CN111261975B

CN111261975B - System and method for cooling a battery

Info

Publication number: CN111261975B
Application number: CN202010082587.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 王佳先
Original assignee: Chongqing Jinkang New Energy Automobile Co Ltd
Current assignee: Chongqing Jinkang New Energy Automobile Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-02-07
Filing date: 2020-02-07
Publication date: 2021-06-01
Anticipated expiration: 2040-02-07
Also published as: CN111261975A

Abstract

Various arrangements for a battery module cooling system are presented. The thermal tower may be configured to contact one or more cells. The thermal tower may include a retaining member and a cooling member. A hollow interior region having a top aperture may be defined by the retaining member. The cooling member may contact a portion of each of the one or more batteries to provide localized cooling to each of the one or more batteries. By positioning the cooling member over the top aperture of the retaining member, a seal may be formed between the retaining member and the cooling member. Optionally, the portion of the cooling member that contacts to provide localized cooling includes a hot zone that has a higher temperature than other portions of each of the one or more batteries.

Description

System and method for cooling a battery

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the general field of batteries, and more particularly to the field of battery module cooling systems and methods for cooling battery modules.

Background

For battery module systems, particularly those employed in electric vehicles, the battery may require cooling to improve battery stability and service life, maintain safe operating temperatures, and extend battery charging life. For example, during charge and discharge cycles of a battery, the movement of electrons within the battery causes the battery to heat due to electrical resistance. The increase in temperature may reduce the energy density of the battery and may reduce the service life of the battery. Excessive temperatures may even damage the battery, which may cause the battery to catch fire or explode if extreme temperatures are reached. Batteries require cooling, while the space requirements and cost of the battery module system are also a concern, especially when such systems are installed on electric vehicles.

Disclosure of Invention

Various embodiments are described that relate to a battery module cooling system. In some embodiments, a battery module cooling system is described. The battery module cooling system may include a thermal tower contoured to contact one or more batteries. The thermal tower may include a retaining member defining a hollow interior region having a top aperture. The hollow interior region may be configured to direct a cooling fluid. The thermal tower may also include a cooling member positioned in contact with at least a portion of each of the one or more batteries to provide localized cooling to each of the one or more batteries. The cooling member may be positioned over the top aperture of the retaining member to form a seal between the retaining member and the cooling member.

Embodiments of such battery module cooling systems may include one or more of the following features: the retaining member may comprise a first material and the cooling member may comprise a second material different from the first material. The second material may comprise a thermally conductive flexible material. The retention member may be rigid and the cooling member may be flexible so as to conform to and press against at least a portion of each of the one or more batteries to provide localized cooling of the one or more batteries. The battery module cooling system may also include one or more batteries. Each of the one or more batteries may include a positive lead and a negative lead positioned on top of each of the one or more batteries. The portion of the cooling member that may be positioned in contact to provide localized cooling may include a thermal zone having a higher temperature than other portions of each of the one or more batteries. In each of the one or more cells, a hot zone may be formed within or near the top. The thermal tower may be contoured to three cells. The thermal tower may be a triangular prism having concave sidewalls such that the cooling member contacts at least a portion of each of the three cells.

In some embodiments, the battery module cooling system may further include a cooling system that provides localized cooling to the one or more batteries. The cooling system may include an inlet through which the cooling fluid is introduced into the inlet reservoir. The cooling system may also include an inlet tube having a first aperture positioned proximate to the inlet reservoir and a second aperture positioned proximate to the top aperture of the retaining member. The inlet tube may extend from the inlet reservoir into the hollow interior region of the retaining member. The inlet tube may have a volume less than the hollow interior region of the retaining member so as to form an outlet volume between the inlet tube and the interior surface of the retaining member. The second aperture of the inlet tube and the top aperture of the retaining member may be configured such that the cooling member is in contact with the cooling fluid immediately after the cooling fluid exits the second aperture of the inlet tube to provide localized cooling to a portion of the one or more cells. The cooling system may further comprise an outlet reservoir into which the cooling fluid may be received from the outlet volume. The cooling system may also include an outlet through which the cooling fluid may be expelled from the outlet reservoir. The cooling system may include a plurality of thermal towers forming at least one battery cavity having a complementary volumetric shape to the one or more batteries to hold the one or more batteries. The cooling system may also include at least one cooling pad positioned at a bottom end of the at least one battery cavity between the outlet reservoir and the at least one battery cavity to provide cooling to a bottom portion of the one or more batteries. The at least one cooling pad may include a first material having conductive properties. The first material may be the same material as the cooling member, and the retaining member may include a second material different from the first material. The cooling system may also include a plurality of inlet pipes, and a reservoir partition located between the inlet reservoir and the outlet reservoir to separate the inlet reservoir and the outlet reservoir. The plurality of inlet tubes and the reservoir partition may be a unitary component.

In some embodiments, a method for cooling a battery module is described. The method for cooling a battery module may include directing a cooling fluid through a retention member defining a hollow interior region having a top aperture through an inlet tube positioned within the hollow interior region of the retention member. The method may further include locally cooling the one or more cells by contacting the cooling fluid with a cooling member shaped to contact at least a portion of the one or more cells and positioned over the top aperture of the retaining member immediately after the cooling fluid exits the inlet tube. The method may further include directing the cooling fluid through an outlet volume formed by an inlet tube having a volume less than a volume of the hollow interior region of the retaining member. The method may also include receiving cooling fluid from the outlet volume into an outlet reservoir.

Embodiments of such methods for cooling battery modules may include one or more of the following features: the localized cooling of the one or more cells may include locally cooling a hot zone formed on the one or more cells. The hot zone may have a higher temperature than other portions of the one or more cells. The cooling member may be shaped to contact at least a portion of the three cells. The cooling member may comprise a flexible, thermally conductive material, the cooling member being designed to press against at least a portion of the three cells to provide localized cooling. The cooling member may have a triangular shape with concave side walls so as to conform to at least a portion of the three cells.

In some embodiments, a battery cooling module system is described. The battery cooling module system may include a first means for directing a cooling fluid, the first means defining a hollow interior region having a top aperture. The battery cooling module system may also include a second means for cooling the one or more batteries using a cooling fluid received from the first means through the top aperture. Cooling the one or more batteries may include bringing a first side of the second device into direct contact with a cooling fluid when a second side of the second device contacts a portion of the one or more batteries.

Embodiments of such battery cooling module systems may include one or more of the following features: portions of the one or more cells may include a thermal zone formed for each of the one or more cells, the cells including a positive lead and a negative lead, the negative lead being located on top of the one or more cells. The hot zone may have a higher temperature than other regions of the one or more cells. The second means may comprise a flexible thermally conductive material.

Drawings

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a battery indicating a thermal gradient.

Fig. 2 illustrates an assembled battery module cooling system according to embodiments disclosed herein.

Fig. 3 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a cooling chamber module for a battery module cooling system according to embodiments disclosed herein.

Fig. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a cooling chamber module for a battery module cooling system according to embodiments disclosed herein.

