BATTERY SUBMODULE CARRIER, BATTERY SUBMODULE, BATTERY SYSTEM AND VEHICLE

Abstract

A battery submodule carrier includes a monolithic cell tray configured to accommodate a plurality of aligned battery cells; a plurality of cell retainers configured to retain the battery cells within the cell tray; and a plurality of tray fasteners configured to mount the cell tray to a battery system carrier.

Claims

1. A battery submodule carrier comprising: a monolithic cell tray configured to accommodate a plurality of aligned battery cells; a plurality of cell retainers configured to retain the battery cells within the cell tray; and a plurality of tray fasteners configured to mount the cell tray to a battery system carrier.

2. The battery submodule carrier according to claim 1, wherein the cell tray, the cell retainer, and the tray fastener are a monolithic unit.

3. The battery submodule carrier according to claim 2, wherein the cell tray, the cell retainer, and/or the tray fastener are injection molded from an electrically nonconductive polymeric material.

4. The battery submodule carrier according to claim 1, wherein each of the battery cells has two opposing wide side surfaces, two opposing narrow side surfaces, and opposing top and bottom surfaces, and wherein, in the cell tray, the battery cells are stacked together with their wide surfaces facing each other.

5. The battery submodule carrier according to claim 1, wherein the cell tray has a U-shaped cross section configured to accommodate the battery cells.

6. The battery submodule carrier according to claim 1, wherein the cell tray comprises a bottom surface having a central opening extending along a longitudinal direction of the cell tray.

7. The battery submodule carrier according to claim 1, wherein the cell tray comprises a bottom surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface, a first ledge perpendicularly protruding inwardly from the first side surface, and a second ledge perpendicularly protruding inwardly from the second side surface, and wherein the first ledge and the second ledge are configured to support the battery cells.

8. The battery submodule carrier according to claim 1, wherein the cell tray comprises a first side surface and a second side surface, wherein the first side surface has a first lower portion and a first upper portion, wherein the second side surface has a second lower portion and a second upper portion, wherein a plurality of spaced apart snap segments extend upwardly from at least one of the first upper portion and the second upper portion and are elastically connected to the respective first lower portion or second lower portion, and wherein each of the snap segments is configured to provide clip engagement with at least one of the battery cells accommodated in the cell tray.

9. The battery submodule carrier according to claim 1, wherein the cell tray comprises a first end surface and a second end surface, and wherein at least one of the first end surface and the second end surface comprises a reinforcing structure.

10. The battery submodule carrier according to claim 9, wherein the reinforcing structure comprises a honeycomb structure.

11. A battery submodule comprising: the battery submodule carrier according to claim 1; and the plurality of aligned battery cells in the cell tray.

12. A battery system comprising: a battery system carrier; and a plurality of the battery submodules according to claim 11, wherein the tray fasteners of the battery submodule carriers are attached to the battery system carrier.

13. The battery system according to claim 12, wherein the battery system carrier comprises a plurality of longitudinal beams, a plurality of crossbeams, a ground plate, and a plurality of support beams, wherein the support beams are attached to the ground plate, the longitudinal beams, and/or the crossbeams, and wherein the tray fasteners of the battery submodule carriers are attached to the support beams.

14. The battery system according to claim 13, wherein a coolant channel is integrally formed in the ground plate and forms a plurality of cooling areas, wherein the cell tray comprises a bottom surface having a central opening extending along a longitudinal direction of the cell tray, and wherein the central opening is aligned with at least one of the cooling areas to form a cooling interface for the respective at least one of the battery submodules.

15. The battery system according to claim 13, wherein a coolant channel is attached to the ground plate and forms a plurality of cooling areas, wherein the cell tray comprises a bottom surface having a central opening extending along a longitudinal direction of the cell tray, and wherein the central opening is aligned with one at least of the cooling areas to form a cooling interface for the respective at least one of the battery submodules.

