plate-shaped hollow element is arranged horizontally below the cells of the high-temperature battery.