Fig. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a cooling chamber module for a battery module cooling system according to embodiments disclosed herein.

Fig. 6A illustrates a cross-sectional view of an inlet of a battery module cooling system according to embodiments disclosed herein.

Fig. 6B illustrates a cross-sectional view of an outlet of a battery module cooling system according to embodiments disclosed herein.

Fig. 7 illustrates a reservoir partition of a battery module cooling system according to embodiments disclosed herein.

Fig. 8 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a battery module cooling system including a battery according to embodiments disclosed herein.

Fig. 9 illustrates a flow diagram of a method of cooling using a battery module cooling system according to embodiments disclosed herein.

Detailed Description

For battery modules, it is important to cool the batteries contained within the module. Cooling batteries for electric vehicles may be particularly important due to the electrical requirements and safety concerns of the vehicle. During charging and discharging of the battery, electrons flow through the battery, flowing in and out from the positive and negative leads, causing the battery to heat due to electronic friction and resistance. This is particularly applicable to a battery having a positive electrode lead and a negative electrode lead on the same surface (e.g., upper surface). A battery having two kinds of leads on the same surface is prone to heat generation due to increased electron friction caused by the leads being adjacent to each other. The heat generation causes a temperature increase, thereby damaging the battery. For example, a temperature increase may affect the service life of the battery, reduce energy density, or even cause the battery to catch fire or explode when an excessively high temperature is reached. Therefore, it is important to sufficiently cool the battery. Cooling of the battery is highly beneficial in order to maintain a healthy charge life and to maintain safe charge/discharge conditions.

The cooling chamber module may be used to cool the battery. Although a cooling system may be used to cool the battery, uneven cooling of the battery may still cause hot spots to form on the battery. For example, uneven cooling occurs because only a portion or a single side of the battery is in contact with a cooling panel or device. This may result in insufficient cooling of other portions of the battery, resulting in an increase in temperature, and even in damage to the battery due to the heat generated. In order to sufficiently cool the battery, a cooling chamber module providing local cooling may be used to cool the battery. One or more cooling members may be used to press against and cool the battery at the local portion with the highest electron motion in order to solve the problem of hot spots formed by the electrical resistance. A cooling fluid may flow through the cooling member to maintain an effective temperature differential to adequately cool the battery.

In addition to cooling the battery, space may also be an issue for batteries used in electric vehicles. To provide space efficient cooling, a battery module cooling system with thermal towers may be used whereby a cooling fluid may be directed to contact and cool the batteries. In an embodiment, the thermal tower is contoured to contact one or more cells. For example, the thermal tower may be a triangular prism having concave sidewalls to contact three cells. Additionally, the thermal tower may include a cooling member and a retaining member, the cooling member being similarly configured to conform to the contour of the one or more batteries. The holding member and the cooling member may be made of different materials. In particular, the cooling member may be made of a thermally conductive flexible material, while the retaining member may be made of a rigid material.

Further details of these embodiments and additional embodiments will be provided in connection with the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 shows a battery 100 indicating a thermal gradient according to embodiments disclosed herein. The battery 100 may be a cylindrical battery and/or a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery. For example, battery 100 may be a 18650, 20700, 21700, or 22700 lithium ion battery. However, in some embodiments, the battery 100 may be a hydrogen fuel cell, a lithium-sulfur battery, a graphene supercapacitor, a sodium ion battery, a lithium air battery, a magnesium ion battery, an aluminum-graphite battery, a bioelectrochemical battery, or any other battery. Although fig. 1 shows a cylindrical battery 100, in various embodiments, the battery 100 may be non-cylindrical. For example, the battery 100 may be in the form of a rectangle, a square, a button, or a pouch.

The battery 100 may include a positive lead 102 and a negative lead 104. Both the positive lead 102 and the negative lead 104 may be located on the upper side 106 of the battery 100. The positive and

negative leads

102, 104 may both be positioned on the same side of the battery 100 to promote current collection and space efficiency. By arranging both leads on the same side, a more compact current collection method can be implemented. In some embodiments, the positive lead 102 and the negative lead 104 may be located on different sides. For example, the positive lead 102 may be located on the upper side 106, while the negative lead 104 may be located on the lower side 116.

Since the positive lead 102 and the negative lead 104 are positioned on the same surface (e.g., the upper side 106), a hot zone 108 is partially formed in a portion of the battery 100. In some embodiments, the hot zone 108 may be formed as a result of the positive and

negative leads

102, 104 being positioned on different surfaces, such as the positive lead 102 on the upper side 106 and the negative lead 104 on the lower side 116, or vice versa. The hot zone 108 may have a higher temperature than other portions of the battery 100. For example, hot zone 108 may have a higher temperature than zone 110, zone 112, or zone 114. The higher temperature of hot zone 108 may be due in part to increased electron movement through hot zone 108.

When the positive lead 102 and the negative lead 104 are on the upper side 106, as shown in fig. 1, all electrons flowing through the battery 100 will flow through the hot zone 108 during charging and discharging of the battery 100. This may result in hot zone 108 having more electron motion than zone 110, zone 112, or zone 114. For example, if battery 100 is divided into four regions, hot zone 108, region 110, region 112, and region 114, hot zone 108 may have four times the amount of electronic motion of region 114 during charging and discharging of battery 100. Because electrons flow from the negative lead 104 to the positive lead 102 during discharge and from the positive lead 102 to the negative lead 104 during charge, all electrons travel through the hot zone 108. Conversely, not all electrons flowing into and out of

leads

102 and 104 will travel to region 110, region 112, or region 114, meaning that region 110, region 112, or region 114 will have a lower degree of electron motion than hot region 108. The further the area of battery 100 is from leads 102 and 104, the lower the degree of electron motion may be due to the drop in potential. This means that region 112 may have more electron motion than region 114, region 110 may have more electron motion than region 112, and hot zone 108 may have more electron motion than region 110. Thus, hot zone 108 may have more electron motion than any other region in battery 100, such as region 110, region 112, or region 114.

The higher the degree of electron movement through a region in battery 100, the higher the temperature of that region. The movement of electrons causes a temperature increase due to electron friction and/or electrical resistance between the electrons and atoms of the material within the battery 100. The hot zone 108 may have a higher temperature than other areas of the battery 100 because the higher electron motion causes a temperature increase. For example, region 112 may have a higher temperature than region 114, region 110 may have a higher temperature than region 112, and hot zone 108 may have a higher temperature than region 110.

Providing localized cooling to hot zone 108 may provide more efficient and effective cooling of battery 100 since the temperature of hot zone 108 is higher than the temperatures of

other regions

110, 112, and 114. Fig. 2 illustrates a battery module cooling system 200 according to embodiments disclosed herein, the battery module cooling system 200 configured to provide localized cooling to a battery, such as the battery 100. The battery module cooling system 200 may include a cooling chamber module 201 and a top module 210. The cooling chamber module 201 may be configured to house and cool one or more batteries, such as battery 100. The cooling chamber module 201 may include a base member 205, an inlet 220, and an outlet 230. The inlet 220 may be configured to introduce cooling fluid into the cooling chamber module 201 and the outlet 230 may be configured to exhaust cooling fluid out of the cooling chamber module 201. The top module 210 may be configured to mate and attach with the cooling chamber module 201 to secure one or more batteries within the battery module cooling system 200. The top module 210 may include a current collector (not shown) and a cover 215.

