Battery with compression and prevention of thermal runaway propagation features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12046728-B2
Application number	US-202017091751-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2020
Priority date	Aug 9, 2016
Publication date	Jul 23, 2024
Grant date	Jul 23, 2024

Abstract

A battery includes a metal can having a bottom, a top opening, and four sides. The battery also includes a plurality of cells stacked inside the metal can, wherein at least two opposing sides of the four sides of the metal can are biased inward against the plurality of cells to provide compression.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery, comprising:
a metal can having a bottom, a top opening, and four sides; and
a plurality of cells stacked inside the metal can, wherein:
at least two opposing sides of the four sides of the metal can are biased inward against the plurality of cells to provide compression,
the plurality of cells are stacked with a plurality of insulation layers and a plurality of thermal conductors having a plurality of single-sided fins according to a stacking pattern of an insulation layer, a thermal conductor and a cell, wherein opposite edges of stacked layers of the plurality of insulation layers, the plurality of thermal conductors and the plurality of cells are aligned;
a thermal conductor having a single-sided fin among the plurality of thermal conductors is located between a cell of the plurality of cells and an insulation layer of the plurality of insulation layers,
wherein an orientation of the plurality of single-sided fins alternates so that one fin touches a first interior side of the metal can and a subsequent fin touches an opposite interior side of the metal can,
wherein the plurality of cells have side compression on at least one side of the cell, wherein the side compression is made of a flexible material that is different than a material of the single-sided fins, and
wherein the side compression is provided only on a first side opposite to a second side where a fin is provided.

2. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cells includes a pouch cell.

3. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the metal can is manufactured using one or more of impact extrusion or deep drawing.

4. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the metal can includes 1000 series aluminum.

5. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the metal can includes a flanged top.

6. The battery of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of insulation layers includes aerogel; and
the plurality of cells includes a pouch cell.

7. The battery of claim 1 further comprising:
a lid having an underside; and
a plurality of tabs, wherein:
the plurality of cells are electrically connected via the plurality of tabs; and
the plurality of tabs are prevented from pulling down on the underside of the lid by the inward biasing of the metal can.

8. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the side compression is provided on a first side opposite to a second side where the fin is provided, and on the second side where the fin is provided.

9. The battery of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of insulation layers includes aerogel; and
the plurality of cells includes a pouch cell.

10. The battery of claim 1 , wherein:
one of the sides of the metal can has a first vent hole and a second vent hole, wherein the first vent hole is on a first side of a vertical axis which runs through said side of the metal can and the second vent hole is on a second side of the vertical axis; and
if the first vent hole were rotated about the vertical axis to produce a rotated first vent hole, the rotated first vent hole would not overlap with the second vent hole.

11. The battery of claim 1 , wherein:
one of the sides of the metal can has a first vent hole and a second vent hole, wherein the first vent hole is on a first side of a vertical axis which runs through said side of the metal can and the second vent hole is on a second side of the vertical axis;
if the first vent hole were rotated about the vertical axis to produce a rotated first vent hole, the rotated first vent hole would not overlap with the second vent hole; and
the first vent hole and the second vent hole are covered by tape.

12. The battery of claim 1 , wherein:
a first side of a first metal can has a first vent hole;
a second side of a second metal can has a second vent hole, wherein the bottom of the first vent hole is higher than the top of the second vent hole; and
if the first metal can and the second metal can were placed next to each other with the first side facing the second side, the first vent hole and the second vent hole would not overlap.

13. The battery of claim 1 , wherein:
a first side of a first metal can has a first vent hole;
a second side of a second metal can has a second vent hole, wherein the bottom of the first vent hole is higher than the top of the second vent hole;
if the first metal can and the second metal can were placed next to each other with the first side facing the second side, the first vent hole and the second vent hole would not overlap; and
the first vent hole and the second vent hole are covered by tape.

14. The battery of claim 1 , wherein a fire retardant substance is applied to one or more of the following: an underside of a lid, insulation, a side of a fin not adjacent to one of the plurality of cells, or a side of one of the plurality of cells adjacent to insulation.

15. The battery of claim 1 , wherein a fire retardant substance is applied to one side of the fin facing an insulation layer; and the fire retardant substance is not applied to another side of the fin facing the cell.

16. The battery of claim 1 , further comprising:
a lid having an underside facing the plurality of cells, wherein a void space between the underside of the lid and the plurality of cells is filled with expanding fire retardant foam.

17. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the fin of the thermal conductor is sandwiched between an interior of the metal can and the cell adjacent to the thermal conductor with the fin.

18. A battery, comprising:
a metal can;
a plurality of cells stacked inside the metal can;
a plurality of insulation layers; and
a plurality of thermal conductors having a plurality of single-sided fins,
wherein the plurality of cells are stacked with the plurality of insulation layers and the plurality of thermal conductors according to a stacking pattern of an insulation layer, a thermal conductor and a cell,
wherein an orientation of the plurality of single-sided fins alternates so that one fin touches a first interior side of the metal can and a subsequent fin touches an opposite interior side of the metal can,
wherein the plurality of cells has side compression on at least one side of the cell, wherein the side compression is made of a flexible material that is different than a material of the single-sided fins,
wherein the side compression is provided only on a first side opposite to a second side where a fin is provided.

Assignees

• Wisk Aero Llc

Inventors

• Melack John
• Muniz Thomas P
• Murthy Nihal

Classifications

• H01M50/383

  Flame arresting or ignition-preventing means · CPC title

• H01M50/293

  characterised by the material · CPC title

• H01M50/289

  characterised by spacing elements or positioning means within frames, racks or packs (spacing elements inside cells other than separators, membranes or diaphragms H01M50/471) · CPC title

• H01M2220/20

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

• H01M10/0481

  Compression means other than compression means for stacks of electrodes and separators · CPC title