Thermally managed battery enclosure for electric and hybrid electric vehicles

• US 20090068547A1
• Filed: 09/23/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Power Technology Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Odyne Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Ambrosio, Joseph Mario, Sfakianos, Konstantinos
• Granted Patent: US 8,115,450 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/50
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/005 the electric storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/28 characterised by the electric energy storing means, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/19 Switching between serial connection and parallel connection of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/27 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/615 Heating or keeping warm
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6556 Solid parts with flow channel passages or pipes for heat exchange closed pipes H01M10/6552
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6557 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6568 characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/663 the system being an air-conditioner or an engine
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/24 adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion thermal insulation H01M10/658
• 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 thermally managed enclosure for batteries in a motor vehicle or other machinery includes a cradle of thermally conductive material for containing a battery. The cradle having a bottom wall and side walls closely fitted to and in contact with the battery, to maintain the battery in a stable position. The bottom wall of the cradle has a passageway trough containing a tube for flowing heating or cooling fluid therethrough, to control the optimal operating temperature of the battery. The passageway trough is preferably filled with a thermally conductive fill surrounding said tube. When two or more batteries are required, an array of adjacent cradles are provided in a monocoque tray formed by bonding or welding the multiple cradles at their adjacent sides. These cradles are optionally connected by linearly extending rods in the cradles.

Claims

1. A thermally managed enclosure for at least one battery comprising:

a) at least one cradle of thermally conductive material for containing at least one battery ;

b) said at least one cradle having a bottom wall and side walls closely fitted to and in contact with said at least one battery;

c) the bottom wall of said at least one cradle having a passageway trough formed below said bottom wall, said bottom wall forming a top wall of said passageway containing a pipe for flowing heating or cooling fluid; and

,

d) said passageway trough being filled with a thermally conductive fill surrounding said pipe.

2. The thermally managed enclosure of claim 1 having a plurality of multiple cradles for batteries, and at least one battery occupying a single cradle of each of said plurality of multiple cradles.

3. The thermally managed enclosure of claim 2 wherein said battery enclosure is in the form of a monocoque battery tray formed by at least one of bonding or welding said multiple cradles at their adjacent sides.

4. The thermally managed enclosure of claim 2 in which said cradles are positioned side by side with fluid pipes adjacent cradles parallel to each other.

5. The thermally managed system for at least one battery as in claim 1 further comprising a means for controlling the temperature of said fluid to maintain said battery at a selected temperature.

6. The thermally managed enclosure of claim 5 wherein said means for controlling the temperature of said fluid to maintain said battery at a selected temperature comprises an intake manifold carrying said heating or cooling fluid to said fluid pipes in each said cradle, then out through an outlet manifold and then on through a respective at least one external heat exchanger and at least one pump, to form a closed loop heating/cooling system for said batteries in said thermally managed enclosure.

7. The battery enclosure of claim 2 wherein said side walls of said cradles are perforated with holes, which said holes are aligned in registration when assembled, said holes being used to accommodate respective locking rods securing a respective top of each said battery to said battery enclosure.

29. The thermally managed enclosure for at least one battery as in claim 1 further comprising a means for controlling the temperature of said fluid to maintain said battery in accordance with temperature requirements of said battery, said means comprising at least one heat exchanger for obtaining heating or cooling fluid from a device powered by said battery.

8. The method of controlling the temperature of at least one battery in a powered motor vehicle comprising the steps of:

a) securing said battery within a cradle in said vehicle, said cradle having walls and a bottom of thermally conductive material, the bottom wall of said cradle having a passageway trough containing a tube;

b) flowing heating or cooling fluid through said tube at a temperature to regulate the temperature of said battery; and

,

c) changing the temperature of said fluid in accordance with the temperature requirements of said battery by either exchanging heat with engine coolant in said vehicle or exchanging heat with refrigerant in an air conditioning system on board said vehicle.

9. A thermally managed enclosure for at least one battery comprising:

a) at least one cradle of thermally conductive material for containing at least one battery ;

b) said at least one cradle having at least one wall closely fitted to and in contact with said at least one battery;

c) said at least one wall of said at least one cradle having a passageway trough containing a conduit for flowing heating or cooling fluid; and

,

d) said passageway trough being filled with a thermally conductive fill surrounding said tube.

10. The thermally managed enclosure of claim 9 having a plurality of multiple cradles for batteries, and at least one battery occupying a single cradle of said plurality of multiple cradles.

11. The thermally managed enclosure of claim 10 wherein said battery enclosure is in the form of a monocoque battery tray formed by at least one of bonding or welding said multiple cradles at their adjacent sides.