The battery module cooling system 200 may employ a cooling fluid to provide localized cooling to one or more batteries housed within the battery module cooling system 200. Exemplary cooling fluids include water, glycols (e.g., ethylene glycol), oils (e.g., mineral or silicone oils), refrigerants (e.g., R-744), nanofluids, liquefied gases, or any other coolant that meets the thermal capacity and viscosity requirements of the system. In some embodiments, the cooling fluid may use a closed loop system as part of the cooling fluid circulating through the battery module cooling system 200. In such embodiments, during cooling of the one or more batteries, excess heat collected by the cooling fluid is extracted to re-establish the desired cooling temperature for the recirculated cooling fluid. For example, after directing the cooling fluid through the battery module cooling system 200, the cooling fluid may be recirculated through a radiator of the vehicle to reduce the temperature of the cooling fluid prior to reintroducing the cooling fluid into the battery module cooling system 200. Alternatively, the cooling fluid may need to be refilled, replenished or changed depending on the cooling fluid employed. A pump may be used to direct the cooling fluid through the battery module cooling system 200. In other embodiments, a compressor or any other device thereof may be employed to direct the cooling fluid through the battery module cooling system 200.

As shown in fig. 2, the battery module cooling system 200 is in an assembled state. One or more components may be housed within an interior region of the battery module cooling system 200 or within an interior region of the cooling chamber module 201 and thus may not be visible when the battery module cooling system 200 is assembled. One or more components housed within the interior region of the battery module cooling system 200 may include a thermal tower, an inlet tube, a reservoir partition, a cooling pad, and one or more batteries. One or more components housed within the battery module cooling system 200 will be discussed in more detail with reference to fig. 3-8.

Fig. 3 provides an exploded perspective view of a cooling chamber module 301 for a battery module cooling system, according to embodiments disclosed herein. The cooling chamber module 301 may represent a detailed embodiment of the cooling chamber module 201. The cooling chamber module 301 may be part of a battery module cooling system, such as the battery module cooling system 200 discussed with respect to fig. 2. As shown in fig. 3, the cooling chamber module 301 may include various components to hold and locally cool one or more batteries, as discussed in fig. 1 and 2. These components may include a retaining member 345, a cooling member 340, a cooling pad 350, an inlet 320, and an outlet 330. As described above, when the battery module cooling system is assembled, one or more of these components are contained within the interior region of the battery module cooling system and are therefore not visible.

The cooling chamber module 301 may include a housing 312, the housing 312 configured to hold and secure one or more batteries, such as the battery 100. The housing 312 may be generally rectangular in shape and have a base member 305 and at least four outer walls. Extending axially upward from the base member 305 may be a plurality of retaining members 345. The retaining member 345 may be configured to support and secure one or more batteries within the cooling chamber module 301. In various embodiments, the retaining member 345 may be configured to contact at least a portion of the one or more batteries when the retaining member 345 is received within the housing 312. One or more battery cavities 355 may be configured between the one or more retaining members 345. The battery cavity 355 may have a complementary volumetric shape to the one or more batteries so as to securely receive the one or more batteries. The battery cavity 355 may be cylindrical and extend axially upward from the base member 305. In various embodiments, the battery cavity 355 may have different shapes or be oriented in different directions. For example, the battery cavity 355 may be rectangular, hexagonal, spherical, or any other shape complementary to a battery.

In an embodiment, the housing 312 may be formed by an injection molding process, such as plastic mold injection. Forming the housing 312 by injection molding may allow the housing 312 to be constructed as a single component. However, in other embodiments, the housing 312 may be constructed from separate components. The housing 312 may be made from a variety of materials, including polymers (i.e., plastics), metals, ceramics, or any other suitable material. In some embodiments, the housing 312 and the retaining member 345 may be constructed as a single, unitary component. However, in other embodiments, the retaining member 345 may be configured as a separate component prior to attachment or coupling with the housing 312.

The retaining member 345 may be rigid, defining a hollow interior region having a top aperture. In various embodiments, the retaining member 345 may be semi-flexible, yet define a hollow interior region. The hollow interior region may be configured to direct a cooling fluid through the retaining member 345. The cooling fluid may flow from the base member 305, through the retaining member 345, and out the top aperture of the retaining member 345. One or more cooling members 340 may be positioned on the top hole. The cooling member 340 may be positioned over the top aperture of the retaining member 345 to form a seal between the retaining member 345 and the cooling member 340. The cooling member 340 may extend over the top aperture of the retaining member 345 such that a volume is formed over the retaining member 345 between the inner surface of the cooling member 340 and the top aperture. As the cooling fluid flows through the hollow interior region of the retaining member 345, the cooling fluid exits the retaining member 345 through the top aperture and immediately contacts the cooling member 340. The retaining member 345 in combination with the cooling member 340 may form one or more thermal towers configured to securely retain and cool the one or more batteries within the housing 312.

Cooling member 340 may be positioned to contact at least a portion of one or more batteries, such as battery 100. For example, the cooling member 340 may be configured such that when three batteries are positioned within three adjacent battery cavities 355, the cooling member 340 contacts the upper portions of the three batteries. The cooling member 340 may be flexible such that the cooling member 340 conforms and presses against the one or more batteries to secure the one or more batteries. Further, the cooling member 340 may be flexible to conform to the one or more batteries to ensure contact between the cooling member 340 and the one or more batteries to facilitate heat exchange. The cooling member 340 may include a thermally conductive flexible material. The thermally conductive material provides a higher rate of heat exchange between the cooling fluid on the inside of the cooling member 340 and the one or more batteries on the outside of the cooling member 340. For example, the cooling member 340 may include a thermoplastic material or rubber having a high thermal conductivity value (K). The thermal conductivity value (k) of cooling member 340 may be higher than other materials, such as 12W/MK, where electrical insulation within the battery module cooling system>10¹⁰Omega. For example, the retaining member 345 may comprise a first material that is different from the thermally conductive material of the cooling member 340. In an embodiment, the first material of the retaining member 345 may still be a thermally conductive material, however, the first material may not be as thermally conductive as the coolingThe thermally conductive material of member 340.

The cooling member 340 may be positioned on top of the retaining member 345 to provide localized cooling to the hot zone formed on the one or more cells. In an embodiment, the one or more batteries received and cooled by the battery module cooling system may include a positive lead and a negative lead positioned on top of each of the one or more batteries. Similarly, with respect to the cell 100 discussed with respect to fig. 1, one or more cells may form a hot zone within or adjacent to the top due in part to the location of the positive and negative leads. The cooling member 340 may be positioned on top of the retaining member 345 to ensure that the cooling member 340 is in contact with the hot zone. The cooling member 340 may contact a portion or all of the thermal zone on the one or more cells. In embodiments, the cooling member 340 may contact more of the one or more batteries than just the hot zone.

