This disclosure relates generally to batteries in electric vehicles and, more particularly, to thermal management constructions for electric vehicle batteries.
Electric vehicles (EVs), like hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), employ batteries as a power source. Automotive electric vehicles, for instance, are increasingly using lithium-ion batteries as their power source. The batteries generate heat amid use and hence are typically equipped with thermal management constructions, such as cooling constructions, in order to regulate the temperature of the batteries. The thermal management constructions conventionally involve many lines and many connections among the lines and elsewhere. But the lines and connections can present unwanted occasions of fluid leakage and can bring about unwanted pressure drops thereacross, which could consequently hinder efficient battery performance.
In an embodiment, a battery thermal management manifold segment may include a feed tube, a return tube, and a crossmember. The feed tube has a feed inlet, a feed outlet, and a feed passage spanning between the feed inlet and feed outlet. The feed tube has multiple feed branch tubes. Each of the feed branch tubes has a feed branch passage that spans from the feed passage and fluidly communicates with the feed passage. The return tube has a return inlet, a return outlet, and a return passage spanning between the return inlet and return outlet. The return tube has multiple return branch tubes. Each of the return branch tubes has a return branch passage that spans from the return passage and fluidly communicates with the return passage. The crossmember extends between the feed tube and the return tube. Together, the feed tube, feed branch tubes, return tube, return branch tubes, and crossmember all constitute a monolithic construction of the battery thermal management manifold segment.
In an embodiment, the feed tube has one or more openings residing therein near an end for receipt of a retainer in order to establish a connection with an end of a second battery thermal management manifold segment.
In an embodiment, the end of the feed tube is a female inlet end. And the end of the second battery thermal management manifold segment is a male outlet end.
In an embodiment, the feed tube has a longitudinal clearance. The longitudinal clearance is defined between a first detent and a second detent. The longitudinal clearance receives a retainer in order to establish a connection with a second battery thermal management manifold segment.
In an embodiment, the longitudinal clearance is located near an end of the feed tube. The connection established with the second battery thermal management manifold segment is with an end of the second battery thermal management manifold segment.
In an embodiment, the first detent is an external first flange. And the second detent is an external second flange.
In an embodiment, a connection is established between the battery thermal management manifold segment and the second battery thermal management manifold segment when the retainer is received in the longitudinal clearance at a first longitudinal position. And a connection is established between the battery thermal management manifold segment and the second battery thermal management manifold segment when the retainer is received in the longitudinal clearance at a second longitudinal position that is spaced from the first longitudinal position.
In an embodiment, the crossmember has a section or more constructed to yield upon the occurrence of relative movement between the feed tube and the return tube.
In an embodiment, the monolithic construction of the battery thermal management manifold segment is effected by way of an injection molding process.
In an embodiment, the crossmember has a mounting engagement with a component of an electric vehicle battery.
In an embodiment, one or more of the feed branch tubes or return branch tubes establishes a connection with a component of an electric vehicle battery via a cartridge quick connector.
In an embodiment, a battery thermal management manifold assembly includes multiple battery thermal management manifold segments, as described above.
In another embodiment, a battery thermal management manifold segment may include a tube. The tube has an inlet, an outlet, and a passage that spans between the inlet and the outlet. The tube has one or more branch tubes that extend therefrom. The branch tube(s) has a branch passage that spans from the passage and that communicates therewith. The tube further has a longitudinal clearance that is defined between a first detent and a second detent for establishing a connection with a second battery thermal management manifold segment. The second battery thermal management manifold segment is a separate and discrete component from the battery thermal management manifold segment. The tube and the branch tube(s) constitute a monolithic construction of the battery thermal management manifold segment.
In an embodiment, the longitudinal clearance is located near an end of the tube.
In an embodiment, the first detent is an external first flange. And the second detent is an external second flange.
In an embodiment, the connection with the second battery thermal management manifold segment is established when the second battery thermal management manifold segment is at a first longitudinal position of the longitudinal clearance. And the connection with the second battery thermal management manifold segment is also established when the second battery thermal management manifold segment is at a second longitudinal position of the longitudinal clearance. The second longitudinal position is spaced from the first longitudinal position.
