Thermal management system for a battery module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11949082-B2
Application number	US-201917045447-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2019
Priority date	Apr 6, 2018
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

A battery system includes a housing configured to receive a battery cell, where the battery cell is configured to output thermal energy as a byproduct of electrical energy generation and/or consumption, a wall of the housing positioned proximate to the battery cell, and a plurality of fins extending from the wall, where the plurality of fins is configured to absorb thermal energy from the battery cell and dissipate the thermal energy to air, or a heat sink, or both, and where a fin of the plurality of fins comprises a channel configured to facilitate a flow of the air between the fin of the plurality of fins and an adjacent fin of the plurality of fins.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A battery system, comprising:
an enclosed housing having an internal volume;
a battery cell provided in the internal volume, wherein the battery cell is configured to output thermal energy as a byproduct of electrical energy generation and/or consumption;
a wall of the enclosed housing with a first side positioned proximate to the battery cell; and
a plurality of fins extending from a second side of the wall external to the enclosed housing, the plurality of fins being arranged in a grid-like structure and configured to absorb thermal energy from the battery cell and dissipate the thermal energy to air, or a heat sink, or both, wherein a fin of the plurality of fins comprises a channel configured to facilitate a flow of the air between the fin of the plurality of fins and an adjacent fin of the plurality of fins.

2. The battery system of claim 1 , wherein an opening is formed between the fin and the adjacent fin of the plurality of fins.

3. The battery system of claim 2 , comprising a projection configured to extend from the second side of the wall and into the opening.

4. The battery system of claim 3 , wherein a first length of the projection is less than a second length of each fin of the plurality of fins.

5. The battery system of claim 3 , wherein the projection comprises a cylindrical shape.

6. The battery system of claim 1 , comprising a heat sink disposed adjacent to distal ends of each fin of the plurality of fins, wherein the heat sink is configured to absorb thermal energy from a fin of the plurality of fins.

7. The battery system of claim 6 , wherein the heat sink comprises a thermally conductive metal.

8. The battery system of claim 1 , wherein the wall and the plurality of fins are integral to the enclosed housing.

9. The battery system of claim 1 , wherein the enclosed housing, the wall, and the plurality of fins comprise polypropylene or nylon.

10. The battery system of claim 9 , wherein the enclosed housing, the wall, and the plurality of fins comprise a glass fiber additive.

11. The battery system of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of a fin of the plurality of fins is configured to taper from the wall toward a distal end of the fin of the plurality of fins.

12. The battery system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fins comprise a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape.

13. A battery system, comprising:
Rail an enclosed housing having an internal volume;
a battery cell provided in the internal volume, wherein the battery cell is configured to output thermal energy as a byproduct of electrical energy generation and/or consumption;
a wall of the enclosed housing with a first side positioned proximate to the battery cell;
a plurality of fins extending from a second side of the wall external to the enclosed housing, the plurality of fins being arranged in a grid-like structure and configured to absorb thermal energy from the battery cell and dissipate the thermal energy to air, or a heat sink, or both; and
a projection extending from the wall and into an opening between adjacent fins of the plurality of fins.

14. The battery system of claim 13 , wherein the projection comprises a cylindrical shape.

15. The battery system of claim 13 , wherein a first length of the projection is less than a second length of each fin of the plurality of fins.

16. The battery system of claim 13 , wherein the enclosed housing, the wall, and the plurality of fins comprise polypropylene or nylon.

17. A battery system, comprising:
an enclosed housing having an internal volume;
a battery cell provided in the internal volume, wherein the battery cell is configured to output thermal energy as a byproduct of electrical energy generation and/or consumption;
a wall of the enclosed housing with a first side positioned proximate to the battery cell;
a plurality of fins extending from a second side of the wall external to the enclosed housing, the plurality of fins being arranged in a grid-like structure and configured to absorb thermal energy from the battery cell and dissipate the thermal energy to air, or a heat sink, or both, wherein each fin of the plurality of fins and an adjacent fin to the each fin forms an opening, thereby resulting in a plurality of openings, and wherein the each fin of the plurality of fins includes a groove at a distal end of the each fin to form a channel for the air; and
a projection extending from the second side of the wall and into a respective opening between the fin and the adjacent fin of the plurality of fins.

18. The battery system of claim 17 , wherein a thickness of a fin of the plurality of fins is configured to taper from the wall toward a distal end of the fin of the plurality of fins.

19. The battery system of claim 17 , wherein the wall and the plurality of fins are integral to the enclosed housing.

20. The battery system of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of fins form the grid-like structure extending across a length of a bottom of the enclosed housing.

Assignees

• Cps Tech Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Obasih Kem M
• Dekeuster Richard M
• Elison Nicholas E
• Fuhr Jason D

Classifications

• H01M10/6551 Primary

  Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings · CPC title

• B60L50/64

  Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60L58/26

  by cooling · CPC title

• H01M10/613 Primary

  Cooling or keeping cold · CPC title

• H01M10/625

  Vehicles · CPC title