Cooling system for stand-alone battery cabinets

• US 6,123,266 A
• Filed: 07/11/1997
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CommScope Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Patel, Chandrakant B., Palaszewski, Stephen John, Mistry, Mahesh B., Betro, Carla, Dixit, Mayankkumar M., Bainbridge, Gary Dean, Duong, Quang
• Primary Examiner(s): TAPOLCAI, WILLIAM E
• Application Number:
  US08/892,255
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 236/49.3, 236/91 E, 454/184, 165/104.33, 165/104.34, 165/80.3, 429/120, 62/259.2
• US Class Current: 236/49.3
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/627 Stationary installations, e.g. power plant buffering or backup power supplies
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/633 characterised by algorithms, flow charts, software details or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/635 based on ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6563 with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6566 Means within the gas flow to guide the flow around one or more cells, e.g. manifolds, baffles or other barriers H01M10/6565 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/658 by thermal insulation or shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20572 within cabinets for removing heat from sub-racks, e.g. plenum
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An outdoor battery cabinet is formed to include a cooling system to extend the life of the housed batteries. The cooling system comprises a ventilation system including an air intake unit, an exhaust unit and a thermostat control. The interior surface of the cabinet is covered with a layer of insulative material. The ventilation system is configured to turn "on" when the outdoor temperature drops below the interior cabinet temperature, thereby cooling the housed batteries. Once the outdoor temperature rises above the cabinet temperature, the ventilation system is turned "off" and the insulation in the cabinet functions to maintain the cooler ambient temperature within the cabinet. To minimize the effects of wind forcing air through the ventilation openings, the intake and exhaust louvers are located on the same side of the cabinet.

Claims

1. An outdoor battery cabinet including a plurality of walls having interior surfaces, the cabinet comprising

insulation disposed to surround the interior surfaces of said walls;

and

ventilation means included within said cabinet and comprising

an air intake unit;

an air exhaust unit; and

a ventilation control system, said ventilation control system responsive to both the outdoor air temperature and the air temperature within said battery cabinet, said ventilation means for turning "on" said ventilation control system and drawing outdoor air in through said air intake unit and exhausting through said air exhaust unit when the outdoor air temperature is less than the air temperature within said battery cabinet, and turning "off" said ventilation control system when the outdoor air temperature is greater than the temperature inside the cabinet.

2. An outdoor battery cabinet as defined in claim 1 wherein the air intake unit and air exhaust unit are disposed within the same cabinet wall.

3. An outdoor battery cabinet as defined in claim 2 wherein the air intake unit and air exhaust unit are disposed within a rear cabinet wall.

4. An outdoor battery cabinet as defined in claim 1 wherein the ventilation control system includes a thermostat.

5. An outdoor battery cabinet as defined in claim 1 wherein the ventilation control system includes a timer for turning "on" said ventilation control system during a predefined time period.

6. An outdoor battery cabinet as defined in claim 1 wherein the insulation is disposed to cover each interior wall surface.