Battery system with heat exchange device

• US 9,954,260 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2015
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Company Limited
• Inventors: Ho, Ming-Hui
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Lisa S
• Application Number:
  US14/821,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20160276721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• 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: B60L 58/27 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/04 Construction or manufacture in general H01M10/058, H01M10/12, H01M10/28, H01M10/38 take precedence
• 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 10/63 Control systems charging or discharging in response to temperature H01M10/44 , H01M10/443; measurement of temperature H01M10/48 , H01M10/486
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• 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 10/658 by thermal insulation or shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A battery pack is provided including: a plurality of battery cells arranged in multiple battery cell rows; one or more heat exchange spaces; and a device for providing heat exchange to the battery pack. Further, the device includes a heat conduction medium passage arranged in the heat exchange spaces, such that the heat conduction medium passage surrounds multiple battery cells in each battery cell row. The heat conduction medium passage is provided with at least a first group of channels and a second group of channels, which are in contact with the surface of each battery cell, and a heat conduction medium is provided in the first group of channels and the second group of channels. The heat conduction medium flows in the first group of channels in a direction opposite from the flow of the heat conduction medium in the second group of channels.

Claims

1. A battery pack, comprising:

a plurality of battery cells, wherein the plurality of battery cells are arranged in multiple battery cell rows, and each battery cell row comprises multiple battery cells;

one or more heat exchange spaces, wherein each heat exchange space is arranged between adjacent battery cell rows or at one side of each battery cell row; and

a device configured to provide heat exchange to the battery pack, the device comprising a heat conduction medium passage arranged in the one or more heat exchange spaces, such that the heat conduction medium passage surrounds the multiple battery cells in each battery cell row, wherein

the heat conduction medium passage is provided with at least a first group of channels and a second group of channels, wherein

both the first group of channels and the second group of channels extend in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a first axis running through two opposite ends of each battery cell and are arranged in parallel to a second axis running through all of the battery cells in the cell row, wherein the first axis and the second axis are orthogonal,

the first group of channels and the second group of channels are in contact with a surface of each battery cell,

the first group of channels is provided with at least one inlet and at least one outlet in a first direction such that heat conduction medium flows through the first group of channels in the first direction wherein the heat conduction medium flows, from a heat conduction medium source, directly into the first group channels at the at least one inlet of the first group of channel,

the second group of channels is provided with at least one inlet and at least one outlet in a second direction such that heat conduction medium flows through the second group of channels in the second direction, wherein the first direction is opposite of the second direction and wherein the heat conduction medium flows, from the conduction medium source, directly into the second group of channels at the at least one inlet of the second group of channels at the same time or substantially the same time as the heat conduction medium flows, and the heat conduction medium flows from the heat conduction medium source directly into the first group of channels at the at least one inlet of the first group of channels, wherein the second group of channels and first group of channels are distinct and separate from each other such that the second group of channels and first group of channels are not connected through a turnaround section within a housing containing the plurality of battery cells, and

a heat insulation layer is disposed between the first group of channels and the second group of channels such that the first group of channels and the second group of channels are not in fluid communication with each other.

2. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the heat insulation layer comprises a thermal insulating material made of at least one of glass fiber, asbestos, rock wool, and aerogel felt.

3. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the first group of channels and the second group of channels are is spaced apart, and air in the space between the first group of channels and the second group of channels forms the heat insulation layer.

4. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the battery pack is provided with the one or more heat exchange spaces through which the heat conduction medium passage is arranged in a zig-zag shape to surround every other two battery cell rows.

5. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein at least one channel is arranged in the first group of channels, each channel of the first group of channels having a first inlet and a first outlet;

and at least one channel is arranged in the second group of channels, and each channel of the second group of channels having a second inlet and a second outlet.

6. The battery pack of claim 5, wherein the first inlet of each of the first group of channels is connected with a first input port, the first outlet of each of the first group of channels is connected with a first output port, the second inlet of each of the second group of channels is connected with a second input port, and the second outlet of each of the second group of channels is connected with a second output port.

7. A battery system, comprising:

a battery pack, wherein the battery pack includes;

a plurality of battery cells, wherein the plurality of battery cells are arranged in multiple battery cell rows, and each battery cell row comprises multiple battery cells,

one or more heat exchange spaces, wherein each heat exchange space is arranged between adjacent battery cell rows or at one side of each battery cell row,

a device for providing heat exchange to the battery pack, wherein the device includes a heat conduction medium passage arranged in the one or more heat exchange spaces, wherein the heat conduction medium passage surrounds the multiple battery cells in each battery cell row, wherein

the heat conduction medium passage is provided with at least a first group of channels and a second group of channels, wherein

