Heat dissipating device for a battery pack, and a battery pack using the same

• US 8,574,739 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2006
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BYD Company Limited
• Original Assignee: BYD Company Limited
• Inventors: Shen, Xi, Zhu, Jianhua, Lai, Qing, Han, Yili
• Primary Examiner(s): Cullen, Sean P
• Application Number:
  US12/092,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20080292949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,738 Days
• Field of Search: 429/120, 429/122, 429/96, 429/99
• US Class Current: 429/120
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0233 the conduits having a particular shape, e.g. non-circular cross-section, annular F28D15/0241, F28D15/0266 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0266 with separate evaporating and condensing chambers connected by at least one conduit; Loop-type heat pipes; with multiple or common evaporating or condensing chambers F28D15/043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6552 Closed pipes transferring heat by thermal conductivity or phase transition, e.g. heat pipes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6555 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a heat dissipating device for a battery pack which comprises a heat pipe and a heat collecting plate comprising a bottom heat collecting plate and an upper heat collecting plate each having a hole therein, wherein two ends of the heat pipe are inserted respectively into the holes in the bottom heat collecting plate and the upper heat collecting plate. A battery using the heat dissipating device is also disclosed. During the operation of the heat dissipating device, since the heat generated by the cells can be collected in the upper heat collecting plate, then transmitted to the bottom heat collecting plate through the heat pipe, and finally dissipated outwardly by the bottom heat collecting plate, the heat generated by cells can be dissipated rapidly and efficiently.

Claims

1. A battery pack comprising:

a plurality of cells connected in series or in parallel; and

a heat dissipating device, wherein the heat dissipating device includes

at least one heat pipe;

a plurality of heat collecting plates including a bottom heat collecting plate and a upper heat collecting plate which both have a hole formed therein, and between which the cells are interposed;

a supporting frame on which the heat collecting plates are fixed; and

a heat dissipating structure, wherein the heat dissipating structure is a heat sink or a heat dissipating plate under a lower surface of the bottom heat collecting plate,

wherein each heat pipe is U-shaped, and one end of each U-shaped heat pipe is inserted into and terminates within one hole of the bottom heat collecting plate and the other end is inserted into and terminates within one hole of the upper heat collecting plate.

2. The battery pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the plurality of heat collecting plates includes more than one upper heat collecting plate and each upper heat collecting plate has at least one hole;

the cells are interposed between the bottom heat collecting plate and one adjacent upper heat collecting plate, and between two adjacent upper heat collecting plates; and

the bottom heat collecting plate has more than one hole formed therein.

3. The battery pack as claimed in claim 2, wherein,

a number of the holes in the bottom heat collecting plate is equal to a number of U shaped heat pipes;

and

the holes in the bottom heat collecting plate are parallel with each other.

4. The battery pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein, contacting surfaces between the cells and the bottom and upper heat collecting plates are coated with a heat conductive adhesive.

5. The battery pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the cells have grooves on the surface thereof;

and

the bottom and upper heat collecting plates have projections mating with the grooves on their surfaces contacting with the cells.

6. The battery pack as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the cells are cylindrical cells;

and

the bottom and upper heat collecting plates have grooves mating with the surface of the cylindrical cells on their surfaces contacting with the cells.