Counter-flow heat exchanger for battery thermal management applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10263301-B2
Application number	US-201514972463-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2015
Priority date	Jan 9, 2015
Publication date	Apr 16, 2019
Grant date	Apr 16, 2019

Abstract

A heat exchanger for thermal management of battery units made-up of plurality of battery cells or battery cell containers is disclosed. The heat exchanger has a main body portion defining at least one primary heat transfer surface for surface-to-surface contact with a corresponding surface of at least one of the battery cells or containers. A plurality of alternating first and second fluid flow passages are formed within the main body portion each defining a flow direction, the flow direction through the first fluid flow passages being generally opposite to the flow direction through the second fluid flow passages providing a counter-flow heat exchanger. In some embodiments the heat exchanger has a two pairs of inlet and outlet manifolds, the heat exchanger providing a single-pass, counter-flow arrangement. In other embodiments the first and second fluid flow passages are interconnected by turn portions forming a U-flow, counter-flow heat exchanger.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat exchanger for thermal management of a battery unit having a plurality of battery cell containers each housing one or more battery cells, comprising:
a base plate;
a plurality of first fluid flow passages formed within the base plate, each of said first fluid flow passages extending between spaced apart first and second ends;
a plurality of second fluid flow passages formed within the base plate, each of the second fluid flow passages extending between spaced apart first and second ends, wherein said first fluid flow passages and said second fluid flow passages are arranged so as to alternate through said base plate and wherein the flow direction of said first fluid flow passages is opposite to the flow direction of said second fluid flow passages;
a cover plate arranged over top of and in sealing engagement with said base plate enclosing said plurality of first fluid flow passages and said plurality of second fluid flow passages therebetween, said cover plate having a central, generally planar portion defining a primary heat transfer surface;
an inlet manifold in fluid communication with at least said first ends of said plurality of first fluid flow passages;
an outlet manifold in fluid communication with at least said second ends of said second fluid flow passages;
wherein said inlet manifold and said outlet manifold are arranged adjacent to each other at one end of said heat exchanger such that one of said inlet manifold and said outlet manifold is inwardly disposed with respect to the other one of said inlet manifold and said outlet manifold along a central, longitudinal axis of the heat exchanger.

2. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
said inlet manifold includes a first inlet manifold in fluid communication with said first ends of said first fluid flow passages and a second inlet manifold in fluid communication with said first ends of said second fluid flow passages; and
said outlet manifold includes a first outlet manifold in fluid communication with said second ends of said first flow passages and a second outlet manifold in fluid communication with said second ends of said second fluid flow passages;

wherein said first inlet manifold and said second outlet manifold are arranged adjacent to each other at a first end of said heat exchanger, one of said first inlet manifold and second outlet manifold being, inwardly disposed with respect to the other one of said first inlet manifold and second outlet manifold; and
wherein said second inlet manifold and said first outlet manifold are arranged adjacent to each other at a second end of said heat exchanger, one of said second inlet manifold and first outlet manifold being inwardly disposed with respect to the other one of said second inlet manifold and first outlet manifold.

3. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising:
a pair of manifold covers, each manifold cover arranged at a respective end of said heat exchanger such that a first manifold cover encloses said first inlet manifold and said second outlet manifold while a second manifold cover encloses said second inlet manifold and said first outlet manifold;
said first inlet manifold and said first outlet manifold each comprise a plurality of spaced apart fluid openings formed in said cover plate at respective ends thereof wherein the spaced apart fluid openings in said first inlet manifold are in fluid communication with said first ends of said first fluid flow passages and wherein the spaced apart fluid openings in said first outlet manifold are in fluid communication with said second ends of said first fluid flow passages; and
said second inlet manifold and said second outlet manifold each comprise a plurality of spaced apart fluid openings formed in said cover plate at respective ends thereof wherein the spaced apart fluid openings in said second inlet manifold are in fluid communication with said first ends of said second fluid flow passages and wherein the spaced apart fluid openings in said second outlet manifold are in fluid communication with said second ends of said second fluid flow passages;

wherein the second inlet and outlet manifolds extend generally parallel to said first inlet and outlet manifolds and are offset with respect thereto.

4. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said plurality of first fluid flow passages and said plurality of second fluid flow passages are defined by U-shaped flow channels having a pair of elongate fluid branches that are interconnected at one end by a turn portion such that said second ends of said first fluid flow passages are connected to and in fluid communication with said first ends of said second fluid flow passages; and
wherein one of said inlet manifold and said outlet manifold is offset with respect to the other one of said inlet manifold and said outlet manifold.

5. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said U-shaped flow channels forming said first and second fluid flow passages are formed by a plurality of U-shaped depressions formed in said central, generally planar portion of said base plate, wherein one of said elongate fluid branches has a greater length than the other of said elongate fluid branches such that one of the first end of the first flow passages and the second end of the second fluid flow passages is longitudinally offset with respect to the other; and
a manifold cover arranged on top of and in sealing engagement with the cover plate enclosing the inlet and outlet manifolds.

6. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 5 , wherein each of said elongate fluid branches terminates at a discrete, closed end corresponding respectively to one of said first ends of said first fluid flow passages and one of said second ends of said fluid flow passages; and
wherein said inlet manifold and said outlet manifold each comprise a plurality of spaced apart fluid openings formed in said cover plate wherein the spaced apart fluid openings forming said inlet manifold are in fluid communication with said first ends of said first fluid flow passages and wherein the spaced apart fluid openings forming said outlet manifold are in fluid communication with said second ends of said second fluid flow passages.

7. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 5 , wherein one of said elongate fluid branches of each U-shaped depression terminates at an open free end, the open free ends of adjacent U-shaped depressions being interconnected by an inlet header region formed in the base plate the inlet header region being in fluid communication with said inlet manifold.

8. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said inlet manifold comprises at least one elongate opening in the form of a slot formed in said cover plate in fluid communication with the inlet header region formed in said base plate; and
wherein said outlet manifold comprises a row of a plurality of spaced apart fluid openings formed in said cover plate, the spaced apart fluid openings being in fluid communication with said second ends of said second fluid flow passages, said row of fluid openings being generally parallel to and inwardly disposed with respect to said slot.

9. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 4 , wherein wherein said U-shaped flow channels forming said first and second fluid flow passages are formed by a plurality of U-shaped embossments formed in said central, generally planar portion of said base plate, said U-shaped embossments having two elongate branches that are interconnected at one end thereof by a U-shaped end portion, wherein said first fluid flow passages are formed between adjacent U-shaped embossments, said second fluid flow passages being formed between the two elongate b

Assignees

• Dana Canada Corp

Inventors

• Kenney Benjamin A
• Buckrell Andrew J M
• Shore Colin A
• Vanderwees Doug
• Abels Kenneth M A

Classifications

• F28F1/022

  with multiple channels · CPC title

• H01M10/617

  for achieving uniformity or desired distribution of temperature · CPC title

• F28F1/045

  with assemblies of stacked elements · CPC title

• F28F3/12

  Elements constructed in the shape of a hollow panel, e.g. with channels {(F28D1/02, F28D1/03 take precedence)} · CPC title

• H01M10/6568

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