Battery assembly and a method for cooling a battery assembly

• US 6,551,740 B1
• Filed: 10/05/2001
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Melichar, Robert John
• Primary Examiner(s): Maples, John S.
• Application Number:
  US09/682,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20030068546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 429/120, 429/99, 429/71, 429/72, 429/176
• US Class Current: 429/120
• 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 10/651 characterised by parameters specified by a numeric value or mathematical formula, e.g. ratios, sizes or concentrations
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/652 characterised by gradients for achieving a desired temperature gradient H01M10/617
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6561 Gases
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6562 with free flow by convection only
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49108 Electric battery cell making

Abstract

A battery assembly 10 including a generally hollow housing 14 and several batteries 12 which are disposed within the interior cavity 16 of the housing 14. Particularly, the batteries 12 reside upon the axis 50 and partition the cavity 16 into a first tapered region 54 and a second expanding portion 56, effective to cause the speed of the air flowing through the cavity 16 to be substantially constant as the air passes the surface of the batteries 12.

Claims

1. A method for cooling a plurality of batteries, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a generally hollow housing having a pair of opposed walls and a floor;

forming a first aperture within a first of said pair of opposed walls;

forming a second aperture within a second of said pair of opposed walls, wherein said second aperture is at a certain acute angle relative to said first aperture and said floor;

disposing said plurality of batteries within said housing in a series arrangement in which each of said plurality of batteries resides upon a certain single axis; and

communicating air to said generally hollow housing through said first aperture, wherein said air traverses said generally hollow housing and emanates from said generally hollow housing through said second aperture, said series arrangement of said batteries being effective to cause said speed of said traversing air to be substantially constant.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said certain axis forms an acute angle which is approximately the same as said certain acute angle between said first aperture and said second aperture.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said plurality of batteries partition the interior of said generally hollow housing into two portions, a first of said two portions tapering and extending from said first aperture to said second aperture and a second of said two portions tapering and extending from said second aperture to said first aperture.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein each of said two portions have a respective rate of taper and wherein said rate of taper of said first portion is substantially identical to said rate of taper of said second portion.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein each of said first and second portions has respective lengths and wherein said length of said first portion is substantially identical to the length of said second portion.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein each of said plurality of batteries is substantially identical.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein each of said plurality of batteries is substantially cylindrical.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of causing said housing to have a substantially rectangular cross sectional area.