Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus – product – and – With heat exchange feature
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-04
2004-03-23
Ryan, Patrick (Department: 1745)
Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus, product, and
With heat exchange feature
C429S129000, C429S130000, C429S143000, C429S148000, C429S153000, C429S157000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06709783
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cooling structure for a battery pack constituted by arranging a plurality of prismatic battery modules parallel with each other.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional cooling structure for a battery pack, in which a plurality of prismatic battery modules are arranged parallel with each other, is disclosed, for example, in Laid-open Japanese Patent Application No. 3-291867. With reference to
FIG. 4
which illustrates the battery pack
21
according to this publication, a plurality of battery modules
22
are arranged such that their side faces of largest area face each other. The cooling medium passages
23
are formed between these battery modules
22
,
22
. In the illustrated example, the cooling medium passages
23
comprise horizontal grooves
24
formed over the entire length at the bottom of the cases of battery modules
22
and a plurality of spaced vertical grooves
25
extending from these horizontal grooves
24
and reaching the upper face of the case. Reference numerals
26
and
27
represent a positive terminal and a negative terminal, respectively, and reference numeral
28
represents connecting terminals whereby battery modules
22
,
22
are electrically connected in series. Reference numeral
29
denotes safety vents.
In this conventional cooling structure of a battery pack, cooling medium passages
23
are formed between the battery modules
22
by providing grooves in mutually opposed side faces of the cases of battery modules
22
, or, by providing mutually abutting projections such as circular protrusions or linear ribs. The battery modules
22
are cooled by means of convection currents in these cooling medium passages
23
or by forcibly passing cooling medium therethrough.
However, with such construction as shown in
FIG. 4
, if the area of cooling medium passages
23
is increased in the widthwise direction in order to enhance the battery cooling efficiency, the wall thickness of battery modules
22
is decreased accordingly, as a result of which sufficient wall surface strength in regard to the internal pressure of the battery cases cannot be ensured. On the other hand, if the wall thickness of the cases of the battery modules
22
is made large in order to ensure the wall strength, the cooling efficiency becomes poor, because the heat within the battery modules cannot be effectively transmitted to their outer surfaces.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved cooling structure for a battery pack.
In a cooling structure according to the invention for a battery pack wherein prismatic battery modules are arranged parallel with each other in a condition such that their side faces of largest area face each other, cooling passages are formed by interposing spacers made of metallic material between the mutually opposed side faces of the battery modules.
With this battery pack cooling structure, since the spacers are made of metallic material, they can be made large for supporting the side faces of the battery modules over a wide area without compromising the heat transfer effect. Since the side walls of the battery cases are supported over a large area by the spacers, the wall thickness of the battery cases can be reduced, whereby the heat transfer effect can be enhanced. Reduction in the wall thickness in turn increases the cooling medium passage area. Thus the cooling structure of the present invention exhibits excellent cooling performance.
Preferably, the spacers are made of a sheet bent in opposite directions such that alternately protruding grooves respectively contact the opposite long side faces of the battery modules. Heat within the battery modules is thereby transferred into the cooling medium directly or through the contacting spacers having a high heat transfer coefficient, and dissipated swiftly. The pitch space between adjacent protruding grooves of the spacers is set relatively small, so that the side faces of the battery cases are supported over a wide area with sufficient strength. In this way, the wall thickness of the side faces of the battery cases can be made small, while maintaining sufficient support for the battery cases. Furthermore, the width of the cooling medium passages can be made large to the extent that the wall thickness is reduced, whereby the cooling efficiency is remarkably enhanced.
The spacers can be made of corrugated sheet having a wavy cross-section, or of extrusion moldings or pultrusion moldings formed with grooves or cavities constituting the cooling medium passages.
The spacers are preferably made of aluminum or aluminum alloy, because it exhibits high heat transfer performance and has other advantageous properties such as light weight and good ductility. Any other materials that have similar properties can of course be employed.
While novel features of the invention are set forth in the preceding, the invention, both as to organization and content, can be further understood and appreciated, along with other objects and features thereof, from the following detailed description and examples when taken in conjunction with the attached drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5208729 (1993-05-01), Cipolla et al.
patent: 5456994 (1995-10-01), Mita
patent: 5558950 (1996-09-01), Ovshinsky et al.
patent: 5558958 (1996-09-01), Mrotek et al.
patent: 5569557 (1996-10-01), Wagner et al.
patent: 5580677 (1996-12-01), Morishita et al.
patent: 6255015 (2001-07-01), Corrigan et al.
patent: 4446257 (1996-06-01), None
patent: 0771037 (1997-05-01), None
patent: 0952620 (1999-10-01), None
patent: 0964460 (1999-12-01), None
patent: 3-291867 (1991-12-01), None
patent: 7-14616 (1995-01-01), None
patent: 07014616 (1995-01-01), None
patent: 9-199186 (1997-07-01), None
patent: 2000048867 (2000-02-01), None
Patent Abstracts of Japan vol. 1995, No. 4, published Jan. 17, 1999.
Patent Abstracts of Japan vol. 1997, No. 11, published Nov. 28, 1997.
English language abstract of JP 3-291867.
Hamada Shinji
Ogata Yoshiaki
Martin Angela J.
Ryan Patrick
LandOfFree
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