Structural Battery Comprising Cooling Channels

Abstract

A battery assembly for an electric vehicle includes two spaced-apart longitudinal profiles extending in a length direction L, interconnected to a front and a rear transverse beam. At least three beam shaped battery modules are interconnected along their longitudinal sides via a plate-shaped interconnecting member, and extend in the length direction, to be attached to an inner surface of the front transverse beam via a bracket. Each battery module is provided with cooling channels extending in the length direction L and having an inlet situated between a transverse end face of the module and the inner surface of the front transverse beam. A water inlet duct extends from an external side the front transverse beam in a central area situated between the brackets, for connecting to a coolant inlet of the central battery module.

Claims

1. A battery assembly for an electric vehicle, the battery assembly comprising two spaced-apart longitudinal profiles extending in a length direction L, interconnected to a front and a rear transverse beam, at least three beam shaped battery modules, interconnected along their longitudinal sides via a plate-shaped interconnecting member, the interconnecting members extending in the length direction and being attached to an inner surface of the front transverse beam via a bracket, each battery module comprising cooling channels extending in the length direction L and having an inlet situated between a transverse end face of the module and the inner surface of the front transverse beam, a coolant inlet duct extending from an external side the front transverse beam in a central area situated between the brackets, for connecting to a coolant inlet of the central battery module, connecting areas on the external side of the front transverse beam for attaching to a front frame part being situated adjacent to the central area, opposite the brackets, and a branching duct extending between a front transverse side of the central module to an inlet that is situated between the transverse end face of the side modules and the front transverse beam via a channel through the bracket.

2. The battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the channel is integrally formed in the material of the bracket by casting or machining.

3. The battery assembly according to claim 1, wherein the bracket is of substantially triangular cross-section with two rectangular side faces adjacent the interconnecting member and the front transverse beam and a slanting face, comprising an upper and a lower transverse surface, the channel extending in a transverse plane attached to the side faces and the slanting face situated between the upper and lower transverse surface.

4. The battery assembly according to claim 3, the bracket in the side face adjacent the transverse beam being provided with connecting passages for receiving connector pins of the front frame part, extending through the front transverse beam.

5. The battery assembly according to claim 4, wherein the interconnecting member is at its front end provided with a pass-through opening for the coolant channel, and attached via connector members extending through the interconnecting member, through passages in the side face the bracket facing the interconnecting member.

6. An electric vehicle comprising a battery assembly, the battery assembly comprising two spaced-apart longitudinal profiles extending in a length direction L, interconnected to a front and a rear transverse beam, at least three beam shaped battery modules, interconnected along their longitudinal sides via a plate-shaped interconnecting member, the interconnecting members extending in the length direction and being attached to an inner surface of the front transverse beam via a bracket, each battery module comprising cooling channels extending in the length direction L and having an inlet situated between a transverse end face of the module and the inner surface of the front transverse beam, a coolant inlet duct extending from an external side the front transverse beam in a central area situated between the brackets, for connecting to a coolant inlet of the central battery module, connecting areas on the external side of the front transverse beam for attaching to a front frame part being situated adjacent to the central area, opposite the brackets, and a branching duct extending between a front transverse side of the central module to an inlet that is situated between the transverse end face of the side modules and the front transverse beam via a channel through the bracket.

7. The electric vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the channel is integrally formed in the material of the bracket by casting or machining.

8. The electric vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the bracket is of substantially triangular cross-section with two rectangular side faces adjacent the interconnecting member and the front transverse beam and a slanting face, comprising an upper and a lower transverse surface, the channel extending in a transverse plane attached to the side faces and the slanting face situated between the upper and lower transverse surface.

9. The electric vehicle according to claim 8, the bracket in the side face adjacent the transverse beam being provided with connecting passages for receiving connector pins of the front frame part, extending through the front transverse beam.