16. A vehicle comprising: the battery system according to claim 12; and the battery submodule according to claim 11.

17. A vehicle comprising: the battery system according to claim 12; and the battery submodule carrier according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Features of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by describing, in detail, exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

[0028] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a battery submodule according to the prior art;

[0029] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a battery submodule according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a battery submodule according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a battery system according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0032] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a battery system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Hereinafter, example embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention, however, may be embodied in various different forms, and should not be construed as being limited to only the illustrated embodiments herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided as examples so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the aspects and features of the present invention to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, processes, elements, and techniques that are not necessary to those having ordinary skill in the art for a complete understanding of the aspects and features of the present invention may not be described.

[0034] It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, connected, or coupled to the other element or layer or one or more intervening elements or layers may also be present. When an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers present. For example, when a first element is described as being “coupled” or “connected” to a second element, the first element may be directly coupled or connected to the second element or the first element may be indirectly coupled or connected to the second element via one or more intervening elements. The same reference numerals designate the same elements. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Further, the use of “may” when describing embodiments of the present invention relates to “one or more embodiments of the present invention.” Expressions, such as “at least one of,” when preceding a list of elements, modify the entire list of elements and do not modify the individual elements of the list. Also, the term “exemplary” is intended to refer to an example or illustration. As used herein, the terms “use,” “using,” and “used” may be considered synonymous with the terms “utilize,” “utilizing,” and “utilized,” respectively.

[0035] It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers, and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or section from another element, component, region, layer, or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer, or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer, or section without departing from the teachings of example embodiments. In the figures, dimensions of the various elements, layers, etc. may be exaggerated for clarity of illustration.

[0036] Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” or “over” the other elements or features. Thus, the term “below” may encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptors used herein should be interpreted accordingly.

[0037] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to be limiting of the described example embodiments of the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a” and “an” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “includes,” “including,” “comprises,” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

[0038] For the electrical integration in a battery module having the modular design, either submodules including a plurality of cells connected to each other in parallel are connected to each other in series (XsYp) or submodules including a plurality of cells connected to each other in series are connected to each other in parallel (XpYs). XsYp-type submodules can generate relatively high voltages, but the voltage level of each individual cell has to be individually controlled. Thus, wiring complexity is relatively high in XsYp-type submodules. In XpYs-type submodules, the voltage levels of the cells connected to each other in parallel are automatically balanced, and thus, it is sufficient to control the voltage on the submodule level. Thus, wiring complexity is reduced in XpYs-type submodules. In the submodules of cells connected to each other in parallel, their capacitance adds up, and thus, XpYs-type submodules are generally used with low capacitance cells.

[0039] The thermal management system allows for safe use the battery module by efficiently emitting, discharging, and/or dissipating heat generated by the rechargeable batteries. If the heat emission/discharge/dissipation is not sufficiently performed, temperature deviations occur between the respective battery cells, such that the battery module cannot generate a desired amount of power. In addition, an increase of internal temperatures of the rechargeable batteries can lead to abnormal reactions occurring therein, thus causing charging and discharging performance of the rechargeable batteries to deteriorate and the life-span of the rechargeable batteries to be shortened. Thus, cooling devices for effectively emitting/discharging/dissipating heat from the cells are often provided.

[0040] To meet the dynamic power demands of various electrical consumers (e.g., electrical consumption circuits or devices) connected to the battery system, static control of battery power output and charging may not be sufficient. Thus, a steady exchange of information between the battery system and the controllers of the electrical consumers may be implemented. Important information, such as the battery system's actual state of charge (SoC), potential electrical performance, charging ability, and internal resistance, as well as actual or predicted power demands or surpluses of the consumers, may be communicated.

[0041] Mechanical integration of the battery module refers to mechanical connections of the individual components among themselves and to a structure of the powered system (e.g., the system providing the electrical information, such as a vehicle). These connections should be designed such that they remain functional and safe during the average service life of the battery system and under the stresses endured during use of the powered device (e.g., the vehicle). Also, installation space and interchangeability requirements should be considered, especially in mobile applications.

