Integrated energy storage system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11962030-B2
Application number	US-202017100700-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2020
Priority date	Nov 21, 2019
Publication date	Apr 16, 2024
Grant date	Apr 16, 2024

Abstract

An integrated, unitary battery pack may be formed and used as part of the structural support for a vehicle frame. The unitary battery pack includes arrays cells having all positive and negative electrical terminals aligned in-plane on a common face of the product assembly. The unitary battery pack includes cooling components for passively or actively cooling the cell arrays. The unitary battery pack is encased in a potting material that allows that forms part of the structure support for the unitary battery pack. The unitary batter pack may be integrated into the vehicle with or without additional support structures.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A unitary battery component comprising:
a plurality of cell arrays, wherein individual cell arrays include a plurality of cylindrical-shaped cells arranged in a common orientation such that the plurality of cylindrical-shaped cells form a line of cylindrical-shaped cells;
a cooling channel formed in proximity to the plurality of cell arrays;
a potting material formed of a resin compound, the potting material encompassing the plurality of cell arrays and providing structural support and thermal protection for the unitary battery component;
a bottom surface for supporting the plurality of cell arrays; and
a top surface for supporting the plurality of cell arrays;
wherein the top surface is directly bonded to at least one of the individual cell arrays and forms a floor of a vehicle.

2. The unitary battery component of claim 1 , wherein the line of cylindrical shaped cells in individual cell arrays are arranged such that top surfaces of each individual cylindrical-shaped cell are aligned.

3. The unitary battery component of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of cell arrays form a substantially horizontal plane along top surfaces of the cylindrical-shaped cells of the plurality of cell arrays.

4. The unitary battery component of claim 2 , wherein the top surfaces of each individual cylindrical-shaped cell present a positive and negative terminal.

5. The unitary battery component of claim 3 further comprising one or more side surfaces.

6. The unitary battery component of claim 5 further comprising a set of electrical interconnects for connecting to the vehicle and mounted on at least one of the one or more side surfaces at a level corresponding to the substantially horizontal plane along top surfaces of the cylindrical-shaped cells.

7. The unitary battery component of claim 6 further comprising a foil sheet providing electrical connectivity to individual cylindrical-shaped cells of the plurality of cell arrays.

8. The unitary battery component of claim 1 , wherein individual cylindrical-shaped cells in the plurality of cell arrays include a dielectric sleeve encompassing a side surface.

9. The unitary battery component of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cell arrays are configured to form a spacing between the plurality of cell arrays and wherein the cooling channel is formed in the spacing between the plurality of cell arrays.

10. The unitary battery component of claim 8 , wherein the cooling channel comprises a manifold for providing cooling fluid through the cooling channel.

11. The unitary battery component of claim 10 , wherein the manifold is configured to provide a first portion that corresponds to an input for the cooling fluid and a second portion for output of the cooling fluid.

12. The unitary battery component of claim 1 , wherein the top surface forms a thermal barrier between the plurality of cell arrays and the vehicle.

13. The unitary battery component of claim 1 further comprising an external structure encompassing the unitary battery component.

14. A system, the system comprising:
a vehicle body wherein the vehicle body does not comprise a passenger floor component; and
a unitary battery component, the unitary battery component comprising:
a plurality of cell arrays, wherein individual cell arrays include a plurality of cells arranged in a common orientation;
a cooling channel formed in proximity to the plurality of cell arrays;
a potting material formed of a resin compound, the potting material encompassing the plurality of cell arrays and providing structural support and thermal protection for the unitary battery component; and
an enclosure comprising a mounting interface, an enclosure top, and an enclosure bottom;
wherein the plurality of cell arrays and the potting material are located within the enclosure;
wherein the enclosure top forms a floor of the vehicle body;

wherein the unitary battery component is mounted to and forms a seal against the vehicle body via the mounting interface.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of cells correspond to at least one of cylindrical-shaped cells or rectangular-shaped cells and wherein the common orientation of the plurality of cell arrays include a line of cells arranged such that top surfaces of each individual cell are aligned.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein plurality of cell arrays form a substantially horizontal plane along top surfaces of the plurality of cells of the plurality of cell arrays.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the top surface of each individual cell present a positive and negative terminal.

18. The system of claim 16 further comprising one or more side surfaces.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising a set of electrical interconnects for connecting to a vehicle and mounted on at least one of the one or more side surfaces at a level corresponding to the substantially horizontal plane along top surfaces of the plurality of cells.

20. The system of claim 14 further comprising a foil sheet providing electrical connectivity to individual cells of the plurality of cell arrays.

21. The system of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of cell arrays are configured to form a minimal spacing between the plurality of cell arrays and wherein the cooling channel is formed in the minimal spacing between the plurality of cell arrays.

22. The system of claim 14 further comprising at least one support strut located alongside the unitary battery component for providing additional structural support for the vehicle body.

23. The system of claim 14 , wherein the unitary battery component is mounted to the vehicle body at a perimeter of the unitary battery component.

24. A unitary battery component comprising:
at least one energy module;
a cooling channel formed in proximity to the at least one energy module;
a potting material formed of a resin compound, the potting material encompassing the at least one energy module and providing structural support and thermal protection for the unitary battery component; and
a bottom surface for supporting and protecting the at least one energy module; and
a top surface for supporting the at least one energy module;
wherein the top surface is directly bonded to the at least one energy module and forms a floor of a vehicle;
wherein an environmental seal is formed between the unitary battery component and a vehicle body.

25. The unitary battery component of claim 24 , wherein the at least one energy module comprises a plurality of cells; and
wherein each individual cell of the plurality of cells comprises a top cell surface;
wherein the top cell surface comprises a positive and negative terminal.

26. The unitary battery component of claim 24 further comprising a foil sheet providing electrical connectivity to individual cells of the at least one energy module.

27. The unitary battery component of claim 24 , wherein the at least one energy module comprises a plurality of cell arrays and the plurality of cell arrays are configured to form a spacing between the cell arrays and wherein the cooling channel is formed in the spacing between the plurality of cell arrays.

28. The unitary battery component of claim 24 further comprising an external structure encompassing the unitary battery component.

29. The unitary battery component of claim 24 , wherein the at least

Assignees

• Tesla Inc

Inventors

• Pires Andrew
• Sumpf Jr Robert David
• Stockton William B
• Spooner Cole
• Prodan Cole
• Gorasia Jayesh Bharat
• Harris Kenton
• Burke Dan
• Szafer Dafna Gabriela
• Patel Krupal
• Parker Benjamin
• Hegeman David Elias

Classifications

• H01M50/249 Primary

  specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains (constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64) · CPC title

• B60L50/64

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

• H01M10/613

  Cooling or keeping cold · CPC title

• H01M10/625

  Vehicles · CPC title

• H01M10/643

  Cylindrical cells · CPC title