Electric vehicle battery enclosure

• US 5,620,057 A
• Filed: 12/19/1994
• Issued: 04/15/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: McMullen, Steven R., Klemen, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): BOEHLER, ANNE MARIE M
• Application Number:
  US08/358,277
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/65.3, 180/68.1, 180/68.5, 180/220, 180/68.2
• US Class Current: 180/68.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/06 with air cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/005 the electric storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0438 Arrangement under the floor
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/04 Arrangement of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/143 Busses
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/615 Heating or keeping warm
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• 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 10/6557 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6563 with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/24 adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion thermal insulation H01M10/658
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/249 specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64
• 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

Assembly for the thermal management and protection of an electric vehicle battery pack from road water. The assembly includes a corrugated tray for supporting the pack, a housing sealed to the tray, a fan for forcing air through the housing, exhaust vents in the tray for exhausting the air beneath the vehicle, and a shield to prevent road water from entering the housing through the vents.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle having an underbody and an assembly for the forced convective thermal management of a battery pack and protection thereof from road water, characterized in that said assembly comprises:

a tray secured to said underbody and supporting a plurality of batteries each spaced one from the next by a gap therebetween, said tray having a floor supporting said batteries and a plurality of vents extending through said floor beneath said batteries;

a housing enclosing said batteries and secured to said tray, said housing having side walls encircling said batteries and a ceiling overlying said batteries;

a fan operatively associated with said housing for pressurizing said housing with air, and flowing such air through each said gap and out of said housing via said vents; and

a splash guard underlying said tray for preventing road water from splashing up in said housing via said veins, said splash guard comprising a shield having a plurality of apertures therein offset from said vents and through which air exhausted through said vents flows to beneath said vehicle.

2. An electric vehicle according to claim 1 wherein said housing is secured to said tray by a water-tight seal.

3. An electric vehicle according to claim 2 wherein said housing and said tray each have a peripheral flange extending outwardly therefrom and said flanges are secured to each other so as to effect said seal.

4. An electric vehicle according to claim 1 wherein said vents are each in substantial registry with a said gap.

5. An electric vehicle according to claim 4 wherein said vents are slots extending parallel to said gaps between said batteries.

6. An electric vehicle according to claim 5 wherein said apertures are slots extending parallel to said vent slots.

7. An electric vehicle according to claim 1 wherein said floor has a plurality of depressions therein and said vents are at the bottoms of said depressions.

8. An electric vehicle according to claim 7 wherein said floor is corrugated.

9. An electric vehicle according to claim 1 wherein said shield is secured to the underside of said tray.

10. An electric vehicle according to claim 9 wherein said shield comprises a plate.

11. An electric vehicle having an underbody and an assembly for the forced convective thermal management of a battery pack and protection thereof from road water, characterized in that said assembly comprises:

a tray located on said underbody and supporting a plurality of batteries each spaced one from the next by a gap therebetween, said tray having a floor supporting said batteries and a plurality of vents in said floor each in substantial registry with a said gap;

a housing enclosing said batteries and sealed to said tray, said housing having side walls encircling said batteries and a ceiling overlying said batteries;

an air distribution plenum atop said ceiling;

a plurality of openings in said ceiling communicating said plenum with the interior of said housing;

a fan operatively associated with said plenum for pressurizing said plenum and said housing with air, and flowing such air through (a) said openings, (b) each said gap and (c) out of said housing via said vents; and

a splash guard underlying said tray for preventing road water from splashing up into said housing via said vents, said guard comprising a shield having a plurality of apertures therein offset from said vents and through which air exhausted through said vents flows to beneath said vehicle.

12. An electric vehicle according to claim 11 wherein said plenum comprises a plurality of arms extending outwardly from a central hub.

13. An electric vehicle according to claim 12 wherein said hub houses said fan.