FR2782399A1 - Device and procedure for thermal regulation of items or products contained in an isolated temperature regulation housing, has heat transfer liquid in contact with the products via a flexible deformable thin wall - Google Patents

Abstract

Procedure involves placement of the items or assemblies to be cooled in contact with a thin, deformable wall (1) that acts as a wall for heat exchange with a heat transfer fluid. AN Independent claim is made for a device for controlling the temperature of a number of items or objects, where the objects (P) are placed in thermal contact with a heat conducting wall (1). The procedure and device relate particularly to the cooling of vehicle batteries or cells arranged in a cooling housing.

Description

- 1 - Device and method of thermal regulation, for example for the

  cooling of electric vehicle storage batteries.

  The present invention relates to a thermal regulation device and method. More particularly, it relates to a cooling process and a thermo-regulating casing, for example a cooling casing for electrochemical elements such as, for example, storage batteries of

electric vehicles.

  The invention also relates to storage batteries comprising

  application of this process and / or comprising such a cooler casing.

  There are known coolers for batteries of batteries or accumulators of electric vehicles, intended mainly to ensure: the coherence of the electrochemical cells or batteries, the cooling of these

  elements and resistance to external stresses (shocks, vibrations, forces, ...).

  These cooler housings consist of tanks made of material

  rigid plastic and inside which is provided a cooling circuit.

  The batteries are cooled by heat transfer through a rigid shell-shaped wall, the batteries to the outside, this heat then being removed by a coolant which circulates in contact with this rigid shell. The connection between the electrochemical cells and the rigid shell, necessary to establish good conductivity, is carried out by

  via a viscous body, of the grease or glue type.

  In this cooling function, the known cooler casings have the disadvantage of a poor coefficient of heat transmission due to the thickness of the materials (rigid shell, grease or glue) which surround the batteries. To ensure the function of holding the batteries in the known cooler casings and the cohesion of the assembled assembly, said batteries are maintained by gluing or by means of a viscous material; the plastic parts of said casings being held by gluing, after their assembly. The drawback which results from this situation is that the assembled casings or cooler modules are difficult to dismantle without

  destruction or damage of the plastic parts.

  s With known cooling housings, the batteries are isolated from each other, from an electrical point of view, on the one hand, thanks to their positioning in alveoli of plastic tubs and, on the other hand, by the coating product (glue or grease). From the point of view of mechanical stress, the various plastic shells which constitute the casing or tank, after 1o their assembly, form a closed envelope which provides protection against

  shocks, vibrations and external forces.

  This solution has the disadvantage that the use of materials of different natures to produce a compact, non-deformable assembly, can lead, during expansion, to the creation of internal stresses and, consequently, cause degradation (cracking, fatigue of the materials used , ...). An object of the invention is to remedy the shortcomings and drawbacks of cooling casings of the aforementioned type, by an integrated method and system allowing the improvement of the cooling, insulation and maintenance functions of the electric cells or accumulators constituting a module of

  battery for electric vehicles.

  More generally, the subject of the invention is a method aimed at remedying the deficiencies and defects of the methods according to which the elements requiring thermal regulation are placed in contact with a rigid wall.

  behind which a heat transfer fluid is circulated.

  According to the invention, this object is achieved by a process according to which the heat exchange is carried out by placing the elements requiring temperature regulation in contact with one of the faces of a thin, flexible and deformable membrane or wall, the other side is in contact with the

coolant.

  -3- In the very advantageous application to the cooling of electrochemical elements such as, for example, the batteries or accumulators of batteries of electric vehicles, the method according to the invention is remarkable in that the absorption of heat resulting from the heating of the batteries or accumulators by a coolant or fluid, is carried out through a thin, flexible and deformable membrane or wall, constituted by one of the walls of a cooling circuit applied against the lateral surface of said batteries or accumulators . The thermoregulatory casing according to the invention comprises a rigid outer shell inside which is arranged at least one heat transfer fluid circuit delimited by an internal wall intended to come into contact with at least a portion of the surface of the elements whose temperature must be regulated, housed in said casing which is remarkable in that said internal wall is

  constituted by a thin, flexible and deformable membrane or film.

  In the application to the thermal regulation of electrochemical elements such as, for example, the batteries or accumulators of batteries of electric vehicles, the cooling casing according to the invention comprises a rigid external shell inside of which is arranged at least a cooling circuit delimited by an internal wall intended to come into contact with at least a portion of the lateral surface of the batteries or accumulators housed in said housing, this cooling housing being remarkable in that said heat exchange wall is constituted by a thin, flexible and deformable membrane or film. Thanks to this process and to this cooler housing, the cooling, maintaining and isolation of the batteries or accumulators constituting the electric battery is carried out, by means of a thin, flexible and deformable wall, which in use. , envelops and perfectly blocks electrochemical cells. This flexible wall or membrane located inside the battery, between the rigid outer shell on which it is glued or welded and the electrochemical elements, thus constitutes a pocket which makes it possible to efficiently perform the cooling and stalling functions. batteries during the circulation and under pressure of the coolant or coolant contained in

inside this pocket.

