COOLING SYSTEM FOR ONE OR MORE BATTERY CELLS OF AN ELECTRIC BATTERY

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a cooling system for one or more battery cells of an electric battery, comprising: a cooling conduit for coolant fluid, wherein the cooling conduit is arranged for cooling of at least one battery cell of the electric battery, characterized in that, the cooling conduit has a variable dimension being indicative of a variable amount of coolant fluid to flow in the cooling conduit, and the variable dimension of the cooling conduit is variable in dependence on a cell swelling mechanism of the at least one battery cell.

Claims

1. A cooling system for one or more battery cells of an electric battery, comprising: a cooling conduit for coolant fluid, wherein the cooling conduit is arranged for cooling of at least one battery cell of the electric battery, characterized in that, the cooling conduit has a variable dimension being indicative of a variable amount of coolant fluid to flow in the cooling conduit, and the variable dimension of the cooling conduit is variable in dependence on a cell swelling mechanism of the at least one battery cell.

2. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the variable dimension of the cooling conduit is variable so that it increases with increased cell swelling of the at least one battery cell, wherein an increase of the variable dimension is indicative of an increased flow amount of coolant fluid in the cooling conduit.

3. The cooling system according to claim 1, further comprising a main channel for coolant fluid, wherein the cooling conduit is in fluid communication with the main channel or fluidly connectable with the main channel in dependence on the cell swelling mechanism.

4. The cooling system according to claim 3, wherein the fluid communication between the main channel and the cooling conduit is provided in that the cooling conduit is at least partly provided inside the main channel.

5. The cooling system according to claim 4, wherein an increase of the variable dimension is achieved by the cooling conduit being pressed further into the main channel as a consequence of the cell swelling.

6. The cooling system according to claim 5, wherein the increase of the variable dimension is configured to be performed in a direction which is different from a flow direction of the coolant fluid in the main channel, such as substantially perpendicular to the flow direction of the coolant fluid in the main channel.

7. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one battery cell which is associated with the cooling conduit has a bottom surface, a top surface and a side surface, wherein the variable dimension of the cooling conduit is variable in dependence on a cell swelling mechanism occurring at the side surface of the at least one battery cell.

8. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one battery cell which is associated with the cooling conduit has a bottom surface, a top surface and a side surface, wherein the variable dimension of the cooling conduit is variable in dependence on a cell swelling mechanism occurring at the bottom and/or top surface of the at least one battery cell.

9. The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the dimension change of the variable dimension is configured to be performed by the at least one battery cell pushing directly or indirectly on the cooling conduit.

10. An electric battery comprising one or more battery cells, and further comprising a cooling system according to claim 1.

11. The electric battery according to claim 10, wherein the cooling conduit is connected to the at least one battery cell by at least one of the following: glue, a spring, a clip.

12. The electric battery according to claim 10, wherein the cooling system comprises a plurality of variable cooling conduits, each one being associated with at least one respective battery cell.

13. The electric battery according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of variable cooling conduits are associated with a first group of battery cells and wherein the cooling system further comprises one or more non-variable cooling conduits associated with a second group of battery cells, wherein the first group of battery cells is at least one of the following: battery cells in a corner of the electric battery, battery cells at a front portion of the electric battery and battery cells at a top portion of the electric battery.

14. A vehicle comprising an electric battery according to claim 10.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] With reference to the appended drawings, below follows a more detailed description of embodiments of the invention cited as examples.

[0029] In the drawings:

[0030] FIG. 1 is a side view of a vehicle according to an example embodiment of the present invention,

[0031] FIG. 2 is a schematic and perspective view of a cooling system for one or more battery cells of an electric battery according to an example embodiment of the present invention,

[0032] FIGS. 3a-b are schematic and sectional views of the cooling system as shown in FIG. 2,

[0033] FIG. 4 is a schematic and sectional view of an electric battery according to an example embodiment of the present invention,

[0034] FIG. 5 is a schematic and perspective view of a cooling system according to another embodiment of the present invention, and

[0035] FIGS. 6a-b are schematic and sectional views of the cooling system as shown in FIG. 5.

