# US 2020/0403283 A1 · Self-activating thermal management system for battery pack > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0403283 A1 - Document ID: US20200403283A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/449,194 - Filed: 2019-06-21 - Published: 2020-12-24 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-21 - Assignees: Baidu USA LLC - Applicants: Baidu USA LLC - Inventors: Tianyi Gao - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200403283A1 ## CPC - H01M 10/6569: Fluids undergoing a liquid-gas phase change or transition, e.g. evaporation or condensation (heat pipes H01M10/6552) - H01M 10/613: Cooling or keeping cold - H01M 10/6551: Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings - H01M 10/6568: characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings - H01M 50/204: Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells - H01M 50/213: adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic (H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence) - H05K 7/1492: {having electrical distribution arrangements, e.g. power supply or data communications} - H05K 7/20309: {Evaporators} - H05K 7/20318: {Condensers} - H05K 7/20818: {within cabinets for removing heat from server blades} - H01M 2220/10: Batteries in stationary systems, e.g. emergency power source in plant - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A battery system can include an evaporation chamber and condenser. One or more battery cells can be immersed in a fluid where the battery cells and the fluid are housed in the evaporation chamber. The condenser can be fluid connected to the evaporation chamber through one or more vapor channels and one or more liquid channels. When the battery cells charge and discharge, heat dissipated by the battery cells is absorbed by the fluid, causing the fluid to change from liquid to vapor. The vapor travels through the one or more vapor channels into the condenser where the vapor changes back to liquid and returns to the evaporation chamber through the one or more liquid channels. The thermal management solution is a self-sensing and self-regulating system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A battery module, comprising: an evaporation chamber; one or more battery cells immersed in a fluid, the one or more battery cells and the fluid being housed in the evaporation chamber; and a condenser being in fluid connection with the evaporation chamber through one or more vapor channels and one or more liquid channels, wherein, during operation, thermal energy from the one or more battery cells is absorbed by the fluid causing the fluid to change from liquid to vapor and travel through the one or more vapor channels into the condenser, and wherein the vapor changes back to liquid in the condenser and returns to the evaporation chamber through the one or more liquid channels, wherein the one or more liquid channels are located along walls of the evaporation chamber surrounding the one or more cells and the one or more vapor channels are located in a remaining area of the evaporation chamber above the one or more cells. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The battery module of claim 1, wherein the condenser is located apart from the evaporation chamber, connected through one or more vapor lines and one or more liquid lines that form the one or more vapor channels and one or more liquid channels, respectively. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The battery module of claim 2, wherein the condenser is located at a higher position than the evaporation chamber. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The battery module of claim 1, wherein the one or more vapor channels has an opening at the evaporator that is larger than an opening of the one or more liquid channels at the evaporator. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The battery module of claim 1, wherein the condenser is located above the evaporation chamber. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The battery module of claim 1, wherein one or more vapor channels are located at a first side of the evaporation chamber and the one or more liquid channels are located at a second side of the evaporation chamber being opposite the first side. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The battery module of claim 5, wherein the one or more vapor channels has an opening at the evaporator that is larger than an opening of the one or more vapor channels at the condenser to funnel the vapor to the condenser. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The battery module of claim 5, wherein a condensing chamber of the condenser is horizontally sloped such that an opening of the one or more vapor channels is higher than an opening of the one or more liquid channels to guide the liquid in the condensing chamber towards the one or more liquid channels. ### Claim 9 (canceled) ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The battery module of claim 1, wherein a cooling member of the condenser has one or more fins or grooves that provide additional surface area to remove and transfer heat away from the battery system through air cooling. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The battery module of claim 1, wherein the condenser has a coolant dispersed in one or more cooling channels, the coolant circulating to and from the condenser during operation to remove heat from the battery system, wherein the coolant is circulated to and from the condenser by a manifold of an electronics rack enclosure that the battery system, or a battery pack that includes a plurality of battery systems, is housed in. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The battery module of claim 1, wherein the battery module is one of a plurality of battery modules that form a battery pack, and the battery pack is housed in an electronics rack enclosure, the battery pack supplying back-up battery power to other electronics housed in the electronics rack. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The battery module of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more vapor channels are larger in cross section or diameter than each of the one or more liquid channels. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The battery module of claim 1, wherein an opening of the one or more vapor channels to the evaporation chamber covers a majority of space at a top area of the evaporation chamber. ### Claim 15 A battery pack, comprising: a plurality of battery modules, each of the battery modules including: an evaporation chamber; one or more battery cells immersed in a fluid, the one or more battery cells and the fluid being housed in the evaporation chamber; and a condenser located above the evaporation chamber being in fluid connection with the evaporation chamber through one or more vapor channels and one or more liquid channels, wherein, during operation, thermal energy from the one or more battery cells is absorbed by the fluid causing the fluid to change from liquid to vapor and travel through the one or more vapor channels into the condenser, and wherein the vapor changes back to liquid in the condenser and returns to the evaporation chamber through the one or more liquid channels, wherein a condensing chamber of the condenser is horizontally sloped such that an opening of the one or more vapor channels is higher than an opening of the one or more liquid channels to guide the liquid in the condensing chamber towards the one or more liquid channels. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The battery pack of claim 15, wherein one or more vapor channels are located at a first side of the evaporation chamber and the one or more liquid channels are located at a second side of the evaporation chamber being opposite the first side. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The battery pack of claim 16, wherein the one or more vapor channels has an opening at the evaporator that is larger than an opening of the one or more vapor channels at the condenser to funnel the vapor to the condenser. ### Claim 18 An electronics rack, comprising: a stack of one or more server blades, wherein each of the server blades includes one or more information technology (IT) components operatively to provide data processing services to one or more clients; a power supply coupled to provide power to the IT components of the server blades; and a battery pack coupled to the server blades to provide backup power to the IT components of the server blades in response to determining that the power supply is unavailable, the battery pack having one or more battery modules, wherein each of the battery modules includes: an evaporation chamber, one or more battery cells immersed in a fluid, the one or more battery cells and the fluid being housed in the evaporation chamber, and a condenser located above the evaporation chamber being in fluid connection with the evaporation chamber through one or more vapor channels and one or more liquid channels, wherein, during operation, thermal energy from the one or more battery cells is absorbed by the fluid causing the fluid to change from liquid to vapor and travel through the one or more vapor channels into the condenser, and wherein the vapor changes back to liquid in the condenser and returns to the evaporation chamber through the one or more liquid channels, wherein a condensing chamber of the condenser is horizontally sloped such that an opening of the one or more vapor channels is higher than an opening of the one or more liquid channels to guide the liquid in the condensing chamber towards the one or more liquid channels. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The electronic rack of claim 18, wherein one or more vapor channels are located at a first side of the evaporation chamber and the one or more liquid channels are located at a second side of the evaporation chamber being opposite the first side. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The electronic rack of claim 19, wherein the one or more vapor channels has an opening at the evaporator that is larger than an opening of the one or more vapor channels at the condenser to funnel the vapor to the condenser.