Battery Cell Assembly Having Heat Exchanger With Serpentine Flow Path

• US 20090325054A1
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Energy Solution Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Chem Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Morris, Peter, Natarajan, Venkatachala Moorthi, Payne, Josh, Koetting, William, Isayev, Igor, Yang, Heekook
• Granted Patent: US 9,759,495 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/120
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/12 Elements constructed in the shape of a hollow panel, e.g. with channels F28D1/02, F28D1/03 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/615 Heating or keeping warm
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/651 characterised by parameters specified by a numeric value or mathematical formula, e.g. ratios, sizes or concentrations
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/652 characterised by gradients for achieving a desired temperature gradient H01M10/617
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6557 arranged between the cells
• 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 10/6567 Liquids
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery cell assembly is provided. The battery cell assembly includes a battery cell and a heat exchanger disposed adjacent the battery cell configured to cool the battery cell. The heat exchanger has an outer housing. The outer housing defines an interior region and first and second flow guide members. The first and second flow guide members define a serpentine flow path in the interior region. The first and second flow guide members are tilted generally upwardly in the interior region. The serpentine flow path extends from an inlet aperture in the outer housing to another flow path in the outer housing. The another flow path extends from the serpentine flow path to an outlet aperture. The another flow path has a smaller cross-sectional area than a cross-sectional area of each portion of the serpentine flow path such that air bubbles in fluid entering the inlet aperture are urged upwardly through the serpentine flow path and accelerated through the another flow path to exit the outer housing at the outlet aperture.

Claims

1. A battery cell assembly, comprising:

a battery cell; and

a heat exchanger disposed adjacent the battery cell configured to cool the battery cell, the heat exchanger having an outer housing, the outer housing defining an interior region and first and second flow guide members, the first and second flow guide members defining a serpentine flow path in the interior region, the first and second flow guide members tilted generally upwardly in the interior region, the serpentine flow path extending from an inlet aperture in the outer housing to another flow path in the outer housing, the another flow path extending from the serpentine flow path to an outlet aperture, the another flow path having a smaller cross-sectional area than a cross-sectional area of each portion of the serpentine flow path such that air bubbles in fluid entering the inlet aperture are urged upwardly through the serpentine flow path and accelerated through the another flow path to exit the outer housing at the outlet aperture.

2. The battery cell assembly of claim 1, wherein the first flow guide member is tilted upwardly relative to a horizontal axis of the outer housing at an angle in a range of 1-5 degrees.

3. The battery cell assembly of claim 2, wherein the second flow guide member is tilted upwardly relative to the horizontal axis of the outer housing at an angle in a range of 1-5 degrees.

4. The battery cell assembly of claim 3, wherein the first flow guide member is spaced apart from the second flow guide member.

5. The battery cell assembly of claim 1, wherein the outer housing has a first side wall, a second side wall, the first and second side walls having first, second, third, and fourth edges, n inlet extension portion, and an outlet extension portion, the first edge being disposed substantially parallel to the second edge, the third edge being disposed at a first end of the outer housing and extending from the first edge to the second edge, the fourth edge being disposed at a second end of the outer housing opposite to the first end of the outer housing, the fourth edge being substantially parallel to third edge, the inlet extension portion extending from the first edge, the outlet extension portion extending from the second edge, the inlet extension portion having the inlet aperture extending therethrough, the outlet extension portion having the outlet aperture extending therethrough;

the first flow guide member extending from the first edge generally toward the second edge such that the first flow guide member is tilted upwardly relative to the fourth edge;

the second flow guide member extending from the second edge generally toward the first edge such that the second flow guide member is tilted upwardly relative to the fourth edge, the first and second flow guide members being disposed apart from one another such that the first and second flow guide members define the serpentine flow path within the interior region from the inlet aperture;

the outer housing further defining a first flow path disposed proximate to the third edge and communicating with the serpentine flow path, the first flow path having a smaller cross-sectional area than the cross-sectional area of each portion of the serpentine flow path; and

the outer housing further defining a second flow path disposed proximate to the second edge that communicates with the first flow path, the second flow path having a smaller cross-sectional area than the cross-sectional area of each portion of the serpentine flow path, the combination of the first flow path and the second flow path being the another flow path, the second flow path extending from an end of the first flow path to the outlet aperture, such that air bubbles in fluid entering the inlet aperture are urged upwardly through the serpentine flow path and accelerated through the first and second flow paths to exit the outer housing at the outlet aperture.

6. The battery cell assembly of claim 5, wherein the first flow guide member is tilted upwardly relative to the fourth edge at an angle in a range of 1-5 degrees.

7. The battery cell assembly of claim 6, wherein the second flow guide member is tilted upwardly relative to the fourth edge at an angle in a range of 1-5 degrees.