# US 10,374,264 B2 · Cooled containment compartments for packaged battery cells > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,374,264 B2 - Document ID: US10374264B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/800,303 - Filed: 2017-11-01 - Published: 2019-02-28 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-08-22 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Noah Singer; John Torok; Robert B. Schlak; Xiaojin Wei; Mitchell Zapotoski - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10374264B2 ## CPC - H01M 10/4257: {Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries} - H01M 10/4207: {for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially} - H01M 10/425: {Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing (printed circuits H05K1/00)} - 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 10/6561: Gases - H01M 10/6563: with forced flow, e.g. by blowers - H01M 10/6566: Means within the gas flow to guide the flow around one or more cells, e.g. manifolds, baffles or other barriers (H01M10/6565 takes precedence) - H01M 10/653: characterised by electrically insulating or thermally conductive materials - H01M 10/6557: arranged between the cells - H01M 2010/4271: {Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing} - 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 An air plenum assembly includes a first plenum for cooling, where the first plenum includes an inlet for air intake located at a first side of the first plenum. The air plenum assembly further includes a second plenum for exhausting heated air, where the second plenum includes an outlet for exhausting air located at a first side of the second plenum. The air plenum assembly further includes a first aperture located on a first side of the first plenum for directing air from the inlet at the first side of the first plenum to a first compartment and includes a first vent located on a first side of the second plenum for exhausting air away from the first compartment towards the outlet at the first side of the second plenum. The first compartment is isolated from surrounding battery compartments by at least two thermal separators. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: an enclosure for housing one or more battery cell packages, wherein the one or more battery cell packages each include a plurality of battery cells; a first plenum enclosed by a first conduit for cooling the plurality of battery cells, wherein the first plenum includes an inlet for air intake located at a first side of the first plenum; a second plenum enclosed by a second conduit for exhausting heated air away from the plurality of battery cells, wherein the second plenum includes an outlet for exhausting air located at a first side of the second plenum opposite to the inlet at the first side of the first plenum, wherein a second side of the first plenum is at least partially coupled lengthwise to a second side of the second plenum; a first aperture for directing air from the inlet at the first side of the first plenum to a first compartment, wherein the first compartment includes a first battery cell out of the plurality of battery cells; a first vent of the second plenum for exhausting air away from the first compartment towards the outlet at the first side of the second plenum; a third plenum enclosed by a third conduit for exhaust heated air, wherein the third plenum includes an outlet for exhausting air located at a first side of the third plenum; and a first vent located on a first side of the third plenum for exhausting air away from the first compartment towards the outlet at the first side of the third plenum. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first compartment comprises: a first printed circuit board assembly electrically coupled to the first battery cell; a first thermal separator coupled to the first printed circuit board assembly, wherein the first thermal separator aligns with a first side of the first vent and the first printed circuit board aligns with a second side of the first vent; and a second thermal separator coupled to the first printed circuit board assembly, wherein the second thermal separator aligns with a third side of the first vent. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first compartment further comprises: a first side of the enclosure located perpendicular to a first side of the first thermal separator and a first side of the second thermal separator, wherein the first of the first thermal separator and the first side of the second thermal separator create a first seal with the first side of the enclosure; and a second side of the enclosure located perpendicular to a second side of the first thermal separator and a second side of the second thermal separator, wherein the second of the first thermal separator and the second side of the second thermal separator create a second seal with the second side of the enclosure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first compartment is formed by the first printed circuit board assembly, the first thermal separator, the second thermal separator, the first side of the enclosure, the second side of the enclosure, the first side of the first plenum, and the first side of the second plenum. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein dimensions and shape of the first aperture are based on cooling requirements of the first compartment. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the cooling requirements include a location of the first aperture on the third side of the first plenum for impinging air onto the first battery cell located in the first compartment. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the cooling requirements include a location of the first aperture on the third side of the first plenum for creating a maximum amount of induced air pressure gradient to exhaust air away from the first battery cell in the first compartment. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein dimension and shape of the first vent are based on exhaust requirements for the first compartment. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of the first thermal separator and the second thermal separator is an electrically non-conductive heat resistant material and of a higher melting point relative to the first battery cell. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising: a third side of the enclosure, wherein the third side of the enclosure includes an inlet for directing air towards a fan located in the enclosure, wherein the third side is located adjacent to the inlet at the first side of the first plenum; and a fourth side of the enclosure, wherein the fourth side of the enclosure is located opposite the third side of the enclosure, wherein the fourth side of the enclosure is located adjacent to the outlet at the first side of the second plenum. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outlet at the first side of the third plenum aligns with the outlet at the first side of the second plenum. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the third plenum is at least partially coupled lengthwise to the first plenum, opposite the second plenum. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising: a second aperture located on the third side of the first plenum for directing air from the inlet at the first side of the first plenum to a second compartment, wherein the second aperture is adjacent to the first aperture; and a second vent located on the third side of the second plenum for exhausting air away from the second compartment towards the outlet at the first side of the second plenum, wherein the second vent is adjacent to the first vent. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second compartment comprises: a second battery cell out of the plurality of battery cells electrically coupled to the first printed circuit board assembly; and a third thermal separator coupled to the first printed circuit board assembly, wherein the third thermal separator aligns with a first side of the second vent. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first compartment includes a first side of the second thermal separator and the second compartment includes a second side of the second thermal separator. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first plenum tapers towards a fourth side of the first plenum opposite the first side of the first plenum. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second plenum tapers towards a fourth side of the second plenum opposite the first side the second plenum. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the third plenum tapers towards a fourth side of the third plenum opposite the first side of the third plenum.