Patent Application
20250192351
This disclosure relates generally to discharging vent byproducts from a traction battery pack.
Electrified vehicles differ from conventional motor vehicles because electrified vehicles are selectively driven using one or more electric machines powered by a traction battery. The electric machines can drive the electrified vehicles instead of, or in addition to, an internal combustion engine. Example electrified vehicles include hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), and battery electric vehicles (BEVs).
With reference to
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack venting assembly, including: a battery pack enclosure assembly providing an battery pack interior; a plurality of cell stacks within the battery pack interior, each cell stack including a plurality of battery cells; a plurality of module enclosure assemblies within the battery pack interior, each of the module enclosure assemblies housing one or more of the cell stacks; an exhaust trunk extending through the battery pack enclosure assembly from the battery pack interior to an area outside the battery pack interior; a plurality of exhaust branches within the battery pack interior, each of the exhaust branches extending from one of the module enclosure assemblies to the exhaust trunk.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack venting assembly, wherein the exhaust branches each open to the exhaust trunk within the battery pack interior.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack venting assembly, wherein the exhaust branches are each configured to communicate vent byproducts directly from one of the module enclosure assemblies to the exhaust trunk.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack venting assembly, wherein the exhaust trunk is configured to communicate vent byproducts received from one or more of the exhaust branches to the area outside the battery pack enclosure assembly.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack venting assembly, wherein the module enclosure assemblies, the exhaust branches, and the exhaust trunk are sealed such that, within the battery pack interior, vent byproducts are contained by the module enclosure assemblies, the exhaust branches, and the exhaust trunk.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack venting assembly, wherein the cell stacks are immersion cooled.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack venting assembly, further including a plurality of coolant inlet branches, each of the coolant inlet branches configured to communicate a liquid coolant to one of the module enclosure assemblies.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack venting assembly, further including a coolant inlet trunk that communicates a liquid coolant to each of the plurality of coolant inlet branches.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack venting assembly, wherein the coolant inlet branches are directly connected to the coolant inlet trunk within the battery pack interior.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack venting assembly, wherein the plurality of exhaust branches are configured to communicate liquid coolant and vent byproducts directly from one of the module enclosure assemblies to the exhaust trunk.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack venting assembly, wherein the battery cells are each configured to vent into a liquid coolant.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a battery pack venting assembly, further including a plurality of check valves that block a backflow of vent byproducts from the exhaust trunk through the exhaust branches.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method of venting from a battery pack, including: within a battery pack interior provided by a battery pack enclosure assembly, communicating vent byproducts from a battery module enclosure assembly into an exhaust branch, the vent byproducts expelled from at least one battery cell within a cell stack that is housed within the battery pack interior; within the battery pack interior, communicating the vent byproducts through the exhaust branch into an exhaust trunk; and communicating the vent byproducts through the exhaust trunk through the battery pack enclosure to an area outside the battery pack enclosure to exhaust the vent byproducts from the battery pack enclosure.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein the module enclosure assemblies, the exhaust branches, and the exhaust trunk are sealed such that, within the battery pack interior, vent byproducts are contained by the module enclosure assemblies, the exhaust branches, and the exhaust trunk.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein the battery module enclosure assembly is one of a plurality of battery module enclosure assemblies within the battery pack enclosure assembly.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein each of the battery module enclosure assemblies includes at least one cell stack having a plurality of battery cells.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein cells stacks each include a plurality of individual battery cells configured to vent into a liquid coolant.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, further including managing thermal energy within the battery pack interior using an immersion thermal management system.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, further including communicating a liquid coolant through a coolant inlet trunk into the battery pack interior, and communicating the liquid coolant through one of a plurality of coolant inlet branches from the coolant inlet trunk to one of the plurality of battery module enclosures.
In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein the exhaust branch is one of a plurality of exhaust branches, each of the exhaust branches connecting one of the battery enclosure modules to the exhaust trunk, and further including communicating both the vent byproducts and the liquid coolant through one of the exhaust branches to the exhaust trunk.
The embodiments, examples and alternatives of the preceding paragraphs, the claims, or the following description and drawings, including any of their various aspects or respective individual features, may be taken independently or in any combination. Features described in connection with one embodiment are applicable to all embodiments, unless such features are incompatible.
The various features and advantages of the disclosed examples will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description. The figures that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows:
This disclosure relates generally to a traction battery pack for an electrified vehicle and, in particular, to discharging vent byproducts from an interior of the traction battery pack.
