Battery module having battery cell assembly with heat exchanger

• US 8,067,111 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• 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: Klein, Martin, Tom, Kwok, Patil, Prabhaker, Alamgir, Mohamed, Koetting, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Ridley; Basia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Buchanan; Jacob
• Application Number:
  US12/164,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20090325053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 429148-160, 429/163, 429175-159, 429/186, 429/120
• US Class Current: 429/120
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/058 Construction or manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A battery module having a battery cell assembly with a heat exchanger is provided. The assembly includes a first battery cell having a first side and a second side, and a second battery cell having a first side and a second side. The first side of the second battery cell contacts the second side of the first battery cell. The assembly further includes a heat exchanger. A first side of the heat exchanger contacts the second side of the second battery cell. The battery cell assembly further includes a third battery cell having a first side and a second side. The first side of the third battery cell contacts a second side of the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger removes heat energy from the first, second, and third battery cells to maintain the first, second, and third battery cells at substantially a desired temperature.

Claims

1. A battery cell assembly, comprising:

a first battery cell having a first side and a second side;

a second battery cell having a first side and a second side, the first side of the second battery cell directly contacting the second side of the first battery cell;

a heat exchanger having a first side and a second side, the first side of the heat exchanger directly contacting the second side of the second battery cell; and

a third battery cell having a first side and a second side, the first side of the third battery cell directly contacting the second side of the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger being configured to remove heat energy from the first, second, and third battery cells to maintain the first, second, and third battery cells at substantially a desired temperature;

a first rectangular ring-shaped frame member having a first side and a second side, the second side of the first rectangular ring-shaped frame member directly contacting the first side of the first battery cell;

a second rectangular ring-shaped frame member having a first side and a second side, the first side of the second rectangular ring-shaped frame member directly contacting both the second side of the first rectangular ring-shaped frame member and the second side of the second battery cell; and

a first securement ring-shaped member having a first side and a second side, an outer peripheral size of the first securement ring-shaped member being less than an outer peripheral size of the first rectangular ring-shaped frame member, the first securement ring-shaped member being disposed between the second side of the first rectangular ring-shaped frame member and the first side of the second rectangular ring-shaped frame member to further secure the first and second battery cells between the first and second rectangular ring-shaped frame members.

2. The battery cell assembly of claim 1, further comprising a third rectangular ring-shaped frame member having a first side and a second side, the first side of the third rectangular ring-shaped frame member contacting both the second side of the second rectangular ring-shaped frame member and the second side of the third battery cell.

3. The battery cell assembly of claim 2, further comprising a second securement ring-shaped member having a first side and a second side, an outer peripheral size of the second securement ring-shaped member being less than an outer peripheral size of the third rectangular ring-shaped frame member, the second securement ring-shaped member being disposed between the second side of the second rectangular ring-shaped frame member and the first side of the third rectangular ring-shaped frame member to further secure the third battery cell between the second and third rectangular ring-shaped frame members.

4. The battery cell assembly of claim 1, wherein the first battery cell is a lithium-ion battery cell.

5. A battery module, comprising:

a first battery cell assembly having a first battery cell with a first side and a second side;

the first battery cell assembly further having a second battery cell with a first side and a second side, the first side of the second battery cell directly contacting the second side of the first battery cell;

the first battery cell assembly further having a first heat exchanger with a first side and a second side, the first side of the first heat exchanger directly contacting the second side of the second battery cell;

the first battery cell assembly further having a third battery cell with a first side and a second side, the first side of the third battery cell directly contacting the second side of the first heat exchanger, the first heat exchanger being configured to remove heat energy from the first, second, and third battery cells to maintain the first, second, and third battery cells at substantially a desired temperature;

the first battery cell assembly further comprises a first rectangular ring-shaped frame member having a first side and a second side, the second side of the first rectangular ring-shaped frame member directly contacting the first side of the first battery cell;

the first battery cell assembly further comprises a second rectangular ring-shaped frame member having a first side and a second side, the first side of the second rectangular ring-shaped frame member directly contacting both the second side of the first rectangular ring-shaped frame member and the second side of the second battery cell;

the first battery cell assembly further comprises a first securement ring-shaped member having a first side and a second side, an outer peripheral size of the first securement ring-shaped member being less than an outer peripheral size of the first rectangular ring-shaped frame member, the first securement ring-shaped member being disposed between the second side of the first rectangular ring-shaped frame member and the first side of the second rectangular ring- shaped frame member to further secure the first and second battery cells between the first and second rectangular ring-shaped frame members;

a second battery cell assembly having a fourth battery cell with a first side and a second side, the first side of the fourth battery cell directly contacting the second side of the third battery cell of the first battery cell assembly;

the second battery cell assembly further having a second heat exchanger with a first side and a second side, the first side of the second heat exchanger directly contacting the second side of the fourth battery cell;

the second battery cell assembly further having a fifth battery cell with a first side and a second side, the first side of the fifth battery cell directly contacting the second side of the second heat exchanger; and

the second battery cell assembly further having a sixth battery cell with a first side and a second side, the first side of the sixth battery cell directly contacting the second side of the fifth battery cell, the second heat exchanger being configured to remove heat energy from the fourth, fifth and sixth battery cells to maintain the fourth, fifth and sixth battery cells at substantially the desired temperature.

6. The battery module of claim 5, wherein the first battery cell assembly further comprises a third rectangular ring-shaped frame member having a first side and a second side, the first side of the third rectangular ring-shaped frame member contacting both the second side of the second rectangular ring-shaped frame member and the second side of the third battery cell.

7. The battery module of claim 6, wherein the first battery cell assembly further comprises a second securement ring-shaped member having a first side and a second side, an outer peripheral size of the second securement ring-shaped member being less than an outer peripheral size of the third rectangular ring-shaped frame member, the second securement ring-shaped member being disposed between the second side of the second rectangular ring-shaped frame member and the first side of the third rectangular ring-shaped frame member to further secure the third battery cell between the second and third rectangular ring-shaped frame members.

8. The battery module of claim 5, wherein the first battery cell is a lithium-ion battery cell.

9. A battery cell assembly, comprising:

a first battery cell having a first side and a second side;

a second battery cell having a first side and a second side, the first side of the second battery cell directly contacting the second side of the first battery cell;

a heat exchanger having a housing with a first side and a second side, the heat exchanger further having an inlet port and an outlet port coupled to the housing, the inlet port extending outwardly from the housing, the outlet port extending outwardly from the housing, the first side of the heat exchanger directly contacting the second side of the second battery cell, the inlet port configured to receive a fluid therein such that the fluid flows from the inlet port through the housing and through the outlet port;

a third battery cell having a first side and a second side, the first side of the third battery cell directly contacting the second side of the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger removing heat energy from the first, second, and third battery cells to maintain the first, second, and third battery cells at substantially a desired temperature;

a first rectangular ring-shaped frame member having a first side and a second side, the second side of the first rectangular ring-shaped frame member directly contacting the first side of the first battery cell; and

a second rectangular ring-shaped frame member having a first side and a second side, the first side of the second rectangular ring-shaped frame member directly contacting both the second side of the first rectangular ring-shaped frame member and the second side of the second battery cell.

10. The battery cell assembly of claim 9, wherein a thickness of the heat exchanger from the first side of the housing of the heat exchanger to the second side of the housing of the heat exchanger is less than a thickness of the first battery cell from the first side of the first battery cell to the second side of the first battery cell.

11. The battery cell assembly of claim 9, wherein a size of an outer periphery of the housing of the heat exchanger is less than a size of an outer periphery of the first rectangular ring-shaped frame member.