Battery system having a passive heat sink

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025273762-A1
Application number	US-202519206718-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 13, 2025
Priority date	Feb 8, 2019
Publication date	Aug 28, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A battery system having a housing configured to receive a battery cell that is configured to generate thermal energy. The housing includes a first wall and a second wall, both of which are positioned proximate to the battery cell. The first wall and the second wall form in part a cell compartment. The battery system further includes a unitary heat sink having a first portion embedded into the first wall and a second portion embedded into the second wall.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A battery system, comprising:
a housing configured to receive a battery cell that is configured to generate thermal energy, the housing comprising a first wall and a second wall, both of which are positioned proximate to the battery cell, the first wall and the second wall forming in part a cell compartment; and a unitary heat sink comprising a first portion embedded into the first wall and a second portion embedded into the second wall.

2 . The battery system according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second walls are positioned orthogonally to one another, and wherein the heat sink has an L-shape.

3 . The battery system according to claim 1 , wherein the cell compartment has a length, and wherein the first portion spans between 10% and 100% of the length of the cell compartment.

4 . The battery system according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are positioned orthogonal to one another, and wherein the unitary heat sink further comprises a transition region positioned between the first portion and the second portion, the transition region being defined by a curved surface.

5 . The battery system according to claim 1 , wherein the battery cell is one of a plurality of battery cells arranged in adjacent stacks within the cell compartment, and wherein the heat sink comprises a first cell section corresponding to one of the cell stacks and a second cell section corresponding to another of the cell stacks.

6 . The battery system according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion is completely embedded into the first wall and the second portion is completely embedded into the second wall.

7 . The battery system according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion is completely embedded into the first wall and the second portion is partially embedded into the second wall.

8 . The battery system according to claim 7 , wherein the second portion includes a partially exposed surface to the cell compartment.

9 . The battery system according to claim 8 , further comprising a thermal epoxy fixedly coupling the battery cell to the partially exposed surface.

10 . The battery system according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the unitary heat sink comprises a first surface on a first side of the first portion and a second surface on a second opposite side of the first portion, wherein the housing has a first thickness between the first surface and an exterior surface of the first wall and the housing has a second thickness between the second surface and an interior surface of the first wall, wherein the second thickness is greater than the first thickness.

11 . The battery system according to claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the unitary heat sink comprises a first surface on a first side of the second portion and a second surface on a second opposite side of the second portion, wherein the housing has a first thickness between the first surface and an exterior surface of the first wall and the housing has a second thickness between the second surface and an interior surface of the first wall, wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness.

12 . The battery system according to claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a first material, wherein the unitary heat sink comprises a second material having a thermal conductivity higher than the first material.

13 . The battery system according to claim 12 , wherein the first material comprises a polymer or polymer composite, and wherein the second material comprises a metal.

14 . A battery system, comprising:
a plurality of battery cells that are configured to generate thermal energy; a housing for the plurality of battery cells, the housing comprising a first wall and a second wall positioned orthogonally to one another and proximate to the plurality of battery cells, the first wall and the second wall forming in part a cell compartment; a unitary heat sink comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being completely embedded into the first wall, and the second portion being partially embedded into the second wall and including a partially exposed surface to the cell compartment; and a thermal epoxy fixedly coupling the plurality of battery cells to the partially exposed surface.

15 . The battery system according to claim 14 , wherein the first portion of the unitary heat sink comprises a first surface on a first side of the first portion and a second surface on a second opposite side of the first portion, wherein the housing has a first thickness between the first surface and an exterior surface of the first wall and the housing has a second thickness between the second surface and an interior surface of the first wall, wherein the second thickness is greater than the first thickness.

16 . The battery system according to claim 14 , wherein the second portion of the unitary heat sink comprises a first surface on a first side of the second portion and a second surface on a second opposite side of the second portion, wherein the housing has a first thickness between the first surface and an exterior surface of the first wall and the housing has a second thickness between the second surface and an interior surface of the first wall, wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness.

17 . The battery system according to claim 15 , wherein the second portion of the unitary heat sink comprises a first surface on a first side of the second portion and a second surface on a second opposite side of the second portion, wherein the housing has a first thickness between the first surface and an exterior surface of the first wall and the housing has a second thickness between the second surface and an interior surface of the first wall, wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness.

18 . The battery system according to claim 14 , wherein the housing comprises a first material, wherein the unitary heat sink comprises a second material having a thermal conductivity higher than the first material.

19 . The battery system according to claim 18 , wherein the first material comprises a polymer or polymer composite, and wherein the second material comprises a metal.

20 . The battery system according to claim 14 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are positioned orthogonal to one another, and wherein the unitary heat sink further comprises a transition region positioned between the first portion and the second portion, the transition region being defined by a curved surface.

Assignees

• Cps Tech Holdings Llc
• Clarios Advanced Solutions Gmbh

Inventors

• Obasih Kem M
• Dekeuster Richard M
• Le Daniel B
• Zhang Xugang
• Kuper Christian
• Elison Nicholas E
• Fuhr Jason D

Classifications

• H01M50/204

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

• H01M50/227

  Organic material · CPC title

• H01M50/296

  characterised by terminals of battery packs (terminals of batteries H01M50/543) · CPC title

• H01M50/278

  Organic material · CPC title

• H01M50/209

  adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells (H01M50/216 takes precedence) · CPC title