Conformal Fluid-Cooled Heat Exchanger For Battery

A battery unit, comprising:

• a first battery module comprising a plurality of battery cell containers each housing at least one battery cell;
• a second battery module comprising a plurality of battery cell containers each housing at least one battery cell;
• wherein the first battery module and second battery module are disposed in spaced apart relationship to one another;
• a heat exchanger disposed between the first battery module and the second battery module such that a first side of the heat exchanger is in contact with, or substantially in contact with, the plurality of battery cell containers of the first battery module and a second side of the heat exchanger is in contact with, or substantially in contact with, the plurality of battery cell containers of the second battery module, wherein the heat exchanger includes:
• first and second inner core plates, each inner core plate comprising:
• a generally planar plate portion;
• and
• a serpentine boss formed in and extending out of the generally planar plate portion, the serpentine boss being made up of a plurality of generally parallel inner core plate regions interconnected by U-shaped regions and extending between an inlet end and an outlet end;
• wherein said first and second inner core plates are arranged in mating relationship, with one plate being inverted with respect to the other such that the serpentine boss of one plate extends out of the generally planar portion in a first direction while the serpentine boss of the other one of the first and second plates extends out of the generally planar portion in a second direction opposite to the first direction such that while the first and second inner core plates are disposed in their mating relationship the oppositely disposed serpentine bosses define an internal fluid flow passage therebetween that extends from said inlet end to said outlet out;
• a fluid inlet in fluid communication with said inlet end of said internal fluid flow passage for inletting a heat exchange fluid into said heat exchanger;
• a fluid outlet in fluid communication with said outlet end of said internal fluid flow passage for discharging said heat exchange fluid from said heat exchanger;
• and
• a first compliant plate structure disposed on and secured to the first inner core plate and defining the first side of the heat exchanger;
• a second compliant plate structure disposed on and secured to the second inner core plate and defining the second side of the heat exchanger;
• wherein said first and second compliant plate structures are resiliently deformable so as to compress under pressure and to return to normal shape upon removal of said pressure to conform to variations in spacing between the first and second battery modules across the plurality of the battery cell containers in the first and second battery modules.