Battery system with heat exchanger

• US 9,225,045 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2013
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clarios Advanced Solutions GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls-Saft Advanced Power Solutions, LLC. (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Houchin-Miller, Gary P., Pacheco, Anthony C., Wiegmann, Martin, Joswig, Ralf, Hoh, Markus, Balk, Mikhail, Obasih, Kem
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Aniello, Nicholas P
• Application Number:
  US14/100,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20140093755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 429/120
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• 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 10/345 Gastight metal hydride accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• 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 10/6563 with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6567 Liquids
• 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 50/244 Secondary casings; Racks; Suspension devices; Carrying devices; Holders characterised by their mounting method
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/507 comprising an arrangement of two or more busbars within a container structure, e.g. busbar modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/516 by welding, soldering or brazing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/517 by fixing means, e.g. screws, rivets or bolts
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/522 Inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/524 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/526 having a layered structure
• 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 includes a plurality of electrochemical cells arranged in a first row and a second row offset from the first row. The battery module also includes a heat exchanger configured to allow a fluid to flow through the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is disposed between the first and second rows of cells and has a shape that is complementary to the cells in the first and second rows of cells so that an external surface of the heat exchanger contacts a portion of each of the plurality of electrochemical cells. The heat exchanger is configured to route the fluid between an inlet and an outlet such that a path of the fluid flow includes a plurality of adjacent fluid flow segments.

Claims

1. A battery module, comprising:

a heat exchanger configured to allow a fluid to flow therethrough, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to be disposed between a first row of cylindrical electrochemical cells and a second row of cylindrical electrochemical cells, the first and second rows of cylindrical electrochemical cells being offset from one another, wherein the heat exchanger comprises;

an external surface that is shaped complementary to the cylindrical electrochemical cells in the first and second rows so that the external surface of the heat exchanger contacts a portion of each of the cylindrical electrochemical cells in the first and second rows, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to allow heat conduction between the fluid and of cylindrical electrochemical cells in the first and second rows via the external surface;

an inlet through which the fluid enters the heat exchanger;

an outlet through which the fluid exits the heat exchanger; and

a serpentine path comprising a fluid channel coupling the inlet to the outlet, the serpentine path having at least two adjacent fluid flow segments coupled together by a turn and configured to route the fluid through the fluid channel in a zig-zag path between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the turn in the serpentine path extends upwardly in a direction generally parallel to respective longitudinal axes of the cylindrical electrochemical cells in the first and second rows of cylindrical electrochemical cells such that the at least two adjacent fluid flow segments extend crosswise relative to the longitudinal axes and between the first and second rows of cylindrical electrochemical cells.

2. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the inlet is disposed on a first side of the heat exchanger and the outlet is disposed on a second side of the heat exchanger opposite the first, and wherein the serpentine path comprises an odd number of fluid flow segments continuously connected between the inlet and the outlet.

3. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the inlet and outlet are disposed on one side of the heat exchanger, and wherein the serpentine path comprises an even number of fluid flow segments continuously connected between the inlet and the outlet.

4. The battery module of claim 1, wherein each pair of adjacent fluid flow segments is connected via a 180 degree turn.

5. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the adjacent fluid flow segments are aligned such that the heat exchanger is configured to allow heat conduction between the fluid and each of the plurality of cylindrical electrochemical cells along every fluid flow segment.

6. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the inlet is disposed at a lower end of the heat exchanger and the outlet is disposed at an upper end of the heat exchanger.

7. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the external surface of the heat exchanger is shaped to provide an angled contact between the plurality of cylindrical electrochemical cells and the external surface.

8. The battery module of claim 1, wherein the external surface of the heat exchanger has a wall thickness between approximately 0.5 millimeters and 1.5 millimeters.

9. The battery module of claim 1, wherein an overall thickness of the heat exchanger is between approximately 4 millimeters and 6 millimeters.