To cool the one or more batteries housed within the cooling chamber module 301, the housing 312 may be configured to receive and direct a cooling fluid. To receive and direct the cooling fluid, the housing 312 may include an inlet 320 and an outlet 330. In some embodiments, the housing 312 may include two inlets 320 and two outlets 330. However, in other embodiments, the housing 312 may include more than two inlets 320 and/or more than two outlets 330. As shown, the inlet 320 and the outlet 330 may be positioned at opposite angles to each other to facilitate the flow of cooling fluid through the cooling chamber module 301. The inlet 320 and the outlet 330 may be separate components from the housing 312 and configured to be coupled to the housing 312 so as to provide a seal between the inlet 320, the outlet 330, and the housing 312.

Optionally, the cooling chamber module 301 may include one or more cooling pads 350. The cooling pad 350 may be configured to provide cooling to a portion of one or more batteries. In some cases, the cooling pad 350 may comprise the same material as the cooling member 340. For example, the cooling pad 350 may comprise a thermally conductive material, such as a thermoplastic. In some embodiments, the cooling pad 350 may comprise a different thermally conductive material than the cooling member 340. Similar to the cooling member 340, the cooling pad 350 may be configured to facilitate heat exchange between the one or more batteries and a cooling fluid. The cooling chamber module 301 may be configured to direct a cooling fluid so as to contact a first surface of the cooling pad 350 while a second surface of the cooling pad 350 contacts a portion of one or more batteries. As will be discussed in more detail below with reference to fig. 4, 5, 6A and 6B, one or more batteries are cooled within the cooling chamber module 301 with a cooling fluid.

Turning now to FIG. 4, a top view and a cross-sectional view of the cooling chamber module 401 are shown. The cooling chamber module 401 may be the same as the cooling chamber module 301 or the cooling chamber module 201, and may be configured to hold and cool one or more batteries, such as battery 100. The top view of the cooling chamber module 401 provides a view of the cooling chamber module 401 from above looking down. The top view of the cooling chamber module 401 shows the positioning and shape of the plurality of thermal towers 442, with the plurality of thermal towers 442 located within the cooling chamber module 401. The heat tower 442 may include a cooling member 440 and a retaining member 445. As shown, one or more battery cavities 455 may be configured between one or more thermal towers 442, thereby forming a complementary volume to one or more batteries, such as battery 100. From a top view, the only portion of the thermal tower 442 visible may be the cooling member 440. As described above, in some embodiments, the battery cavity 455 may form a different volumetric shape depending on the shape of the one or more batteries. The thermal tower 442 may be triangular in shape with concave sidewalls to conform to the cylindrical shape of the one or more cells. In various embodiments, the thermal tower 442 may contour to three cells. Where the one or more batteries are not cylindrical, the thermal tower 442 can have a different shape such that the cooling member 440 contacts and cools at least a portion of the one or more batteries.

The cross-sectional view 402 is taken according to the dashed line in the top view of the cooling chamber module 401. The cross-sectional view 402 cuts the inlet 420, the outlet 430, and the plurality of thermal towers 442 to provide a cross-sectional view of the cooling chamber module 401. As shown in cross-sectional view 402, the thermal tower 442 may extend axially upward from the base member 405 within the housing 412. The heat tower 442 may include a retaining member 445 and a cooling member 440. The cooling member 440 may be positioned on top of the retaining member 445. The inlet 420 and outlet 430 may be positioned on opposite corner ends of the cooling chamber module 401. As shown in the top view of the cooling chamber module 401, there may be two inlets 420 and two outlets 430. In various embodiments, there may be more than two inlets 420 and/or more than two outlets 430.

The inlet 420 may be configured to introduce a cooling fluid into the cooling chamber module 401. As shown in the cross-sectional view 402, the inlet 420 may be positioned axially above the inlet reservoir 424. The inlet reservoir 424 may be configured between the base member 405 and the reservoir partition 435 and may be configured to retain a volume of cooling fluid within the cooling chamber module 401. The cooling fluid may be introduced into the cooling chamber module 401 through an inlet 420 and into an inlet reservoir 424, where the cooling fluid may be retained until directed through one or more inlet tubes 422 by a pump or otherwise. The inlet tube 422 may be positioned within the hollow interior region of the retaining member 445. The volume of the inlet tube 422 may be smaller than the hollow interior region of the retaining member 445 to form an outlet volume 432 between the inlet tube 422 and the interior surface of the retaining member 445. At both axial ends of the inlet tube 422 may be openings or holes, such as a first hole at the bottom end and a second hole at the top end. At the top axial end of the inlet pipe 422 may be a second bore 426, the second bore 426 configured to distribute cooling fluid from the inlet pipe 422. When the inlet pipe 422 is positioned within the interior region of the retaining member 445, the second aperture 426 may be positioned proximate to the interior surface of the cooling member 440. When the cooling fluid is directed through the inlet pipe 422, the cooling fluid may contact the inner surface of the cooling member 440 immediately after exiting the inlet pipe 422 via the second hole 426.

By positioning the second holes 426 close to the inner surface of the cooling member 440, a more efficient heat exchange rate can be achieved. Providing direct contact of the cooling fluid with the inner surface of the cooling member 440 may provide a greater temperature differential between the inner surface of the cooling member 440 and the outer surface of the cooling member 440. Because the outer surface of the cooling member 440 contacts a portion of the one or more batteries, the outer surface has a higher temperature than the inner surface of the cooling member 440 that contacts the cooling fluid. A higher temperature differential between the inner and outer surfaces of the cooling member 440 may increase the rate of heat exchange between the cooling fluid and the one or more cells. Because the temperature may increase the longer the cooling fluid is within the cooling chamber module 401, due in part to the heat of the one or more cells, it is desirable to contact the inner surface of the cooling member 440 as quickly as possible or in the shortest time frame after the cooling fluid exits the inlet tube 422 via the second aperture 426.

The outlet reservoir 434 may be configured between the reservoir divider 435 and the bottom end of the battery chamber 455. In an embodiment, the bottom end of the battery cavity 455 may include a cooling pad 450. After the cooling fluid exits the inlet tube 422 via the second aperture 426 and contacts the inner surface of the cooling pad 450, the cooling fluid may be directed to the outlet reservoir 434 via the outlet volume 432. The outlet reservoir 434 may be configured to receive the cooling fluid from the outlet volume 432 and may be configured to hold the cooling fluid until the cooling fluid is expelled through the outlet 430. The cooling fluid may remain in the outlet reservoir 434 until the cooling fluid is directed or otherwise pumped through the outlet 430. In various embodiments, after being exhausted through the outlet 430, the cooling fluid may be recirculated to the heat sink to reduce the temperature of the cooling fluid prior to being reintroduced into the cooling chamber module 401 via the inlet 420.

