# US 10,122,054 B2 · Battery pack systems that include polymers

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- Number: US 10,122,054 B2
- Document ID: US10122054B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/073,301
- Filed: 2016-03-17
- Published: 2017-09-21
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-17
- Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
- Applicants: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
- Inventors: Jingmei Shen; Mei Cai; Zhongying Shi; Tao Wang; Wayne Z. Ptasinski; Simon T. Dunmore; William J. Wallace; Helen X. Qin; Li Yang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10122054B2

## CPC

- H01M 10/637: characterised by the use of reversible temperature-sensitive devices, e.g. NTC, PTC or bimetal devices; characterised by control of the internal current flowing through the cells, e.g. by switching (means for preventing undesired use or discharge H01M50/572)
- H01M 10/613: Cooling or keeping cold
- H01M 10/625: Vehicles
- H01M 10/647: Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
- H01M 10/653: characterised by electrically insulating or thermally conductive materials
- H01M 10/6554: Rods or plates
- H01M 10/6556: Solid parts with flow channel passages or pipes for heat exchange (closed pipes H01M10/6552)
- H01M 10/6567: Liquids
- H01M 10/6568: characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings
- H01M 10/658: by thermal insulation or shielding
- H01M 10/659: by heat storage or buffering, e.g. heat capacity or liquid-solid phase changes or transition
- H01M 50/204: Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
- H01M 50/24: adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion (thermal insulation H01M10/658)
- H01M 2220/20: Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

Examples of battery pack systems that include polymers are a cooling system, a thermal management system, and a liquid leakage control system. The cooling system and the thermal management systems may include an upper critical solution temperature polymer or a lower critical solution temperature polymer. The liquid leakage control system includes a superabsorbent polymer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A cooling system, comprising:
a cooling plate;
a coolant fluid channel defined in the cooling plate; and
a solvent carried in the coolant fluid channel;
wherein the coolant fluid channel includes:
an outer polymer layer; and
an inner polymer having an upper critical solution temperature (UCST) or a lower critical solution temperature (LCST), and wherein:
the inner polymer having the UCST and the solvent are configured to form a single gel phase at a temperature above the UCST and the inner polymer having the UCST and the solvent are configured to form separate phases at a temperature below the UCST; or
the inner polymer having the LCST and the solvent are configured to form a single gel phase at a temperature below the LCST and the inner polymer having the LCST and the solvent are configured to form separate phases at a temperature above the LCST.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The cooling system as defined in claim 1 wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of water or a combination of water and a coolant.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The cooling system as defined in claim 1 wherein the inner polymer has the UCST and is selected from the group consisting of poly(sulfobetaine), poly(ethylene oxide), poly(vinyl methyl ether), hydrophobically modified poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(hydroxyethylmethacrylate), poly(acrylic acid), poly(uracilacrylate), poly((meth)acrylamide-co-N-acetylacrylamide), poly(N-acryloylasparagineamide, poly(N-acryloylglutamineamide, and poly(N-methacryloylasparagineamide).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The cooling system as defined in claim 1 wherein the inner polymer has the LCST and is selected from the group consisting of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), poly(N,N-diethylacrylamide), poly(N-vinlycaprolactam), poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate], poly(ethylene glycol), and poly(ethylene oxide).

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The cooling system as defined in claim 1 wherein the cooling plate includes a top sheet of a thermally conductive material and a bottom sheet of a thermally conductive material or a non-thermally conductive material, and wherein the top and bottom sheets are adhered together.

### Claim 6

A thermal management system, comprising:
a plurality of battery cells; and
a thermal isolation mechanism positioned between adjacent battery cells, the thermal isolation mechanism including:
a thermally conductive material housing;
a solvent contained within the housing; and
a polymer having an upper critical solution temperature (UCST) or a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) contained within the housing, wherein:
the polymer having the UCST and the solvent are configured to form a single gel phase at a temperature above the UCST and the polymer having the UCST and the solvent are configured to form separate phases at a temperature below the UCST; or
the polymer having the LCST and the solvent are configured to form a single gel phase at a temperature below the LCST and the polymer having the LCST and the solvent are configured to form separate phases at a temperature above the LCST.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The thermal management system as defined in claim 6 wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of water and an organic solvent.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The thermal management system as defined in claim 6 wherein the inner polymer has the UCST and is selected from the group consisting of poly(sulfobetaine), poly(ethylene oxide), poly(vinyl methyl ether), hydrophobically modified poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(hydroxyethylmethacrylate), poly(acrylic acid), poly(uracilacrylate), poly((meth)acrylamide-co-N-acetylacrylamide), poly(N-acryloylasparagineamide, poly(N-acryloylglutamineamide, and poly(N-methacryloylasparagineamide).

