Backplane assembly with power and cooling substructures
AssigneeCorvus Energy Inc.
InventorsJeremy Lindstrom, Jerome Ronne, Angelo Faccone
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There is provided a backplane assembly with a power substructure and a cooling substructure. Battery modules may be engaged with the backplane assembly. When engaged, power connectors in the power substructure engage with corresponding power connectors on the battery modules. A cooling fluid moving through the cooling substructure is directed toward the battery modules so as to cool the battery modules during operation. The backplane assembly may additionally include an exhaust substructure. Gases vented by the battery modules move through the exhaust substructure and are directed away from the backplane assembly.
Claims22
A backplane assembly for engaging with a plurality of battery modules, the backplane assembly defining a battery module-receiving side and comprising separate substructures on a side opposite the battery module-receiving side, the separate substrates including:
- a power substructure adjacent the battery module-receiving side and comprising electrical connectors arranged to engage with corresponding electrical connectors of one or more of the battery modules engaged with the backplane assembly;
- and
- a cooling substructure adjacent the power substructure, in fluid communication with the battery module-receiving side and arranged such that a cooling fluid moving through the cooling substructure is directed towards the battery module-receiving side so as to cool one or more of the battery modules engaged with the backplane assembly, wherein the cooling substructure is further arranged such that a cooling fluid introduced to the cooling substructure moves through the cooling substructure before reaching the battery module-receiving side;
- and
- an exhaust substructure having at least one exhaust channel, the exhaust substructure adjacent the cooling substructure, in fluid communication with the battery module-receiving side and arranged such that exhaust gases vented by one or more of the battery modules engaged with the backplane assembly are directed away from the backplane assembly,
- wherein, due to the physical separation of the at least one exhaust channel from the cooling substructure, there is no mixing of the exhaust gases and air moving through the cooling substructure.
A method of operating a plurality of electrically interconnected battery modules, each battery module engaged a backplane assembly defining a battery module-receiving side and comprising separate substructures on a side opposite the battery module-receiving side, the separate substructures including:
- a power substructure adjacent the battery module-receiving side and comprising electrical connectors engaged with corresponding electrical connectors of the battery modules;
- and
- a cooling substructure adjacent the power substructure and providing a fluid flow path from the cooling substructure to the battery module-receiving side and
- an exhaust substructure having at least one exhaust channel, the exhaust substructure adjacent the cooling substructure, in fluid communication with the battery module-receiving side and arranged such that exhaust gases vented by one or more of the battery modules engaged with the backplane assembly are directed away from the backplane assembly,
- the method comprising:
- using the electrical connectors to draw power from, or provide power to, one or more of the battery modules;
- and
- directing a cooling fluid to flow from the cooling substructure to the battery module-receiving side such that the cooling fluid moves through the cooling substructure before reaching the battery module-receiving side
- wherein, due to the physical separation of the exhaust channel from the cooling substructure, there is no mixing of the exhaust gases and air moving through the cooling substructure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.