# US 2013/0157100 A1 · Carbon fiber thermal interface for cooling module assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0157100 A1 - Document ID: US20130157100A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/327,001 - Filed: 2011-12-15 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-15 - Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Inventors: Axel HEISE; Alastair Gordon ANDERSON; Stefan TOEPFER - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130157100A1 ## CPC - H01M 10/647: Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells - F28F 21/02: of carbon, e.g. graphite - H01M 10/625: Vehicles - H01M 10/6551: Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings - H01M 10/6554: Rods or plates - B60K 1/04: of the electric storage means for propulsion - F28F 2260/00: Heat exchangers or heat exchange elements having special size, e.g. microstructures - 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 - F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16) - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A cooling system includes a cooling plate configured to abut a battery cell. A heat sink is in thermal communication with the cooling plate by at least one carbon fiber brush coupled to at least one of the cooling plate and the heat sink. The cooling system may be employed in a battery pack for a propulsion system of an electric vehicle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cooling system for a battery cell, comprising: a cooling plate configured to abut the battery cell; and a heat sink in thermal communication with the cooling plate by at least one carbon fiber brush coupled to at least one of the cooling plate and the heat sink. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the at least one carbon fiber brush includes a bundle of carbon fibers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the at least one carbon fiber brush is preassembled from a carbon fiber roving. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The cooling system of claim 3, wherein the at least one carbon fiber roving is woven from a plurality of carbon fiber filaments. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The cooling system of claim 4, wherein the carbon fiber roving is woven from up to about 20,000 carbon fiber filaments. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The cooling system of claim 2, wherein each carbon fiber in the at least one carbon fiber brush has an axial thermal conductivity greater than about 500 W/mK, a radial thermal conductivity from about 5 W/mK to about 40 W/mK, a tensile strength from about 2.4 Gpa to about 7 Gpa, and an elastic modulus from about 230 Gpa to about 700 Gpa. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the at least one carbon fiber brush is coupled to the at least one of the cooling plate and the heat sink with a thermally conductive adhesive. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the at least one carbon fiber brush is coupled to the at least one of the cooling plate and the heat sink with a clamp. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The cooling system of claim 2, wherein each carbon fiber in the carbon fiber brush includes graphene. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the at least one carbon fiber brush is coupled to an end portion of the cooling plate and has a free end abutting the heat sink. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the at least one carbon fiber brush is coupled to a surface of the heat sink and has a free end abutting the cooling plate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The cooling system of claim 11, wherein the cooling plate has an angled end portion, the free end of the carbon fiber brush abutting the angled end portion of the cooling plate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The cooling system of claim 12, wherein the angled end portion is substantially L-shaped. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the at least one carbon fiber brush includes a first carbon fiber brush coupled to the cooling plate and a second carbon fiber brush coupled to the heat sink, the first carbon fiber brush interspersed with the second carbon fiber brush to provide thermal communication therebetween. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The cooling system of claim 14, wherein the first carbon fiber brush is coupled to an end surface of the cooling plate and the second carbon fiber brush is coupled to a side surface of the heat sink, the end surface of the cooling plate oriented substantially parallel with the side surface of the heat sink. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The cooling system of claim 14, wherein the first carbon fiber brush is coupled to a side surface of the cooling plate and the second carbon fiber brush is coupled to a side surface of an outwardly extending portion of the heat sink, the side surface of the cooling plate oriented substantially parallel with the side surface of the outwardly extending portion of the heat sink. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the heat sink has an outwardly extending portion and the at least one carbon fiber brush is coupled to a side surface of the cooling plate, the at least one carbon fiber brush having a free end abutting a surface of the outwardly extending portion of the heat sink. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the heat sink has a pair of spaced apart outwardly extending portions and the at least one carbon fiber brush includes a pair of carbon fiber brushes, each of the pair of carbon fiber brushes having a free end, one of the pair of carbon fiber brushes disposed on an inner surface of each of the outwardly extending portions, the free ends of the pair of carbon fiber brushes abutting opposing side surfaces of the cooling plate. ### Claim 19 A battery pack, comprising: at least one battery cell; and a cooling system including a cooling plate abutting the battery cell, and a heat sink in thermal communication with the cooling plate by at least one carbon fiber brush coupled to at least one of the cooling plate and the heat sink. ### Claim 20 A propulsion system for an electric vehicle, comprising: a battery pack having at least one battery cell, and a cooling system including a cooling plate abutting the battery cell, and a heat sink in thermal communication with the cooling plate by at least one carbon fiber brush coupled to at least one of the cooling plate and the heat sink.