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The thermal management system as defined in claim 6 wherein the inner polymer has the LCST and is selected from the group consisting of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), poly(N,N-diethylacrylamide), poly(N-vinlycaprolactam), poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate], poly(ethylene glycol), and poly(ethylene oxide).

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The thermal management system as defined in claim 6 wherein the thermally conductive material housing is selected from the group consisting of carbon nanotubes, copper, graphite, gold, nickel, silver, and titanium.

### Claim 11

A battery pack, comprising:
a cooling plate having a coolant fluid channel defined therein, wherein the coolant fluid channel includes:
an outer polymer layer; and
an inner polymer having an upper critical solution temperature (UCST) or a lower critical solution temperature (LCST), and wherein:
the inner polymer having the UCST and a first solvent in the coolant fluid channel are configured to form a single gel phase at a temperature above the UCST and the inner polymer having the UCST and the first solvent are configured to form separate phases at a temperature below the UCST; or
the inner polymer having the LCST and a first solvent in the coolant fluid are configured to form a single gel phase at a temperature below the LCST and the inner polymer having the LCST and the first solvent are configured to form separate phases at a temperature above the LCST;
an interface pad positioned in contact with one surface of the cooling plate;
an isolation pad positioned in contact with an opposed surface of the cooling plate;
wherein each of the interface pad and the isolation pad is formed of a superabsorbent polymer;
a plurality of battery cells positioned in contact with the interface pad; and
a thermal isolation mechanism positioned between adjacent battery cells, each thermal isolation mechanism including:
a thermally conductive material housing;
a second solvent contained within the housing; and
a polymer having an upper critical solution temperature (UCST) or a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) contained within the housing, wherein:
the polymer having the UCST and the second solvent are configured to form a single gel phase at a temperature above the UCST and the polymer having the UCST and the second solvent are configured to form separate phases at a temperature below the UCST; or
the polymer having the LCST and the second solvent are configured to form a single gel phase at a temperature below the LCST and the polymer having the LCST and the second solvent are configured to form separate phases at a temperature above the LCST.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The battery pack as defined in claim 11, further comprising a tray to accommodate the insulation pad.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The battery pack as defined in claim 11 wherein the first solvent is water or a combination of water and a coolant, and wherein the second solvent is selected from the group consisting of water and an organic solvent.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The battery pack as defined in claim 11 wherein the inner polymer has the UCST and the polymer has the UCST, and wherein the inner polymer having the UCST and the polymer having the UCST are individually selected from the group consisting of poly(sulfobetaine), poly(ethylene oxide), poly(vinyl methyl ether), hydrophobically modified poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(hydroxyethylmethacrylate), poly(acrylic acid), poly(uracilacrylate), poly((meth)acrylamide-co-N-acetylacrylamide), poly(N-acryloylasparagineamide, poly(N-acryloylglutamineamide, and poly(N-methacryloylasparagineamide).

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The battery pack as defined in claim 11 wherein the inner polymer has the LCST and the polymer has the LCST, and wherein the inner polymer having the LCST and the polymer having the LCST are individually selected from the group consisting of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), poly(N,N-diethylacrylamide), poly(N-vinlycaprolactam), poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate], and poly(ethylene glycol), poly(ethylene oxide).

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The battery pack as defined in claim 11 wherein the superabsorbent polymer is selected from the group consisting of sodium polyacrylate, polyacrylamide copolymer, ethylene maleic anhydride copolymer, cross-linked carboxymethylcellulose, polyvinyl alcohol copolymers, cross-linked polyethylene oxide, and a starch grafted copolymer of polyacrylonitrile.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The cooling system as defined in claim 1, wherein:
the inner polymer has the LCST;
the solvent is configured to circulate through the coolant fluid channel when the temperature is above the LCST; and
circulation is configured to stop when the temperature is below the LCST.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The cooling system as defined in claim 17, wherein the LCST is 30° C.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The cooling system as defined in claim 1, wherein the outer polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene and polystyrene.