  The invention has, in particular in the more specifically described application, the following advantageous advantages in its various functions: Thermorequlation function The small thickness of the deformable wall combined with the flexibility of the latter allows, by "surface contact" "or optimum surface, to obtain an improved heat exchange between the batteries and the coolant or fluid; we thus obtain a better evacuation of calories and a

  better control of thermal regulation.

  Support function The flexibility of the membrane or thin film allows it to be pressed perfectly against the batteries and, therefore, to ensure that they are properly wedged and that the assembly is held securely; the deformation of the flexible film makes it possible to obtain a uniform distribution of the pressure on the lateral surface

  batteries and therefore improve their maintenance.

  This type of non-bonded assembly eliminates any problem of expansion that can occur when bonding materials of different natures. It also makes it possible to eliminate the contact problems due to the manufacturing tolerances of the electrochemical or battery cells and of the

rigid outer shell.

  In addition, the invention allows easy disassembly of the batteries, without degradation

of the cooler housing.

  Insulation function Keeping the batteries in position against the rigid wall provides perfect

  insulating the batteries from each other.

2782399

  The invention also provides other advantages such as: - Strong reduction in the quantities of adhesive used;

  - Overall reduction of the mass of the cooler housing.

  The above goals, features and benefits, and more,

  will emerge more clearly from the description which follows and from the attached drawings in

  which: FIG. 1 is a schematic front view illustrating the device and the method of thermal regulation according to the invention, in a very advantageous application to the cooling of storage batteries of

electric vehicles.

  Figure 2 is a front view, partially broken away and schematic, of the internal face of one of the side elements or shell of the cooler housing, illustrating the passage in the form of a baffle formed in this element

  for circulation of coolant or coolant.

  Figure 3 is a sectional view to the right of the axes of the cradles of

  receipt of batteries or accumulator elements.

  Figure 4 is a perspective view of a battery cooler housing

  accumulators produced according to a first embodiment of the invention.

  Figure 5 is a perspective view of the belt elements of this

casing.

  Figure 6 is a perspective view of the belt elements formed

  in one piece and shown flat, in the unfolded position.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view of one of the end elements of the

cooler housing.

  Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of another embodiment

  of the cooler housing according to the invention.

  Figure 9 is a perspective view, on a larger scale, showing this

  cooler housing in assembly and service position.

  Reference is made to said drawings to describe interesting examples, although in no way limiting, of implementation of the method and of the thermal regulation device according to the invention. A particularly advantageous application of the invention to the cooling of electrochemical elements such as, for example, is described below.

  accumulators or batteries of electric vehicle batteries.

  It should also be emphasized, however, that the device and method of thermal regulation according to the invention are also applicable to the thermoregulation of other devices, elements or products. For this reason, words or expressions such as "batteries or accumulators", "cooling", "heat absorption", "heating", "coolant", "cooler housing",

  used in the following description should be considered as

  i5 equivalents of "devices, elements, products", "heat exchange", "temperature variation", "heat transfer fluid", "thermoregulatory housing", respectively,

having a broader meaning.

  According to the method of the invention, the heat exchange resulting from the temperature variation of the devices, elements, products, etc., is carried out by placing the latter in contact with a thin, flexible and elastically deformable membrane or film constituting the heat exchange wall of a circuit

of heat transfer fluid.

  The thermal regulation device according to the invention comprises a rigid outer shell inside which is arranged at least one heat transfer fluid circuit delimited, at least in part, by a heat exchange wall intended to come into contact with at least a portion of the external surface of the devices, elements or products, the temperature of which must be regulated, and this device is remarkable in that said heat exchange wall is constituted by a thin, flexible membrane or film and

elastically deformable.

  In the application of the method of the invention to the cooling of electrochemical elements such as batteries or accumulators of electric vehicle batteries, said method is mainly remarkable in that the absorption of heat resulting from the heating of the batteries or accumulators P of the battery, by a coolant or liquid, is carried out through a thin, flexible and deformable membrane 1, constituted by the wall of a cooling circuit C applied against at least a portion of the lateral surface

of said batteries or accumulators.

  In the above application, the cooler casing according to the invention comprises a rigid outer shell 2 inside which is arranged at least one cooling circuit C delimited, at least in part, by a wall

  internal 1 constituted by a thin, flexible and non-deformable membrane or film.

