Battery device

• US 6,579,642 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2001
• Issued: 06/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Battery Co., Ltd. (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Battery Co., Ltd. (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Hisano, Katsumi, Yamane, Tetsuya, Matsuoka, Kei, Iwasaki, Hideo, Matsui, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALEJANDRO, RAYMOND
• Application Number:
  US09/984,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20020028376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 429/120, 429/149, 429/151, 429/99, 429/100, 429/176
• US Class Current: 429/120
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/617 for achieving uniformity or desired distribution of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/64 characterised by the shape of the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/652 characterised by gradients for achieving a desired temperature gradient H01M10/617
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6563 with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• 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 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/42 Grouping of primary cells into batteries H01M6/40 takes precedence
• 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 device designed so that a plurality of battery modules (1) are arranged in rows at given spaces in a enclosure (2). Turbulence accelerators (5), such as dummy battery units or the like, are provided in a position on the uppermost-stream side of the enclosure in which air flows in the direction of arrangement of the battery modules. The heat transfer ability for the battery modules in the upper-stream position is enhanced by the turbulence accelerators which disorders the airflow introduced into the enclosure. Auxiliary coolant intake ports (7) for the introduction of a coolant are provided in the middle of an airflow path, whereby the heat transfer ability on the lower-stream side is enhanced, so that battery temperature differences between the battery units arranged in the enclosure can be restrained. Thus, a simple-construction battery device is realized enjoying improved quality and operation stability.

Claims

1. A battery device having therein a plurality of battery units arranged in rows at given spaces and a coolant flow path extending around the battery units in a direction of arrangement thereof, wherein:

battery units which are located in a plurality of rows on an upper-stream side of said coolant flow path are arranged in an in-line rectangular matrix, and battery units which are located in a row or in a plurality of rows on a lower-stream side of said coolant flow path are arranged in a staggered triangular matrix.

2. A battery device according to claim 1, wherein:

an arrangement pitch, as viewed in a coolant flow direction, of the battery units which are disposed on an upper-stream side of said coolant flow path is shorter than an arrangement pitch, as viewed in the coolant flow direction, of the battery units which are disposed on a lower-stream side of said coolant flow path.

3. A battery device according to claim 1, wherein:

an enclosure surrounding said battery units arranged in rows and defining said coolant flow path is provided, said coolant flow path having a sectional area which is reduced from an upper-stream side to a lower-stream side.

4. A battery device according to claim 1, wherein:

a wall of an enclosure surrounding said battery units arranged in rows and defining said coolant flow path is formed with auxiliary coolant intake ports through which a coolant is introduced into intermediate portions of said coolant flow path.

5. A battery device according to claim 1, wherein:

a wall of an enclosure surrounding said battery units arranged in rows and defining said coolant flow path is formed with auxiliary coolant intake ports through which a coolant is introduced into intermediate portions of said coolant flow path, the wall being formed with a bypass channel through which the coolant is introduced into said auxiliary coolant intake ports.

6. A battery device according to claim 1, wherein said battery units are each formed of a battery cell, a battery module formed by combining and integrating a plurality of battery cells, or a battery pack including a battery module and an electronic circuit integrally incorporated therein.

7. A battery device according to claim 3, wherein a sectional area of the coolant flow path defined by said enclosure is set by reducing a width of the enclosure, surrounding said battery units and defining said coolant flow path, from the upper-stream side to the lower-stream side, and

the battery units in the individual rows in the coolant flow direction are arranged in regions of said enclosure at which regions the width of said enclosure is divided equally.

8. A battery device according to claim 1, wherein a dummy for keeping a width of said coolant flow path around the individual battery units substantially uniform is provided in a region for the battery units arranged in the staggered triangular matrix.