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US 2018/0123190 A1Published application
Conformal Fluid-Cooled Heat Exchanger For Battery
AssigneeDana Canada Corporation
InventorMichael A. Martin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heat exchanger for use with at least two battery modules, each of the battery modules comprising at least one battery cell housed within a rigid container, the heat exchanger defining an internal fluid passage for a heat exchanger fluid and having at least one compliant region that is configured to be compressed to facilitate thermal contact between the heat exchanger and the two battery modules.
Claims9
A heat exchanger for use with at least two battery modules, each of the battery modules comprising at least one battery cell housed within a rigid container, the heat exchanger comprising:
- a plurality of substantially rigid planar heat exchanger plates that each include a main plate section defining an internal fluid passage and an inlet panel and an outlet panel that are joined to the main plate section and define an inlet fluid passage and an outlet fluid passage, respectively, that communicate with the internal fluid passage, each of the panels being compliantly joined to the main plate section such that the main plate section can be displaced relative to the panels, the inlet and outlet panels of at least some of the heat exchanger plates being joined to the inlet and outlet panels of adjacent heat exchanger plates to form a stack of spaced apart, substantially parallel, heat exchanger plates, the main plate sections being compressible together to engage battery modules inserted therebetween.
A heat exchanger for exchanging thermal energy with battery modules, comprising:
- a plurality of heat exchanger plates, each heat exchanger plate defining an internal fluid flow passageway for a heat exchanger fluid and arranged in a stack in which adjacent heat exchanger plates are spaced apart from each other, the adjacent heat exchanger plates each including:
- a main plate section;
- an inlet panel defining an inlet fluid passage in fluid communication with the internal fluid flow passageway;
- and
- an outlet panel defining an outlet fluid passage in fluid communication with the internal fluid flow passageway;
- wherein the inlet and outlet panel are each compliantly joined to the main plate section such that the main plate section can be displaced relative to the inlet and outlet panels, the inlet and outlet panels of one heat exchanger plate being joined, respectively, to the inlet and outlet panels of at least one adjacent heat exchanger plate to form a stack of spaced apart, substantially parallel heat exchanger plates, the main plate sections being movable relative to their respective inlet and outlet panels at least prior to insertion of battery modules between the heat exchanger plates.
3 more elements
A method of assembling a battery unit comprising:
- providing a substantially rigid heat exchanger having at least one compliant region, wherein providing the heat exchanger comprises:
- providing a plurality of substantially rigid and planar heat exchanger plates that each include a main plate section defining an internal fluid passage and an inlet panel and an outlet panel that are joined to the main plate section and define an inlet fluid passage and an outlet fluid passage, respectively, that communicate with the internal fluid passage, each of the panels being compliantly joined to the main plate section such that the main plate section can be displaced relative to the panels, and
- rigidly joining the inlet and outlet panels of at least some of the heat exchanger plates to the inlet and outlet panels of adjacent heat exchanger plates to form a stack of spaced apart, substantially parallel, heat exchanger plates;
- and
- providing at least two battery modules, each of the battery modules comprising at least one battery cell housed within a rigid container;
- and
- inserting a battery module between adjacent pairs of the heat exchanger plates such that the heat exchanger plates and battery modules are interleaved;
- and
- compressing the main plate sections together for contact with the battery modules.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.