In an embodiment, a battery thermal management manifold assembly includes multiple battery thermal management manifold segments, as described above.
In yet another embodiment, a battery thermal management manifold segment may include a feed tube, a return tube, and a crossmember. The feed tube has a feed inlet, a feed outlet, and a feed passage that spans between the feed inlet and the feed outlet. The feed tube has one or more feed branch tubes that extend therefrom. The feed branch tube(s) has a feed branch passage that spans from the feed passage and that fluidly communicates therewith. The feed tube has a first longitudinal clearance that is defined between a first detent and a second detent in order to establish a connection with a second, discrete, battery thermal management manifold segment. The return tube has a return inlet, a return outlet, and a return passage that spans between the return inlet and the return outlet. The return tube has one or more return branch tubes that extend therefrom. The return branch tube(s) has a return branch passage that spans from the return passage and that fluidly communicates therewith. The return tube has a second longitudinal clearance that is defined between a third detent and a fourth detent in order to establish the connection with the second battery thermal management manifold segment. The crossmember extends between the feed tube and the return tube.
In an embodiment, the feed tube, feed branch tube(s), return tube, return branch tube(s), and crossmember all constitute a monolithic construction of the battery thermal management manifold segment.
In an embodiment, the connection with the second battery thermal management manifold segment is established when the second battery thermal management manifold segment is at a first longitudinal position of the first and second longitudinal clearances. And the connection with the second battery thermal management manifold segment is also established when the second battery thermal management manifold segment is at a second longitudinal position of the longitudinal clearance. The second longitudinal position is spaced from the first longitudinal position.
Embodiments of the disclosure are described with reference to the appended drawings, in which:
Referring to the drawings, an embodiment of a battery thermal management manifold segment (hereafter “battery manifold segment”) is depicted that is used amid the circulation of thermal management fluid to help regulate temperatures in a battery of an electric vehicle (EV). In example applications, the thermal management fluid is coolant and the battery is a lithium-ion battery employed as a power source in the EV. The phrase “electric vehicle” and its abbreviation and grammatical variations is used broadly herein to encompass hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in electric vehicles (PHEVs), and other types of electric vehicles in automotive applications like cars and trucks, as well as in non-automotive applications like busses, motorcycles, and boats. The battery manifold segment is designed and constructed as a modular component whereby multiple segments can be adjoined in serial and tandem arrangement to set up a battery thermal management manifold assembly—in this regard, a single battery manifold segment constitutes a unit of a larger assembly of units in application. Among other advancements, the battery manifold segment has a minimal number of discrete lines and connections and hence reduces the occasions for fluid leakage compared to previously-known thermal management constructions equipped in EV batteries. In like manner, the battery manifold segment optimizes fluid flow performance and hence reduces pressure drop thereacross compared to the previously-known constructions. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the terms radially, axially, and circumferentially, and their grammatical variations, refer to directions with respect to the generally cylindrical shape of tubes of the battery manifold segment.
The battery manifold segment 10 can have different designs and constructions and components in different embodiments, which in some cases are dictated by the construction and components of the associated battery and the particular application. In the embodiment of
To establish connections among discrete battery manifold segments in tandem arrangement, the feed inlet and outlet ends 22, 24 are furnished with complementary members that join together with quick-connect functionality for ready connection and disconnection. The quick-connect functionality can be effected in various ways. In the embodiment of the figures, the quick-connect functionality is carried out in a telescopically overlapping manner involving male and female ends and a retainer, as described below. Moreover, to accommodate manufacturing tolerances and variations among discrete battery manifold segments in tandem arrangement, the feed inlet and outlet ends 22, 24 are furnished with measures and means to establish a connection when the battery manifold segments exhibit different relative longitudinal positions and different relative extents of overlap among the male and female ends. The manufacturing tolerances and variations accumulate with the number of adjoined battery manifold segments. The measures and means can also accommodate longitudinal movement among discrete battery manifold segments in tandem arrangement. These accommodations can be effected in various ways. In the embodiment of the figures, the accommodations are carried out via the telescopically overlapping manner and receipt of the retainer within a longitudinal clearance, as described below.