10. The electric vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the interconnecting member is at its front end provided with a pass-through opening for the coolant channel, and attached via connector members extending through the interconnecting member, through passages in the side face the bracket facing the interconnecting member.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] An embodiment of a battery pack according to the disclosure will, by way of non-limiting example, be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

[0017] FIG. 1 shows the frame and a battery pack of an electric vehicle according to the application,

[0018] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of interconnected battery modules of a battery pack according to the disclosure,

[0019] FIG. 3 shows a top view of a battery pack according to the disclosure, connected to a front frame structure,

[0020] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a battery pack according to the disclosure with the top cooling plates removed,

[0021] FIG. 5 shows a detail of the battery pack of FIG. 4 on an enlarged scale,

[0022] FIG. 6 shows a bracket with integral cooling channel according to the disclosure, shown in FIG. 4,

[0023] FIG. 7 shows an interconnection member and front frame bracket attached to a bracket according to the disclosure,

[0024] FIG. 8 shows a perspective side view of a detail on an enlarged scale of the interconnection member and bracket of FIG. 7,

[0025] FIG. 9 shows a top view of the interconnection member and bracket of FIG. 7, and

[0026] FIG. 10 shows a vertical cross-sectional view through the brackets of FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a frame 1 of an electric vehicle including a front frame structure 2, a rear frame structure 3, including a rear floor, and a structural battery assembly 4 forming a bottom structure 5. The structural battery assembly 4 includes longitudinal side profiles 6,7 interconnecting the front and rear frame structures 2,3 and supporting a battery pack 9 of interconnected battery modules. Cross beams 11,12 are connected, for instance via spot welding, to a top plate 10 of the battery pack 9 and extend in a transverse direction, interconnecting the side profiles 6,7.

[0028] FIG. 2 shows four interconnected battery modules 15,16,17,18 in an expanded view. Each module includes a number of interconnected battery cells that are covered by a cooling plate 20, 21. Each cooling plate 20,21 is provided with cooling channels 23,24 extending in a length direction L. The modules 15-18 are interconnected along their longitudinal sides 26,27,28,29, 30 via strips of adhesive 32,33.

[0029] Interconnecting members 35,36 are provided along the longitudinal sides 26, 29,30 of the battery modules 15-18, to which sides the adhesive is applied. An extruded hollow center profile 37 is on each side adhesively connected to two modules 15,16; 17,18.

[0030] FIG. 3 shows a top view of the battery pack 9 of FIG. 1, with the top plate 10 removed. The longitudinal side profiles 6,7 are connected to a front transverse beam 40. The interconnecting members 35,36 are connected via brackets 43,48 to an inner surface 42 the front transverse beam 40. The front frame structure 2 is attached via brackets 45,46, defining connecting area's on an outside surface 47 of the front transverse beam 40 for connection to the front frame structure 2. Via a coolant inlet nozzle 44, situated in a central area of the front transverse beam 40 between the brackets 43,48 and 45, 46, coolant is supplied to the cooling channels 23,24 of the modules 15-18.

[0031] FIG. 4 shows the battery pack 9 with the cooling plates 20,21 removed and shows the rear transverse beam 50 to which the interconnecting members 35, 36 and the center profile 37 are connected. An outlet manifold for the coolant is proved at the rear transverse beam 50.The individual battery cells of the modules 15-18 are shown. It can be seen that two coolant inlets 52, 53 are provided, extending through the front transverse beam 40, and extend via a branching duct in a transverse direction to connect to cooling fluid inlets 55, 56 of outer modules 15,18.

[0032] FIGS. 5 and 6 show an enlarged view of the coolant duct 54 extending between a transverse end plate 60 of the battery module 16 and the inner surface 42 of the front transverse beam 40. The duct 54 branches off from the inlet 52 and extends to the bracket 43, and through the bracket 43 via channel 57 to the coolant inlet 55 of the module 15, from which the battery cells have been omitted from the drawing. The inlet 55 of the module 15 in this embodiment is situated between the transverse end plate 59 and the inner surface 42 of the front transverse beam 40 and is connected to cooling channels in a bottom cooling plate 58, that may be used in combination with, or as an alternative to the top cooling plates 20,21.

[0033] FIG. 7 shows a force F that is passed on from the front frame structure 2 via the bracket 46 to the bracket 48 and from there on in the longitudinal direction to the interconnecting member 36. The moment M is taken up by the bracket 48. The front transverse beam 40 has been omitted from the drawing.

[0034] FIG. 8 shows a passage 68 provided in the interconnecting structure 36 for the coolant duct 67.

[0035] FIG. 9 shows the side faces 62,63 of the bracket 48 being connected via the front transverse beam 40 (not shown) to the bracket 45 of the front frame structure 2 and to the interconnecting member 35, respectively. The slanting face 64 of the bracket 48 faces the inlet 56 and to which the coolant duct 67 connects.

[0036] FIG. 10 shows a shear plane 69 of the bracket 48, defining the coolant duct 67 and extending between the top plane 70 and bottom plane 71 of the bracket 48, interconnecting side face 62 and slanting face 64.