Battery system with heat exchange device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10035401-B2
Application number	US-201514967372-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2015
Priority date	Mar 16, 2015
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

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;
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; and
a heat conduction medium source configured to provide the heat conduction medium to the heat conduction medium passage; and, 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 conduction medium source is directly connected with the first group of channels at the at least one inlet of the first group of channels and injects the heat conduction medium to the first group channels from the at least one inlet of the first group of channels,
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 conduction medium source is directly connected with the second group of channels at the at least one inlet of the second group of channels and injects the heat conduction medium directly to the second group channels from the at least one inlet of the second group of channels at the same time or substantially the same time as the conduction medium source injects the heat conduction medium to the first group channels from the at least one inlet of the first group of channels, and 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 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 the first group of channels is connected with a first input port, the first outlet of the first group of channels is connected with a first output port, the second inlet of the second group of channels is connected with a second input port, and the second outlet of the second group of channels is connected with a second output port.

Assignees

• Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ho Ming-Hui

Classifications

• H02J7/56

  Active balancing, e.g. using capacitor-based, inductor-based or DC-DC converters · CPC title

• H01M10/486

  for measuring temperature · CPC title

• H01M10/6568

  characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings · CPC title

• B60H1/3227

  characterised by the arrangement or the type of heat exchanger, e.g. condenser, evaporator (condensed liquid drainage means B60H1/3233) · CPC title

• B60Y2200/91

  Electric vehicles · CPC title