METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CELL FOLD ADHESION WHEN FILLING A BATTERY MODULE WITH THERMAL PASTE

Abstract

A method for filling a thermal paste into a battery module. The battery module includes a module housing with at least one cooling wall, at which a cooling plate can be arranged outside the module housing. At least one stack is formed by a plurality of uniformly stacked pouch cells. The at least one stack is arranged at the at least one cooling wall in the module housing. In proximity to at least one opening, a fold of at least one pouch cell is folded over toward the surface of pouch cell and glued, thereby forming a first flow channel between a stack cooling side and the cooling wall. The thermal paste is filled in through the opening and the thermal paste spreads homogeneously in the first flow channel.

Claims

1. A method for distributing a thermal paste into a battery module, wherein the battery module comprises a module housing with at least one cooling wall, at which a cooling plate can be arranged outside the module housing, at least one stack of pouch cells that is formed by a plurality of the pouch cells that are uniformly stacked on top of one another on their planar sides, wherein each pouch cell has (i) a rectangular surface with a length and a width, (ii) an edge disposed perpendicularly to the rectangular surface and having a pouch cell thickness, and (iii) a fold that extends along the edge, wherein at least one stack cooling side of the stack of pouch cells is defined by a pouch cell longitudinal direction and a stacking direction formed in a direction of stacking, wherein the at least one stack of pouch cells is arranged at the at least one cooling wall in the module housing, wherein at least one opening is disposed in the at least one cooling wall, wherein, in proximity to the at least one opening, a fold, extending on the at least one stack cooling side of at least one pouch cell, is folded over toward the surface of said at least one pouch cell and fixed, thereby forming a first flow channel between the at least one stack cooling side and the at least one cooling wall, said method comprising: distributing the thermal paste through the at least one opening to cause the thermal paste to spread homogeneously in the first flow channel.

2. The method according to claim 1, in which the first flow channel is formed in the stacking direction and orthogonally to the pouch cell longitudinal direction by taping the fold and hollowing out a stack-side cooling wall.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a respective fold is individually fixed to its respective pouch cell.

4. The method according to claim 1, in which a respective fold is taped in a group with further folds with an adhesive tape arranged along the stacking direction.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising least one second flow channel formed orthogonally to the first flow channel by additionally bending over and taping at least one fold along the pouch cell longitudinal direction.

6. The method according to claim 5, in which the first flow channel is formed with a larger volume than the second flow channel by more narrowly taping and/or more strongly hollowing out the stack-side cooling wall, whereby, when the thermal paste is distributed, the thermal paste spreads first in the first flow channel and subsequently into the second flow channel.

7. A battery module comprising: a module housing with at least one cooling wall, at which a cooling plate can be arranged outside the module housing, at least one stack of the pouch cells that is formed by a plurality of pouch cells that are uniformly stacked on top of one another on their planar sides, wherein each pouch cell includes (i) a rectangular surface having a length and a width, (ii) an edge disposed perpendicularly to the rectangular surface and having a pouch cell thickness, and (iii) a fold that extends along the edge, wherein at least one stack cooling side of the stack of pouch cells is defined by a pouch cell longitudinal direction and a stacking direction formed in a direction of stacking, wherein the at least one stack of pouch cells is arranged at the at least one cooling wall in the module housing, at least one opening arranged in the at least one cooling wall, wherein, in proximity to the at least one opening, a fold, extending on the at least one stack cooling side, of at least one pouch cell is folded over toward the surface of said at least one pouch cell and fixed, thereby forming a first flow channel between the at least one stack cooling side and the at least one cooling wall, and wherein the at least one opening and the first flow channel are homogeneously filled with the thermal paste.

8. The battery module according to claim 7, wherein the first flow channel is formed in the stacking direction and orthogonally to the pouch cell longitudinal direction by taping the at least one fold and hollowing out the stack-side cooling wall.

9. The battery module according to claim 7, in which a respective fold is individually glued to its respective pouch cell.

10. The battery module according to claim 7, in which a respective fold is taped in a group with further folds with an adhesive tape arranged along the stacking direction.

11. The battery module according to claim 7, further comprising at least one second flow channel formed orthogonally to the first flow channel by additionally bending over and taping at least one fold along the pouch cell longitudinal direction.