10. A battery system, comprising:

a plurality of battery modules, each battery module comprising;

a plurality of cylindrical electrochemical cells arranged in a first row and a second row adjacent to and offset from the first row; and

a heat exchanger disposed between the first and second rows of cylindrical electrochemical cells and configured to allow a fluid to flow therethrough, wherein the heat exchanger comprises;

an external surface that is shaped complementary to the cylindrical electrochemical cells in the first and second rows so that the external surface of the heat exchanger contacts a portion of each of the plurality of cylindrical electrochemical cells, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to allow heat conduction between the fluid and the plurality of cylindrical electrochemical cells via the external surface;

an inlet through which the fluid enters the heat exchanger;

an outlet through which the fluid exits the heat exchanger; and

a serpentine path comprising a fluid channel coupling the inlet to the outlet, wherein the fluid channel extends through the serpentine path of the heat exchanger such that the fluid channel extends both parallel and crosswise relative to respective longitudinal axes of the cylindrical electrochemical cells in the first and second rows to cross the first and second rows of cylindrical electrochemical cells multiple times in alternating directions;

an inlet manifold configured to provide the fluid to the inlets corresponding to each of the plurality of battery modules; and

an outlet manifold configured to route the fluid from the outlets corresponding to each of the plurality of battery modules.

11. The battery system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of battery modules comprise a first layer of battery modules arranged side-by-side and a second layer of battery modules arranged side-by-side, wherein the second layer of battery modules is disposed above the first layer of battery modules.

12. The battery system of claim 11, comprising a first inlet manifold and first outlet manifold configured to route fluid to and from the battery modules in the first layer, and a second inlet manifold and second outlet manifold configured to route fluid to and from the battery modules in the second layer.

13. The battery system of claim 10, wherein the inlet manifold is disposed at a lower end of the battery system and the outlet manifold is disposed at an upper end of the battery system.

14. The battery system of claim 10, wherein both the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold are disposed along a first side of the battery system.

15. The battery system of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of battery modules comprises electrical connections, and wherein substantially all of the electrical connections are disposed along a second side of the battery system opposite the first side.

16. A method for routing a fluid through a heat exchanger in a battery module, comprising:

receiving the fluid into the heat exchanger via an inlet;

routing the fluid through a fluid channel of the heat exchanger in a zig-zag pattern such that the fluid flows in alternating directions within the heat exchanger;

conducting heat between the fluid and a plurality of cylindrical electrochemical cells via an external surface of the heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger is disposed between the first row of cylindrical electrochemical cells and the second row of cylindrical electrochemical cells, the first and second rows of cylindrical electrochemical cells being offset from one another, and wherein the external surface is shaped complementary to the cylindrical electrochemical cells in the first and second rows so that the external surface of the heat exchanger contacts a portion of each of the plurality of cylindrical electrochemical cells, and wherein the zig-zag pattern is such that the fluid channel routes the fluid both along and crosswise relative to respective longitudinal axes of the cylindrical electrochemical cells in the first and second rows to cross the first and second rows of cylindrical electrochemical cells multiple times in alternating directions; and

routing the fluid out of the heat exchanger via the outlet.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising receiving the fluid into the heat exchanger via the inlet coupled to a lower fluid flow segment, and routing the fluid out of the heat exchanger via the outlet coupled to an upper fluid flow segment.

18. The method of claim 16, comprising routing the fluid through a first fluid flow segment, through a 180 degree turn, and through a second fluid flow segment adjacent the first.

19. The method of claim 16, comprising receiving the fluid from an inlet manifold into the inlet, and outputting the fluid from the outlet to an outlet manifold.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold are configured to route the fluid into and out of a plurality of battery modules in a battery system.

21. The method of claim 16, comprising receiving the fluid via the inlet disposed on a first side of the heat exchanger and routing the fluid out of the heat exchanger via the outlet disposed on a second side of the heat exchanger opposite the first side.

22. The method of claim 16, where the inlet and the outlet are disposed on a same side of the heat exchanger.

23. The method of claim 16, comprising:

directing the fluid through a first fluid flow segment of the fluid channel in a first direction;

directing the fluid through a first turn;

directing the fluid through a second fluid flow segment of the fluid channel in a second direction substantially opposite of the first direction.

24. The method of claim 23, comprising directing the fluid in a third direction substantially perpendicular to the first and second directions via the first turn.