Cooled containment compartments for packaged battery cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10374264-B2
Application number	US-201715800303-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2017
Priority date	Aug 22, 2017
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

An air plenum assembly includes a first plenum for cooling, where the first plenum includes an inlet for air intake located at a first side of the first plenum. The air plenum assembly further includes a second plenum for exhausting heated air, where the second plenum includes an outlet for exhausting air located at a first side of the second plenum. The air plenum assembly further includes a first aperture located on a first side of the first plenum for directing air from the inlet at the first side of the first plenum to a first compartment and includes a first vent located on a first side of the second plenum for exhausting air away from the first compartment towards the outlet at the first side of the second plenum. The first compartment is isolated from surrounding battery compartments by at least two thermal separators.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
an enclosure for housing one or more battery cell packages, wherein the one or more battery cell packages each include a plurality of battery cells;
a first plenum enclosed by a first conduit for cooling the plurality of battery cells, wherein the first plenum includes an inlet for air intake located at a first side of the first plenum;
a second plenum enclosed by a second conduit for exhausting heated air away from the plurality of battery cells, wherein the second plenum includes an outlet for exhausting air located at a first side of the second plenum opposite to the inlet at the first side of the first plenum, wherein a second side of the first plenum is at least partially coupled lengthwise to a second side of the second plenum;
a first aperture for directing air from the inlet at the first side of the first plenum to a first compartment, wherein the first compartment includes a first battery cell out of the plurality of battery cells;
a first vent of the second plenum for exhausting air away from the first compartment towards the outlet at the first side of the second plenum;
a third plenum enclosed by a third conduit for exhaust heated air, wherein the third plenum includes an outlet for exhausting air located at a first side of the third plenum; and
a first vent located on a first side of the third plenum for exhausting air away from the first compartment towards the outlet at the first side of the third plenum.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first compartment comprises:
a first printed circuit board assembly electrically coupled to the first battery cell;
a first thermal separator coupled to the first printed circuit board assembly, wherein the first thermal separator aligns with a first side of the first vent and the first printed circuit board aligns with a second side of the first vent; and
a second thermal separator coupled to the first printed circuit board assembly, wherein the second thermal separator aligns with a third side of the first vent.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first compartment further comprises:
a first side of the enclosure located perpendicular to a first side of the first thermal separator and a first side of the second thermal separator, wherein the first of the first thermal separator and the first side of the second thermal separator create a first seal with the first side of the enclosure; and
a second side of the enclosure located perpendicular to a second side of the first thermal separator and a second side of the second thermal separator, wherein the second of the first thermal separator and the second side of the second thermal separator create a second seal with the second side of the enclosure.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first compartment is formed by the first printed circuit board assembly, the first thermal separator, the second thermal separator, the first side of the enclosure, the second side of the enclosure, the first side of the first plenum, and the first side of the second plenum.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein dimensions and shape of the first aperture are based on cooling requirements of the first compartment.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the cooling requirements include a location of the first aperture on the third side of the first plenum for impinging air onto the first battery cell located in the first compartment.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the cooling requirements include a location of the first aperture on the third side of the first plenum for creating a maximum amount of induced air pressure gradient to exhaust air away from the first battery cell in the first compartment.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein dimension and shape of the first vent are based on exhaust requirements for the first compartment.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein each of the first thermal separator and the second thermal separator is an electrically non-conductive heat resistant material and of a higher melting point relative to the first battery cell.

10. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising:
a third side of the enclosure, wherein the third side of the enclosure includes an inlet for directing air towards a fan located in the enclosure, wherein the third side is located adjacent to the inlet at the first side of the first plenum; and
a fourth side of the enclosure, wherein the fourth side of the enclosure is located opposite the third side of the enclosure, wherein the fourth side of the enclosure is located adjacent to the outlet at the first side of the second plenum.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the outlet at the first side of the third plenum aligns with the outlet at the first side of the second plenum.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the third plenum is at least partially coupled lengthwise to the first plenum, opposite the second plenum.

13. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a second aperture located on the third side of the first plenum for directing air from the inlet at the first side of the first plenum to a second compartment, wherein the second aperture is adjacent to the first aperture; and
a second vent located on the third side of the second plenum for exhausting air away from the second compartment towards the outlet at the first side of the second plenum, wherein the second vent is adjacent to the first vent.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the second compartment comprises:
a second battery cell out of the plurality of battery cells electrically coupled to the first printed circuit board assembly; and
a third thermal separator coupled to the first printed circuit board assembly, wherein the third thermal separator aligns with a first side of the second vent.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first compartment includes a first side of the second thermal separator and the second compartment includes a second side of the second thermal separator.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first plenum tapers towards a fourth side of the first plenum opposite the first side of the first plenum.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second plenum tapers towards a fourth side of the second plenum opposite the first side the second plenum.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the third plenum tapers towards a fourth side of the third plenum opposite the first side of the third plenum.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Singer Noah
• Torok John
• Schlak Robert B
• Wei Xiaojin
• Zapotoski Mitchell

Classifications

• H01M10/6557

  arranged between the cells · CPC title

• H01M10/653

  characterised by electrically insulating or thermally conductive materials · CPC title

• H01M10/6566

  Means within the gas flow to guide the flow around one or more cells, e.g. manifolds, baffles or other barriers (H01M10/6565 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M10/6563 Primary

  with forced flow, e.g. by blowers · CPC title

• H01M10/6554

  Rods or plates · CPC title