Battery pack or battery providing increased heat dissipation

• US 6,703,160 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2001
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FMC Corporation
• Original Assignee: FMC Wyoming Corporation (Tronox Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Gao, Yuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Gulakowski, Randy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crepeau, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US09/834,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20010049052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 429/99, 429/100, 429/120, 429/176, 429/163, 429/164
• US Class Current: 429/120
• 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 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch 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 10/6551 Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/131 characterised by physical properties, e.g. gas permeability, size or heat resistance
• 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 50/227 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/233 characterised by physical properties of casings or racks, e.g. dimensions
• 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 6/42 Grouping of primary cells into batteries H01M6/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The present invention includes a battery pack or battery having excellent heat dissipation thus increasing the safety of these devices in high power applications. The battery packs and batteries of the invention have a surface with a high true surface area such that the surface roughness (R), defined by the ratio of the true surface area of the surface to the apparent surface area of the surface, is greater than or equal to about 1.2. In addition, the battery packs and batteries of the invention are preferably formed of material having a high emissivity or include high emissivity labels to provide even greater heat dissipation.

Claims

1. A battery pack for holding a plurality of batteries, said battery pack having a surface with a high true surface area wherein the surface roughness (R), defined by the ratio of the true surface area of the surface to the apparent surface area of the surface, is greater than or equal to about 2.0.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the surface has a scale of surface roughness of less than or equal to about 0.5 mm.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the surface has a scale of surface roughness of greater than or equal to about 0.001 mm and less than or equal to about 0.5 mm.

4. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the surface has a scale of surface roughness of greater than or equal to about 0.005 mm and less than or equal to about 0.5 mm.

5. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the surface has a scale of surface roughness of greater than or equal to about 0.01 mm and less than or equal to about 0.2 mm.

6. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the surface is an inner surface of the battery pack.

7. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the surface is an outer surface of the battery pack.

8. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the battery pack is rough to produce a high true surface area.

9. The battery pack according to claim 8, wherein the surface is molded such that it has a rough surface.

10. The battery pack according to claim 8, wherein the surface is an outer surface of the battery pack, and the outer surface is painted with an abrasive coating composition to produce the rough surface.

11. The battery pack according to claim 8, wherein the surface is an outer surface of the battery pack, and the outer surface is rubbed with an abrasive to produce the rough surface.

12. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the battery pack includes a plurality of indentations or raised areas that produce a high true surface area.

13. The battery pack according to claim 12, wherein the indentations include grooves.

14. The battery pack according to claim 12, wherein the indentations include dimples.

15. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the battery pack is formed of material having a high emissivity.

16. The battery pack according to claim 15, wherein the surface of the battery pack is formed of material having an emissivity of greater than about 0.70.

17. The battery pack according to claim 15, wherein the surface of the battery pack is formed of material having an emissivity of greater than about 0.85.

18. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the surface is an outer surface of the battery pack, and the outer surface includes a heat dissipative label.

19. The battery pack according to claim 18, wherein the label has an emissivity of greater than about 0.70.

20. The battery pack according to claim 18, wherein the label has an emissivity of greater than about 0.85.

21. The battery pack according to claim 18, wherein the label has a label outer surface with a high true surface area wherein the surface roughness (R), defined by the ratio of the true surface area of the label outer surface to the apparent surface area of the label outer surface, is greater than or equal to about 1.2.

22. The battery pack according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of lithium-ion batteries.

23. The battery pack according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of batteries, wherein at least a portion of the batteries in said plurality of batteries has an outer surface with a high true surface area wherein the surface roughness (R), defined by the ratio of the true surface area to the apparent surface area, is greater than or equal to about 2.0.

24. A battery having an outer surface with a high true surface area wherein the surface roughness (R), defined by the ratio of the true surface area of the outer surface to the apparent surface area of the outer surface, is greater than or equal to about 2.0.

25. The battery according to claim 24, wherein the outer surface has a scale of surface roughness of 0.5 mm or less.

26. The battery according to claim 24, wherein the outer surface has a scale of surface roughness of greater than or equal to about 0.001 mm and less than or equal to about 0.5 mm.

27. The battery according to claim 24, wherein the outer surface has a scale of surface roughness of greater than or equal to about 0.005 mm and less than or equal to about 0.5 mm.

28. The battery according to claim 24, wherein the outer surface has a scale of surface roughness of greater than or equal to about 0.01 mm and less than or equal to about 0.2 mm.

29. The battery according to claim 24, wherein the outer surface of the battery includes a plurality of indentations or raised areas that produce a high true surface area.

30. The battery according to claim 29, wherein the indentations include grooves.

31. The battery according to claim 29, wherein the indentations include dimples.

32. The battery according to claim 24, wherein the outer surface of the battery is rough to produce a high true surface area.

33. The battery according to claim 24, wherein the outer surface of the battery is formed of material having an emissivity of greater than about 0.70.

34. The battery according to claim 24, wherein the outer surface of the battery includes a heat dissipative label.

35. The battery according to claim 34, wherein the label has an emissivity of greater than about 0.70.

36. The battery according to claim 34, wherein the label has an emissivity of greater than about 0.85.

37. The battery according to claim 34, wherein the label has a outer surface with a high true surface area wherein the surface roughness (R), defined by the ratio of the true surface area of the label outer surface to the apparent surface area of the label outer surface, is greater than or equal to about 1.2.

38. The battery according to claim 37, wherein the label outer surface has a surface roughness of greater than or equal to about 1.5.

39. The battery according to claim 37, wherein the outer surface of the label has a surface roughness of greater than or equal to about 2.0.

40. The battery according to claim 24, further comprising an inner surface with a high true surface area wherein the surface roughness (R), defined by the ratio of the true surface area of the inner surface to the apparent surface area of the inner surface, is greater than or equal to about 1.2.