Battery pack core for fire and explosion protection for battery module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12166222-B2
Application number	US-202117227027-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2021
Priority date	Apr 9, 2021
Publication date	Dec 10, 2024
Grant date	Dec 10, 2024

Abstract

A battery pack core may include a cold plate comprising a plurality of apertures defined between a first major surface and a second major surface of the cold plate; a plurality of battery cells, a single battery cell positioned in each aperture of the plurality of apertures such that a first end of the battery cell projects beyond the first major surface and a second end of the battery cell projects beyond the second major surface; and a plurality of silicone bushings, a silicone bushing surrounding each battery cell of the plurality of battery cells and contacting a wall of the aperture in which the battery cell is positioned.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery pack core comprising:
a cold plate comprising a plurality of apertures defined between a first major surface and a second major surface of the cold plate, wherein the cold plate comprises at least one liquid cooling channel comprising a plurality of parallel channel sections;
a plurality of battery cells, a single battery cell positioned in each aperture of the plurality of apertures such that a first end of the battery cell projects beyond the first major surface and a second end of the battery cell projects beyond the second major surface; and
a plurality of silicone bushings, a respective silicone bushing of the plurality of silicone bushings surrounding each respective battery cell of the plurality of battery cells and contacting a respective wall of the respective aperture in which the respective battery cell is positioned, wherein a first end of each of the plurality of silicone bushings projects beyond the first major surface and a second end of each of the plurality of silicone bushings projects beyond the second major surface, and wherein respective first ends of each of the plurality of battery cells project beyond respective first ends of each of the plurality of silicone bushings.

2. The battery pack core of claim 1 , wherein the cold plate comprises a metal.

3. The battery pack core of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of battery cells are arranged in a plurality of rows, wherein a parallel channel section of the plurality of parallel channel sections is positioned between every other row of battery cells such that two rows of battery cells are positioned between adjacent parallel channel sections of the plurality of parallel channel sections.

4. The battery pack core of claim 1 , wherein the at least one liquid cooling channel comprises a serpentine liquid cooling channel with a corresponding turn connecting each pair of adjacent parallel channel sections.

5. The battery pack core of claim 1 , wherein the cold plate defines a plurality of thermal break apertures extending from the first major surface to the second major surface, and wherein the plurality of thermal break apertures separate groups of the plurality of battery cells.

6. The battery pack core of claim 5 , wherein at least one thermal break aperture of the plurality of thermal break apertures extends substantially perpendicularly to parallel channel sections adjacent to the at least one thermal break aperture.

7. The battery pack core of claim 1 , wherein the cold plate is a structural member of the battery pack core.

8. The battery pack core of claim 1 , wherein the at least one liquid cooling channel comprises at least one serpentine liquid cooling channel connecting a pair of parallel channel sections of the plurality of parallel channel sections.

9. A method comprising:
assembling a plurality of battery cells, a plurality of silicone bushings, and a cold plate so that a single silicone bushing surrounds a corresponding circumference of each battery cell and a single silicone bushing of the plurality of silicone bushings is in each aperture of a plurality of apertures of the cold plate, wherein a first end of each battery cell projects beyond a first major surface of the cold plate and a second end of each battery cell projects beyond a second major surface of the cold plate, wherein each silicone bushing of the plurality of silicone bushings contacts a wall of the aperture in which the corresponding battery cell is positioned to hold the battery cell in place within the aperture, wherein a first end of each of the plurality of silicone bushings projects beyond the first major surface and a second end of each of the plurality of silicone bushings projects beyond the second major surface, wherein the cold plate comprises at least one liquid cooling channel comprising a plurality of parallel channel sections, and wherein respective first ends of each of the plurality of battery cells project beyond respective first ends of each of the plurality of silicone bushings.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the cold plate comprises a metal.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of battery cells are arranged in a plurality of rows, wherein a parallel channel section of the plurality of parallel channel sections is positioned between every other row of battery cells such that two rows of battery cells are positioned between adjacent parallel channel sections of the plurality of parallel channel sections.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one liquid cooling channel comprises a serpentine liquid cooling channel with a corresponding turn connecting each pair of adjacent parallel channel sections.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the cold plate defines a plurality of thermal break apertures extending from the first major surface to the second major surface, and wherein the plurality of thermal break apertures separate groups of the plurality of battery cells.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein at least one thermal break aperture of the plurality of thermal break apertures extends substantially perpendicularly to parallel channel sections adjacent to the at least one thermal break aperture.

15. An aircraft comprising:
the battery pack core of claim 1 ; and
one or both of:
an electric propulsor configured to propel the aircraft using electrical energy sourced from the battery pack core; and
a gas-turbine engine configured to start using electrical energy sourced from the battery pack core.

16. An aircraft comprising:
a battery pack core comprising:
a cold plate comprising a plurality of apertures defined between a first major surface and a second major surface of the cold plate, wherein the cold plate comprises at least one liquid cooling channel comprising a plurality of parallel channel sections;
a plurality of battery cells, a single battery cell positioned in each aperture of the plurality of apertures such that a first end of the battery cell projects beyond the first major surface and a second end of the battery cell projects beyond the second major surface; and
a plurality of silicone bushings, a respective silicone bushing of the plurality of silicone bushings surrounding each respective battery cell of the plurality of battery cells and contacting a respective wall of the respective aperture in which the respective battery cell is positioned,
wherein a first end of each of the plurality of silicone bushings projects beyond the first major surface and a second end of each of the plurality of silicone bushings projects beyond the second major surface,
wherein respective first ends of each of the plurality of battery cells project beyond respective first ends of each of the plurality of silicone bushings,
wherein the plurality of battery cells are arranged in a plurality of rows, wherein a parallel channel section of the plurality of parallel channel sections is positioned between every other row of battery cells such that two rows of battery cells are positioned between adjacent parallel channel sections of the plurality of parallel channel sections, and
wherein a wall thickness of each of the plurality of silicone bushings is between 1 mm and 5 mm; and

an electric propulsor configured to propel the aircraft using electrical energy sourced from the battery pack core.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Corp
• Rolls Royce Plc
• Rolls Royce Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Zagrodnik Michael Adam
• Mountain Stephen
• Schenk Peter
• Prabhu Mathivanan Anand
• Sivalingam Krishnamoorthi
• Siang Teh Yee
• Gajanayake Chandana Jayampathi
• Yap Melvin Yang Yueng

Classifications

• H01M10/6568

  characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings · CPC title

• H01M10/6556

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

• H01M50/249

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

• H01M2220/20

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

• H01M10/625

  Vehicles · CPC title