US 10,826,139 B2Granted

Battery enclosure allowing selective airflow to and from the battery enclosure

AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC

InventorsDave G. Rich, Saad Hasan, Jeffrey Wyka, Jianfeng Wang, Dewen Kong, Haijing Liu

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A battery enclosure shaped and sized to accept and surround a battery includes an outer case defining an aperture and having a base forming a bottom of the battery enclosure, the case having a first wall connected to a second wall, the second wall connected to a third wall, and a fourth wall portion connected to the first and third walls, each of the first, second, third, and fourth walls extending orthogonally from the base. The battery enclosure including a separable outer lid shaped to fit around the aperture of the case. The outer case and the outer lid having a material having thermal conductivity of less than about 0.3 W/mK, the battery enclosure has an air inlet selectively providing airflow to the battery enclosure and an air outlet selectively providing airflow from the battery enclosure, the outer case has a first thickness, the outer lid portion has a second thickness.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A battery enclosure shaped and sized to accept and surround a battery within a motor vehicle, the battery enclosure comprising:

an outer case portion defining an aperture and having a base portion forming a bottom of the battery enclosure, the outer case portion defined by a first wall portion connected to a second wall portion, the second wall portion connected to a third wall portion, and a fourth wall portion connected to the first wall portion and the third wall portion, each of the first wall portion, second wall portion, third wall portion, and fourth wall portion extending substantially orthogonally from the base portion;
and
a separable outer lid portion shaped to fit around the aperture of the outer case portion;
an inner case portion sized and shaped to fit substantially concentrically within and spaced apart from the outer case portion;
and
an inner lid portion sized and shaped to fit substantially concentrically within and spaced apart from the outer lid portion,
wherein the outer case portion and the outer lid portion comprise a material that thermally isolates the battery relative to ambient surroundings of the battery enclosure, and wherein the battery enclosure has an air inlet formed through the base portion and selectively providing airflow to the battery enclosure and an air outlet selectively providing airflow from the battery enclosure, the outer case portion has a first thickness, the outer lid portion has a second thickness, and wherein the air inlet and the air outlet are coaxial and concentric, and formed through the inner case portion and the outer case portion.

4 more elements

A multi-layer battery enclosure for a battery of a motor vehicle, the battery enclosure comprising:

an outer case portion defining an aperture and having a base portion forming a bottom of the battery enclosure, the outer case portion defined by a first wall portion connected to a second wall portion, a second wall portion connected to a third wall portion, and a fourth wall portion connected to the first wall portion and the third wall portion, each of the first wall portion, second wall portion, third wall portion, and fourth wall portion extending substantially orthogonally from the base portion;
an inner case portion sized and shaped to fit substantially concentrically within and spaced apart from the outer case portion;
an air inlet forming an opening through the base portion of the outer case portion and the inner case portion;
a separable outer lid portion shaped to fit around the aperture of the outer case portion;
an inner lid portion sized and shaped to fit substantially concentrically within the outer lid portion, the inner lid portion being shaped to provide for a volume of air to be disposed between the inner lid portion and the outer lid portion;
and
a plurality of spacer pads integrally formed in at least one of the outer case portion and the inner case portion, the plurality of spacer pads spacing apart the inner case portion and the outer case portion, and generating a directed tunable airflow pattern between the inner case portion and the outer case portion, the spacer pads providing for a volume of air to be disposed between the inner case portion and the outer case portion,
wherein each of the outer case portion, the outer lid portion, the inner case portion, and the inner lid portion comprise a material that thermally isolates the battery relative to ambient surroundings of the battery enclosure, and each of the outer case portion, the outer lid portion, the inner case portion, and the inner lid portion have a thickness between about 0.1 mm to about 5 cm, the air inlet having a diameter of between about 0.1 mm and about 20 cm and disposed in a lower portion of the battery enclosure, and an air outlet forming an opening between the outer lid portion and the outer case portion, the battery enclosure shaped and sized to accept and surround both the battery and a pre fuse disposed on the battery, an inlet hose is connected to the air inlet, the inlet hose directing air from an air intake disposed on an exterior of the motor vehicle into the battery enclosure, and wherein a fan or a mechanically, chemically, or thermally activated baffle selectively allows air from the inlet hose into the battery enclosure, and wherein the air inlet and the air outlet are coaxial and concentric, and formed through the inner case portion and the outer case portion.

5 more elements

A multi-layer battery enclosure for a battery of a motor vehicle, the battery enclosure comprising:

an outer case portion defining an aperture and having a base portion forming a bottom of the battery enclosure, the outer case portion defined by a first wall portion connected to a second wall portion, a second wall portion connected to a third wall portion, and a fourth wall portion connected to the first wall portion and the third wall portion, each of the first wall portion, second wall portion, third wall portion, and fourth wall portion extending substantially orthogonally from the base portion;
an inner case portion sized and shaped to fit substantially concentrically within and spaced apart from the outer case portion;
an air inlet forming an opening through the base portion of the outer case portion and the inner case portion;
a separable outer lid portion shaped to fit around the aperture of the outer case portion;
an inner lid portion sized and shaped to fit substantially concentrically within the outer lid portion, the inner lid portion being shaped to provide for a volume of air to be disposed between the inner lid portion and the outer lid portion;
a plurality of spacer pads integrally formed in at least one of the outer case portion and the inner case portion, the plurality of spacer pads spacing apart the inner case portion and the outer case portion, and generating a directed airflow pattern between the inner case portion and the outer case portion, the spacer pads providing for a volume of air to be disposed between the inner case portion and the outer case portion;
a thermoelectric pad or a cooling coil, the thermoelectric pad or cooling coil disposed on a surface of the inner case portion and the inner lid portion, or disposed on an interior aspect of the outer case portion and the outer lid portion, or disposed between the inner case portion and the inner lid portion, and the outer case portion and the outer lid portion, the thermoelectric pad or cooling coil selectively thermoregulating a temperature of the battery within the battery enclosure;
and
a configurable vent, wherein the configurable vent selectively provides airflow to the battery enclosure,
wherein each of the outer case portion, the outer lid portion, the inner case portion, and the inner lid portion comprise a material that thermally isolates the battery relative to ambient surroundings of the battery enclosure, and each of the outer case portion, the outer lid portion, the inner case portion, and the inner lid portion have a thickness between about 0.1 mm to about 5 cm, the air inlet having a diameter of between about 0.1 mm and about 20 cm and disposed in a lower portion of the battery enclosure, and an air outlet forming an opening between the outer lid portion and the outer case portion, the battery enclosure shaped and sized to accept and surround both the battery and a pre fuse disposed on the battery, an inlet hose is connected to the air inlet, the inlet hose directing air from an air intake disposed on an exterior of the motor vehicle into the battery enclosure, and wherein a fan or a mechanically, chemically, or thermally activated baffle selectively allows air from the inlet hose into the battery enclosure, and wherein the air inlet and the air outlet are coaxial and concentric, and formed through the inner case portion and the outer case portion.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/013,254Filed 20 Jun 2018
Published: US 2019/0393569 A126 Dec 2019
Granted: 3 Nov 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification30 codes

B60R 16/04
Electric constitutive elements: arrangement of batteries
H01M 10/617
Types of temperature control: for achieving uniformity or desired distribution of temperature
B60R 16/033
For supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for: characterised by the use of electrical cells or batteries
H01M 10/625
Specially adapted for specific applications: vehicles