Battery thermal management systems including heat spreaders with thermoelectric devices

• US 9,590,282 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2014
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentherm Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Gentherm Incorporated
• Inventors: Kossakovski, Dmitri, Piggott, Alfred, Barnhart, Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Cullen, Sean P
• Application Number:
  US14/437,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20160240903A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 429/120
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/02 using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/63 Control systems charging or discharging in response to temperature H01M10/44 , H01M10/443; measurement of temperature H01M10/48 , H01M10/486
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6551 Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6554 Rods or plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6572 Peltier elements or thermoelectric devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Disclosed embodiments include thermoelectric-based thermal management systems and methods configured to heat and/or cool an electrical device. Thermal management systems can include a heat spreader positioned near a localized heat general of the electrical device. A fin can be connected to the heat spreader with a thermoelectric device positioned on the fin. Electric power can be directed to the thermoelectric device to provide controlled heating and/or cooling to the electrical device.

Claims

1. A thermoelectric battery thermal management system configured to manage battery cell temperature, the system comprising:

a battery cell comprising an electrode configured to deliver electric power to or from the battery cell, the electrode connected to the battery cell on a first side of the battery cell, wherein the battery cell is capable of generating a hotspot corresponding to a temperature increase of the battery cell when the battery cell is operating via the electrode delivering electric power to or from the battery cell, the hotspot having a center corresponding to a point or a region of the battery cell having a highest temperature relative to other regions of the battery cell;

a heat spreader on a second side of the battery cell and in thermal communication with the hotspot, the heat spreader over the center of the hotspot on the second side of the battery cell; and

a thermoelectric device comprising a main surface and a waste surface, the thermoelectric device configured to transfer thermal energy between the main surface and the waste surface of the thermoelectric device upon application of electric current to the thermoelectric device, wherein the main surface of the thermoelectric device is in thermal communication with the heat spreader to heat or cool the battery cell by adjusting a polarity of the electric current delivered to the thermoelectric device, wherein the thermoelectric device is proximate to a third side of the battery cell, and wherein a geometric center of the main surface of the thermoelectric device is substantially on a line along a shortest thermal path on the heat spreader from the center of the hotspot to the third side of the battery cell with the geometric center of the main surface of the thermoelectric device projected onto a plane of the heat spreader extending along the second side of the battery cell.

2. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the second side is substantially perpendicular to a shortest dimension of the battery cell.

3. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the battery cell has a prismatic shape, and wherein when the prismatic shape is positioned in an X-Y-Z coordinate system, the first side is along an X-Z plane of the X-Y-Z coordinate system, the second side is along an X-Y plane of the X-Y-Z coordinate system, and the third side is along an Y-Z plane of the X-Y-Z coordinate system.

4. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 1, further comprising a fin connected to the heat spreader and in thermal communication with the hotspot via the heat spreader, the fin proximate to the third side of the battery cell.

5. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 1, further comprising:

an other thermoelectric device comprising a main surface and a waste surface, the other thermoelectric device configured to transfer thermal energy between the main surface and the waste surface of the other thermoelectric device upon application of electric current to the other thermoelectric device, wherein the main surface of the other thermoelectric device is in thermal communication with the heat spreader to heat or cool the battery cell by adjusting a polarity of the electric current delivered to the other thermoelectric device, wherein the other thermoelectric device is proximate to a fourth side of the battery cell opposite the third side of the battery cell, wherein a geometric center of the main surface of the other thermoelectric device is substantially on the line along the shortest thermal path on the heat spreader with the geometric center of the main surface of the other thermoelectric device projected onto the plane of the heat spreader extending along the second side of the battery cell.

6. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the battery cell comprises an other electrode connected to the battery cell on the first side of the battery cell.

7. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric device extends along the third side of the battery cell less than half of a length of the third side along the second side of the battery cell.

8. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the battery cell is sealed within an enclosure, and wherein the waste surface of the thermoelectric device is in thermal communication with a wall of the enclosure, the wall of enclosure capable of acting as a heat source or a heat sink for the system.

