Battery pack venting assembly and venting method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025192351-A1
Application number	US-202318534951-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 11, 2023
Priority date	Dec 11, 2023
Publication date	Jun 12, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A battery pack venting assembly includes a battery pack enclosure assembly providing an battery pack interior, and cell stacks within the battery pack interior. Each cell stack includes a plurality of battery cells. Module enclosure assemblies are also within the battery pack interior. Each of the module enclosure assemblies houses one or more of the cell stacks. An exhaust trunk extends through the battery pack enclosure assembly from the battery pack interior to an area outside the battery pack interior. Exhaust branches within the battery pack interior each extend from one of the module enclosure assemblies to the exhaust trunk.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A battery pack venting assembly, comprising:
a battery pack enclosure assembly providing an battery pack interior; a plurality of cell stacks within the battery pack interior, each cell stack including a plurality of battery cells; a plurality of module enclosure assemblies within the battery pack interior, each of the module enclosure assemblies housing one or more of the cell stacks; an exhaust trunk extending through the battery pack enclosure assembly from the battery pack interior to an area outside the battery pack interior; and a plurality of exhaust branches within the battery pack interior, each of the exhaust branches extending from one of the module enclosure assemblies to the exhaust trunk.

2 . The battery pack venting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the exhaust branches each open to the exhaust trunk within the battery pack interior.

3 . The battery pack venting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the exhaust branches are each configured to communicate vent byproducts directly from one of the module enclosure assemblies to the exhaust trunk.

4 . The battery pack venting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the exhaust trunk is configured to communicate vent byproducts received from one or more of the exhaust branches to the area outside the battery pack enclosure assembly.

5 . The battery pack venting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the module enclosure assemblies, the exhaust branches, and the exhaust trunk are sealed such that, within the battery pack interior, vent byproducts are contained by the module enclosure assemblies, the exhaust branches, and the exhaust trunk.

6 . The battery pack venting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cell stacks are immersion cooled.

7 . The battery pack venting assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of coolant inlet branches, each of the coolant inlet branches configured to communicate a liquid coolant to one of the module enclosure assemblies.

8 . The battery pack venting assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a coolant inlet trunk that communicates a liquid coolant to each of the plurality of coolant inlet branches.

9 . The battery pack venting assembly of claim 8 , wherein the coolant inlet branches are directly connected to the coolant inlet trunk within the battery pack interior.

10 . The battery pack venting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of exhaust branches are configured to communicate liquid coolant and vent byproducts directly from one of the module enclosure assemblies to the exhaust trunk.

11 . The battery pack venting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the battery cells are each configured to vent into a liquid coolant.

12 . The battery pack venting assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of check valves that block a backflow of vent byproducts from the exhaust trunk through the exhaust branches.

13 . A method of venting from a battery pack, comprising:
within a battery pack interior provided by a battery pack enclosure assembly, communicating vent byproducts from a battery module enclosure assembly into an exhaust branch, the vent byproducts expelled from at least one battery cell within a cell stack that is housed within the battery pack interior; within the battery pack interior, communicating the vent byproducts through the exhaust branch into an exhaust trunk; and communicating the vent byproducts through the exhaust trunk through the battery pack enclosure to an area outside the battery pack enclosure to exhaust the vent byproducts from the battery pack enclosure.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the module enclosure assemblies, the exhaust branches, and the exhaust trunk are sealed such that, within the battery pack interior, vent byproducts are contained by the module enclosure assemblies, the exhaust branches, and the exhaust trunk.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the battery module enclosure assembly is one of a plurality of battery module enclosure assemblies within the battery pack enclosure assembly.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein each of the battery module enclosure assemblies includes at least one cell stack having a plurality of individual battery cells.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein cells stacks each include a plurality of battery cells configured to vent into a liquid coolant.

18 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising managing thermal energy within the battery pack interior using an immersion thermal management system.

19 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising communicating a liquid coolant through a coolant inlet trunk into the battery pack interior, and communicating the liquid coolant through one of a plurality of coolant inlet branches from the coolant inlet trunk to one of the plurality of battery module enclosures.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the exhaust branch is one of a plurality of exhaust branches, each of the exhaust branches connecting one of the battery enclosure modules to the exhaust trunk, and further comprising communicating both the vent byproducts and the liquid coolant through one of the exhaust branches to the exhaust trunk.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Lee Nathan
• Bae Chulheung
• Denlinger Adam

Classifications

• H01M2220/20

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

• H01M50/358 Primary

  External gas exhaust passages located on the battery cover or case · CPC title

• H01M50/204

  Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells · CPC title

• H01M10/625

  Vehicles · CPC title

• H01M10/613

  Cooling or keeping cold · CPC title