Patent Grant
8563154
The present invention generally relates to battery assemblies, and more particularly relates to a battery assembly with an immersed cell cooling system.
In recent years, advances in technology, as well as ever-evolving tastes in style, have led to substantial changes in the design of automobiles. One of the changes involves the complexity of the electrical systems within automobiles, particularly alternative fuel vehicles that utilize voltage supplies, such as hybrid and battery electric vehicles. Such alternative fuel vehicles typically use one or more electric motors, often powered by batteries, perhaps in combination with another actuator, to drive the wheels.
In order to optimize battery performance, it is important to properly regulate the temperature (both cooling and heating) of the battery cells in the batteries used in, for example, hybrid and battery electric vehicles. Conventional temperature regulation systems utilize cooling channels formed in machined or stamped components that are placed adjacent to the cells. However, such systems often limit the surface area of the cells that are effectively cooled or heated. Additionally, because of the relatively high number of parts, such as seals, that are used to properly assemble the systems, manufacturing and maintenance costs are undesirably high.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a system and method for regulating battery cell temperature with improved performance. Additionally, it is desirable to provide a system and method for battery cell temperature regulation that reduces the required number of parts, as well as manufacturing and maintenance costs. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.
In one embodiment, a battery assembly is provided. The battery assembly includes a casing with a casing wall having inner and outer surfaces and an opening therethrough and being shaped such that a coolant chamber is formed within the casing adjacent to the opening, a sleeve including a compressible material inserted through the opening, the sleeve being shaped such that a sealing portion thereof is positioned over the outer surface of the casing wall, a battery cell inserted into the sleeve such that at least a portion of the battery cell is positioned within the coolant chamber, and a sealing member coupled to the casing such that the sealing member applies a force onto the sealing portion of the sleeve causing the sealing portion of the sleeve to at least partially compress and seal the coolant chamber.
In another embodiment, a battery assembly is provided. The battery assembly includes a casing with a casing wall having inner and outer surfaces and a plurality of openings therethrough and being shaped such that a coolant chamber is formed within the casing adjacent to the plurality of openings, a plurality of sleeves, each including a compressible material and being inserted through one of the plurality of openings, the sleeves being shaped such that a sealing portion thereof is positioned over the outer surface of the casing wall, a plurality of battery cells, each battery cell being inserted into one of the plurality of sleeves such that at least a portion thereof is positioned within the coolant chamber, and at least one sealing member coupled to the casing such that a force is applied onto the sealing portion of each of the plurality of sleeves causing the sealing portion of each of the sleeves to at least partially compress and seal the coolant chamber.
In a further embodiment, an automotive battery assembly is provided. The automotive battery assembly includes a casing with a casing wall being shaped such that a coolant chamber is formed within the casing and having inner and outer surfaces, a plurality of slots therethough adjacent to the coolant chamber, and first and second coolant ports in fluid communication with the coolant chamber, a plurality of sleeves, each including a compressible rubber material and being inserted through a respective one of the slots, the sleeves being shaped such that a sealing portion of each sleeve is positioned over the outer surface of the casing wall and the sealing portion of at least some of the sleeves is adjacent to the sealing portion of another sleeve, a plurality of battery cells, each battery cell being inserted into a respective one of the sleeves such that at least a lower portion thereof is positioned within the coolant chamber and an upper portion thereof extends out of the coolant chamber, each of the battery cells comprising first and second terminals coupled to the upper portion thereof, and at least one sealing member coupled to the casing such that a force is applied onto the sealing portion of each of the plurality of sleeves causing the sealing portion of each of the sleeves to at least partially compress and seal the coolant chamber.
The present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and
The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, and brief summary, or the following detailed description.
The following description refers to elements or features being “connected” or “coupled” together. As used herein, “connected” may refer to one element/feature being mechanically joined to (or directly communicating with) another element/feature, and not necessarily directly. Likewise, “coupled” may refer to one element/feature being directly or indirectly joined to (or directly or indirectly communicating with) another element/feature, and not necessarily mechanically. However, it should be understood that although two elements may be described below, in one embodiment, as being “connected,” in alternative embodiments similar elements may be “coupled,” and vice versa. Thus, although the schematic diagrams shown herein depict example arrangements of elements, additional intervening elements, devices, features, or components may be present in an actual embodiment.
Further, various components and features described herein may be referred to using particular numerical descriptors, such as first, second, third, etc., as well as positional and/or angular descriptors, such as horizontal and vertical. However, such descriptors may be used solely for descriptive purposes relating to drawings and should not be construed as limiting, as the various components may be rearranged in other embodiments. It should also be understood that
The automobile 10 may be any one of a number of different types of automobiles, such as, for example, a sedan, a wagon, a truck, or a sport utility vehicle (SUV), and may be two-wheel drive (2WD) (i.e., rear-wheel drive or front-wheel drive), four-wheel drive (4WD), or all-wheel drive (AWD). The automobile 10 may also incorporate any one of, or combination of, a number of different types of engines, such as, for example, a gasoline or diesel fueled combustion engine, a “flex fuel vehicle” (FFV) engine (i.e., using a mixture of gasoline and alcohol), a gaseous compound (e.g., hydrogen and/or natural gas) fueled engine, a combustion/electric motor hybrid engine (i.e., such as in a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV)), and an electric motor (e.g., battery and/or fuel cell powered).