  The rigid outer shell mainly consists of two lateral elements 2A generally having a rectangular or approximately rectangular shape, and constituting the long sides of said shell, these elements being shaped to each present the rigid surfaces of a

cooling system.

  Each lateral shell element 2A comprises a peripheral frame 3 constituted by a rim or a rib oriented inwards towards the

  median plane of the cooler housing.

  The internal face of each shell element 2A has a plurality of cells or cavities 4 (three in number according to the examples shown) of semi-cylindrical shape. These cavities are arranged in parallel and they

  extend over the entire length of the shell elements 2A.

  Advantageously, the inner face of each shell element 2A is provided with spaced ribs 5 extending transversely with respect to the axes xx of the cavities 4. These ribs 5 which thus have a wavy shape extend, alternately, from one or the other of the two sides 3A of the frame 3, parallel to the axes of the cavities 4 and they stop at a distance from the second of said sides 3A, so as to form, with said cavities 4, cradles for the reception of batteries P. -8- If we consider that the batteries or accumulators according to the invention are intended to be used in a horizontal position, the axes of the cavities 4 and the sides 3A of the frame are oriented horizontally, while the ribs 5 are arranged vertically, for example at a regular distance from each other. The thin or deformable membrane or film 1 is fixed in a sealed manner,

  on the top of the peripheral frame 3 and on the ribs 5.

  The rigid outer shell 2 can be made of any plastic

  suitable, by an injection process, for example polypropylene.

  The flexible membrane 1 can be made of any plastics material with a thickness (for example of the order of 40 to 250 microns) making it possible to obtain flexibility combined with sufficient strength and having a coefficient of

  acceptable heat conductivity, such as, for example, polypropylene.

  The assembly of elements 1 and 2A is carried out either by gluing or by

heat sealing.

  Thanks to the arrangement described above, there is obtained, inside each rigid shell element, a pocket constituted by a baffle passage allowing the circulation of a coolant or coolant, this pocket covering all or almost all of the internal surface of the lateral elements 2A being arranged, when the batteries P are housed in the cooler casing, between the rigid shell element 2b and said batteries. When the coolant is circulated, this pocket envelops and hugs a large portion of the lateral surface of the batteries P, allowing the rapid extraction of a large amount of calories. On the other hand, the membrane 1 is used as a wedging element for the batteries P against which it is pressed. Each shell element 2A has, in the upper part, on the one hand, at one of its ends, an inlet orifice 6 communicating with the entrance to the passage in baffle, and, on the other hand, at its end opposite, a starting orifice 7, communicating with the outlet of said passage, these orifices being provided with external ends -9- 8 and 9, respectively, allowing their connection to pipes

  (not shown), connected to the output and the input of a pump.

  It is possible to connect, in series, several cooling modules according to the invention; in this case, the first module is connected to the pump outlet and to the next module, while the last module is connected to the module

  previous and at the pump input.

  Figures 4 to 7 illustrate a first embodiment of the components

  rigid of the cooler housing according to the invention.

  According to this embodiment, these components essentially comprise the rigid outer shell 2 and two end elements 10A, in which are fitted or can fit the respective ends of said shell. The outer shell 2 is constituted in the form of a surrounding element 2, comprising the two long sides 2A connected by two short sides, that is to say a short side 2B lower constituting the bottom of the cooling casing and a short side

  upper 2C forming the top or cover of said casing.

  The surround element 2 can be formed in one piece obtained by an injection process or in several pieces permanently assembled by gluing or heat sealing. It can be opening and unfolding, as shown in FIG. 6. In this case, the small lower side 2B is attached to the two large sides 2A by fold lines 11, while the small upper side 2C constituting the cover is assembled to remains on one of the two long sides 2A by a fold line 12 and can be assembled on the second long side 2A by means of complementary connecting means 13A, 13B, such as the complementary members of latching devices, equipping the edges of said small upper side 2C and

second large side 2A.

  The small lower 2B and upper 2C sides of the rigid shell 2 have, on their internal face, a wedging rib 14A, 14B,

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  respectively. These re-entrant ribs which extend over the entire length of the short sides 2B, 2C, have, on each side of their top, a cylindrical surface intended to wrap a portion of one of the end stacks of the

  battery of batteries housed in the cooler housing.

  A spacer and wedging element 19 executed in a thermal insulator and having cylindrical surfaces shaped to envelop a portion of the cylindrical surface of the batteries or accumulator elements, can be arranged in the center of the battery of batteries, in order to maintain a space between

these last.

