Battery assembly with temperature control device

• US 8,883,342 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2008
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EnerDel, Inc. (Ener1, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EnerDel, Inc. (Ener1, Inc.)
• Inventors: Buck, Derrick S., Fattig, Robert N., Silk, Bruce J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Quraishi, Kiran
• Application Number:
  US12/746,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20100273042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,167 Days
• Field of Search: 429/120, 429/148, 429/163, 429 96-100, 429149-160, 165/104.23, 165/104.33, 165/80.2
• US Class Current: 429/175
• 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 10/623 Portable devices, e.g. mobile telephones, cameras or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6551 Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6555 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6561 Gases
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6565 with recirculation or U-turn in the flow path, i.e. back and forth
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6566 Means within the gas flow to guide the flow around one or more cells, e.g. manifolds, baffles or other barriers H01M10/6565 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/103 prismatic or rectangular H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A battery module of the present invention is adaptable to be utilized in various configurations including and not limited to an overlapping battery cell packaging configuration and a vertical stack battery cell packaging configuration used in an automotive and non-automotive applications. The battery module has a plurality of battery heatsink assemblies with the cells disposed therebetween. A plurality of rods extend through the each heatsink assemblies to secure the heatsink assemblies and the cell with one another to form the battery module.

Claims

1. A battery assembly comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of battery packs positioned inside said housing, each of said battery packs including a plurality of assemblies, each assembly including a cell and a frame supporting the cell, the plurality of assemblies are removeably connected to form a stack and are electrically connected together;

a plurality of battery module housings supported by the housing, each battery module housing including an opening which receives at least one battery pack of the plurality of battery packs and a cover portion which covers the opening in the battery module housing; and

a fluid circulation system defined by at least one inlet port in said housing for receiving fluid introduced into said housing, the fluid enters in each of said battery module housings through an intake port defined in the cover portion of the respective battery module housing, and the fluid exits at least one outlet port defined in said housing, the fluid manipulates temperature of each battery packs by removing heat therefrom.

2. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said housing includes a bottom portion and a top portion, said bottom portion is separated into halves by a bridge.

3. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said battery module housings includes an escape port defined by a slot.

4. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said cells is a prismatic cell.

5. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said cells is a lithium ion cell.

6. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein each assembly includes a plurality of mechanical devices with one of said mechanical devices mechanically engaging the cell of the assembly and another of said mechanical devices mechanically engaging a second cell of the assembly thereby forming contact between the plurality of mechanical devices and the cell and second cell for manipulating temperature of the cell and second cell, wherein both the cell and the second cell are prismatic cells.

7. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein one of said mechanical devices is further defined by a plate formed from at least one of thermally conductive materials.

8. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein the frame of each assembly includes a pair of first frames with said plate being sandwiched between said pair of first frames.

9. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein each of said first frames includes a peripheral edge, a plurality of male connectors extending from each of said first frames, a plurality of female connectors defined in each of said first frames.

10. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein each of said first frames includes at least one pin extending therefrom to mechanically engage one of said female connectors defined in another of said first frames thereby sandwiching said plate between said first frames.

11. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said first frames are fabricated from at least one of polymeric and non-polymeric materials.

12. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein each of said prismatic cells includes raised portions extending to a peripheral lip portion, a negative terminal and a positive terminal.

13. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 12 wherein each of said first frames includes a pair of studs extending from said peripheral edge of each said first frame to engage at least one of said positive terminals and said negative terminals.

14. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein the frame of each assembly includes a pair of second frames.

15. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 14 wherein each of said second frames includes a peripheral edge and a plurality of female connectors defined in each of said second frames.

16. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 14 wherein each of said second frames are mechanically engaged with said first frames, respectively, for retaining said prismatic cells with said plate engaging raised portions of each of said prismatic cells.

17. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 14 wherein each of said second frames are fabricated from at least one of polymeric and non-polymeric materials.

18. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein each assembly includes a device which allows for expansion and contraction of said prismatic cells during charge and discharge states therefore causing said prismatic cells to maintain intimate contact with said plate for efficient thermal transfer.

19. A battery assembly as set forth in claim 12 wherein each assembly includes a layer of expandable material substantially covering said raised portion of each said prismatic cell.

20. A battery assembly comprising:

a housing having a bottom portion and a top portion, said bottom portion is separated into halves by a bridge;

a plurality of battery packs positioned inside said housing, each of said battery packs including a plurality of assemblies, each assembly including a cell and a frame supporting the cell, the plurality of assemblies are removeably connected to form a stack and are electrically connected together and are enclosed by a battery module housing having a cover portion; and

a fluid circulation system defined by at least one inlet port in said housing for receiving fluid introduced into said housing as fluid enters in each of said battery packs through an intake port defined in each of said cover portion and at least one outlet port defined in said housing for allowing fluid to escape from said housing as fluid manipulates temperature of each of the plurality of battery packs by removing heat therefrom as fluid enters each of said battery housings through said intake port and escapes therefrom through an escape port.

22. The battery assembly of claim 20, wherein each assembly further includes a heat sink in contact with the cell for manipulating temperature of the cell.

23. The battery assembly of claim 20, wherein the at least one inlet port of the fluid circulation system is proximate the bridge and the at least one outlet port of the fluid circulation system is proximate the bridge.

21. A battery assembly, comprising:

at least one battery pack including a plurality of assemblies, each assembly including a cell and a frame supporting the cell, the plurality of assemblies are removeably connected to form a stack and are electrically connected together; and

at least one battery module housing defining an enclosed volume which receives the at least one battery pack, the at least one battery module housing defining an intake port for receiving fluid and an escape port for removing fluid, the at least one battery module housing including at least one cover portion, the at least one cover portion of the battery module housing defining the intake port;

wherein the fluid may circulate through the battery assembly through the intake port, and the escape port to lower a temperature of the at least one battery pack.

24. The battery assembly of claim 21, wherein a first battery module housing includes a first portion having an open top, a first battery pack being received in an interior of the first portion of the first battery module housing through the open top, the cover portion of the first battery module housing covers the open top of the first portion.

25. The battery assembly of claim 24, wherein the plurality of assemblies of the first battery pack each include a prismatic cell, a longitudinal extent of the prismatic cell of each assembly extends from a lower portion of the first battery module housing up towards the cover portion of the first battery module housing.

26. The battery assembly of claim 21, wherein the interior of the first battery module housing further receives a second battery pack in a side-by-side relationship relative to the first battery pack.