both the first group of channels and the second group of channels extend in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a first axis running through two opposite ends of each battery cell and are arranged in parallel to a second axis running through all of the battery cells in the cell row, wherein the first axis and the second axis are orthogonal,

the first group of channels and the second group of channels are in contact with a surface of each battery cell,

the first group of channels is provided with at least one inlet and at least one outlet in a first direction such that heat conduction medium flows through the first group of channels in the first direction wherein the heat conduction medium flows, from a heat conduction medium source, directly into the first group channels at the at least one inlet of the first group of channel,

the second group of channels is provided with at least one inlet and at least one outlet in a second direction such that heat conduction medium flows through the second group of channels in the second direction, wherein the first direction is opposite of the second direction and wherein the heat conduction medium flows, from the conduction medium source, directly into the second group of channels at the at least one inlet of the second group of channels at the same time or substantially the same time as the heat conduction medium flows, and the heat conduction medium flows from the heat conduction medium source directly into the first group of channels at the at least one inlet of the first group of channels, wherein the second group of channels and first group of channels are distinct and separate from each other such that the second group of channels and first group of channels are not connected through a turnaround section within a housing containing the plurality of battery cells, and

a heat insulation layer is arranged between the first group of channels and the second group of channels such that the first group of channels and the second group of channels are not in fluid communication with each other;

a sensor to detect a temperature of the battery pack;

a controller configured to determine and send a control signal according to a temperature value detected by the sensor;

a pump configured to control the flow rate of the heat conduction medium according to the control signal sent by the controller; and

a passage, wherein the heat conduction medium source, the pump, and the heat conduction medium passage are in fluid communication via the passage.

8. The battery system of claim 7, wherein the heat insulation layer comprises a thermal insulating material made from at least one of glass fiber, asbestos, rock wool, and aerogel felt.

9. The battery system of claim 7, wherein the first group of channels and the second group of channels are spaced apart, and air in the space between the first group of channels and the second group of channels forms the heat insulation layer.

10. The battery system of claim 7, wherein a flow direction of the heat conduction medium in the first group of channels is opposite to a flow direction of the heat conduction medium in the second group of channels.

11. An electric vehicle, comprising:

an electric motor;

a battery pack configured to power the electric motor, the battery pack including;

a plurality of battery cells, wherein the plurality of battery cells are arranged in multiple battery cell rows, and each battery cell row comprises multiple battery cells,

one or more heat exchange spaces, wherein each heat exchange space is arranged between adjacent battery cell rows or at one side of each battery cell row,

a device for providing heat exchange to the battery pack, wherein the device includes a heat conduction medium passage arranged in the one or more heat exchange spaces, wherein the heat conduction medium passage surrounds the multiple battery cells in each battery cell row, wherein

the heat conduction medium passage is provided with at least a first group of channels and a second group of channels wherein

both the first group of channels and the second group of channels extend in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a first axis running through two opposite ends of each battery cell and are arranged in parallel to a second axis running through all of the battery cells in the cell row, wherein the first axis and the second axis are orthogonal,

the first group of channels and the second group of channels are in contact with a surface of each battery cell,

the first group of channels is provided with at least one inlet and at least one outlet in a first direction such that heat conduction medium flows through the first group of channels in the first direction wherein the heat conduction medium flows, from the conduction medium source, directly into the first group channels at the at least one inlet of the first group of channel,

the second group of channels is provided with at least one inlet and at least one outlet in a second direction such that heat conduction medium flows through the second group of channels in the second direction, wherein the first direction is opposite of the second direction and wherein the heat conduction medium flows, from the conduction medium source, directly into the second group of channels at the at least one inlet of the second group of channels at the same time or substantially the same time as the heat conduction medium flows, and the heat conduction medium flows from the conduction medium source directly into the first group of channels at the at least one inlet of the first group of channels, wherein the second group of channels and first group of channels are distinct and separate from each other such that the second group of channels and first group of channels are not connected through a turnaround section within a housing containing the plurality of battery cells, and

a heat insulation layer is arranged between the first group of channels and the second group of channels such that the first group of channels and the second group of channels are not in fluid communication with each other;

a sensor to detect a temperature of the battery pack;

a controller configured to determine and send a control signal according to a temperature value detected by the sensor;

a pump configured to control the flow rate of the heat conduction medium according to the control signal sent by the controller; and

a passage, wherein the heat conduction medium source, the pump, and the heat conduction medium passage are in fluid communication via the passage.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the heat insulation layer comprises a thermal insulating material made from at least one of glass fiber, asbestos, rock wool, and aerogel felt.

13. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the first group of channels and the second group of channels are spaced apart, and air in the space between the first group of channels and the second group of channels forms the heat insulation layer.

14. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein a flow direction of the heat conduction medium in the first group of channels is opposite to a flow direction of the heat conduction medium in the second group of channels.