12. The thermally managed enclosure of claim 10 in which said cradles are positioned side by side with a fluid conduit in said at least one wall of each said cradle, each said fluid conduit being in parallel with an adjacent fluid conduit, and adjacent respective cradles being attached to said at least one cradle.

13. The thermally managed system for at least one battery as in claim 9 further comprising a means for controlling the temperature of said fluid to maintain said battery at a selected temperature.

14. The thermally managed enclosure of claim 13 wherein said means for controlling the temperature of said fluid to maintain said battery at a selected temperature comprises an intake manifold carrying said heating or cooling fluid to said fluid conduits in each said cradle, then out through an outlet manifold and then on through a respective at least one external heat exchanger and at least one pump, to form a closed loop heating/cooling system for said batteries in said thermally managed enclosure.

15. The battery enclosure of claim 10 wherein each said at least one cradle is perforated with at least one hole, which said hole is aligned with another hole in registration when assembled, said holes being used to accommodate respective locking rods securing a respective top of each said battery to said battery enclosure.

30. The thermally managed enclosure for at least one battery as in claim 9 further comprising a means for controlling the temperature of said fluid to maintain said battery in accordance with temperature requirements of said battery, said means comprising at least one heat exchanger for obtaining heating or cooling fluid from a device powered by said battery.

16. A thermally managed enclosure for at least one battery comprising:

a) at least one cradle of thermally conductive material for containing at least one battery

b) said at least one cradle having at least one wall closely fitted to and in contact with said at least one battery;

c) said at least one wall of said at least one cradle having a passageway trough containing a conduit for flowing heating or cooling fluid;

d) said passageway trough being filled with a thermally conductive fill surrounding said tube; and

,

e) said cradle of thermally conductive material being a contact surface and solid transfer media transferring heating or cooling to said at least one battery.

17. A thermally managed enclosure for at least one battery comprising:

a) at least one cradle of thermally conductive material for containing at least one battery ;

b) said at least one cradle having at least one wall closely fitted to and in contact with said at least one battery;

c) said at least one wall of said at least one cradle having a passageway trough containing a conduit for flowing heating or cooling liquid; and

,

d) said passageway trough being thermally conductive.

18. The thermally managed enclosure of claim 17 having a plurality of multiple cradles for batteries, and at least one battery occupying a single cradle of said plurality of multiple cradles.

19. The thermally managed enclosure of claim 18 wherein said battery enclosure is in the form of a monocoque battery tray formed by at least one of bonding or welding said multiple cradles at their adjacent sides.

20. The thermally managed enclosure of claim 18 in which said cradles are positioned side by side with a liquid conduit in said at least one wall of each said cradle, each said liquid conduit being in parallel with an adjacent liquid conduit, and adjacent respective cradles being attached to said at least one cradle.

21. The thermally managed system for at least one battery as in claim 17 further comprising a means for controlling the temperature of said liquid to maintain said battery at a selected temperature.

22. The thermally managed enclosure of claim 21 wherein said means for controlling the temperature of said liquid to maintain said battery at a selected temperature comprises an intake manifold carrying said heating or cooling liquid to said fluid conduits in each said cradle, then out through an outlet manifold and then on through a respective at least one external heat exchanger and at least one pump, to form a closed loop heating/cooling system for said batteries in said thermally managed enclosure.

23. The battery enclosure of claim 18 wherein each said at least one cradle is perforated with at least one hole, which said hole is aligned with another hole in registration when assembled, said holes being used to accommodate respective locking rods securing a respective top of each said battery to said battery enclosure.

24. The battery enclosure of claim 17 wherein said working liquid is a glycol liquid solution.

25. The battery enclosure of claim 17 wherein said at least wall of said at least one cradle is a bottom wall;

said bottom wall of said at least one cradle having a passageway trough containing a tube for flowing heating or cooling fluid.

26. The battery enclosure of claim 17 wherein said passageway trough is V-shaped.

27. The battery enclosure of claim 17 wherein

said at least wall of said one cradle includes a plurality of side walls closely fitted to and in contact with said at least one battery in said at least one cradle.

28. The battery enclosure of claim 17 wherein said passageway trough is filled with a thermally conductive fill surrounding said conduit.

31. The thermally managed enclosure for at least one battery as in claim 17 further comprising a means for controlling the temperature of said fluid to maintain said battery in accordance with temperature requirements of said battery, said means comprising at least one heat exchanger for obtaining heating or cooling fluid from a device powered by said battery.