A heat insulating member includes a wall member. The wall member includes a high-density portion provided at one end edge in a direction orthogonal to a thickness direction of the wall member and having density of above 0.45 g/cm.sup.3 and a low-density portion provided midway in the direction orthogonal to the thickness direction, having heat-insulating properties, and having density of 0.45 g/cm.sup.3 or less. The high-density portion is provided over the entire one end edge and the thickness of the high-density portion is thinner than that of the low-density portion.

A heat insulating member includes a wall member. The wall member includes a high-density portion provided at one end edge in a direction orthogonal to a thickness direction of the wall member and having density of above 0.45 g/cm.sup.3 and a low-density portion provided midway in the direction orthogonal to the thickness direction, having heat-insulating properties, and having density of 0.45 g/cm.sup.3 or less. The high-density portion is provided over the entire one end edge and the thickness of the high-density portion is thinner than that of the low-density portion.

A cooling module for an electrical energy storage system for an electric drive vehicle. The cooling module has an exchanger plate that is hollow on the inside so as to have, on the inside, a circulation chamber that is designed to contain a cooling liquid. The exchanger plate has: an inlet opening that is obtained through a front wall of the exchanger plate and is designed to allow the cooling liquid to flow into the circulation chamber, and an outlet opening that is obtained through a rear wall of the exchanger plate and is designed to allow the cooling liquid to flow out of the circulation chamber. The cooling module has a plurality of interface elements, which are placed inside the circulation chamber, are shaped like a wave, and are arranged in rows.

A vehicle air conditioning device is provided which is capable of accurately judging the need for temperature regulation of an object of temperature regulation mounted in a vehicle and efficiently performing temperature regulation. A compressor 2 to compress a refrigerant, an indoor heat exchanger (radiator 4 and heat absorber 9) for exchanging heat between air supplied to a vehicle interior and the refrigerant, an outdoor heat exchanger 7 disposed outside the vehicle interior, and a control device 11 are provided to perform air conditioning of the vehicle interior. An equipment temperature adjusting device 61 for adjusting the temperature of the object of temperature regulation mounted in the vehicle is provided. The control device controls the equipment temperature adjusting device 61 on the basis of a gradient (ΔT.sub.w) of a change in an index indicating the temperature of the object of temperature regulation.

Various embodiments of the teachings herein include a method for operating a battery device having a number of battery cells arranged in a battery housing. The method may include: detecting a fluid concentration of a predetermined fluid in an interior of the battery housing;

comparing the detected fluid concentration to a specified concentration threshold; adapting a maximum admissible operating temperature of the battery device if the detected fluid concentration exceeds the concentration threshold; and operating the battery device such that the maximum admissible operating temperature is not exceeded.

Various embodiments of the teachings herein include a method for operating a battery device having a number of battery cells arranged in a battery housing. The method may include: detecting a fluid concentration of a predetermined fluid in an interior of the battery housing;

comparing the detected fluid concentration to a specified concentration threshold; adapting a maximum admissible operating temperature of the battery device if the detected fluid concentration exceeds the concentration threshold; and operating the battery device such that the maximum admissible operating temperature is not exceeded.

A battery cell assembly is provided. The battery cell assembly includes a battery cell and a heat exchanger disposed adjacent the battery cell configured to cool the battery cell. The heat exchanger has an outer housing. The outer housing defines an interior region and first and second flow guide members. The first and second flow guide members define a serpentine flow path in the interior region. The first and second flow guide members are tilted generally upwardly in the interior region. The serpentine flow path extends from an inlet aperture in the outer housing to another flow path in the outer housing. The another flow path extends from the serpentine flow path to an outlet aperture. The another flow path has a smaller cross-sectional area than a cross-sectional area of each portion of the serpentine flow path such that air bubbles in fluid entering the inlet aperture are urged upwardly through the serpentine flow path and accelerated through the another flow path to exit the outer housing at the outlet aperture.

A battery cell assembly is provided. The battery cell assembly includes a battery cell and a heat exchanger disposed adjacent the battery cell configured to cool the battery cell. The heat exchanger has an outer housing. The outer housing defines an interior region and first and second flow guide members. The first and second flow guide members define a serpentine flow path in the interior region. The first and second flow guide members are tilted generally upwardly in the interior region. The serpentine flow path extends from an inlet aperture in the outer housing to another flow path in the outer housing. The another flow path extends from the serpentine flow path to an outlet aperture. The another flow path has a smaller cross-sectional area than a cross-sectional area of each portion of the serpentine flow path such that air bubbles in fluid entering the inlet aperture are urged upwardly through the serpentine flow path and accelerated through the another flow path to exit the outer housing at the outlet aperture.

The present invention is a battery module comprising a case, a plurality of cells being arranged in the case and having an energy density of 200 Wh/L or more, and a heat absorbing member provided at least either between the case and the plurality of cells or between the plurality of cells, wherein the heat absorbing member has an endothermic quantity Q from 150° C. to 350° C. of 500 J/cm.sup.3 or more and a thermal conductivity λ of 0.8 W/mK or more.

According to the present invention, there can be provided a battery module whose temperature hardly rises in an abnormal early period and in a certain period from abnormality occurrence.

The present invention is a battery module comprising a case, a plurality of cells being arranged in the case and having an energy density of 200 Wh/L or more, and a heat absorbing member provided at least either between the case and the plurality of cells or between the plurality of cells, wherein the heat absorbing member has an endothermic quantity Q from 150° C. to 350° C. of 500 J/cm.sup.3 or more and a thermal conductivity λ of 0.8 W/mK or more.

According to the present invention, there can be provided a battery module whose temperature hardly rises in an abnormal early period and in a certain period from abnormality occurrence.