Referring now to
The feed outlet end 24 is formed as a spigot for insertion into the second female inlet end 122 of the discrete second battery manifold segment 110. Referring now to
The longitudinal clearance 50 is part of the measures and means that accommodate manufacturing tolerances and variations and longitudinal movements. The longitudinal clearance 50 has an axial length that accepts receipt of the legs 40, 42 at different longitudinal positions across the longitudinal clearance 50, while still establishing an effective connection between tandemly-arranged battery manifold segments. For example, a connection is established when the legs 40, 42 are received within the longitudinal clearance 50 at a first longitudinal position therein, which may be an axial midpoint of the longitudinal clearance 50. And a connection is established yet again when the legs 40, 42 are received within the longitudinal clearance 50 at a second longitudinal position therein, which may be spaced an axial distance to either side of the axial midpoint. In this way, these interactions between the retainer 38 and the longitudinal clearance 50 impart an amount of axial adjustability in the established connection between tandemly-arranged battery manifold segments that accounts for accumulated manufacturing tolerances and variations and for longitudinal movements brought about in the battery thermal management assembly. Male and female ends of battery manifold segments hence need not necessarily have full and entirely consistent extents of overlap between them to establish an effective connection thereat, and instead could have varying degrees of overlap for connection.
Further, the feed tube 14 has multiple feed branch tubes extending from the main body 20 to deliver distributed amounts of coolant to the EV lithium-ion battery. Referring to
The feed branch tubes 58, 60, 62 can make connections with the battery tray 12 in various ways. In one example, distal ends of the feed branch tubes 58, 60, 62 can be formed as spigots that are inserted and molded into complementary formations of the battery tray 12. In another example, and referring now to
As demonstrated in
Referring now to
The battery manifold segment 10 can be manufactured by various manufacturing processes. In an example, the battery manifold segment 10 is composed of a plastic material and is manufactured by way of an injection molding operation such as a gas-assisted or water-assisted injection molding process. Such an injection molding process produces the battery manifold segment 10 in a monolithic construction in which all of its primary components—the feed tube 14, the return tube 16, and the crossmember 18—are formed as one-piece. Because they are formed as one-piece, the number of discrete lines and connections is minimized compared to previously-known thermal management constructions, and therefore the occasions for fluid leakage is substantially reduced. For example, discrete connections are absent among the feed tube 14 and its feed branch passages 64, 66, 68, and discrete connections are absent among the return tube 16 and its return branch tubes 106, 108, 112. In like manner, fluid flow performance is optimized and pressure drop is not as severe among the feed tube 14 and its feed branch passages 64, 66, 68 and among the return tube 16 and its return branch tubes 106, 108, 112.
In other embodiments not illustrated in the figures, the battery manifold segment could have different designs and constructions and components. In one example, the battery manifold segment need not have the crossmember, and instead could be made up of a single tube, such as a single feed tube or a single return tube, with one or more branch tubes, as but one example of an embodiment lacking the crossmember. In another example, the quick-connect functionality at the ends of the tubes need not be provided. In yet another example, the accommodations for manufacturing tolerances and variations and for longitudinal movement need not be provided.
It is to be understood that the foregoing description is not a definition of the invention, but is a description of one or more preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention. The invention is not limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed herein, but rather is defined solely by the claims below. Furthermore, the statements contained in the foregoing description relate to particular embodiments and are not to be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention or on the definition of terms used in the claims, except where a term or phrase is expressly defined above. Various other embodiments and various changes and modifications to the disclosed embodiment(s) will become apparent to those skilled in the art. All such other embodiments, changes, and modifications are intended to come within the scope of the appended claims.
As used in this specification and claims, the terms “for example,” “for instance,” and “such as,” and the verbs “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and their other verb forms, when used in conjunction with a listing of one or more components or other items, are each to be construed as open-ended, meaning that that the listing is not to be considered as excluding other, additional components or items. Other terms are to be construed using their broadest reasonable meaning unless they are used in a context that requires a different interpretation.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/569,012, filed Oct. 6, 2017.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62569012 | Oct 2017 | US |