Fig. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a cooling chamber module 501 for a battery module cooling system, according to embodiments disclosed herein. The cooling chamber module 501 may be the same as or similar to the

cooling chamber modules

201, 301, and/or 401 described above. The cooling chamber module 501 may include a housing 512 and a base member 505, the base member 505 configured to receive and store one or more batteries, such as the battery 100. Positioned within the housing 512 may be various components, including a plurality of thermal towers arranged to form one or more battery cavities 555. The battery cavity 555 may have a volume complementary to the one or more batteries to securely hold the one or more batteries. When one or more batteries are inserted into battery cavity 555, the thermal tower may secure the one or more batteries within battery cavity 555 by contacting and pressing against at least a portion of the one or more batteries.

The thermal tower may include a holding member 545 and a cooling member 540. Retaining member 545 may extend axially upward from base member 505 and have a hollow interior region. At the axial top end, the retaining member 545 may have a top hole. The cooling member 540 may be positioned over the top aperture, forming a seal between the retaining member 545 and the cooling member 540. The inlet tube 522 may be inserted into the hollow interior region of the retaining member 545. The inlet tube 522 may also include a hollow interior region and have two holes at both axial ends: a first aperture and a second aperture 526. The first aperture may be positioned proximate to the inlet reservoir 524 and the second aperture 526 may be proximate to a top aperture of the retaining member 545. The second bore 526 may be disposed proximate the top bore such that the cooling member 540 is contacted immediately after the cooling fluid exits the second bore 526 to provide localized cooling to a portion of the one or more cells in contact with the cooling member 540.

The volume of the inlet tube 522 can be less than the hollow interior region of the retaining member 545, thereby forming an outlet volume 532 between the inlet tube 522 and the interior surface of the retaining member 545. The outlet volume 532 may extend radially along the length of the inlet tube 522, between an inner surface of the retaining member 545 and an outer surface of the inlet tube 522, down to the outlet reservoir 534. The outlet volume 532 may be configured to direct the cooling fluid downward to an outlet reservoir 534 after the cooling fluid exits the second bore 526 and contacts the cooling member 540. As discussed with respect to fig. 4, the outlet reservoir 534 may be configured to receive the cooling fluid from the outlet volume 532 and hold the cooling fluid until the cooling fluid is discharged through the outlet 530. In various embodiments, the cooling fluid may be recirculated in order to reduce the temperature of the cooling fluid to a desired cooling temperature and reintroduce the cooling fluid back into the cooling chamber module 501 via the inlet 520.

To locally cool one or more batteries, such as battery 100, a cooling fluid may be introduced into cooling chamber module 501 via inlet 520. The cooling chamber module 501 may include one or more inlets 520. For example, the cooling chamber module 501 may include two inlets 520, three inlets 520, or four or more inlets 520, depending on the cooling requirements of the cooling chamber module 501. After the cooling fluid is introduced into the cooling chamber module 501 via the inlet 520, the cooling fluid is received into the inlet reservoir 524. Inlet reservoir 524 may be configured between base member 505 and reservoir partition 535. The cooling fluid may be directed from the inlet reservoir 524 through the inlet tube 522 via the first bore and exit the inlet tube 522 through the second bore 526. Upon exiting the second bore 526, the cooling fluid may immediately contact the inner surface of the cooling member 540. As used herein, the phrase "immediately in contact" means that the cooling fluid does not contact the inner surface of the cooling member 540 before contacting the other surface. In addition, "immediate contact" takes into account the time and physical distance between the cooling fluid exiting second bore 526 and the inner surface of cooling member 540 such that the cooling loss of the cooling fluid is negligible during the flow of the cooling fluid. In other words, the arrangement of the thermal tower, in particular the inlet pipe 522 and the cooling member 540, is such that the temperature of the cooling fluid can be maintained from the inlet temperature of the cooling fluid when introduced into the cooling chamber module 501.

After exiting the second bore 526 and contacting the cooling member 540, the cooling fluid may be directed downward through the outlet volume 532 to the outlet reservoir 534. As the cooling fluid is directed downward through the outlet volume 532, the cooling fluid may contact the inner surface of the retaining member 545. Retaining member 545 may be configured to provide cooling to at least a portion of one or more batteries received within battery cavity 555. Although the retaining member 545 may comprise a material different from that of the cooling member 540, the retaining member 545 may still be configured to provide cooling to the one or more batteries. That is, the retaining member 545 may comprise a different thermally conductive material than the cooling member 540. In contrast to the flexible cooling member 540, because the retaining member 545 may be rigid, only a portion of the retaining member 545 contacts one or more batteries.

An outlet reservoir 534 may be configured between the reservoir partition 535 and the bottom end of the battery cavity 555. In various embodiments, the bottom or underside surface of the battery cavity 555 may include a cooling pad 550. The bottom end of the battery cavity 555 may include a bottom structure having an opening. When the cooling pad 550 is positioned at the bottom end, the opening of the bottom structure may allow the cooling pad 550 to provide cooling to the one or more batteries. The cooling pad 550 may be thermally conductive to provide cooling to the bottom portion of the one or more batteries. When the cooling fluid is held in the outlet reservoir 534, the cooling fluid may contact the underside surface of the cooling pad 550, and the upper side surface of the cooling pad 550 facing the battery cavity 555 may contact the underside surface of the one or more batteries. The cooling pad 550 may exchange heat between an underside surface of the one or more batteries and a cooling fluid held in the outlet reservoir 534 to provide cooling to the one or more batteries. In some embodiments, the cooling pad 550 may comprise the same thermally conductive material as the cooling member 540, while in other embodiments, the cooling pad 550 may comprise a different thermally conductive material to better accommodate achieving a desired rate of heat exchange between the cooling fluid and the one or more batteries.

The outlet reservoir 534 may hold the cooling fluid until the cooling fluid is discharged through the outlet 530. The cooling chamber module 501 may include more than one outlet 530. For example, in embodiments, the cooling chamber module 501 may include two outlets 530, three outlets 530, or four or more outlets 530, depending on the cooling requirements of the cooling chamber module 501. After the cooling fluid is discharged through the outlet 530, the cooling fluid may be recirculated. As described above, in various embodiments, the recirculation of the cooling fluid may include circulating the cooling fluid through a radiator to re-establish a desired cooling temperature of the cooling fluid. Once the cooling fluid reaches the desired cooling temperature, the cooling fluid may be reintroduced into the cooling chamber module 501 via the inlet 520.

