Assembly and method for cooling a traction battery of a vehicle using at least one cooling rib

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10899248-B2
Application number	US-201916254751-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2019
Priority date	Jan 24, 2018
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

The disclosure relates to an assembly that cools a traction battery of a vehicle, in particular a hybrid electric vehicle. The assembly can include at least one fuel tank and at least one traction battery that is arranged outside the fuel tank and is thermally connected to the fuel tank. The assembly can further include at least one cooling rib that is arranged inside the fuel tank. The cooling rib can be thermally connected to a connection portion of the fuel tank, which is thermally connected to the traction battery and is constructed in such a manner that it extends almost completely or completely as far as a base wall portion of the fuel tank. The fuel tank can be arranged to be lower than the connection portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
at least one fuel tank;
at least one traction battery arranged outside the fuel tank thermally connected to the fuel tank; and
at least one cooling rib arranged inside the fuel tank and thermally connected to a connection portion of the fuel tank, the connection portion thermally connected to the traction battery, the at least one cooling rib constructed to extend almost completely or completely as far as a base wall portion of the fuel tank, the base wall portion arranged vertically lower than the connection portion.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one portion of the cooling rib, which is thermally connected to the connection portion of the fuel tank, is constructed to be at least partially L-shaped in cross-section, wherein a member of the portion of the cooling rib is connected to the connection portion in a materially engaging manner.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the traction battery is at least partially thermally connected to the fuel tank via a heat-conducting paste.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the traction battery is at least partially thermally connected to the fuel tank via at least one heat distribution plate.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one cooling rib is directly connected to the connection portion and directly connected to the base wall portion such that the at least one cooling rib extends from the connection portion to the base wall portion.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one traction battery is directly connected to the connection portion of the fuel tank, and the at least one traction battery is spaced a distance from the base wall portion of the fuel tank.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the battery is vertically beneath a portion of the fuel tank.

8. An assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
at least one fuel tank;
at least one traction battery arranged outside the fuel tank, the at least one traction battery thermally connected to the fuel tank; and
at least one cooling rib arranged inside the fuel tank and thermally connected to a connection portion of the fuel tank, the connection portion thermally connected to the traction battery, the at least one cooling rib constructed to extend to a base wall portion of the fuel tank, the base wall portion arranged vertically lower than the connection portion.

9. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the vehicle is a hybrid electric vehicle.

10. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein at least one portion of the cooling rib, which is thermally connected to the connection portion of the fuel tank, is constructed to be at least partially L-shaped in cross-section, wherein a member of the portion of the cooling rib is connected to the connection portion in a materially engaging manner.

11. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the cooling rib is at least partially produced from aluminum or copper.

12. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the traction battery is at least partially thermally connected to the fuel tank via a heat-conducting paste.

13. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the traction battery is at least partially thermally connected to the fuel tank via at least one heat distribution plate.

14. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the at least one cooling rib is directly connected to the connection portion and directly connected to the base wall portion such that the at least one cooling rib extends from the connection portion to the base wall portion.

15. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the at least one traction battery is directly connected to the connection portion of the fuel tank, and the at least one traction battery is spaced a distance from the base wall portion of the fuel tank.

16. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the at least one traction battery is thermally connected to the connection portion of the fuel tank, and the at least one traction battery is spaced a distance from the base wall portion of the fuel tank.

17. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the battery is vertically beneath a portion of the fuel tank.

18. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the at least one traction battery and the fuel tank are directly thermally connected to each other, wherein the at least one traction battery and the fuel tank are both disposed vertically beneath a lower base of a hybrid electric vehicle.

19. A traction battery thermal management method, comprising:
thermally connecting a traction battery to a connection portion of a fuel tank, the traction battery outside the fuel tank;
using at least one cooling rib arranged inside the fuel tank to thermally connect the connection portion of the fuel tank to a base wall portion of the fuel tank, the base wall portion arranged vertically lower than the connection portion.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the at least one cooling rib extends from the connection portion to the base wall portion.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Zenner Thomas
• Kok Daniel
• Born Caroline

Classifications

• B60K2015/03427

  for heating fuel, e.g. to avoiding freezing · CPC title

• B60K2001/0433

  Arrangement under the rear seats · CPC title

• H01M10/66

  Heat-exchange relationships between the cells and other systems, e.g. central heating systems or fuel cells · CPC title

• B60K2001/005

  the electric storage means · CPC title

• B60K1/00 Primary

  Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units (B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00) · CPC title