Electric vehicle battery thermal management device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016264018-A1
Application number	US-201414902929-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 3, 2014
Priority date	Jul 5, 2013
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for the thermal management of a battery of electric accumulator cells assembled within a rigid casing, said device comprising thermal storage means incorporated into said battery comprising a chamber containing a phase-change material and having a volume for exchange of heat with said accumulator cells which is delimited by at least part of said casing, the melting of the phase-change material being able to store heat, and the solidification of the phase-change material being able to release the heat previously stored. According to the invention, said chamber is equipped at its distal end with an expansion vessel able to absorb the expansions of said phase-change material as it changes phase.

First claim

1 : A device for the thermal management of a battery of electric accumulators assembled within a rigid casing, said device comprising thermal storage means integrated into said battery comprising a chamber containing a phase-change material and having a volume for exchange of heat with said accumulators which is delimited by at least part of said casing, the melting of the phase-change material being able to store heat, and the solidification of the phase-change material being able to release the heat previously stored, characterized in that said chamber is equipped at its distal end with an expansion vessel able to absorb the expansions of said phase-change material as it changes phase.

2 : The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that said expansion vessel is raised relative to said chamber and has an internal volume extending said heat exchange volume of said chamber from a lower end of said expansion vessel to an upper closed end of said expansion vessel, which is opposite said lower end.

3 : The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the interior of said expansion vessel is in communication with the exterior by means of a channeling open to the ambient air, said channeling being arranged in an upper part of said expansion vessel.

4 : The device as claimed in claim 3 , characterized in that said channeling open to the ambient air is connected to a conduit able to raise the connection to the ambient air.

5 : The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that said chamber comprises an upper wall made of a heat-conducting material formed by said at least one part of said casing and forming a first surface for exchange of heat with said accumulators and a lower wall made of a heat-conducting material, disposed opposite said upper wall so as to close said heat exchange volume, said outer wall forming a second surface for exchange of heat with the exterior of said battery.

6 : The device as claimed in claim 5 , characterized in that said chamber comprises heat exchange fins integrated on the surfaces of said upper and lower walls of said chamber.

7 : The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises an active cooling system, comprising a cooling circuit installed in said battery, equipped with means for circulating a cooling fluid through said battery.

8 : The device as claimed in claim 7 , characterized in that it comprises control means of said active cooling system able to control the activation of said active cooling system when the temperature of said accumulators reaches a first temperature threshold (threshold 1 ) greater than the melting point of said phase-change material and able to control the stopping of said active cooling system when the temperature of said accumulators reaches a second temperature threshold (threshold 2 ) comprised between the melting point of said phase-change material and said first threshold (threshold 1 ).

9 : The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the melting point of said phase-change material is substantially approximately 35° C.

10 : The device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that said phase-change material is of the paraffin type.

Assignees

• Renault Sa

Inventors

• Choufany Rany
• Keretli Fahri
• El Bakkali Amin
• Jovet Igor

Classifications

• H01M10/625

  Vehicles · CPC title

• H01M10/613

  Cooling or keeping cold · CPC title

• F28F2265/14

  for preventing damage by freezing, e.g. for accommodating volume expansion · CPC title

• B60L50/64

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

• H01M10/659

  by heat storage or buffering, e.g. heat capacity or liquid-solid phase changes or transition · CPC title