Protection structure forthermal dissipation and preventing thermal runaway diffusion in battery system

• US 8,785,026 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2010
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Hu, Hsien-Lin, Hwang, Jenn-Dong, Wong, Cheng-Chou, Chang, Chin-Chuan, Yeh, Sheng-Fa, Lin, Bing-Ming, Peng, Yu-Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Huff, Mark F
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLS, MONIQUE M
• Application Number:
  US12/967,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20110159340A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,317 Days
• Field of Search: 429/120, 429/121
• 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 10/617 for achieving uniformity or desired distribution of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6554 Rods or plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6555 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A protection structure for preventing thermal dissipation and thermal runaway diffusion in battery system is provided. The protection structure includes a battery module casing and at least one composite heat conduction plate. There is a plurality of unit cells disposed in the battery module casing. The composite heat conduction plate is located within the battery module casing, contacted with the battery module casing, and sandwiched between at least two of the unit cells as a heat transmission medium between the cells and the casing to control heat transmission among the cells. The composite heat conduction plate is a multilayer anisotropic heat conduction structure constituted by at least one heat conduction layer and at least one heat insulation layer.

Claims

1. A protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in a battery system, the protection structure comprising:

a battery module casing disposed with a plurality of unit cells; and

at least one composite heat conduction plate, located within the battery module casing, contacted with the battery module casing, and sandwiched between at least two of the unit cells, wherein the composite heat conduction plate is a multilayer anisotropic heat conduction structure, and the composite heat conduction plate comprises;

two layers of the heat conduction layer;

a plurality of structural supports disposed between the heat conduction layers to support the heat conduction layers and form a plurality of internal spaces; and

a heat insulation material filled in the internal spaces as the heat insulation layer.

2. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the structural supports comprise linear strips, trellis strips, square dot structures, diamond dot structures, or circular dot structures.

3. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat conduction layer is a casing of the unit cells.

4. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a thermal conductivity coefficient k of the heat conduction layer is at least 50 W/m·

K.

5. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 4, wherein a material of the heat conduction layer comprises gold, silver, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, copper, a copper alloy, magnesium, a magnesium alloy, a metal oxide, or a composite material having one of the above materials mixed with a plastic material.

6. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 4, wherein a material of the heat conduction layer comprises a composite material having high heat conduction ceramic powder mixed with a plastic material.

7. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a thermal conductivity coefficient k of the heat insulation layer is at most 2 W/m·

K.

8. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the heat insulation layer comprises a foaming polymer material.

9. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the heat insulation layer comprises a low melting point polymer material having a melting point ranging from 40°

C. to 80°

C., a liquid, or air.

10. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a total thickness of the composite heat conduction plate ranges from 2.0 cm to 0.05 cm, a thickness of the heat conduction layer occupies 3% to 70% of the total thickness, and a thickness of the heat insulation layer occupies 30% to 97% of the total thickness.

11. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a total thickness of the composite heat conduction plate ranges from 1.0 cm to 0.05 cm, a thickness of the heat conduction layer occupies 5% to 70% of the total thickness, and a thickness of the heat insulation layer occupies 30% to 95% of the total thickness.

12. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a total thickness of the composite heat conduction plate ranges from 0.5 cm to 0.05 cm, a thickness of the heat conduction layer occupies 10% to 70% of the total thickness, and a thickness of the heat insulation layer occupies 30% to 90% of the total thickness.

13. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the battery module casing comprises a heat dissipation fin.

14. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the composite heat conduction plate and the heat dissipation fin are connected to each other through a physical or a soldering bonding method.

15. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a control circuit board disposed within the battery module casing; and

the composite heat conduction plate being disposed between the control circuit board and the unit cells.

16. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a circuit disposed within the battery module casing; and

the composite heat conduction plate being disposed between the circuit and the unit cells.

17. A protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in a battery system, the protection structure comprising:

a battery pack casing disposed with a plurality of battery modules; and

at least one composite heat conduction plate, located within the battery pack casing, contacted with the battery pack casing, and sandwiched between at least two of the battery modules, wherein the composite heat conduction plate is a multilayer anisotropic heat conduction structure, and the composite heat conduction plate comprises;

two layers of the heat conduction layer;

a plurality of structural supports disposed between the heat conduction layers to support the heat conduction layers and form a plurality of internal spaces; and

a heat insulation material filled in the internal spaces as the heat insulation layer.

18. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the structural supports comprise linear strips, trellis strips, square dot structures, diamond dot structures, or circular dot structures.

19. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the heat conduction layer is a casing of the battery modules.

20. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 17, wherein a thermal conductivity coefficient k of the heat conduction layer is at least 50 W/m·

K.

21. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 20, wherein a material of the heat conduction layer comprises gold, silver, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, copper, a copper alloy, magnesium, a magnesium alloy, a metal oxide, or a composite material having one of the above materials mixed with a plastic material.

22. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 20, wherein a material of the heat conduction layer comprises a composite material having high heat conduction ceramic powder mixed with a plastic material.

23. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 17, wherein a thermal conductivity coefficient k of the heat insulation layer is at most 2 W/m·

K.

24. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 23, wherein the heat insulation layer comprises a foaming polymer material.

25. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 23, wherein the heat insulation layer comprises a low melting point polymer material having a melting point ranging from 40°

C. to 80°

C., a liquid, or air.

26. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 17, wherein a total thickness of the composite heat conduction plate ranges from 2.0 cm to 0.05 cm, a thickness of the heat conduction layer occupies 3% to 70% of the total thickness, and a thickness of the heat insulation layer occupies 30% to 97% of the total thickness.

27. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 17, wherein a total thickness of the composite heat conduction plate ranges from 1.0 cm to 0.05 cm, a thickness of the heat conduction layer occupies 5% to 70% of the total thickness, and a thickness of the heat insulation layer occupies 30% to 95% of the total thickness.

28. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 17, wherein a total thickness of the composite heat conduction plate ranges from 0.5 cm to 0.05 cm, a thickness of the heat conduction layer occupies 10% to 70% of the total thickness, and a thickness of the heat insulation layer occupies 30% to 90% of the total thickness.

29. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the battery pack casing comprises a heat dissipation fin.

30. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 29, wherein the composite heat conduction plate and the heat dissipation fin are connected to each other through a physical or a soldering bonding method.

31. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

a control circuit board disposed within the battery pack casing; and

the composite heat conduction plate being disposed between the control circuit board and the battery modules.

32. The protection structure configured to thermal dissipation and prevent thermal runaway diffusion in the battery system as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

a circuit disposed within the battery pack casing; and

the composite heat conduction plate being disposed between the circuit and the battery modules.