[0036] The drawings show diagrammatic exemplifying embodiments of the present disclosure and are thus not necessarily drawn to scale. It shall be understood that the embodiments shown and described are exemplifying and that the disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. It shall also be noted that some details in the drawings may be exaggerated in order to better describe and illustrate the disclosure. Like reference characters refer to like elements throughout the description, unless expressed otherwise.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0037] FIG. 1 depicts a vehicle 200 according to an example embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle 200 is herein a heavy-duty truck, more specifically a towing truck for towing one or more trailers (not shown). However, the invention is not limited to only this type of vehicle, but may also be used for other vehicles, such as buses, work machines, passenger cars etc. The invention is also applicable to marine applications, and to any other application where battery cooling is desired.

[0038] The vehicle 200 comprises an electric battery 100 for powering one or more electric motors (not shown) of the vehicle 100. The electric battery 100 comprises a plurality of battery cells C1, . . . , Cn (not shown in this figure), such as several hundreds or several thousands of battery cells. The one or more electric motors are mechanically connected to drive wheels 210, or any other type of ground engaging members, for generating a propulsion force to the vehicle 200.

[0039] The vehicle 200 may be a pure electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, e.g. a vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine in addition to the one or more electric motors.

[0040] The one or more electric motors are also typically used as electric generators for charging the electric battery 100, such as when driving in downhill slopes.

[0041] FIG. 2 shows a schematic and perspective view of a cooling system 1 according to an example embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 3a-3b show sectional views of the cooling system 1 along section A-A as shown in FIG. 2.

[0042] A battery cell C1 is also shown in FIGS. 2-3. The battery cell C1 may be a battery cell of the electric battery 100 as shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the battery cell C1 may have a substantially cylindrical shape.

[0043] The cooling system 1 comprises a cooling conduit 10 for coolant fluid. The cooling conduit 10 is arranged for cooling of the battery cell C1 of the electric battery 100. The cooling conduit 10 has a variable dimension which is indicative of a variable amount of coolant fluid to flow in the cooling conduit 10, and the variable dimension of the cooling conduit 10 is variable in dependence on a cell swelling mechanism of the battery cell C1.

[0044] In the shown embodiment, the coolant fluid is configured to flow in a flow F, represented by the flow arrows in FIGS. 3a-b. FIG. 3a represents a situation when the battery cell C1 has not swelled and FIG. 3b represents a situation when the battery cell C1 has swelled as a consequence of degradation and/or aging of the battery cell C1.

[0045] As shown, the variable dimension of the cooling conduit 10 may be variable so that it increases with increased cell swelling of the battery cell C1. More specifically, a larger amount of coolant fluid can flow in the cooling conduit 10 when the battery cell C1 has swelled, as indicated by the two flow arrows F in the cooling conduit 10 as shown in FIG. 3b, compared to only one flow arrow F in the cooling conduit 10 as shown in FIG. 3a. Thereby, more cooling of the battery cell C1 can be achieved when the battery cell C1 has swelled to occupy a larger volume.

[0046] As shown in FIGS. 2-3, the cooling system 1 may further comprise a main channel 12 for the coolant fluid. The main channel 12 may in an example embodiment be denoted a heat sink. The cooling conduit 10 is in fluid communication with the main channel 12.

[0047] For example, the increase of the variable dimension may be defined as an increase in size of an opening (not shown) of the cooling conduit 10, wherein the opening provides the fluid communication between the main channel 12 and the cooling conduit 10. Additionally, or alternatively, the increase of the variable dimension may be defined as an increase in volume of the cooling conduit 10.

[0048] The fluid communication between the main channel 12 and the cooling conduit 10 may as shown be provided in that the cooling conduit 10 is at least partly provided inside the main channel 12. For example, as shown, the increase of the variable dimension may be achieved by the cooling conduit 10 being pressed further into the main channel 12 as a consequence of the cell swelling.

[0049] The increase of the variable dimension may as further shown be configured to be performed in a direction d1 which is different from a flow direction d2 of the coolant fluid in the main channel 12. In the shown embodiment, the direction d1 is substantially perpendicular to the flow direction d2 of the coolant fluid in the main channel 12.