[0042] Mechanical integration of battery modules can be achieved by providing a carrier plate (e.g., a ground plate) and by positioning individual battery cells or submodules thereon. Fixing the battery cells or submodules to the carrier plate can be achieved by fitting the battery cells or submodules into depressions in the carrier plate, by mechanical interconnectors, such as bolts or screws, or by confining the cells or submodules. Confinement can be achieved by fastening side plates to lateral sides of the carrier plate and/or by providing a second carrier plate atop the battery cells or submodules and fixing it to the first carrier plate and/or side plates. Thus, multilevel battery modules can be constructed, and the carrier plates and/or side plates may include coolant ducts to cool the cells or submodules.

[0043] Mechanical integration of battery submodules may generally be achieved by preassembling a plurality of battery cells and connecting them to each other with mechanically reinforced electrical connectors, by fastening side and/or front plates around the battery cells, or by attaching carrier beams or struts to the electrical connectors and to the battery cells.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 1, a battery submodule 15 includes a plurality of aligned secondary battery cells 10, each having a substantially prismatic shape. Each of the battery cells 10 includes a positive terminal 3, a negative terminal 4, and a vent opening 5 (e.g., a vent hole). A pair of module front plates 1 is provided to face front surfaces (e.g., wide surfaces) of the battery cells 10 (e.g., to face front surfaces of the outermost ones of the battery cells 10). The module front plates 1 are mechanically coupled to a pair of module side plates 2 that face side surfaces (e.g., narrow side surfaces) of the battery cells 10. The module front plates 1 and the module side plates 2 are assembled to each other to fix the plurality of battery cells 10 together. Thereby the plurality of battery cells 10 is fixed together. The battery submodule may further include a pair of module top plates that are mechanically coupled to the module front and side plates 1, 2. The module front plates 1, the module side plates 2, and the module top plates together provide a self-supporting body of the battery submodule 100.

[0045] The number of battery cells in usual battery modules can reach several hundred cells, and thus, a relative great number of battery submodules may be included in the battery module. The effort to assemble the plurality of battery submodules prior to assembling the battery module is a material and time-intensive process that increases the manufacturing costs of the battery module. Further, the failure and subsequent replacement of a single battery cell in the battery module requires removal of the battery submodule from the battery module and disassembly of the battery submodule, such that the battery module loses its mechanical integrity during that process.

[0046] Referring to FIG. 2, an exemplary embodiment of a battery submodule 100 according to the present invention includes a plurality of aligned secondary battery cells 10, each having a substantially prismatic shape, that are inserted into (or accommodated in) a battery submodule carrier. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the battery cells 10 is a prismatic (or rectangular) cell, and wide, flat side surfaces of the cells 10 are stacked together (e.g., are stacked to face each other) to form the battery submodule 100. Further, each of the battery cells 10 includes a battery case configured to accommodate an electrode assembly and an electrolyte. The battery case is hermetically sealed and is provided with positive and negative electrode terminals 3 and 4 having different polarities from each other and a vent opening 5 (e.g., a vent hole). The vent opening 5 is a safety device of the battery cell 10 and acts as a passage through which gas generated in the battery cell 10 is exhausted to the outside of the battery cell 10. In order to avoid any unwanted electric contact between the individual battery cells 10, isolation foils are disposed between adjacent ones of the battery cells 10.

[0047] The battery submodule carrier includes a cell tray 20 having a first side surface (e.g., a wide surface) 25 and an opposite second side surface 26, a first end surface 23 and an opposite second end surface 24, an open top surface (e.g., an open top side) and a bottom surface. The first side surface 25 includes a lower portion 27 covering the narrow side surfaces of the battery cells 10 that are inserted in the cell tray 20 and further includes an upper portion 28 including (e.g., consisting of) a plurality of cell retainers 30, such as spaced apart snap segments 29. Thus, the upper portion 28 of the first side surface 25 is segmented by the snap segments 29, and recesses are between adjacent ones of the snap segments 29. The second side surface 26 includes a structure similar to the first side surface 25. The submodule battery carrier further includes tray fasteners 40 that protrude from the side surfaces (e.g., from the first side surface 25 and the second side surface 26) of the cell tray 20 and, in some embodiments, are positioned at the transition between the lower portion 27 and the upper portion 28 of the side surfaces 25, 26. The tray fasteners 40 may include screw holes that are configured to be aligned with corresponding connectors, such as screws, of a battery system carrier.

