BATTERY DEVICE FOR GUIDED COOLING OF BATTERY CELLS AND A POWER BUS

Abstract

A battery device for a motor vehicle, in particular an electric motor vehicle, having at least two battery cells and a power bus, which are arranged in an interior of a battery housing and can be temperature-controlled by a flowable coolant arranged in the interior. In an intermediate space between the battery cells, the power bus and a deflector element are arranged, wherein the deflector element includes at least one passage opening for the coolant, which passage opening is arranged in such a way that coolant flowing through the passage opening flows along the power bus.

Claims

1. A battery device for an electric motor vehicle, said battery device comprising: a battery housing defining an interior; at least two battery cells and a power bus, which are arranged in the interior of the battery housing and are configured to be temperature-controlled by a flowable coolant arranged in the interior; and a power bus and a deflector element arranged in an intermediate space between the battery cells, wherein the deflector element comprises at least one passage opening for the coolant, which passage opening is arranged such that coolant flowing through the passage opening flows along the power bus.

2. The battery device according to claim 1, further comprising a perfusable free region for the flowable coolant arranged both below and above the battery cells.

3. The battery device according to claim 1, wherein the deflector element is arranged to define a U-shaped flow path of the coolant in the intermediate space and around the power bus.

4. The battery device according to claim 1, wherein the deflector element comprises a plurality of passage openings, wherein all of the passage openings are arranged at a common distance from a top of the deflector element.

5. The battery device according to claim 1, wherein the passage opening has a cross-section that is circular, elliptical, polygonal, or quadrilateral.

6. The battery device according to claim 1, wherein the coolant is guided above the battery cells in a first flow direction, wherein the deflector element is arranged perpendicular to the first flow direction; and/or wherein the coolant is guided below the battery cells in a second flow direction, wherein the deflector element is arranged perpendicular to the second flow direction.

7. The battery device according to claim 1, wherein the power bus electrically connects the at least two battery cells to one another.

8. The battery device according to claim 1, wherein the deflector element is sealed against an inner wall and the battery housing.

9. The battery device according to claim 1, wherein the battery housing comprises at least one coolant inlet and one coolant outlet that are arranged on opposite sides of the battery device.

10. The battery device according to claim 1, further comprising a conveyor device for conveying the coolant in a flow direction.

11. The battery device according to claim 1, wherein at least a first battery cell of the at least two battery cells is arranged on a first side of the deflector element, and at least a second battery cell of the at least two battery cells is arranged on a second side of the deflector element that is opposite the first side.

12. The battery device according to claim 11, wherein the battery device comprises at least two first battery cells and/or at least two second battery cells, wherein a cell intermediate channel is arranged between the two first battery cells and the two second battery cells, which cell intermediate channel connects a perfusable free region below the respective battery cells to a perfusable free region above the battery cells.

13. The battery device according to claim 1, wherein the coolant is a dielectric fluid.

14. An electric motor vehicle comprising the battery device of claim 1.

15. A method for operating a battery device of an electric motor vehicle having at least two battery cells and a power bus arranged in an interior of a battery housing and temperature-controlled by a flowable coolant arranged in the interior, wherein, the power bus and a deflector element are arranged in an intermediate space between the two battery cells, wherein the deflector element comprises at least one passage opening, wherein the method comprises the step of: flowing coolant along the power bus and through the passage opening.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the flowing step comprises flowing the coolant in a U shape around the deflector element.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein at least a first battery cell of the at least two battery cells is arranged on a first side of the deflector element, and at least a second battery cell of the at least two battery cells is arranged on a second side of the deflector element that is opposite the first side, wherein the flowing step comprises flowing coolant (i) through a coolant inlet below the first battery cell and/or the second battery cell and (ii) upwards through at least one cell intermediate channel between two of the first battery cells and/or two of the second battery cells.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the flowing step comprises directing the coolant flow from the coolant inlet to the coolant outlet.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Further details and advantages of the invention will be explained in the following with reference to the embodiment examples shown in the drawings. Here:

[0027] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment example of a battery housing according to the invention, having a coolant inlet in a perspective view;

[0028] FIG. 2 shows a perspective, cut view of a part of the interior of the battery housing with a deflector element;

[0029] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment example of a battery device according to aspects of the invention with a deflector element in a cut view; and