9. The thermoelectric battery of thermal management system of claim 1, further comprising an other battery cell, the other battery cell comprising an electrode configured to deliver electric power to or from the other battery cell, the electrode of the other battery cell connected to the other battery cell on a first side of the other battery cell, wherein the other battery cell is capable of generating an other hotspot corresponding to a temperature increase of the other battery cell when the other battery cell is operating via the electrode of the other battery cell delivering electric power to or from the other battery cell, the other hotspot having a center corresponding to a point or a region of the other battery cell having a highest temperature relative to other regions of the other battery cell, and wherein the battery cell and the other battery cell are stacked with the first side of the battery cell and the first side of the other battery cell positioned substantially in parallel along a same plane.

10. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 9, wherein the other battery cell is in thermal communication with the heat spreader to heat or cool the other battery cell by adjusting the polarity of the electric current delivered to the thermoelectric device.

11. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 9, further comprising:

an other heat spreader on a second side of the other battery cell and in thermal communication with the other hotspot, the other heat spreader over the center of the other hotspot on the second side of the other battery cell; and

an other thermoelectric device comprising a main surface and a waste surface, the other thermoelectric device configured to transfer thermal energy between the main surface and the waste surface of the other thermoelectric device upon application of electric current to the other thermoelectric device, wherein the main surface of the other thermoelectric device is in thermal communication with the other heat spreader to heat or cool the other battery cell by adjusting a polarity of the electric current delivered to the other thermoelectric device, wherein the other thermoelectric device is proximate to a third side of the other battery cell, and wherein a geometric center of the main surface of the other thermoelectric device is substantially on a line along an other shortest thermal path on the other heat spreader from the center of the other hotspot to the third side of the other battery cell with the geometric center of the main surface of the other thermoelectric device projected onto a plane of the other heat spreader extending along the second side of the other battery cell.

12. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 1, further comprising a strip extending along the shortest thermal path to the thermoelectric device, the strip shorter than the heat spreader in at least one dimension.

13. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 12, wherein the strip is connected to the heater spreader and comprising a material having a higher thermal conductivity than a material of the heat spreader.

14. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the center of the hotspot is proximate to the first side of the battery cell relative to a fifth side of the battery cell opposite the first side of the battery cell.

15. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 14, wherein an entirety of the thermoelectric device is on a same side of a plane extending substantially equidistantly between the first side and the fifth side of the battery cell.

16. A thermoelectric battery thermal management system configured to manage battery cell temperature, the system comprising:

a first battery cell comprising a first electrode configured to deliver electric power to or from the first battery cell, the first electrode of the first battery cell connected to the first battery cell on a first side of the first battery cell, wherein the first battery cell is capable of generating a first hotspot corresponding to a temperature increase of the first battery cell when the first battery cell is operating via the first electrode of the first battery cell delivering electric power to or from the first battery cell, the first hotspot having a center corresponding to a point or a region of the first battery cell having a highest temperature relative to other regions of the first battery cell;

a second battery cell comprising a first electrode configured to deliver electric power to or from the second battery cell, the first electrode of the second battery cell connected to the second battery cell on a first side of the second battery cell, wherein the second battery cell is capable of generating a second hotspot corresponding to a temperature increase of the second battery cell when the second battery cell is operating via the first electrode of the second battery cell delivering electric power to or from the second battery cell, the second hotspot having a center corresponding to a point or a region of the second battery cell having a highest temperature relative to other regions of the second battery cell;

a first heat spreader on a second side of the first battery cell and in thermal communication with the first hotspot, the first heat spreader over the center of the first hotspot on the second side of the first battery cell;

a second heat spreader on a second side of the second battery cell and in thermal communication with the second hotspot, the second heat spreader over the center of the second hotspot on the second side of the second battery cell, wherein the second sides of the first and second battery cells are substantially parallel to each other;

a third heat spreader in thermal communication with the first and second heat spreaders; and

a thermoelectric device comprising a main surface and a waste surface, the thermoelectric device configured to transfer thermal energy between the main surface and the waste surface of the thermoelectric device upon application of electric current to the thermoelectric device, wherein the main surface of the thermoelectric device is in thermal communication with the third heat spreader to heat or cool the first and second battery cells by adjusting a polarity of the electric current delivered to the thermoelectric device, wherein the thermoelectric device is proximate to a third side of the first battery cell, and wherein a geometric center of the main surface of the thermoelectric device is substantially on a line along a shortest thermal path on the first heat spreader from the center of the first hotspot to the third side of the first battery cell with the geometric center of the main surface of the thermoelectric device projected onto a plane of the first heat spreader extending along the second side of the first battery cell.

17. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 16, wherein the thermoelectric device is proximate to a third side of the second battery cell, and wherein the geometric center of the main surface of the thermoelectric device is substantially on a line along a shortest thermal path on the second heat spreader from the center of the second hotspot to the third side of the second battery cell with the geometric center of the main surface of the thermoelectric device projected onto a plane of the second heat spreader extending along the second side of the second battery cell.

18. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 16, wherein each battery cell comprises a second electrode connected to the respective battery cell on the first side of the respective battery cell.

19. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 16, wherein the thermoelectric device extends along the third side of at least one of the first or second battery cell less than half of a length of the third side along the second side of the at least one of the first or second battery cell.

20. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 16, further comprising:

a first fin connected to the first heat spreader and in thermal communication with the first hotspot via the first heat spreader, the first fin proximate to the third side of the first battery cell; and

a second fin connected to the second heat spreader and in thermal communication with the second hotspot via the second heat spreader, the second fin proximate to the third side of the second battery cell,

wherein the first and second fins are in thermal communication with the third heat spreader to at least in part provide thermal communication between the third heat spreader and the first and second heat spreaders.

21. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 20, wherein the first fin extends from the first heat spreader substantially in parallel with the third side of the first battery cell, and the second fin extends from the second heat spreader substantially in parallel with the third side of the second battery cell.

22. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 16, wherein the center of each hotspot is proximate to the first side of each battery cell relative to a fifth side of each battery cell opposite the first side of each battery cell.

23. The thermoelectric battery thermal management system of claim 22, wherein an entirety of the thermoelectric device is on a same side of a plane extending substantially equidistantly between the first side and the fifth side of each battery cell.

24. A thermoelectric battery thermal management system configured to manage battery cell temperature, the system comprising:

a battery cell comprising an electrode configured to deliver electric power to or from the battery cell, the electrode connected to the battery cell on a first surface of the battery cell, wherein the battery cell is capable of generating a hotspot corresponding to a temperature increase of the battery cell when the battery cell is operating via the electrode delivering electric power to or from the battery cell, the hotspot having a center corresponding to a point or a region of the battery cell having a highest temperature relative to other regions of the battery cell;

a heat spreader positioned on a second surface of the battery cell and in thermal communication with the hotspot, the heat spreader positioned over the center of the hotspot on the second surface of the battery cell;

a fin connected to the heat spreader and in thermal communication with the hotspot via the heat spreader, the fin positioned to provide a shortest thermal path along the heat spreader from the center of the hotspot to the fin, the fin on a first side of a plane, the plane parallel or tangential to the first surface where the electrode connects to the battery cell, wherein the electrode is on a second side of the plane; and

a thermoelectric device comprising a main surface and a waste surface, the thermoelectric device configured to transfer thermal energy between the main surface and the waste surface of the thermoelectric device upon application of electric current to the thermoelectric device, wherein the main surface of the thermoelectric device is in thermal communication with the fin to heat or cool the battery cell by adjusting a polarity of the electric current delivered to the thermoelectric device, wherein the shortest thermal path on the heat spreader extends to a dimension of a perimeter of the main surface of the thermoelectric device when the dimension of the perimeter of the main surface of the thermoelectric device is projected onto a surface of the heat spreader where the fin connects to the heat spreader,

wherein the battery cell has a cylindrical shape, and wherein the heat spreader circumscribes a perimeter of the battery cell about a central axis of the cylindrical shape, the central axis perpendicular to the plane.

