Module configuration

• US 6,399,238 B1
• Filed: 12/13/1999
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Saft Finance Sarl (Totalenergies Se)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Oweis, Salah, Jackson, Edward J., Sack, Tim, Zuhowski, Michael, Chagnon, Guy, Laucournet, Gaullume, DʼUssel, Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Maples, John S.
• Application Number:
  US09/459,455
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 429/121, 429/159, 429/99, 429/100, 429/120, 429/175, 429/176
• US Class Current: 429/99
• 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: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• 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 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6561 Gases
• 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 50/271 Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/291 characterised by their shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/50 Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/503 characterised by the shape of the interconnectors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A stand alone battery module including: (a) a mechanical configuration; (b) a thermal management configuration; (c) an electrical connection configuration; and (d) an electronics configuration. Such a module is fully interchangeable in a battery pack assembly, mechanically, from the thermal management point of view, and electrically. With the same hardware, the module can accommodate different cell sizes and, therefore, can easily have different capacities. The module structure is designed to accommodate the electronics monitoring, protection, and printed wiring assembly boards (PWAs), as well as to allow airflow through the module. A plurality of modules may easily be connected together to form a battery pack. The parts of the module are designed to facilitate their manufacture and assembly.

Claims

1. An electrochemical cell module comprising:

a cell assembly including a plurality of electrochemical cells connected by a plurality of electrical connectors,

at least one cell holding board for retaining the cells at a predetermined spacing, said at least one cell holding board having;

a first surface, a second surface opposite to said first surface,

wherein said first surface includes a plurality of cavities therein for receiving the electrochemical cells,

wherein said plurality of cavities includes a first type shaped for receiving a negative end of an electrochemical cell and a second different type shaped for receiving a positive end of an electrochemical cell,

wherein said second surface includes a plurality of recesses therein for receiving said plurality of electrical connectors; and

said holding board including a plurality of holes therein for directing fluid flow in order to maintain a uniform temperature distribution within each cell.

2. An electrochemical cell module according to claim 1, comprising a second cell holding board having a plurality of cavities therein, said plurality of cavities in said second cell holding board including said first type shaped for receiving the negative end of an electrochemical cell and said second type shaped for receiving the positive end of an electrochemical cell, said second cell holding board being arranged opposite to said first cell holding board so that a cavity of said first type in said first cell holding board is opposite a cavity of said second type in said second cell holding board.

3. An electrochemical cell module according to claim 1, wherein said holding board, for retaining electrochemical cells, comprises:

a first end having a protrusion extending therefrom; and

a second end, opposite to said first end, having a recess formed therein, wherein said recess includes a shape which is complementary to that of said protrusion.

4. An electrochemical cell module comprising:

a cell assembly including a plurality of electrochemical cells connected by a plurality of electrical connectors,

at least one cell holding board for retaining the cells at a predetermined spacing, said at least one cell holding board having;

a first surface, a second surface opposite to said first surface,

wherein said first surface includes a plurality of cavities therein for receiving the electrochemical cells,

wherein said second surface includes a plurality of recesses therein for receiving said plurality of electrical connectors;

wherein said plurality of recesses includes a first type of recess having a first shape, and a second type of recess having a second shape which is different than said first shape;

said plurality of electrical connectors, for connecting the cells, includes a first type of connector having a shape complementary to said first shape, and a second type of connector having a shape complementary to said second shape; and

said holding board including a plurality of holes therein for directing fluid flow in order to maintain a uniform temperature distribution within each cell.

5. An electrochemical cell module comprising:

a cell assembly including a plurality of electrochemical cells connected by a plurality of electrical connectors,

at least one cell holding board for retaining the cells at a predetermined spacing, said at least one cell holding board having;

a first surface, a second surface opposite to said first surface,

wherein said first surface includes a plurality of cavities therein for receiving the electrochemical cells,

wherein said second surface includes a plurality of recesses therein for receiving said plurality of electrical connectors;

said holding board including a plurality of holes therein for directing fluid flow in order to maintain a uniform temperature distribution within each cell; and

wherein a first end cap is attached to a first end of said cell assembly, a second end cap is attached to a second end of said cell assembly, and a shell is located between said first end cap and said second end cap.

6. An electrochemical cell module according to claim 5, wherein said shell has a height which is less than the distance between said first end cap and said second end cap.

7. An electrochemical cell module according to claim 5, wherein said first end cap has at least one fluid intake port therein and is attached to said cell holding board so as to form a fluid manifold therebetween.

8. A holding board, for retaining electrochemical cells, comprising:

a first end having a protrusion extending therefrom;

a second end, opposite to said first end, having a recess formed therein, wherein said recess includes a shape which is complementary to that of said protrusion; and

an interior surface having a plurality of cavities, wherein said plurality of cavities includes a first type shaped for receiving a negative end of an electrochemical cell and a second different type shaped for receiving a positive end of an electrochemical cell.

9. A module, for holding electrochemical cells, comprising:

a cell holding board, for retaining the cells, having a first surface and a second surface opposite to said first surface, said second surface including a plurality of recesses therein, said plurality of recesses including a first type of recess having a first shape, and a second type of recess having a second shape which is different than said first shape; and

a plurality of electric connectors, for connecting the cells, including a first type of connector having a shape complementary to said first shape, and a second type of connector having a shape complementary to said second shape.

10. A cell assembly, for holding a plurality of electrochemical cells each having a positive end and a negative end having a different shape than the positive end, comprising:

a first cell holding board having a plurality of cavities therein, said plurality of cavities including a first type shaped for receiving the negative end of an electrochemical cell and a second typed different shaped for receiving the positive end of an electrochemical cell;

a second cell holding board having a plurality of cavities therein, said plurality of cavities in said second holding board including said first type shaped for receiving the negative end of an electrochemical cell and said second type shaped for receiving the positive end of an electrochemical cell, said second cell holding board being arranged opposite to said first cell holding board so that a cavity of said first type in said first cell holding board is opposite a cavity of said second type in said second cell holding board.

11. A cell holding board, for retaining electrochemical cells which are connected by electrical connectors, comprising:

a first surface including cavities therein for receiving the electrochemical cells, wherein said-cavities include a first type shaped for receiving a negative end of an electrochemical cell and a second different type shaped for receiving a positive end of an electrochemical cell;

a second surface opposite to said first surface, and including recesses therein for receiving the electrical connectors.

12. An electrochemical cell module comprising:

a cell assembly having a first end, and a second end opposite to said first end;

a first end cap, connected to said first end of said cell assembly;

a second end cap, connected to said second end of said cell assembly so as to be spaced by a first distance from said first end cap;

a shell located between said first end cap and said second end cap, said shell (80) having a height which is less than said first distance.

13. An electrochemical cell module comprising:

a cell assembly including a plurality of electrochemical cells and at least one cell holding board which retains said cells at a predetermined spacing, said cell holding board including a plurality of holes therein for directing fluid flow;

an end cap attached to said cell holding board so as to form a fluid manifold therebetween, said end cap having at least one fluid intake port therein,

wherein said end cap is spaced from said cell holding board, said plurality of holes is arranged, and said predetermined spacing between said cells is selected, such that fluid entering said intake port at a first velocity maintains a uniform temperature distribution within each cell.