[0030] FIG. 4 shows a detailed view of a deflector element according to aspects of the invention according to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment example of a battery device 100 according to aspects of the invention for a motor vehicle, in particular an electric motor vehicle, for cooling the elements arranged within the battery housing 1. In the exemplary illustration in FIG. 1, the battery housing 100 comprises two battery modules 10, wherein each battery module 10 comprises several battery cells 11. Furthermore, a coolant inlet 2 allows a coolant to be introduced into the battery device 100.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a battery module 10 that can be used with the battery device 1 shown in FIG. 1 in a perspective cross-sectional view. The battery module 10 comprises several battery cells 11, a deflector element 7 having several passage openings 8, and an electrical connecting region 13. The deflector element 7 is arranged perpendicular to a flow direction of a coolant indicated by arrows in FIG. 2 within the battery module in such a way that the coolant is deflected by the deflector element 7 in a U shape.

[0033] The flowable coolant for cooling the battery cells 11 within the battery module 10 is a dielectric fluid. This coolant is guided in a free region above the battery cells 11 towards the deflector element 7. Here, the coolant is deflected perpendicularly downward through the deflector element 7 and guided through the passage openings 8 of the deflector element 7. After passing through the passage openings 8, the coolant is directed upwards again on the other side. Thus, a U-shaped curve is produced. Furthermore, the passage openings 8 have a polygonal cross-section. In addition, the passage openings 8 are arranged at an identical distance from the upper and lower side of the deflector element 7, i.e. at a common height. To optimally redirect the flow of coolant through the deflector element 7, the deflector element is sealed upward and/or downward against an inner wall of the battery housing 100.

[0034] The flow path of the coolant through the battery module 10 can be understood based on the illustration in FIG. 3. The coolant can be introduced at the coolant inlet 2 at a desired pressure generated by a conveyor device (not shown), in particular outside of the battery module 10. Through the coolant inlet 2, the coolant flows into a free region 3 below the battery cells 11.

[0035] A battery module 10 in the illustration of FIG. 3 comprises several battery cells 11, wherein the battery cells 11 arranged on a first side of the deflector element 7 are referred to as first battery cells 11.1 and the battery cells 11 arranged on the opposite side of the deflector element 7 are referred to as second battery cells 11.2. According to FIG. 3, the first battery cells 11.1 are arranged closer to the coolant inlet 2 than the second battery cells 11.2. Between two of the first battery cells 11.1 and between two of the second battery cells 11.2, there are respective cell intermediate channels 4, for example in a meandering fashion. The coolant passes upwards through the cell intermediate channels 4 starting from the free regions 3 below the first battery cells 11.1 and second battery cells 11.2, respectively.

[0036] In this respect, a cell intermediate channel 4 connects the free region 3 below the battery cells 11 to the free region 5 above the battery cells 11. The flow direction of the coolant is directed from the coolant inlet 2 to a coolant outlet 9 arranged on the opposite side of the battery housing 1.

[0037] In FIG. 4, the intermediate space 6 between the first battery cells 11.1 and the second battery cells 11.2 is shown in detail. The intermediate space 6 comprises the deflector element 7, a power bus 12, and an electrical connecting region for battery cells 14. The flow of coolant from the free region above the battery cells 5 is diverted perpendicularly downward by the deflector element 7 so that the flow of coolant flows along the power bus 12 and is then directed through the passage openings 8 of the deflector element 7. Here, the passage openings 8 are arranged in a region below the power bus 12 so that all of the deflected coolant can flow around the power bus 12. The U-shaped flow path around the deflector element 7 can be seen in FIG. 4. Due to the deflector element 7, the flow direction of the coolant in the free region 5 above the battery cells 11 can thus deviate from the flow direction of the coolant in the free region 3 below the battery cells 11.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0038] 1—Battery housing [0039] 2—Coolant inlet [0040] 3—Free region below the battery cells [0041] 4—Cell intermediate channel [0042] 5—Free region above the battery cells [0043] 6—Intermediate space [0044] 7—Deflector element [0045] 8—Passage opening [0046] 9—Coolant outlet [0047] 11—Battery cell [0048] 11.1—First battery cell [0049] 11.2—Second battery cell [0050] 12—Power bus [0051] 13—Electrical connecting region of battery housing [0052] 14—Electrical connecting region of battery cell [0053] 100—Battery device