Fig. 6A and 6B show cross-sectional perspective views of an entry view 603A and an exit view 603B, respectively. The entry view 603A includes a portion of a cooling chamber module (e.g., cooling

chamber module

201, 301, 401, and/or 501). The housing 612 and the base member 605 may be part of a cooling chamber module. A plurality of thermal towers 642 may be located within housing 612, the thermal towers 642 including a retaining member 645 and a cooling member 640. The thermal tower 642 may be configured to hold one or more batteries and provide localized cooling to the one or more batteries. To securely hold the one or more batteries, the thermal tower 642 may be contoured to the one or more batteries. For example, the thermal tower 642 can be a triangular prism having concave sidewalls such that at least a portion of the thermal tower 642, such as the cooling member 640, contacts a portion of each of any adjacent cells. In various embodiments, the thermal tower 642 may contour to at least three cells. The cooling member 640 may also contour to at least one battery. The cooling member 640 may be flexible so as to press against the top of one or more cells, thereby providing localized cooling. As described above, in embodiments, one or more cells include a positive lead and a negative lead at the top of the cell, possibly forming a hot zone. The hot zone may have a higher temperature than any other portion of the battery. In such a case, it may be desirable to provide localized cooling to the hot zone of one or more cells to achieve more efficient cooling. The cooling member 640 may contour the hot zone of the one or more cells so as to press against a portion of the hot zone or the entire hot zone of the one or more cells to locally cool the hot zone.

The inlet 620 may be positioned along an edge of the housing 612 and may be configured to introduce a cooling fluid into the inlet reservoir 624. In various embodiments, the inlet 620 may be positioned within or at other locations on the cooling chamber module to facilitate the introduction of cooling fluid into the inlet reservoir 624. The inlet reservoir 624 may be configured between the base member 605 and the reservoir partition 635. Via inlet pipe 622, thermal tower 642 is operably coupled with inlet reservoir 624. The inlet tube 622 may include a first aperture 625 and a second aperture 626. The first bore 625 may be coupled with the inlet reservoir 624 such that cooling fluid may be directed from the inlet reservoir 624 into the inlet pipe 622 via the first bore 625. The inlet tube 622 may be positioned within the hollow interior region of the retaining member 645. The volume of the inlet tube 622 may be smaller than the hollow interior region of the retaining member 645 so as to form the outlet volume 632.

Fig. 6B shows a cutaway perspective view of the exit view 603B, depicting the same cooling chamber module as the entry view 603A. In contrast, the outlet view 603B shows the outlet components of the cooling chamber module, including the outlet 630, the outlet reservoir 634, and the outlet volume 632. As shown in fig. 6B, the outlet volume 632 may be configured to direct the cooling fluid downward to an outlet reservoir 634 after the cooling fluid exits from the second bore 626 of the inlet tube 622. The outlet reservoir 634 may be configured between the reservoir partition 635 and the bottom end or surface of the one or more battery cavities to retain the cooling fluid prior to discharge. As discussed with reference to previous figures, the thermal tower 642 may form one or more battery cavities, such as

battery cavities

455 and 555, having a volume shape complementary to one or more batteries, such as battery 100. To provide cooling to the underside surface of one or more cells, a cooling pad 650 may optionally be positioned at the bottom of the cell cavity. When one or more cells are held within the cell cavity, the underside surface of the one or more cells may contact the cooling pad 650 to be cooled. The cooling pad 650 may be flexible and include a thermally conductive material to facilitate an efficient rate of heat exchange between the one or more batteries and a cooling fluid retained in the outlet reservoir 634.

The outlet reservoir 634 may be configured to hold the cooling fluid after it exits the thermal tower 642. The cooling fluid may remain in the outlet reservoir 634 until the cooling fluid is expelled through the outlet 630. The outlet 630 may be located along an edge of the housing 612 and may be configured to expel the cooling fluid out of the outlet reservoir 634 and completely out of the cooling chamber module. In various embodiments, there may be more than one outlet 630. Alternatively, the cooling fluid may be recirculated through a radiator to re-cool the cooling fluid before being directed back into the cooling chamber module.

The fluid movement 670 may indicate a path that the cooling fluid may take through the cooling chamber module. As shown, the liquid flow 670 may be directed through the inlet reservoir 624 and into the inlet pipe 622 via the first aperture 625. Once inside the inlet tube 622, the cooling fluid may be directed upward from the first bore 625 to the second bore 626. The cooling fluid may exit the second bore 626 and directly contact the inner surface of the cooling member 640 to provide localized cooling to the one or more batteries (not shown). As illustrated by the liquid flow 670, after the cooling fluid contacts the cooling member 640, the cooling fluid may be directed downward through the outlet volume 632. When the cooling fluid is directed through the outlet volume 632, the cooling fluid may contact the inner surface of the retaining member 645 to provide cooling to the one or more cells. The cooling fluid may exit the outlet volume 632 into an outlet reservoir 634. As the fluid moves 670 through the outlet reservoir 634, the cooling fluid may contact the underside of the cooling pad 650, thereby providing cooling to the bottom end or surface of the one or more batteries. The cooling fluid may be directed through the outlet reservoir 634 toward the outlet 630 until the cooling fluid reaches the outlet 630. At the outlet 630, the cooling fluid may be exhausted from the cooling chamber module.

Turning now to fig. 7, fig. 7 illustrates a divider 737 according to embodiments disclosed herein. The divider 737 may be part of a cooling chamber module (e.g., cooling

chamber module

201, 301, 401, 501, and/or 601). A divider 737 may be located within the cooling chamber module to separate the inlet passage of cooling fluid from the outlet passage of cooling fluid. As shown in fig. 7, the partition 737 may include a reservoir partition 735 and an inlet tube 722. The reservoir divider 735 may be the same as the

reservoir dividers

435, 535, and/or 635. The reservoir partition 735 may be configured as part of the inlet and outlet reservoirs, such as the

inlet reservoirs

424, 524, or 624 and the

outlet reservoirs

434, 534, or 634. Extending axially upward from the reservoir partition 735 may be one or more inlet tubes 722. The inlet tube 722 may be identical to the

inlet tubes

422, 522, and/or 622 and is configured to direct cooling fluid from the inlet reservoir out of the second bore 726. In some embodiments, the inlet tube 722 and the reservoir partition 735 may be constructed as a single component. However, in other embodiments, the inlet tube 722 and the reservoir partition 735 may be constructed from a separable coupling assembly. The divider 737 may be made of a metallic material, a polymeric material, a ceramic material, or any other suitable material.

Fig. 8 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a battery module cooling system 800 including a plurality of batteries 860, according to embodiments disclosed herein. When the battery module cooling system 800 is in an assembled state, one or more components may be housed within the interior region and not visible. Battery module cooling system 800 may include a cooling chamber module 801, a top module 810, and a lid 815. The cooling chamber module 801 and the top module 810 may be configured to be coupled together to secure the battery 860. The battery 860 may be identical to the battery 100 in that both the positive and negative leads are positioned on the top surface 862 of the battery 860. Top module 810 may include current collectors 864 for collecting current from battery 860 through top surface 862. A cover 815 may be coupled with top module 810 to provide a cover for current collector 864.

