Power source apparatus

• US 7,974,095 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Murata, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): CHERVINSKY, BORIS LEO
• Application Number:
  US12/514,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20100061061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 361/699
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6551 Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6567 Liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04029 Heat exchange using liquids
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A power source apparatus includes a power source module which is formed of a plurality of power source elements, a case which houses the power source module and a cooling liquid, a fan which is placed in the case in a state in which the fan is immersed in the cooling liquid together with the power source module, the fan forming a laminar flow of the cooling liquid, the laminar flow having a width at least substantially the same as a length of the power source element in a length direction of the power source element.

Claims

1. A power source apparatus comprising:

a power source module which includes a plurality of cylindrical power source elements each having a length direction, the plurality of cylindrical power source elements are arranged in parallel, and the plurality of cylindrical power source elements are arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to a length direction of the power source module;

a case which houses the power source module and a cooling liquid; and

a cross flow fan which is placed in the case in a state in which the cross flow fan is immersed in the cooling liquid together with the power source module,

wherein the cross flow fan includes a rotation axis which is arranged in parallel to the length direction of the cylindrical power source elements and at least one blade that rotates about the rotation axis, the blade having a width at least substantially the same as a length of the cylindrical power source elements and extending in an axial direction of the rotation axis, and

an outlet of a laminar flow of the cooling liquid, which is formed by rotating the blade, and flows out of the cross flow fan, is located in a space between the power source module and the case and faces toward the direction arranged in parallel to the plurality of cylindrical power source elements, the laminar flow having a width at least substantially the same as the length of the cylindrical power source elements.

2. The power source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power source module includes a pair of end plates which supports both terminals of each of the cylindrical power source elements, and

wherein the cross flow fan is provided between the end plates and ends of the rotation axis are placed in each the pair of end plates.

3. The power source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power source module is placed such that a distance from an inner wall of the case to the power source module is larger than a distance between the adjacent ones of the cylindrical power source elements arranged in parallel.

4. The power source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the case is provided with a flow directing portion for directing at least part of the laminar flow of the cooling liquid, which flows out from the outlet to the space between the power source module and the case, between the cylindrical power source elements.

5. The power source apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the flow directing portion is formed to have a protruding shape which protrudes in a direction substantially perpendicular to the power source module from the inner wall of the case, and a peak of the protruding shape is placed between the cylindrical power source elements and is formed to have a long shape extending in the length direction of the cylindrical power source element.

6. The power source apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a height of the protruding shape in the flow directing portion is changed depending on the number of the cylindrical power source elements arranged in parallel.

7. The power source apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a first plate member for directing the cooling liquid flowing out of the outlet of the cross flow fan to space between the power source module and the case, and a second plate member for directing the cooling liquid flow around the power source module to an inlet side of the cross flow fan.

8. The power source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the first place member is located in the space between the power source module and the case and the first place member protrudes in the direction arranged in parallel the plurality of cylindrical power source elements,

the second plate member is formed to extend in the direction perpendicular to a flow direction of the cooling liquid which flowing out the outlet.

9. The power source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the blade has the width at least substantially the same as the length of the cylindrical power source element and forms the laminar flow having all over the width, uniform distribution of the same flow velocity in the length direction of the cylindrical power source element all over the width.

10. The power source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the outlet face is formed to a shape having the width at least substantially the same as the length of the cylindrical power source element and a length direction of the shape is parallel to the length direction of the cylindrical power source element,

the outlet is substantially perpendicular to the direction arranged in parallel the plurality of cylindrical power source elements.

11. The power source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power source module includes a plurality of layers that one layer have the plurality of cylindrical power source elements are arranged in parallel.

12. The power source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the laminar flow flowed out the outlet of the cross flow fan includes a first flow which flows around the power source module, and a second flow branches from the first flow and flows between the cylindrical power source elements arranged in parallel in the direction perpendicular to the length direction.