Energy storage device with reduced temperature variability between cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9806387-B2
Application number	US-201514843164-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2015
Priority date	Sep 2, 2015
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to an improved energy storage device having a housing with one or more side walls that define an internal volume. The side walls include a bottom side wall and a front side wall having an air inlet and outlet. The energy storage device also includes a plurality of cells arranged in a matrix within the internal volume atop the bottom side wall. Further, the cells define a top surface. In addition, the energy storage device includes an airflow distribution network configured with the air inlet and the air outlet. Moreover, the airflow distribution network is at least partially sealed from the plurality of cells (e.g. at the front side wall) so as to reduce temperature variability across the cells when external air is provided through the air inlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An energy storage device, comprising:
a housing comprising a plurality of side walls that define an internal volume, the plurality of side walls comprising, at least, a bottom side wall and a front side wall, the front side wall comprising an air inlet and an air outlet;
a plurality of energy storage cells arranged in a matrix within the internal volume atop the bottom side wall and defining a top surface;
a heater positioned on the top surface of the plurality of energy storage cells,
at least one electrical insulation plate positioned on the top surface of the plurality of energy storage cells,
a thermal spreader plate positioned between the heater and the at least one electrical insulation plate so as to transfer heat across the plurality of energy storage cells; and,
an airflow distribution network configured with the air inlet and the air outlet, the airflow distribution network being at least partially sealed from the plurality of energy storage cells so as to reduce temperature variability across the energy storage cells when external air is provided through the air inlet.

2. The energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein the airflow distribution network is configured with the bottom side wall of the housing and extends from the front side wall of the housing to a rear side wall thereof.

3. The energy storage device of claim 2 , wherein the airflow distribution network comprises a plurality airflow pipes covered with a sump plate, wherein the sump plate comprises a plurality of perforations.

4. The energy storage device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one additional thermal spreader plate positioned between the plurality of energy storage cells.

5. The energy storage device of claim 1 , further comprising a manifold configured between a front row of energy storage cells and the front side wall of the housing.

6. The energy storage device of claim 5 , wherein the manifold comprises a height that is from about 5% to about 40% of an overall height of the housing.

7. The energy storage device of claim 4 , further comprising at least one additional electrical insulation plates positioned at one or more locations within the internal volume, the one or more locations comprising at least one of the front side wall of the housing, between one or more of the energy storage cells, or any combinations thereof.

8. The energy storage device of claim 7 , wherein the at least one additional thermal spreader plate is sandwiched between at least two additional electrical insulation plates between the plurality of energy storage cells.

9. The energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one thermal spreader plate is constructed, at least in part, of at least one of a metal, a metal alloy, or an organic material, wherein the metal, the metal alloy, or the organic material comprises at least one of copper, aluminum, steel, zinc, brass, iron, graphene, or nickel.

10. The energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical insulation plate defines an airflow channel, the at least one electrical insulation plate being constructed, at least in part, of mica.

11. The energy storage device of claim 10 , further comprising one or more thermal insulation materials configured at one or more locations within the internal volume of the housing, the one or more locations comprising at least one of atop at least a portion of the airflow distribution network or with the front side wall of the housing, wherein the one or more insulation materials are configured to insulate the airflow distribution network from energy storage cells adjacent to the front side wall.

12. The energy storage device of claim 11 , further comprising an annular seal at the air inlet of the front side wall, wherein the annular seal isolates the external air provided to the air inlet and the air distribution network.

13. A method for reducing temperature variability between a plurality of energy storage cells in an energy storage device, the method comprising:
providing airflow through an air inlet of the energy storage device, the air inlet being in fluid communication with an airflow distribution network located on a bottom side wall of the energy storage device underneath the plurality of energy storage cells;
sealing the airflow at the air inlet and within the airflow distribution network from the energy storage cells;
positioning a heater and at least one electrical insulation plate on a top surface of the plurality of energy storage cells;
positioning at least one thermal spreader plate between the heater and the electrical insulation plate; and,
circulating the airflow from the airflow distribution network to the top surface of the energy storage device and to an air outlet.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the airflow distribution network comprises a plurality airflow pipes covered with a sump plate, wherein the sump plate comprises a plurality of perforations, the method further comprising customizing at least one of a size or location of each of the plurality of perforations.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising positioning one or more additional thermal spreader plates between one or more of the plurality of energy storage cells.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising positioning one or more additional electrical insulation plates between one or more of the plurality of energy storage cells.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Frutschy Kristopher John
• Lindsey James S
• Bhamidipati Kanthi Latha
• Browell James Thorpe
• Snyder Ii Ross M

Classifications

• H01M50/209

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

• H01M2/1088

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M10/613

  Cooling or keeping cold · CPC title

• H01M10/6565

  with recirculation or U-turn in the flow path, i.e. back and forth · CPC title

• H01M2220/10

  Batteries in stationary systems, e.g. emergency power source in plant · CPC title