Battery device having a turbulence accelerator for disordering a coolant flow

• US 6,335,116 B1
• Filed: 01/21/2000
• Issued: 01/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Battery Co., Ltd. (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Battery Co., Ltd. (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsuoka, Kei, Iwasaki, Hideo, Matsui, Tsutomu, Hisano, Katsumi, Yamane, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Kalafut, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alejandro, Raymond
• Application Number:
  US09/463,180
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 429/176, 429/61, 429/62, 429/71, 429/90, 429/149, 429/156, 429/121, 429/7, 429/120, 429/148, 429/82, 429/83
• US Class Current: 429/176
• 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 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/617 for achieving uniformity or desired distribution of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/64 characterised by the shape of the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/652 characterised by gradients for achieving a desired temperature gradient H01M10/617
• 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 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/42 Grouping of primary cells into batteries H01M6/40 takes precedence
• 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 battery device designed so that a plurality of battery modules (1) are arranged in rows at given spaces in a enclosure (2). Turbulence accelerators (5), such as dummy battery units or the like, are provided in a position on the uppermost-stream side of the enclosure in which air flows in the direction of arrangement of the battery modules. The heat transfer ability for the battery modules in the upper-stream position is enhanced by the turbulence accelerators which disorders the airflow introduced into the enclosure. Auxiliary coolant intake ports (7) for the introduction of a coolant are provided in the middle of an airflow path, whereby the heat transfer ability on the lower-stream side is enhanced, so that battery temperature differences between the battery units arranged in the enclosure can be restrained. Thus, a simple-construction battery device is realized enjoying improved quality and operation stability.

Claims

1. A battery device having an enclosure formed with a coolant intake port, a plurality of battery units arranged in rows at given spaces in the enclosure, and a coolant flow path extending in a direction of arrangement of the plurality of battery units and around them, the improvement comprising:

a turbulence accelerator configured to disorder a coolant flow, said turbulence accelerator being provided in the enclosure between the cooling intake port and battery units of the plurality of battery units that are disposed on an uppermost-stream side, as viewed from the coolant intake port, of said coolant flow path.

2. A battery device according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of battery units is formed of a battery cell, a battery module formed by battery cells integral with one another and connected in series and/or parallel with one another, or a battery pack including the battery module and an electronic circuit which are integrally incorporated therein.

3. A battery device, comprising:

an enclosure having a coolant intake port;

a plurality of battery units arranged in rows at given spaces in the enclosure;

a coolant flow path extending in a direction of arrangement of the plurality of battery units and around them; and

a turbulence accelerator provided in the enclosure between the cooling intake port and a first row of battery units disposed closest to the coolant intake port and configured to disorder a coolant flow.

4. A battery device according to claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of battery units is formed of a battery cell, a battery module formed by battery cells integral with one another and connected in series and/or parallel with one another, or a battery pack including the battery module and an electronic circuit which are integrally incorporated therein.