12. The battery module according to claim 11, in which the first flow channel is formed with a larger volume than the second flow channel by more narrowly taping and/or more strongly hollowing out the stack-side cooling wall, whereby the first flow channel and the second flow channel are configured such that, when the thermal paste is filled in, the latter spreads first in the first flow channel and subsequently in the second flow channel.

13. A vehicle comprising the battery module of claim 7.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The figures are described contiguously and comprehensively, and the same components are associated with the same reference numbers.

[0028] FIG. 1 schematically shows a perspective representation of a pouch cell in one embodiment of the method according to aspects of the invention.

[0029] FIG. 2 schematically shows a sectional view through a battery module in a further embodiment of the method according to aspects of the invention.

[0030] FIG. 3 schematically shows a phantom view through the battery module from above in a still further embodiment of the method according to aspects of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] FIG. 1 schematically shows a perspective representation 100 of a pouch cell 110 in one embodiment of the method according to aspects of the invention. The pouch cell 110, which is formed primarily planarly in a pouch cell longitudinal direction 102 and in the direction of a pouch cell width 103, can be arranged together with identically formed pouch cells 110 to form a stack perpendicularly to its planar extent, i.e., in a direction along its pouch cell thickness, so to speak in the stacking direction 101. At its lower and upper edges along the pouch cell longitudinal direction, there respectively are a lower connecting lug 112 and an upper connecting lug to a battery welded within the pouch cell 110. A circumferential weld seam along the planar extent of the pouch cell 110 forms a fold 111. Centrally to the longitudinal extent of the pouch cell 110, the fold 111 is bent over and fixed to the pouch cell 110 by means of an adhesive tape 114.

[0032] FIG. 2 schematically shows a sectional view 200 through a battery module in a further embodiment of the method according to aspects of the invention. A plurality of pouch cells 110 are arranged in a row in the stacking direction 101 within a module housing 230. The module housing 230 comprises a connecting plate 232, and upward and downward a respective cooling wall 221 on which a respective cooling plate with cooling fins 240 and a cooling system connector 241 are arranged. Filling openings 231, through which a thermal paste 220 is filled in prior to arranging the cooling plate with the cooling fins 240, are placed in the cooling wall 221. The thermal paste 220 fills an intermediate space between the pouch cells 110 and the respective cooling walls 221 of the module housing 230. In order to ensure according to aspects of the invention a first and a second flow channel for the thermal paste 220, the respective fold 111 of the pouch cells 110 is bent over and fixed with an adhesive tape 114. According to aspects of the invention, the fixing prevents the respective folds 111 from standing up when the thermal paste 220 flows in. The fixing of the respective folds 111 according to aspects of the invention by a respective adhesive tape 114 for unhindered conduction of the thermal paste 220 is illustrated enlarged in the diagram 299.

[0033] FIG. 3 schematically shows a phantom view 300 through the battery module with connecting plate 232 and connecting web 333 from above in a still further embodiment of the method according to aspects of the invention. Here, a respective adhesive tape 314 is guided centrally to the extent of the pouch cells 110 in the longitudinal direction 102 over the respective stack of pouch cells 110 in order to fix the respectively bent-over folds and to form a first flow channel. Advantageously, the respective filling opening 231 is arranged above the respective adhesive tape 314. Starting from the respective filling openings 231, the filled thermal paste in the first flow channel 301 first flows parallel to the stacking direction 101 in order to subsequently spread in the respective second flow channel 302 along the longitudinal direction 102 of the pouch cells 110.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0034] 100 Perspective representation of a pouch cell [0035] 101 Direction along the pouch cell thickness: stacking direction [0036] 102 Pouch cell longitudinal direction [0037] 103 Direction along the pouch cell width [0038] 110 Pouch cell [0039] 111 Fold [0040] 112 Lower connecting lug [0041] 113 Upper connecting lug [0042] 114 Adhesive tape for fold fixing [0043] 200 Sectional view of a battery module [0044] 220 Thermal paste [0045] 221 Cooling wall [0046] 230 Module housing [0047] 231 Filling opening for thermal paste [0048] 232 Connecting plate [0049] 240 Cooling plate with cooling fins [0050] 241 Cooling system connector [0051] 299 Enlarged detail regarding fold adhesion [0052] 300 Phantom view of the battery module from above [0053] 301 Flow direction of first flow channel [0054] 302 Flow direction of second flow channel [0055] 314 Adhesive tape over a plurality of folds [0056] 322 Flow direction of the thermal paste in the first flow channel [0057] 333 Connecting web