Power storage device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10615468-B2
Application number	US-201515571662-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2015
Priority date	May 27, 2015
Publication date	Apr 7, 2020
Grant date	Apr 7, 2020

Abstract

Battery cells are disposed apart from each other in a housing of a battery module included in a power storage device. In the battery module, a partition member is provided that divides a space in the housing into a high temperature region, which contains battery cells located centrally in a disposal direction of the battery cells, and a low temperature region, which contains battery cells located at end portions in the disposal direction of the battery cells. The cooling air flow supplied from a fan passes between the battery cells in the high temperature region, passes through ventilation holes provided in the partition members, enters the low temperature region, passes between the battery cells in the low temperature region, passes through a discharge hole, and flows outside of the housing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power storage device comprising:
a battery module including:
a housing,
battery cells disposed apart from each other within the housing, and
a partition member dividing a space within the housing into (i) a high temperature region containing, among the battery cells, the battery cells disposed centrally in an arrangement direction, and (ii) a low temperature region containing, among the battery cells, the battery cells disposed in end portions in the arrangement direction;

a fan to supply a cooling air flow to the high temperature region; and
an adjuster to adjust an amount of the cooling air flow by controlling the fan in response to a value indicating a degree of deviation of a temperature distribution of the battery cells,
wherein the partition member has a ventilation hole to allow the cooling air flow supplied from the fan to the high temperature region to pass between the battery cells contained in the high temperature region and enter the low temperature region,
the housing has a discharge hole to allow the cooling air flow passing through the ventilation hole and entering the low temperature region to pass between the battery cells contained in the low temperature region and flow to an exterior of the housing,
the housing has a central discharge hole to allow the cooling air flow supplied from the fan to the high temperature region and passing between the battery cells contained in the high temperature region to flow to the exterior of the housing,
the power storage device further comprises a valve to adjust the amount of the cooling air flow passing through each of the ventilation hole and the central discharge hole and flowing out of the high temperature region, and
the adjuster controls the valve in response to a value corresponding to a minimum temperature of the battery cells.

2. The power storage device according to claim 1 , wherein the adjuster is configured to:
(i) cause the fan to operate when the value indicating the degree of deviation of the temperature distribution of the battery cells is greater than or equal to a first threshold, or when a value corresponding to a maximum temperature of the battery cells is greater than or equal to a second threshold,
(ii) after operation of the fan, control the valve in response to the value corresponding to the minimum temperature of the battery cells, and
(iii) stop the fan when a value corresponding to the minimum temperature of the battery cells is greater than or equal to a third threshold, the value indicating the degree of deviation of the temperature distribution of the battery cells is less than the first threshold, and the value corresponding to the maximum temperature of the battery cells is less than the second threshold.

3. A power storage device comprising:
a housing;
battery cells disposed apart from each other within the housing;
a partition member dividing a space within the housing into (i) a high temperature region containing, among the battery cells, the battery cells disposed centrally in an arrangement direction, and (ii) a low temperature region containing, among the battery cells, the battery cells disposed in end portions in the arrangement direction;
a fan to supply a cooling air flow to the high temperature region; and
an adjuster to adjust an amount of the cooling air flow by controlling the fan in response to a value indicating a degree of deviation of a temperature distribution of the battery cells,
wherein the partition member has a ventilation hole to allow the cooling air flow supplied from the fan to the high temperature region to pass between the battery cells contained in the high temperature region and enter the low temperature region,
the housing has a discharge hole to allow the cooling air flow passing through the ventilation hole and entering the low temperature region to pass between the battery cells contained in the low temperature region and to flow to an exterior of the housing, and
the adjuster is configured to:
(i) cause the fan to operate when the value indicating the degree of deviation of the temperature distribution of the battery cells is greater than or equal to a first threshold, or when a value corresponding to a maximum temperature of the battery cells is greater than or equal to a second threshold,
(ii) cause the operation of the fan to continue while a value corresponding to a minimum temperature of the battery cells is less than a third threshold, and
(iii) stop the fan after operation of the fan, when the value corresponding to the minimum temperature of the battery cells is greater than or equal to the third threshold, the value indicating the degree of deviation of the temperature distribution of the battery cells is less than the first threshold, and the value corresponding to the maximum temperature of the battery cells is less than the second threshold.

4. The power storage device according to claim 3 , wherein the adjuster is configured to control the fan based on:
the first threshold being determined in response to (i) a permissible range of a difference in resistance values in the battery cells on the basis of a relationship between a temperature and an internal resistance of the battery cells, or (ii) a relationship between the temperature of the battery cells and a service life of the battery cells,
the second threshold being determined in response to a second temperature at which the battery cells are deteriorable due to, when the temperature of the battery cells is greater than or equal to the second temperature, occurrence of side reactions that are not normal reactions desired for the battery cells to function as the battery cells, and
the third threshold being determined in response to a third temperature at which a collective input-output performance desired for the battery cells, from the relationship between the temperature and the internal resistance of the battery cells, is achievable when the temperature of the battery cells is greater than or equal to the third temperature.

5. The power storage device according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a temperature determiner to measure temperatures of the battery cells,
wherein the adjuster calculates the value indicating the degree of deviation of the temperature distribution of the battery cells based on the temperatures of the battery cells measured by the temperature determiner.

6. The power storage device according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a temperature determiner to measure temperatures of the battery cells,
wherein the adjuster calculates the value indicating the degree of deviation of the temperature distribution of the battery cells based on the temperatures of the battery cells measured by the temperature determiner.

7. The power storage device according to claim 3 , further comprising:
an internal resistance calculator to calculate internal resistances of the battery cells based on voltages of the battery cells and current flowing through the battery cells; and
a temperature estimator to estimate the temperatures of the battery cells based on (i) a predetermined relationship between the internal resistances and the temperatures, and (ii) the internal resistances calculated by the internal resistance calculator,
wherein the adjuster calculates the value indicating the degree of deviation of the temperature distribution based on the temperatures of the battery cells estimated by the temperature estimator.

8. The power storage device according to claim 4 , further comprising:
an internal resistance calculator to calculate internal resistances of the battery cells based on voltages of the battery cells and current flowing through the battery cells; and
a temperature estimator to estim

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Yoshida Yukihiro
• Okada Yuruki
• Shiraga Sho
• Takegami Tomoki
• Wada Toshihiro

Classifications

• H01M10/633

  characterised by algorithms, flow charts, software details or the like · CPC title

• H01M10/613

  Cooling or keeping cold · CPC title

• H01M10/651

  characterised by parameters specified by a numeric value or mathematical formula, e.g. ratios, sizes or concentrations · 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

• H01M10/6557

  arranged between the cells · CPC title