[0048] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the battery cells 10 are inserted into the cell tray 20 through the open top side such that the wide side surfaces of the battery cells 10 are adjacent to each together, and the battery cells 10 are retained in the cell tray 20 by the snap segments 29. The snap segments 29 are formed, pre-stressed, from the side walls 25, 26 (e.g., side surfaces) of the cell tray 20 and are configured to bend away (e.g., to bend away from an accommodation space for the battery cells 10 in the cell tray 20) for the battery cells 10 to be inserted into the cell tray 20. In their neutral position, the snap segments 29 retain the battery cells 10. Therefore, the snap segments 29 include a first segment extending generally along the side surface of the battery cells and a second segment protruding inwardly from the first segment that generally extends along the top surface of the battery cells 10. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cell tray 20, the snap segments 29, and the tray fasteners 40 are injection molded from an electrically nonconductive polymeric material and, thus, form a monolithic component.

[0049] Referring to FIG. 3, the cell tray 20 further includes a bottom surface 21 with a central opening 22 extending along a longitudinal direction of the cell tray 20, for example, perpendicular to the drawing plane of FIG. 3. The bottom surface 21 includes a first ledge 21a protruding inwardly from the first side surface 25 and a second ledge 21b protruding inwardly from the second side surface 26. The first ledge 21a and the second ledge 21b together support the battery cells 10 inserted into the cell tray 20.

[0050] Referring to FIG. 4, a battery system 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of the battery submodules 100 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. A plurality of rows (e.g., two rows) of the battery submodules 100, each row including a plurality of the battery submodules 100, are disposed in a battery system carrier 50. The battery system carrier 50 includes a plurality of longitudinal beams 51 (e.g., two longitudinal beams 51) and a plurality of crossbeams 52 (e.g., two crossbeams 52) welded together to form a carrier frame. A ground plate 53 is welded to the carrier frame. The battery system carrier 50 further includes a plurality of support beams 54, and the tray fasteners 40 of each of the battery submodules 100 are attached to the support beams 54.

[0051] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the ground plate 53 of the battery system carrier 50 includes a coolant channel 55 as an integral part (e.g., the coolant channel 55 is integrally formed in the ground plate 53). The coolant channel 55 forms cooling areas at where the coolant channel 55 has a plurality of windings for providing a large heat exchange surface. The battery submodules 100 are arranged in the battery system carrier 50 such that the central openings 22 of the cell trays 20 are aligned with the cooling areas formed by the coolant channel 55. In other embodiments, the coolant channels may be external coolant channels that are attached to the battery system carrier 50.

SOME OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0052] 1 module front plate [0053] 2 module side plate [0054] 3 positive terminal [0055] 4 negative terminal [0056] 5 vent hole [0057] 10 secondary battery [0058] 15 battery submodule [0059] 20 cell tray [0060] 21 bottom surface [0061] 21a first ledge [0062] 21b second ledge [0063] 22 central opening [0064] 23 first end surface [0065] 24 second end surface [0066] 25 first side surface [0067] 26 second side surface [0068] 27 lower portion (of 26) [0069] 28 upper portion (of 26) [0070] 29 snap segment (of 26) [0071] 30 cell retainer [0072] 40 tray fastener [0073] 50 battery system carrier [0074] 51 longitudinal beam [0075] 52 crossbeam [0076] 53 ground plate [0077] 54 support beam [0078] 55 coolant channel [0079] 100 battery submodule [0080] 200 battery system