  The end elements 10A, 10B are identical. They include a wall 15 facing inward. This rim 15 delimits a volume in which one of the ends of the rigid outer shell 2 can be embedded, in which the battery of batteries P has previously been housed. The end elements 10A, 10B can be provided with tabs 16 arranged at inside the rim 15, along the long sides of the latter. These tabs are shaped so as to be able to fill the external spaces which result from the juxtaposition of the semi-cylindrical shells of the lateral elements 2C of the rigid shell 2, delimiting the cavities 4 for receiving the batteries P, when the

  end elements 10A, 10OB are in place.

  The end elements 10A, 10B, are provided internally with conductive plates 17 making it possible to electrically connect the batteries or

  accumulator elements of the battery.

  Figures 8 and 9 illustrate another embodiment of the components

rigid of the cooler housing.

  This embodiment differs from that which has just been described in that the outer shell or surrounding element 2 is made up of four separable parts or sides, ie two large lateral sides 2A, a small lower side or bottom 2B and a small upper side or cover 2C, assembled in a removable manner, for example, by means of complementary latching members 18,

  distributed along the corresponding edges of said rigid shell.

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  The maintenance of the four parts 2A-2B-2A-2C in the assembly position is ensured by the end elements 1 OA, 1 OB in which the

  ends of the shell or surrounding element (2).

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Claims (12)

CLAIMS R E V E N D I C A T I O N S   1. A method of thermal regulation, characterized in that the heat exchange resulting from the temperature variation of devices, elements or products requiring thermal regulation, is carried out by placing said devices, elements or products, in contact with a membrane. (1) thin, flexible and deformable, constituting the heat exchange wall of a heat transfer fluid circuit. 2. A method of thermal regulation according to claim 1, applicable to the cooling of accumulator batteries of electric vehicles, characterized in that the absorption of heat resulting from the heating of the batteries or accumulators (P) of the battery, by a coolant or coolant is carried out through a thin, flexible and deformable membrane or wall (1) constituted by one of the walls of a cooling circuit applied against at least part of the lateral surface of said batteries or accumulators.   3. A method of thermal regulation according to one of claims 1 or 2,   characterized in that the thin, flexible and deformable membrane (1) is used as an element for positioning and wedging the devices,   elements or products (P), against which they are placed.   4. A thermal regulation device comprising a thermoregulatory casing inside which is formed at least one heat transfer fluid circuit delimited, at least in part, by a heat exchange wall (1) intended to come into contact with at least part of the external surface of devices, elements or products (P) whose temperature must be regulated, characterized by - 13 - 2782399   that said heat exchange wall is constituted by a membrane or thin, flexible and deformable film.   5. A thermal regulation device constituted by a cooling casing for an electric vehicle accumulator battery, comprising a rigid outer shell (2) inside which is arranged at least one cooling circuit (C) delimited at least by part by an internal wall intended to come into contact with at least part of the lateral surface of the batteries or accumulators (P) housed in said casing, characterized in that said internal wall is constituted by a membrane or thin film, flexible and deformable (1).   6. A thermal regulation device according to one of claims 4 or 5,   characterized in that the heat transfer fluid circuit (C) is produced under chicane shape.   7. A thermal regulation device, for cooling storage batteries, according to claim 6, characterized in that the spaced ribs (5) delimiting the passage or circuit (C) in the form of a chicane, are arranged transversely by relation to the axes (xx) of the cavities or cells (4) for receiving the batteries or accumulator elements (P). 8. A thermal regulation device for cooling storage batteries according to claim 7, characterized in that the inlet (6) and outlet (7) orifices of the cooling circuit (C) are arranged in   upper part of the rigid shell (2) of said cooling casing. - 14 - 2782399   9. A thermal regulation device for cooling storage batteries according to claim 5, characterized in that its rigid components essentially comprise an outer shell (2) comprising the cooling circuit (s) (C) and two elements d 'ends (10A, 10OB) in which the ends are fitted respective of said shell (2).   10. A thermal regulation device for cooling storage batteries according to claim 9, characterized in that the outer shell (2) is executed in the form of an opening and unfolding surrounding element comprising the two long sides. (2A) comprising the cooling circuits (C), a small lower side (2B) connected to the long sides (2A) by fold lines (11) and a small upper side (2C) attached to one of the large sides (2A) by means of a fold line (12) and removably assembled to the other long side (2A) by means   additional assembly (13A, 13B).   11. A thermal regulation device for cooling storage batteries, according to claim 9, characterized in that the outer shell or surrounding element (2) consists of four separable parts or sides, ie two large lateral sides. (2A) comprising the cooling circuits (C), a small lower side or bottom (2B) and a small upper side or cover (2C), removably assembled, for example   by means of complementary latching members (18).   12. Accumulator battery for electric vehicles, characterized in that it comprises thermal regulation means for the implementation   of the cooling process according to one of claims 2 or 3, or a   cooler housing according to any one of claims 5 to 11.