In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
Still referring to
The heat exchanger (e.g. a radiator and/or coolant sump) 26 is connected to the frame at an outer portion thereof and although not illustrated in detail, includes multiple cooling channels therein that contain a cooling fluid (i.e., coolant) such as water and/or ethylene glycol (i.e., “antifreeze”) and is coupled to the actuator assembly 20, the battery system 22, and the inverter 24 though fluid conduits 31. It should be understood that the heat exchanger 26 may be used to both cool and heat the various components to which it is coupled.
Referring again to
The electronic control system 18 is in operable communication with the actuator assembly 20, the battery 22 system, and the inverter assembly 24. Although not shown in detail, the electronic control system 18 includes various sensors and automotive control modules, or electronic control units (ECUs), such as an inverter control module and a vehicle controller, and at least one processor and/or a memory which includes instructions stored thereon (or in another computer-readable medium) for carrying out the processes and methods as described below.
Although not shown in detail, the electric motor 30, in one embodiment, includes a stator assembly (including conductive coils or windings) and a rotor assembly (including a ferromagnetic core and/or magnets), as well as a transmission. The stator assembly and/or the rotor assembly within the electric motor 30 may include multiple electromagnetic poles (e.g., sixteen poles), as is commonly understood.
The inverter 24 may include a three-phase circuit coupled to the motor 30. More specifically, the inverter 24 may include a switch network having a first input coupled to the battery system 22 (i.e., a voltage source (Vdc)) and an output coupled to the motor 30. The switch network may include three pairs (a, b, and c) of series switches (e.g., insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) within integrated circuits formed on semiconductor substrates) with antiparallel diodes (i.e., antiparallel to each switch) corresponding to each of the phases of the motor 30
The casing 36 is substantially formed from a casing wall 44 that is, in the depicted embodiment, rectangular. The casing wall 44 is made of, for example, a composite material or a metal, such as aluminum, and encloses a coolant chamber 46 that may have a shape similar to that of the casing wall 44. The casing 36 may have, for example, a length 48 of between 10 and 25 inches, a width 50 of between 5 and 12 inches, and a height 52 of between 4 and 10 inches. The casing wall 44 (and/or the casing 36) also includes a top piece (or portion) 54, a bottom piece 56, and side pieces 58.
As shown most clearly in
Still referring to
In the embodiment shown in
Although in the embodiment shown, the sleeves 38 are shown as separate components, it should be understood that in other embodiments, the sleeves may be connected (or interconnected) at the lips of adjacent sleeves. In such a way, the sleeves may essentially be a single integral component, with a plurality of battery cell cavities (similar to battery cell cavities 70) formed therein.
The battery cells 40 are, in one embodiment, prismatic lithium ion battery cells, as are commonly understood. Each of the battery cells 40 is inserted into a respective one of the sleeves 38, and thus the slot 60 associated with the sleeve 38. Still referring to
The lid, or sealing member, 42 is substantially planar and has the same size and shape as the top piece 54 of the casing wall 44. The lid 42 likewise includes a series of openings 78, each of which corresponds to one of the slots 60, and may be made of the same material as the casing wall 44. In the embodiment depicted in
Referring to
Although not shown, it should be understood that the battery cells 40 may be electrically connected, in series or in parallel, via the terminals 74 and 76 and coupled to the electric motor 30, as well as other components, as is commonly understood.
During operation, referring to
In order to regulate the temperature of the battery cells 40, coolant (and/or anti-freeze) is provided to the battery system 22 from the heat exchanger 26 (
It should be noted that due to the impermeable material used in the sleeves 38, the coolant does not directly contact the battery cells 40. Rather, the exchange of heat takes place through the sleeves 38. Further, the combination of the impermeable material and the compressed caused by the lid 42 seals the slots 60 in the top piece 54 of the casing wall 44 thereby preventing the coolant from leaking from the casing 36.
One advantage of the battery assembly described above is that because the coolant is free to completely surround the portions of the battery cells within the coolant chamber, the exchange of heat between the battery cells and the coolant is increased. As a result, temperature regulation, as well as battery performance, is improved. Another advantage is that because of the use of the sleeves and the lid, the battery assembly is simplified, as the number of parts used to seal the coolant chamber is reduced. As a result, manufacturing costs are reduced and maintenance is facilitated.
While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims and the legal equivalents thereof.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5569552 | Rao et al. | Oct 1996 | A |
| 6586132 | Fukuda et al. | Jul 2003 | B1 |
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| Entry |
|---|
| CPO, Chinese Office Action, for Chinese Patent Application No. 201010173970.3, mailed Feb. 21, 2013. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20100285346 A1 | Nov 2010 | US |