The cooling chamber module 801 may be configured to house and cool the batteries 860. Battery 860 may be identical to battery 100. The cooling chamber module 801 may include a housing 812, a base member 805, an inlet 820, an outlet 830, and a plurality of thermal towers 842. The thermal tower 842 may extend axially upward from the base member 805 and form one or more battery cavities 855 having a complementary volumetric shape to the batteries 860. The battery 860 may fit securely within the battery cavity 855 such that a portion of the battery 860 contacts at least a portion of the thermal tower 842. The thermal tower 842 may include a retaining member 845 and a cooling member 840 that are contoured to the battery 860. The retaining member 845 may be rigid to provide structural support for the battery 860 within the battery cavity 855. Instead, cooling member 840 may be flexible so as to press against at least a portion of battery 860. Cooling member 840 may be configured to contact and cool a hot zone, such as hot zone 108, formed on battery 860.

Battery module cooling system 800 may be configured to provide localized cooling to battery 860 via a cooling fluid. To introduce cooling fluid into the battery module cooling system 800, the cooling chamber module 801 may include one or more inlets 820. According to the components and methods previously discussed, cooling fluid may be directed through cooling chamber module 801 to contact cooling member 840 to provide localized cooling to battery 860. After directing the cooling fluid through the thermal tower 842, the cooling fluid may be discharged through the one or more outlets 830 to provide cooling for the battery 860. In various embodiments, the cooling fluid may be re-injected or recirculated through the battery module cooling system 800.

The various methods may be implemented using the systems and components described in detail with reference to fig. 1-8. As disclosed herein, fig. 9 illustrates an embodiment of a method 900 for locally cooling one or more batteries. Method 900 may be implemented using a battery module cooling system or cooling chamber module, such as battery

module cooling systems

200 and 800, such as

cooling chamber modules

201, 301, 401, 501, and 601. The one or more batteries that are locally cooled by the battery module cooling system or cooling chamber module may be similar or identical to battery 100.

At block 910, a cooling fluid may be introduced into the inlet reservoir via the inlet. The cooling fluid may be pumped or otherwise directed into the cooling chamber module. The cooling chamber module may have at least one inlet coupled with the inlet reservoir such that the cooling fluid is introduced directly through the inlet and into the inlet reservoir. In embodiments, the inlet may be a port, a nozzle, or any other suitable device that introduces a cooling fluid into the cooling chamber module. As described above, the inlet reservoir may be configured as part of the cooling chamber module, between the base member of the cooling chamber module and the reservoir partition. However, in some cases, the inlet reservoir may be a separate component, positioned within the cooling chamber module or external to the cooling chamber module.

At block 920, cooling fluid may be directed from the inlet reservoir into an inlet tube positioned within the retaining member. The retaining member may be part of a thermal tower having a top aperture over which the cooling member is positioned. The cooling member may be positioned over the top aperture of the retaining member to form a seal between the retaining member and the cooling member. The thermal tower, including the cooling member and the retaining member, may be contoured to the one or more cells such that the thermal tower contacts at least a portion of the one or more cells. In particular, the cooling member may contact at least a portion of the one or more batteries to provide localized cooling. The inlet tube may include a first aperture on an axial end proximate the inlet reservoir. The cooling fluid may be directed through the first aperture when the cooling fluid is directed from the inlet reservoir into the inlet tube. Once in the inlet tube, the cooling fluid may be directed upwardly through the inlet channel to a second bore located on the other axial end of the inlet tube. In embodiments, the second hole may be positioned near or above the top hole of the retaining member so as to be near the top of the cooling member.

At block 930, the one or more batteries may be locally cooled with a cooling fluid. The one or more batteries may be locally cooled via a cooling member that contacts at least a portion of the one or more batteries. The cooling member may be flexible so as to press against the one or more batteries. The portion of the one or more cells in contact with the cooling member may be a hot zone having a higher temperature than other regions of the cells. In an embodiment, the cooling member may comprise a thermally conductive material to provide efficient and effective cooling to the one or more batteries. In an embodiment, the block 930 for locally cooling the one or more batteries with the cooling fluid may include

blocks

932 and 934. At block 932, the cooling fluid may exit the inlet tube via the second aperture of the inlet tube. In some embodiments, the second bore of the inlet tube may be positioned axially above the top bore of the retaining member. The second hole may be positioned proximate to a portion of the cooling member. For example, the second hole may be positioned near an upper side surface of the cooling member interior.

At block 934, the cooling fluid may directly contact the cooling member to provide localized cooling to the one or more batteries. As described above, the cooling member may be contoured to contact at least a portion of one or more cells. For example, in an embodiment, the thermal tower may be a triangular prism having concave sidewalls. In such an example, the thermal tower and associated components (retaining member and cooling member) may also be shaped to contact three cells. When the cooling fluid directly contacts the cooling member, the cooling fluid may provide localized cooling to the one or more batteries through the cooling member. Because the cooling member is thermally conductive, heat exchange occurs between the high temperature of the one or more batteries and the low temperature of the cooling fluid, thereby reducing the temperature of the one or more batteries. After the cooling fluid leaves the inlet pipe, it is beneficial that the cooling member is in immediate contact with the cooling fluid in time and space in order to keep the cooling fluid at the desired cooling temperature. By having the cooling fluid contact the cooling member first after exiting the inlet tube, the cooling temperature of the cooling fluid may be maintained to provide more efficient cooling to the one or more batteries contacting the cooling member.

At block 940, the cooling fluid may be directed through an outlet volume formed between the inlet tube and the hollow interior region of the retaining member. The volume of the inlet tube may be less than the hollow interior region of the retaining member, thereby forming an outlet volume between the outer surface of the inlet tube and the inner surface of the retaining member. After the cooling fluid contacts the cooling member, the cooling fluid then exits the inlet tube, which may direct the cooling fluid through the outlet volume. In some embodiments, the cooling fluid may be directed through the outlet volume by means of a pump. While in other embodiments, the cooling fluid may be directed through the outlet volume by gravity or some combination of mechanical induction and gravity. When the cooling fluid is directed through the outlet volume, the cooling fluid may contact the inner surface of the retaining member to provide further cooling to the one or more batteries. A portion of the retaining member may contact the one or more batteries and any remaining thermal capacity may provide cooling to the one or more batteries when the cooling fluid contacts an inner surface of the retaining member as the cooling fluid is directed through the outlet volume. Typically, after local cooling of the portion of the one or more cells in contact with the cooling member, the cooling fluid may retain some thermal capacity to provide cooling to other regions of the cells as the cooling fluid passes through the outlet volume.

