# US 2014/0190568 A1 · Coolant Activated Rechargeable Energy Storage System Drain Plug > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0190568 A1 - Document ID: US20140190568A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/736,197 - Filed: 2013-01-08 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-08 - Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Applicants: GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Inventors: Herman K. Phlegm; William J. Wallace; Mahmoud H. Abd Elhamid; Andrew C. Brenz; Milind S. Gandhi; Andrew J. Namou; Craig A. Kollar - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190568A1 ## CPC - H01M 10/6567: Liquids - H01M 10/4228: {Leak testing of cells or batteries} - H01M 50/609: Arrangements or processes for filling with liquid, e.g. electrolytes - H01M 10/0525: Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries - H01M 2220/20: Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y10T 137/0318: Processes - 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 - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A battery pack with a drain plug. The drain plug includes a carrier defining a cavity internal to the carrier, an inlet disposed on a first surface of the carrier and an outlet disposed on a second surface of the carrier where the first surface and the second surface fluidly displaced from one another and coupled to the cavity. A soluble plug may be disposed within the cavity of the carrier; the soluble plug is configured to at least partially dissolve when fluidly coupled with a coolant allowing a portion of the coolant to flow between the inlet and the outlet and out of the battery pack. A first lead and a second lead are configured to signally connect an impedance element that is cooperative with the carrier, to a circuit such that when the continuity of the circuit is interrupted, the circuit provides notification of the activation of the drain plug to the on-board computer systems. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A liquid cooled battery pack apparatus comprising: a plurality of batteries; a cooling circuit comprising a containment vessel coupled with a cooling inlet and a cooling outlet and enclosing a battery housing, the battery housing enclosing the plurality of batteries and comprising a drain outlet; a drain plug disposed within the drain outlet comprising: a carrier defining a cavity therein; an inlet disposed on a first surface of the carrier, an outlet disposed on a second surface of the carrier, the first surface and the second surface fluidly displaced from one another and coupled to the cavity; a soluble plug disposed within the cavity of the carrier; an impedance element cooperative with the carrier; a circuit configured to detect a loss of continuity in the impedance element and provide an indication; a first lead and a second lead to electrically couple the impedance element to the circuit, wherein the soluble plug is configured to at least partially dissolve when fluidly coupled with a coolant allowing a portion of the coolant to flow between the battery housing and the drain outlet. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the impedance element is the soluble plug. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the impedance element is a conductive coating on a surface of the soluble plug. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the circuit is a comparator circuit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the soluble plug is configured to at least partially dissolve when fluidly coupled with a coolant allowing a portion of the coolant to flow between the inlet and the outlet. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The battery pack of claim 1 wherein the soluble plug is non-soluble core with a soluble polymer coating. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The battery pack of claim 1, further comprising a check valve comprising a stopper within the cavity, and a spring configured to bias the stopper against the soluble plug within the cavity. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the impedance element is disposed within the cavity. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The battery pack of claim 8, wherein the plurality of batteries comprise lithium-ion batteries. ### Claim 10 A method of draining a liquid coolant from an automotive liquid cooled battery pack, the method comprising: circulating the liquid coolant around a battery housing of a battery pack; draining the liquid coolant from the battery housing with a drain plug in the event of a leak, the drain plug comprising: a carrier defining a cavity therein; an inlet disposed on a first surface of the carrier, an outlet disposed on a second surface of the carrier, the first surface and the second surface fluidly displaced from one another and coupled to the cavity; a soluble plug disposed within the cavity of the carrier; and an impedance element cooperative with the carrier; and indicating when the leak occurs using a circuit configured to detect a loss of continuity in the impedance element. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the impedance element is the soluble plug. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the impedance element is a conductive coating on a surface of the soluble plug. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the circuit is a comparator circuit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the soluble plug is non-soluble core with a soluble polymer coating ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the drain plug further comprising a check valve comprising a stopper within the cavity, and a spring configured to bias the stopper against the soluble plug within the cavity. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the soluble plug is configured to at least partially dissolve when fluidly coupled with a coolant allowing a portion of the coolant to flow between the inlet and the outlet. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the impedance element is disposed within the cavity.