With reference to
The battery pack 12 is, in the exemplary embodiment, secured to an underbody of the electrified vehicle 10. The battery pack 12 could be located elsewhere on the electrified vehicle 10 in other examples.
The example vehicle 10 is a battery electric vehicle (BEV). In another example, the vehicle 10 could be another type of electrified vehicle, such as a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), or a conventional vehicle. A hybrid electric vehicle selectively drives wheels using torque provided by an internal combustion engine instead of, or in addition to, an electric machine. Generally, the electrified vehicle 10 could be any type of vehicle having a traction battery pack.
Referring now to
In this example, each of the module enclosure assemblies 32 houses a single cell stack 36. In other examples, the module enclosure assemblies 32 could hold more than one cell stack 36.
Also disposed within the interior 24 are a plurality of exhaust branches 44 and an exhaust trunk 48. One of the exhaust branches 44 connects to each one of the module enclosure assemblies 32 and the exhaust trunk 48. In other examples, two or more exhaust branches 44 could connect to each of the module enclosure assemblies 32. The module enclosure assemblies 32 are sealed such the exhaust branches 44 are the exclusive flow path from the module enclosure assemblies 32.
If vent byproducts are released from one or more of the battery cells 40. The vent byproducts can be released from the battery cells 40 through a vent 52. Pressure increases within one of the battery cells 40 can cause the vent 52 to rupture creating a path for the vent byproducts to be released from inside the battery cell 40.
After the vent byproducts pass through the vent 52, the vent byproducts are initially contained within an interior of the module enclosure assembly 32. The vent byproducts can then pass from the module enclosure assembly 32 through the exhaust branch 44 to move outside an interior of the module enclosure assembly 32. The exhaust branches 44, in this example, each extend from one of the module enclosure assemblies 32 to the exhaust trunk 48.
The exhaust branch 44 delivers the vent byproducts from the module enclosure assembly 32 to the exhaust trunk 48. The exhaust branches 44 open to the exhaust trunk 48 within the battery pack interior 24. The exhaust trunk 48 communicates the vent byproducts received from the exhaust branches 44 through the battery pack enclosure assembly 18 to an area outside the battery pack enclosure assembly 18.
Thus, vent byproducts are contained within the module enclosure assembly 32 having the one or more battery cells 40 that are venting, the exhaust branch 44 connected to that module enclosure assembly 32, and the exhaust trunk 48 until the vent byproducts are discharged or exhausted from the battery pack 12. The vent byproducts are not released into other areas within the interior 24 of the battery pack 12. This helps to mitigate a transfer of thermal energy to the battery modules 20 that are not venting.
Within the interior 24, the exhaust branches 44 are configured to deliver vent byproducts to the exhaust trunk 48. Each of the exhaust branches 44 can include a check valve 56 that blocks vent byproducts exhausted from one of the battery modules 20 from backflowing through exhaust branches 44 into the module enclosure assembly 32 of another battery module 20 that contains no battery cells 40 that are venting.
Introducing the vent byproducts to the exhaust trunk 48 within the battery pack enclosure assembly 18 can simplify exhausting the vent byproducts to the area outside the battery pack enclosure assembly 18. For example, only a single outlet through the battery pack enclosure assembly 18 rather than an outlet for each exhaust branch 44.
With reference now to
In this example, a plurality of coolant inlet branches 160 are configured to communicate a liquid coolant from a coolant inlet trunk 164 to a respective one of the battery modules 120. The liquid coolant can be used to manage thermal energy within the battery modules 120.
Should battery cells 140 of cell stacks 136 within the battery modules 120 begin to vent, the vent byproducts are expelled from the battery cell 140 that is venting directly into the coolant within the module enclosure assembly 132 of the battery module 120 having the battery cell 140 that is venting.
A mixture of vent byproducts and coolant can then be communicated through an associated exhaust branch 144 to an exhaust trunk 148. The exhaust trunk 148 discharged the mixture of vent byproducts and coolant to an area outside the battery pack enclosure assembly 118. Check valves (not shown in
In the example of
Features of the disclosed examples include substantially sealing individual cell stacks within respective module enclosure assemblies that are disposed within a larger battery pack enclosure assembly. The individual module enclosure assemblies can contain vent byproducts from the cells within that module enclosure assembly and deliver those vent byproducts through exhaust branches and an exhaust trunk to an area outside a battery pack enclosure. As the cell stacks are contained within module enclosure assemblies, the vent byproducts are not free to move to positions adjacent other battery modules within the battery pack.
The preceding description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed examples may become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not necessarily depart from the essence of this disclosure. Thus, the scope of protection given to this disclosure can only be determined by studying the following claims.
