Energy cell temperature management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9843076-B2
Application number	US-201213651907-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2012
Priority date	Oct 20, 2011
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

A temperature regulation and management system is provide that has an inner wall and an outer wall forming a space for accommodating a phase change material (PCM) with the space between the walls, in one or both of the walls, or a combination of such locations. The inner wall is in contact with an object that requires temperature regulation within a specified operating range, such as a vehicle battery pack. The inner wall and the outer wall are both formed from sheet molding compound (SMC), or the outer wall if formed of a filled polyurethane.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A temperature regulation and management system for a vehicle, said system comprising:
an inner wall and an outer wall forming a space therebetween for accommodating a phase change material (PCM), the space being between 0.25 and 10 inches;
wherein said inner wall is in contact with an object that is one or more energy cells or batteries of the vehicle for temperature regulation within a specified operating range including a melting temperature of said PCM for a time of at least two hours, said inner wall having a thickness of 0.06 inches to 0.5 inches;
wherein said inner wall is formed from sheet molding compound (SMC) containing chopped fiber and said outer wall is formed of the SMC or a polyurethane polymer matrix and having a thickness of 0.06 inches to 0.5 inches.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said PCM is trimethylolethane (TME).

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said PCM is suspended in an open cell foam.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said PCM is suspended in a closed cell foam.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the thickness of said PCM is varied between said inner and outer wall.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said SMC is formed with glass-micro spheroids, thermoplastic-micro spheroids, metallic-micro spheroids, or a combination thereof.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said SMC has air entrainment.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the thickness of said inner and outer walls have thicknesses independent of each other.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said object has one or more faces in contact with said inner wall.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said inner wall and said outer wall has at least one fin projecting therefrom.

Assignees

• Guha Probir Kumar
• Siwajek Michael J
• Hiltunen Michael Joseph
• Neogi Swati
• Dunagan Jack Douglas
• Burley Adam Craig
• Continental Structural Plastics Inc

Inventors

• Guha Probir Kumar
• Siwajek Michael J
• Hiltunen Michael Joseph
• Neogi Swati
• Dunagan Jack Douglas
• Burley Adam Craig

Classifications

• H01M50/204

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

• H01M2/1094

  Electricity · mapped topic

• Y02E60/145

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H01M10/659

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

• F28D20/023

  the latent heat storage material being enclosed in granular particles or dispersed in a porous, fibrous or cellular structure · CPC title