At block 950, cooling fluid is received from the outlet volume into the outlet reservoir. Similar to the inlet reservoir, the outlet reservoir may be configured as part of the cooling chamber module. In particular, the outlet reservoir may be configured between a bottom surface of one or more battery chambers configured to hold batteries and a reservoir partition. However, in some cases, the outlet reservoir may be a separate, discrete component from the cooling chamber module. For example, the outlet reservoir may be a holding container located inside the cooling chamber module or outside the cooling chamber module. After the cooling fluid exits the outlet volume, or is directed through the outlet volume by mechanical or gravity means, the cooling fluid may remain in the outlet reservoir until the cooling fluid exits the cooling chamber module. In some embodiments, the cooling fluid may cool a bottom end or surface of the one or more batteries while the cooling fluid is held in the outlet reservoir. In such embodiments, the cooling pad may be positioned between the underside surface of the one or more cells and the cooling fluid held in the outlet reservoir. The cooling pad may be thermally conductive to allow the cooling fluid to cool the battery. When the cooling fluid is held in the outlet reservoir, the cooling fluid may contact a lower surface of the cooling pad, while an upper surface of the cooling pad contacts the battery, thereby allowing heat exchange between the cooling fluid and the battery.

At block 960, the cooling fluid may be discharged from the outlet reservoir through an outlet. The cooling chamber module may have one or more outlets. Exemplary outlets include nozzles, ports, or any other suitable means to direct cooling fluid from an outlet reservoir out of the cooling chamber module. The cooling fluid may be directed out of the outlet reservoir by mechanical means via an outlet. In an embodiment, the cooling fluid is recirculated through a radiator or other means that reduces the temperature of the cooling fluid to a desired cooling temperature before being reintroduced back into the cooling chamber module.

The methods, systems, and devices discussed above are merely examples. Various configurations may omit, substitute, or add various processes or components as appropriate. For example, in alternative configurations, the methods may be performed in an order different than that described, and/or stages may be added, omitted, and/or combined. Furthermore, features described with reference to certain configurations may be combined in various other configurations. Different aspects and elements of the configuration may be combined in a similar manner. Moreover, technology is evolving and, thus, many elements are exemplary and do not limit the scope of the disclosure or claims.

Specific details are given in the description to provide a thorough understanding of example configurations (including implementations). However, configurations may be practiced without these specific details. For example, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques have been shown without unnecessary detail in order to avoid obscuring the configurations. This description provides example configurations only, and does not limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the claims. Rather, the foregoing description of the configurations will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing the described technology. Various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure.

Further, the configuration may be a process described in the form of a flowchart or a block diagram. Although each operation may describe the operation as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be rearranged. The process may have additional steps not included in the figure. Furthermore, examples of the described methods may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, firmware, middleware or microcode, the program code or code segments to perform the necessary tasks may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium such as a storage medium. The processor may perform the described tasks.

Having described several example configurations, various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. For example, the above-described elements may be components of a larger system, where other rules may take precedence over or otherwise modify the application of the invention. Also, various steps may be taken before, during, or after considering the above elements.

Claims

1. A battery module cooling system, the system comprising:

a thermal tower contoured to contact one or more batteries, wherein the thermal tower comprises:

a retaining member defining a hollow interior region having a top aperture, wherein the hollow interior region is configured to direct a cooling fluid; and

a cooling member positioned to contact at least a portion of each of the one or more batteries to provide localized cooling to each of the one or more batteries, wherein the cooling member is positioned over the top aperture of the retaining member to form a seal between the retaining member and the cooling member;

the battery module cooling system further includes the one or more batteries, wherein each of the one or more batteries includes a positive lead and a negative lead, the positive and negative leads are positioned on top of each of the one or more cells, wherein the cooling member is positioned to contact a portion of the battery to provide localized cooling, the portion including a hot zone, the hot zone has a higher temperature than other portions of each of the one or more batteries, wherein the thermal zone is formed in each of the one or more cells, within or adjacent to the top, the cooling system includes a plurality of thermal towers forming at least one battery cavity having a complementary volumetric shape to the one or more batteries to hold the one or more batteries.

2. The battery module cooling system of claim 1, wherein the retaining member comprises a first material and the cooling member comprises a second material different from the first material.

3. The battery module cooling system of claim 2, wherein the second material comprises a thermally conductive flexible material.

4. The battery module cooling system of claim 1, wherein the retaining member is rigid and the cooling member is flexible so as to conform to and press against at least the portion of each of the one or more batteries to provide localized cooling to the one or more batteries.

5. The battery module cooling system of claim 1, the cooling system providing localized cooling to the one or more batteries, wherein the cooling system comprises:

an inlet through which a cooling fluid is introduced into an inlet reservoir;

an inlet tube having a first aperture positioned proximate to the inlet reservoir and a second aperture positioned proximate to the top aperture of the retaining member, wherein:

the inlet tube extending from the inlet reservoir into the hollow interior region of the retaining member,

the inlet tube is smaller in volume than the hollow interior region of the retaining member so as to form an outlet volume between the inlet tube and the interior surface of the retaining member, an

The second aperture of the inlet tube and the top aperture of the retaining member are configured to contact the cooling member with the cooling fluid immediately after the cooling fluid exits the second aperture of the inlet tube to provide localized cooling to the portion of the one or more cells;

an outlet reservoir receiving the cooling fluid from the outlet volume into the outlet reservoir; and

an outlet through which the cooling fluid is expelled from the outlet reservoir.

6. The battery module cooling system of claim 5, wherein the cooling system further comprises at least one cooling pad between the outlet reservoir and the at least one battery cavity, the at least one cooling pad positioned at a bottom end of the at least one battery cavity to provide cooling to a bottom of the one or more batteries.

7. The battery module cooling system of claim 6, wherein the at least one cooling pad comprises a first material having conductive properties, wherein the first material is the same as the cooling member material, and the retaining member comprises a second material different from the first material.

8. The battery module cooling system of claim 5, wherein the cooling system comprises a plurality of inlet tubes and a storage partition between the inlet reservoir and the outlet reservoir to separate the inlet reservoir and the outlet reservoir.

9. The battery module cooling system of claim 8, wherein the storage partition and the plurality of inlet tubes are a unitary component.

10. The battery module cooling system of claim 1, wherein the thermal tower is contoured to three cells.

11. The battery module cooling system of claim 10, wherein the thermal tower is a triangular prism having concave sidewalls such that the cooling member contacts at least a portion of each of the three cells.

12. A method for cooling a battery module using the battery module cooling system of claim 1, the method comprising:

directing cooling fluid through a retaining member through an inlet tube positioned within a hollow interior region of the retaining member, the retaining member defining the hollow interior region having a top aperture;

contacting a cooling fluid with a cooling member to locally cool one or more batteries immediately after the cooling fluid exits the inlet tube, the cooling member contoured to contact at least a portion of the one or more batteries and positioned over the top aperture of the retaining member;

directing the cooling fluid through an outlet volume formed between an inlet tube and an inner surface of a retaining member, the inlet tube being smaller in volume than the hollow interior region of the retaining member; and

receiving the cooling fluid from the outlet volume into an outlet reservoir;

13. The method for cooling a battery module according to claim 12, wherein the cooling member:

the contour is configured to contact at least a portion of the three cells;

comprises a flexible and thermally conductive material designed to be pressed against at least said part of the three cells to provide local cooling; and

has a triangular shape with concave side walls so as to conform to at least the portion of the three cells.