Battery assembly with high thermal conductivity

• US 9,184,427 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2012
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atieva, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Atieva, Inc.
• Inventors: Chuang, Chia-Ming, Tse, David YuanJei
• Primary Examiner(s): Ridley, Basia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilmot, Caitlin
• Application Number:
  US13/371,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20130136958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,368 Days
• Field of Search: 429 50- 56, 429 96-100, 429149-160, 429163-187, 429/161, 429/123, 429 53- 56
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• 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 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/653 characterised by electrically insulating or thermally conductive materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/654 located inside the innermost case of the cells, e.g. mandrels, electrodes or electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/659 by heat storage or buffering, e.g. heat capacity or liquid-solid phase changes or transition
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/103 Fuse
• 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 50/24 adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion thermal insulation H01M10/658
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/50 Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/512 Connection only in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The invention relates to a battery assembly with high thermal conductivity. The battery assembly comprises a metal case having a hollow accommodation cavity formed therein, a plurality of battery cores installed parallel to one another within the metal case, and a common electrode for connection to the other electrode in each of the battery cores. Each of the battery cores has two electrodes, with one of the electrodes that corresponds to those of the rest of the battery cores being connected in a thermally conductive manner to the metal case. The invention takes advantage of high thermal conductivity of metallic material and dissipates heat by connecting the metal case to the battery electrodes. The invention further comprises fixation troughs formed on the metal case, thereby reducing the size of the assembly.

Claims

1. A high thermal conductivity battery assembly, comprising:

a metal case, having a hollow accommodation cavity formed therein;

a plurality of battery cells, the plurality of battery cells arranged in a first row of battery cells and a second row of battery cells, the first row and the second row installed parallel to one another within the metal case, each of the battery cells having two electrodes with a first electrode of each of the plurality of battery cells in the first row and the second row being connected in a thermally conductive manner to the metal case such that heat generated by each of the plurality of battery cells transfers along an axial direction of the battery cell through the first electrode to the metal case, the first electrode of each of the plurality of battery cells in the first row and the second row connected to the metal case whereby the metal case functions as a common ground;

a first common electrode extending along a central portion of the hollow accommodation cavity for connection to a second electrode of each of the battery cells, wherein the second electrode of each of the battery cells of the first row are opposed to a first surface of the first common electrode and wherein the second electrode of each of the battery cells of the second row are opposed to a second surface of the first common electrode;

a second common electrode coupled to a surface of the metal case and the first electrode of each of the plurality of battery cells;

a thermally conductive flexible gasket having a first surface coupled to the second common electrode and a second surface coupled to the surface of the metal case; and

a fuse device coupled between each second electrode of each of the battery cells and the first common electrode, such that melting a portion of the fuse device isolates a single one of the battery cells.

2. The battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the metal case includes an exterior side facing away from the hollow accommodation cavity and an interior side facing toward the hollow accommodation cavity, and wherein each of the battery cells has the axial direction, and wherein a plurality of fixation troughs are formed on the metal case from the interior side toward the exterior side in a manner extending along the axial directions of the respective battery cells.

3. The battery assembly according to claim 2, wherein the fixation troughs extend across the interior side and the exterior side of the metal case.

4. The battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the fuse device is formed by a stamping process.

5. The battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the respective battery cells are connected at their negative poles to the metal case in a thermally conductive manner, with their positive poles being connected to the first common electrode, and wherein the fuse device comprises a plurality of fuse wires, each being installed between the first common electrode and a different one of the positive poles of the battery cells so that each of the battery cells has a dedicated fuse.

6. The battery assembly according to claim 1, further comprising at least one exhaust valve installed on the metal case.

7. The battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the metal case includes an insulating outer surface layer.

8. The battery assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a phase change material filled within the hollow accommodation cavity, and the phase change material has a phase change temperature below a predetermined safety threshold.

9. The battery assembly according to claim 1, further comprising at least one temperature sensor installed within the hollow accommodation cavity.

10. The battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the metal case is cuboid-shaped and chamfered at corners thereof.

11. The battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second common electrode is configured to define a plurality of hollow areas, each hollow area of the plurality of hollow areas corresponding to one of the plurality of battery cells wherein a wire disposed within each hollow area couples the second common electrode to the first electrode of the corresponding one of the plurality of battery cells.

12. The battery assembly according to claim 11, wherein the wire disposed within each hollow area functions as another fuse device.

13. An encased battery assembly, comprising:

a case having a cavity, the case having thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity;

a plurality of battery cells arranged in the cavity as a first row of battery cells parallel to one another and a second row of battery cells parallel to one another;

a first electrode of each battery cell of the plurality of battery cells arranged to conduct heat of the battery cell along a central axis of the battery cell through the first electrode to the case;

the first electrode of each battery cell connected to the case with the case as a common electrical ground for the plurality of battery cells;

a fuse device;

a first common electrode arranged along a central portion of the cavity, with a second electrode of each of the battery cells of the first row facing, and connected by a portion of the fuse device to, a first face of the first common electrode, and with a second electrode of each of the battery cells of the second row facing, and connected by a further portion of the fuse device to, a second face of the first common electrode, wherein melting the portion or the further portion of the fuse device isolates a single one of the plurality of battery cells;

a thermally conductive flexible gasket; and

a second common electrode coupled to the first electrode of each battery cell, and coupled to the case by the thermally conductive flexible gasket.

14. The encased battery assembly of claim 13, further comprising;

an insulating outer surface layer on an exterior of the case, wherein an interior of the case has the electrical conductivity.

15. The encased battery assembly of claim 13, further comprising:

a phase change material in the cavity and having thermal contact with the case and the plurality of battery cells.

16. The encased battery assembly of claim 13, further comprising:

the case having a plurality of chamfered edges, at least one of the plurality of chamfered edges configurable to form a pipeline channel when assembled to further encased battery assemblies.

17. The encased battery assembly of claim 13, further comprising:

a temperature sensor arranged to sense temperature of the case or at least one of the plurality of battery cells.

18. The encased battery assembly of claim 13, further comprising:

an exterior of the case having an anodizing treatment.

19. The encased battery assembly of claim 13, further comprising:

the second common electrode having a plurality of welding wire areas; and

a plurality of wires, each of the plurality of wires coupling the second common electrode to the first electrode of one of the plurality of battery cells through one of the plurality of welding wire areas.

20. The encased battery assembly of claim 13, wherein the fuse device comprises a plurality of fuse wires, each of the plurality of fuse wires individual to one of the plurality of battery cells.