[0050] By way of example, the cylindrically shaped battery cell C1 may have a height in the range of 5-15 centimetres (cm) and a diameter in the range of 1-5 cm. For example, the cell swelling mechanism may correspond to an increase in diameter and/or height in the range of 1-5 millimetres (mm).

[0051] The battery cell C1 which is associated with the cooling conduit 10 has a bottom surface 14, a top surface 16 and a side surface 18. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2-3, the variable dimension of the cooling conduit 10 is variable in dependence on a cell swelling mechanism occurring at the bottom surface 14 of the battery cell C1. As shown, the dimension change of the variable dimension may be configured to be performed by the at least one battery cell C1 pushing directly on the cooling conduit 10. Alternatively, another element (not shown) may be provided in-between the battery cell C1 and the cooling conduit 10. Accordingly, the dimension change of the variable dimension may be configured to be performed by the at least one battery cell C1 pushing indirectly on the cooling conduit 10.

[0052] FIGS. 5-6 show an alternative example embodiment of the present invention. It shall be noted that the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2-6 may be combined. FIG. 5 shows a cooling system 1 and a battery cell C1 in perspective view, and FIGS. 6a-b show the cooling system 1 and the battery cell C1 in a section along a longitudinal axis X of the battery cell C1 as shown in FIG. 5. Similar to the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 2-3, the cooling system 1 as shown in FIGS. 5-6 comprises a cooling conduit 10′ which also is arranged for cooling the battery cell C1. In addition, the cooling conduit 10′ has a variable dimension which is indicative of a variable amount of coolant fluid to flow in the cooling conduit 10′, and the variable dimension of the cooling conduit 10′ is variable in dependence on a cell swelling mechanism of the at least one battery cell C1. The variable dimension may be variable so that it increases with increased cell swelling of the battery cell C1. More particularly, in the shown embodiment, the dimension increase of the variable dimension may be defined as an increase in size of an opening 20 of the cooling conduit 10′, wherein the opening 20 provides the fluid communication between the main channel 12 and the cooling conduit 10.

[0053] As shown, the cooling conduit 10′ may be fluidly connectable with the main channel 12. In FIG. 6a, depicting a situation when the battery cell C1 has not swelled, the cooling conduit 10′ is fluidly disconnected with respect to the main channel 12. This is indicated in that the opening 20 is blocked by a blocking element 22. However, as shown in FIG. 6b, depicting a situation when the battery cell C1 has swelled to a predefined degree, the cooling conduit 10′ is fluidly connected to the main channel 12 via the opening 20. As a result, a flow F of coolant fluid can enter the cooling conduit 10′ via the opening 20. The dimension change of the variable dimension, in this case the dimension increase of the size of the opening 20, is performed by the battery cell C1 pushing directly on the cooling conduit 10′.

[0054] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5-6, the variable dimension of the cooling conduit 10 is variable in dependence on a cell swelling mechanism occurring at the side surface 18 of the battery cell C1. As shown, the dimension change of the variable dimension may be configured to be performed by the at least one battery cell C1 pushing directly on the cooling conduit 10.

[0055] FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of an electric battery 100 according to an example embodiment of the present invention. In the shown embodiment, a cooling system 1 as depicted in FIGS. 2-3 is used fora plurality of battery cells C1, . . . , Cn. The electric battery 100 comprises a plurality of variable cooling conduits 10, . . . , 10n. Each one of the plurality of variable cooling conduits 10, . . . , 10n is associated with at least one respective battery cell C1, . . . , Cn. For example, each cooling conduit 10, . . . , 10n may be connected to each respective battery cell C1, . . . , Cn by at least one of the following: glue, a spring, a clip.

[0056] The plurality of variable cooling conduits 10, . . . , 10n may be associated with a first group of battery cells. The cooling system 1 may further comprise one or more non-variable cooling conduits (not shown) associated with a second group of battery cells (not shown). The first group of battery cells may be at least one of the following: battery cells in a corner of the electric battery 100, battery cells at a front portion of the electric battery 100 and battery cells at a top portion of the electric battery 100.

[0057] It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings; rather, the skilled person will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.