Battery module having cooling structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10629967-B2
Application number	US-201715648268-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 12, 2017
Priority date	Dec 15, 2016
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

A battery module having a cooling structure with a minimized size while providing high cooling efficiency is provided. The battery module includes a front plate and a rear plate that are arranged at a front side and a rear side of a battery pack in which a plurality of battery cells is stacked and a heat-dissipating member that is arranged under the battery pack and absorbs heat generated by the battery pack. Additionally, side plates are arranged at lateral ends of the front plate and the rear plate, arranged to be in contact with respective lateral ends of the heat-dissipating member, and include a cooling channel through which a coolant circulates to cool the battery pack.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery module having a cooling structure, comprising:
a front plate and a rear plate arranged at a front side and a rear side of a battery pack in which a plurality of battery cells is stacked;
a heat-dissipating member arranged under the battery pack and configured to absorb heat generated by the battery pack; and
side plates arranged at lateral ends of the front plate and the rear plate, arranged to be in contact with respective lateral ends of the heat-dissipating member, and having a cooling channel through which a coolant circulates to cool the battery pack,
wherein the battery cells of the battery pack are stacked to face the side plates, the front plate and the rear plate are arranged at lateral ends of the side plates, and the side plates are combined with the front plate and the rear plate in a manner that a coupling member passes through the side plate and penetrates into the front plate in a sideways direction of the battery pack, and a second coupling member passes through the side plate and penetrates into the rear plate in the sideways direction of the battery pack.

2. A battery module having a cooling structure, comprising:
a front plate and a rear plate arranged at a front side and a rear side of a battery pack in which a plurality of battery cells is stacked;
a heat-dissipating member arranged under the battery pack and configured to absorb heat generated by the battery pack; and

side plates arranged at lateral ends of the front plate and the rear plate, arranged to be in contact with respective lateral ends of the heat-dissipating member, and having a cooling channel through which a coolant circulates to cool the battery pack,
wherein the battery cells are stacked to face the front plate and the rear plate, the front plate and the rear plate are arranged at lateral ends of the side plates, and the side plates are combined with the front plate and the rear plate in a manner that a coupling member passes through the front plate from an upper end to a lower end of the front plate and is connected to a lower end portion of the side plate at a lower end thereof and a coupling member passes through the rear plate from an upper end to a lower end of the rear plate and is connected to a lower end portion of the side plate at a lower end thereof.

3. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein a heat transfer material is disposed between the battery pack and the heat-dissipating member.

4. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein each of the side plates includes:
a side heat exchange portion arranged at the lateral ends of the front plate and the rear plate and having a cooling channel to perform heat exchange with the battery pack; and
a support portion bent from a lower end portion of the side heat exchange portion and extending to an underside of the front plate or the rear plate to be in contact with the heat-dissipating member.

5. The battery module according to claim 4 , wherein coupling portions are formed to protrude downward from the lower ends of the front plate and the rear plate, and the coupling portions pass through the support portions of the side plates.

6. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling channel of the side plate extends in a front-and-rear direction and includes a plurality of channels arranged in a vertical direction.

7. The battery module according to claim 6 , wherein a size of the channels of the cooling channel gradually increases from a lowest channel of the channels to a highest channel of the channels.

8. The battery module according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an upper plate arranged on a top surface of the battery pack and between the side plates to cover the top surface of the battery pack.

9. The battery module according to claim 1 ,
wherein the battery pack includes a first battery pack and a second battery pack that are stacked in a vertical direction and each of which is assembled with a front plate, a rear plate, side plates, and a heat-dissipating member, and
wherein a first side plate provided to the first battery pack includes a first connection portion at a lower end thereof, a second side plate provided to the second battery pack includes a second connection portion at an upper end thereof, and the first connection portion and the second connection portion are connected to each other.

10. The battery module according to claim 9 ,
wherein the first connection portion includes a plurality of protrusions that extends downward from the lower end of the first side plate and is arranged in a longitudinal direction of the first side plate at regular intervals, and
wherein the second connection portion includes a plurality of recesses recessed from the upper end of the second side plate and arranged in a longitudinal direction of the second plate at the same intervals as the protrusions of the first connection portion, the second connection portion being meshed with the first connection portion.

11. The battery module according to claim 10 ,
wherein the first connection portion includes a first aperture that extends in a front-and-rear direction of the battery module,
wherein the second connection portion includes a second aperture that extends in the front-and-rear direction of the battery module, and
wherein the first side plate and the second side plate are combined with each other by a fixing member inserted through the first aperture and the second aperture when the first connection portion and the second connection portion are meshed with each other.

12. The battery module according to claim 9 ,
wherein the first connection portion is a protrusion that extends in a longitudinal direction of the first side plate and protrudes downward from the lower end of the first side plate and includes an engagement protrusion at an end of the protrusion, and
wherein the second connection portion is a recess that is recessed in the upper end of the second side plate and extends in a longitudinal direction of the second side plate and includes a guide recess into the engagement protrusion is inserted.

13. The battery module according to claim 1 ,
wherein the battery pack includes a third battery pack and a fourth battery pack that are arranged side by side and each of which is assembled with a front plate, a rear plate, and a heat-dissipating member, and
wherein a third side plate is arranged on an outer side surface of the third battery pack, a fourth side plate is arranged on an outer side surface of the fourth battery pack, and a center plate is interposed between the third battery pack and the fourth battery pack.

14. The battery module according to claim 13 , wherein the center plate includes:
a center heat exchange portion having a center cooling channel to perform heat exchange with the third and fourth battery packs; and
a center support portion that extends from a lower portion of the center heat exchange portion to be in contact with the heat-dissipating member provided to the third battery pack and with the heat-dissipating member provided to the fourth battery pack.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Seo Jeong Hun
• Choi Jun Seok
• Lee Yong Jin

Classifications

• H01M10/6557

  arranged between the cells · CPC title

• H01M10/6556

  Solid parts with flow channel passages or pipes for heat exchange (closed pipes H01M10/6552) · CPC title

• H01M10/625

  Vehicles · CPC title

• H01M10/6554 Primary

  Rods or plates · CPC title

• H01M2220/20

  Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title