# US 12,603,359 B2 · Battery thermal barrier systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,603,359 B2 - Document ID: US12603359B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/047,458 - Filed: 2022-10-18 - Published: 2024-04-18 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2022-10-18 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Di Zhu; Bhaskara Rao Boddakayala; Jeffrey Charles Cowell; Brian Utley; Stefan Paul Pototschnik - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12603359B2 ## CPC - H01M 10/658: by thermal insulation or shielding - H01M 10/613: Cooling or keeping cold - H01M 10/625: Vehicles - H01M 10/653: characterised by electrically insulating or thermally conductive materials - H01M 10/6555: arranged between the cells - 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 50/291: characterised by their shape - H01M 50/293: characterised by the material - H01M 50/512: Connection only in parallel - 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 Exemplary thermal barrier systems are provided for traction battery packs. Exemplary battery thermal barrier systems may include one or more thermal barrier structures that are positioned between neighboring groupings of battery cells of a cell bank and/or elsewhere within a battery array of the traction battery pack. The thermal barrier structures may include a foam-insulation-foam multi-layer structure, an insulation-foam-insulation multi-layer structure, or an insulation-foam multi-layer structure. The thermal barrier structures are designed to manage cell-to-cell transfers of heat and electrical energy during battery thermal events. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A battery thermal barrier system, comprising: a cell stack including a first battery cell and a second battery cell, wherein the first battery cell and the second battery cell are electrically connected in parallel within a common cell bank of the cell stack; and a thermal barrier structure arranged directly between the first battery cell and the second battery cell to prolong an amount of time required for thermal and electrical energy to be transferred between the first battery cell and the second battery cell during a thermal event. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The battery thermal barrier system as recited in claim 1, wherein the thermal barrier structure includes an insulation layer sandwiched between a first foam layer and a second foam layer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The battery thermal barrier system as recited in claim 2, wherein the insulation layer includes a mica, a sheet moulding compound (SMC), or phenolic. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The battery thermal barrier system as recited in claim 1, wherein the cell stack is arranged between a first end plate and a second end plate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The battery thermal barrier system as recited in claim 4, comprising a second thermal barrier structure arranged between the first end plate and the cell stack and a third thermal barrier structure arranged between the second end plate and the cell stack. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The battery thermal barrier system as recited in claim 5, wherein each of the second thermal barrier structure and the third thermal barrier structure includes an insulation layer and a foam layer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The battery thermal barrier system as recited in claim 1, wherein the cell stack includes a first cell bank and a second cell bank, and further comprising a second thermal barrier structure arranged between the first cell bank and the second cell bank. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The battery thermal barrier system as recited in claim 1, wherein the common cell bank includes the first battery cell, the second battery cell, a third battery cell, and a fourth battery cell, and the first battery cell, the second battery cell, the third battery cell, and the fourth battery cell are electrically connected in parallel with one another. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The battery thermal barrier system as recited in claim 8, wherein the cell stack includes a second cell bank that is electrically connected in series with the common cell bank. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The battery thermal barrier system as recited in claim 8, wherein an additional thermal barrier structure is not positioned between the first battery cell and the third battery cell or between the second battery cell and the fourth battery cell. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The battery thermal barrier system as recited in claim 1, wherein the thermal barrier structure is arranged at a mid-point of the common cell bank. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The battery thermal barrier system as recited in claim 2, wherein the first foam layer and the second foam layer are polyurethane foam sheets. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The battery thermal barrier system as recited in claim 2, wherein the first foam layer and the second foam layer are acrylic closed cell foam sheets. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The battery thermal barrier system as recited in claim 2, wherein the insulation layer includes a sheet moulding compound (SMC) or a phenolic sheet. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The battery thermal barrier system as recited in claim 1, wherein the thermal barrier structure is a multi-layered structure, and at least one substituent layer of the multi-layered structure is either wider or taller than a respective width or height of the first battery cell or the second battery cell. ### Claim 16 A battery thermal barrier system, comprising: a battery array including a cell stack positioned between a first end plate and a second end plate; wherein the cell stack includes a first battery cell and a second battery cell that are electrically connected in parallel within a common cell bank of the cell stack; a first thermal barrier structure arranged directly between the first battery cell and the second battery cell and including a multi-layered configuration adapted to prolong an amount of time required for thermal and electrical energy to be transferred between the first battery cell and the second battery cell during a thermal event; and a second thermal barrier structure arranged between the cell stack and the first end plate or the second end plate. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The battery thermal barrier system as recited in claim 16, comprising a third thermal barrier structure arranged between the cell stack and the other of the first end plate or the second end plate. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The battery thermal barrier system as recited in claim 16, wherein the cell stack includes a first cell bank and a second cell bank, and further comprising a second first thermal barrier structure arranged between the first cell bank and the second cell bank. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The battery thermal barrier system as recited in claim 16, wherein the first thermal barrier structure includes an insulation layer sandwiched between a first foam layer and a second foam layer. ### Claim 20 A battery thermal barrier system, comprising: a battery array including a cell stack having a first battery cell and a second battery cell that are electrically connected in parallel; a thermal barrier structure arranged between the first battery cell and the second battery cell; and the thermal barrier structure includes an insulation layer positioned between a first foam layer and a second foam layer, and the insulation layer includes a sheet moulding compound (SMC) or a phenolic sheet.