25. A method of manufacturing a thermoelectric battery thermal management system configured to manage battery cell temperature, the method comprising:

connecting a heat spreader to a battery cell having an electrode configured to deliver electric power to or from the battery cell, the electrode connected to the battery cell on a first surface of the battery cell, wherein the battery cell is capable of generating a hotspot corresponding to a temperature increase of the battery cell when the battery cell is operating via the electrode delivering electric power to or from the battery cell, the hotspot having a center corresponding to a point or a region of the battery cell having a highest temperature relative to other regions of the battery cell, wherein the heat spreader is connected on a second surface of the battery cell to be in thermal communication with the hotspot, the heat spreader positioned over the center of the hotspot on the second surface of the battery cell;

connecting a fin to the heat spreader in thermal communication with the hotspot, the fin positioned to provide a shortest thermal path along the heat spreader from the center of the hotspot to the fin, the fin on a first side of a plane, the plane parallel or tangential to the first surface where the electrode connects to the battery cell, wherein the electrode is on a second side of the plane; and

connecting a thermoelectric device to the fin, the thermoelectric device comprising a main surface and a waste surface, the thermoelectric device configured to transfer thermal energy between the main surface and the waste surface of the thermoelectric device upon application of electric current to the thermoelectric device, wherein the main surface of the thermoelectric device is in thermal communication with the fin to heat or cool the battery cell by adjusting a polarity of the electric current delivered to the thermoelectric device, wherein a geometric center of the main surface of the thermoelectric device is positioned substantially along the shortest thermal path on the heat spreader when the geometric center of the main surface of the thermoelectric device is projected onto a surface of the heat spreader where the fin connects to the heat spreader.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

connecting an other fin to the heat spreader in thermal communication with the hotspot, the other fin on the first side of the plane; and

connecting an other thermoelectric device to the other fin, the other thermoelectric device comprising a main surface and a waste surface, the other thermoelectric device configured to transfer thermal energy between the main surface and the waste surface of the other thermoelectric device upon application of electric current to the other thermoelectric device, wherein the main surface of the other thermoelectric device is in thermal communication with the other fin along a line extending from and parallel to the shortest thermal path along the heat spreader to heat or cool the battery cell by adjusting a polarity of the electric current delivered to the other thermoelectric device.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising stacking an other battery cell with the battery cell, the other battery cell comprising an electrode configured to deliver electric power to or from the other battery cell, the electrode of other battery cell connected to the other battery cell on a first surface of the other battery cell, wherein the other battery cell is capable of generating an other hotspot corresponding to a temperature increase of the other battery cell when the other battery cell is operating via the electrode of the other battery cell delivering electric power to or from the other battery cell, the other hotspot having a center corresponding to a point or a region of the other battery cell having a highest temperature relative to other regions of the other battery cell, and wherein the battery cell and the other battery cell are stacked with the first surface the battery cell and the first surface of the other battery cell positioned substantially along a same plane.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

connecting an other heat spreader to a second surface of the other battery cell and in thermal communication with the other hotspot, the other heat spreader positioned over the center of the other hotspot on the second surface of the other battery cell;

connecting an other fin to the other heat spreader in thermal communication with the other hotspot via the other heat spreader, the other fin positioned to provide a shortest thermal path along the other heat spreader from the center of the other hotspot to the other fin, the other fin on a first side of an other plane, the other plane parallel or tangential to the first surface where the electrode of the other battery cell connects to the other battery cell, wherein the electrode of the other battery cell is on a second side of the other plane; and

connecting an other thermoelectric device with the other fin, the other thermoelectric device comprising a main surface and a waste surface, the other thermoelectric device configured to transfer thermal energy between the main surface and the waste surface of the other thermoelectric device upon application of electric current to the other thermoelectric device, wherein the main surface of the other thermoelectric device is in thermal communication with the other fin along the shortest thermal path of the other heat spreader to heat or cool the battery cell by adjusting a polarity of the electric current delivered to the other thermoelectric device.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

connecting an other heat spreader to a second surface of the other battery cell and in thermal communication with the other hotspot, the other heat spreader positioned over the center of the other hotspot on the second surface of the other battery cell;

connecting an other fin to the other heat spreader and in thermal communication with the other hotspot via the other heat spreader, the other fin positioned to provide a shortest thermal path along the other heat spreader from the center of the other hotspot to the other fin, the other fin on a first side of an other plane, the other plane parallel or tangential to the first surface where the electrode of the other battery cell connects to the other battery cell, wherein the electrode of the other battery cell is on a second side of the other plane;

connecting a heat plate in thermal communication with both the fin and the other fin; and

connecting the main surface of the thermoelectric device with the heat plate to heat or cool the hotspots of the battery cell and the other battery cell by adjusting the polarity of the electric current delivered to the thermoelectric device.