Integration system for a vehicle battery pack

• US 8,833,499 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2011
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tesla Motors Incorporated (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Rawlinson, Peter Dore
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hau
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEYER, JACOB B
• Application Number:
  US13/311,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20120160583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.5, 180/65.1, 429/96, 429/400, 105/51, 224/400, 248/500
• US Class Current: 180/68.5
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/025 Side sills thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/2036 the subunits being side panels, sills or pillars B62D21/157 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 29/008 predominantly of light alloys, e.g. extruded
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 7/042 Floors or base plates for increased land mine protection
• 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 10/6557 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• 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 50/242 adapted for protecting batteries against vibrations, collision impact or swelling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/249 specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/291 characterised by their shape

Abstract

An improved integration system for a battery pack mounted between the passenger cabin floor panel of an electric vehicle and the driving surface is provided, the system utilizing at least one insulating layer interposed between the battery pack enclosure and the passenger cabin floor panel, where the insulating layer provides noise isolation, thermal isolation and vibration damping, and where the insulating layer is compressed when the battery pack enclosure is mounted to the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle battery pack integration assembly, comprising:

first and second vehicle structural side members located adjacent respective first and second sides of an electric vehicle, each of the vehicle structural side members comprising multiple longitudinal channels;

a battery pack enclosure mounted under the electric vehicle, wherein said battery pack enclosure comprises an enclosure top panel, an enclosure bottom panel, an internal cross member transverse to the electric vehicle, and a plurality of enclosure side members, wherein an outside of a first enclosure side member horizontally abuts the first vehicle structural side member, wherein an outside of a second enclosure side member horizontally abuts the second vehicle structural side member, wherein ends of the internal cross member abut respective insides of the first and second enclosure side members, wherein said battery pack enclosure is configured to hold a plurality of batteries, and wherein said battery pack enclosure is mounted between a passenger cabin floor panel and a driving surface; and

at least one insulating layer interposed between said battery pack enclosure and said passenger cabin floor panel, wherein said at least one insulating layer provides noise isolation, thermal isolation and vibration damping, and wherein said at least one insulating layer is compressed when said battery pack enclosure is mounted to said electric vehicle.

2. The vehicle battery pack integration assembly of claim 1, wherein said battery pack enclosure is substantially airtight.

3. The vehicle battery pack integration assembly of claim 1, wherein said enclosure top panel, said enclosure bottom panel, and said plurality of enclosure side members are each fabricated from a material selected from the group of materials consisting of aluminum, aluminum alloys and steel.

4. The vehicle battery pack integration assembly of claim 1, wherein said enclosure bottom panel is welded, brazed, soldered or bonded to said plurality of enclosure side members, and wherein said enclosure top panel is bolted to said plurality of enclosure side members.

5. The vehicle battery pack integration assembly of claim 1, wherein said battery pack enclosure is mounted between a front vehicle suspension assembly and a rear vehicle suspension assembly, wherein said battery pack enclosure comprises a plurality of internal cross-members that are transverse to the electric vehicle and abut the respective insides of the first and second enclosure side members, and wherein said plurality of internal cross-members segregate said plurality of batteries into groups of batteries.

6. The vehicle battery pack integration assembly of claim 5, wherein said first vehicle structural side member is a left side rocker panel, and wherein said second vehicle structural side member is a right side rocker panel.

7. The vehicle battery pack integration assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one insulating layer has an acoustic insertion loss of greater than 10 dB for frequencies between 1000 Hz and 10 kHz.

8. The vehicle battery pack integration assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one insulating layer has an acoustic insertion loss of greater than 20 dB for frequencies between 1000 Hz and 10 kHz.

9. The vehicle battery pack integration assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one insulating layer has a damping loss factor of at least 0.1.

10. The vehicle battery pack integration assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one insulating layer has a damping loss factor of at least 0.25.

11. The vehicle battery pack integration assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one insulating layer has a damping loss factor of at least 0.3.

12. The vehicle battery pack integration assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one insulating layer has a damping loss factor of at least 0.4.

13. The vehicle battery pack integration assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one insulating layer has a thermal conductivity of less than 0.25 W/m-K.

14. The vehicle battery pack integration assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one insulating layer has a thermal conductivity of less than 0.2 W/m-K.

15. The vehicle battery pack integration assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one insulating layer has a thermal conductivity of less than 0.15 W/m-K.

16. The vehicle battery pack integration assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one insulating layer has a thermal conductivity of less than 0.1 W/m-K.

17. The vehicle battery pack integration assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one insulating layer is capable of withstanding temperatures of more than 500°

C. continuously.

18. The vehicle battery pack integration assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one insulating layer is capable of withstanding temperatures of more than 750°

C. continuously.

19. The vehicle battery pack integration assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one insulating layer is capable of withstanding temperatures of more than 900°

C. continuously.

20. The vehicle battery pack integration assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one insulating layer is capable of withstanding temperatures of more than 1000°

C. continuously.

21. The vehicle battery pack integration assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one insulating layer is capable of withstanding temperatures of more than 1000°

C. for a period of at least 10 seconds.

22. The vehicle battery pack integration assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one insulating layer has a compression modulus of at least 1.5 PSI at 25% compression.

23. The vehicle battery pack integration assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one insulating layer is comprised of a material selected from the group of materials consisting of silica/calcium oxide fibers, silica/silica fibers, alumina, Kevlar®

, Nomex® and

calcium-magnesium-silicate fibers.