JP2001052764A - Modular secondary battery - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a modular secondary battery with improved temperature controlling capability. SOLUTION: This modular secondary battery comprises a module composed by receiving plural secondary battery elements 8 in a container 1. In this case, the container 1 comprises a bottom plate part 2 having heat equalizing capability and heat radiating capability and a heat-conductive material, and has an erect part 7 formed integrally with the bottom plate part 2 so as to erect on it, and the respective received secondary battery elements 8 thermally abut on the bottom plate part 2 and the erect part 7.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a modular secondary battery in which a plurality of single secondary batteries such as a sodium-sulfur battery (hereinafter, referred to as a NAS battery) are integrally accommodated.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A secondary battery for storing electric power has been developed for storing electric power at night or as an emergency power supply. There are various types of secondary batteries. Among them, NA
Practical use of the S battery is considered promising. By the way, in a secondary battery, when the operating temperature of the battery increases, the battery life decreases, and when the operating temperature of the battery decreases, the efficiency decreases. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the operating temperature of the battery at an appropriate temperature. The NAS battery is a high-temperature operation type battery that operates at a high temperature of around 300 ° C., and generates heat during discharging. Therefore, N
When operating the AS battery, it is necessary to control the temperature so that the maximum temperature is equal to or lower than a desired temperature (for example, 350 ° C.). When a NAS battery is used, cylindrical cells are assembled (for example, several hundred), stored in a container, and used as a module. In order to maintain the modularized NAS battery at a predetermined temperature during operation, it is necessary to perform temperature control so that temperature distribution does not occur in the container. Therefore, a temperature control method has been proposed in which a temperature control plate having a soaking action and a heat dissipation action is provided on the entire bottom surface of the container.

[0003]

However, in the above-described method, the temperature is controlled by the contact portion between the bottom surface of the unit cell and the temperature control plate. Therefore, when the area of the contact portion is small or not uniform, the temperature is controlled. However, there is a problem that the temperature control is not sufficiently performed.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is directed to a module-type secondary battery comprising a module in which a plurality of secondary batteries are housed in a container. The container has a bottom plate portion having a uniform temperature and a heat radiation property, and a standing portion made of a heat conductive material and provided integrally with the bottom plate portion so as to stand up. Is characterized in that said bottom plate portion and said upstanding portion are in thermal contact with each other.

[0005] According to the present invention, each of the rechargeable batteries alone contained in the container is thermally connected to a bottom plate having uniformity and heat radiation and a standing portion integrally formed on the bottom plate and formed of a heat conductive material. Is in contact with Therefore, the heat generated from the secondary battery alone is
Heat is dissipated directly from the bottom through the bottom plate,
The upright portion is also transmitted from the side surface to the bottom plate portion and is radiated from the bottom plate portion, so that the temperature controllability is improved.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. 1A and 1B are an exploded perspective view and a partial perspective view of the inside of a container, respectively, of an embodiment of a modular secondary battery according to the present invention. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1A, a plurality of single rechargeable batteries are accommodated in a rectangular parallelepiped container 1 having heat insulating properties. The bottom plate 2 of the container 1 is made of an aluminum plate 2 having good heat conductivity.
a and 2b are overlapped. In this bottom plate part 2,
For example, three variable conductance type heat pipes 3 and a normal heat pipe 4 having a characteristic of starting heat radiation at a certain temperature or higher are respectively fitted into grooves 5 formed in parallel with the aluminum plate 2a and sandwiched between the aluminum plates 2b. Buried.

[0007] The variable conductance type heat pipe 3 is L
The heat absorbing portion 3 a is embedded in the bottom plate portion 2, and the heat radiating portion 3 b is located at a position rising along the side wall surface of the container 1. Reference numeral 6 denotes a radiation fin. The variable conductance type heat pipe 3 has a function of radiating heat and a function of soaking. Normal heat pipe 4
Has a function of soaking the bottom plate 2. Thus, when the variable conductance type heat pipe 3 and the normal heat pipe 4 are used together, the role of the variable conductance type heat pipe 3 as a function of equalizing the temperature can be reduced. Therefore, the length of the heat absorbing portion 3a embedded in the bottom plate portion 2 of the variable conductance type heat pipe 3 can be made shorter than the width of the bottom plate portion 2, whereby the working fluid condensed in the heat radiating portion 3b is reduced. Bent into an L-shape to absorb heat 3a
Therefore, stable temperature control can be realized.

FIG. 1B shows a bottom plate 2 of the container 1.
As shown in the figure, so as to stand at right angles to the aluminum plate 2b,
A plurality of pillar-shaped upright portions 7 are formed integrally with the aluminum plate 2b by casting. The upright portion 7 is provided on its outer periphery with three concave arc surfaces 7a, 7b having a radius of curvature substantially equal to the radius of the secondary battery unit 8.
c. 1C, the arc surfaces 7a, b, and c of the six upright portions 7 have a columnar shape slightly larger than the outer diameter of the secondary battery unit 8. Are arranged on the aluminum plate 2b so as to form the space 9 of FIG.
In other words, one standing portion 7 is involved in forming three columnar spaces 9. Therefore, the number of the upright portions 6 is determined by the number of the secondary battery units 8 to be accommodated. In addition, the standing part 7
May be formed so that the arc-shaped surfaces 7a, b, and c have, for example, three axes of rotational symmetry with respect to the central axis, but are not limited thereto.

In this embodiment, since the secondary battery 8 has a slightly smaller outer diameter than the columnar space 9, it can be easily inserted into the space 9. Then, the heat conductive grease is applied to the arc surfaces 7a, b, and c of the upright portion 7,
The gaps between the inserted secondary battery unit 8 and the arc surfaces 7a, 7b, 7c are filled with thermally conductive grease. By doing so, the heat transfer between the side surface of the secondary battery unit 8 and the arc surfaces 7a, b, c is improved, and the secondary battery unit 8 is fixed to the space 9 in a stable state. In addition, an electrical insulating member may be inserted between the side surface of the secondary battery unit 8 and the arc surfaces 7a, 7b, 7c as needed.

In this embodiment, the heat generated by the secondary battery unit 8 is absorbed by the aluminum plate 2b on the bottom surface and is dissipated, and is also absorbed by the arc surfaces 7a, b, and c of the upright portion 7 from the side surface. Therefore, compared with the conventional example in which the heat generated by the secondary battery unit 8 is absorbed only from the bottom surface, the heat radiation is improved, and the operating temperature can be stably controlled within a desired temperature range. In addition, since the side surface of the secondary battery unit 8 is in contact with the arc surfaces 7a, b, and c of the upright portion 7 via a thermally conductive grease, the vertical temperature difference of the secondary battery unit 8 is reduced. You can also.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, only the variable conductance type heat pipe 3 may be provided on the bottom plate 2 of the container 1 so as to have a function of radiating heat and a function of equalizing heat. However, in this case, unlike the above embodiment, the length of the portion of the variable conductance type heat pipe 3 buried in the bottom plate 2 is made closer to the width of the bottom plate 2 to improve the function of soaking. Is desirable. As shown in FIG. 2, the upright portion 7 has a cylindrical shape with a taper so that the inner diameter in the vicinity of the bottom plate 2 is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the secondary battery unit 8. May be increased. Then, the secondary battery unit 8 is inserted into the columnar space in the upright portion 7, and a cylindrical aluminum tapered outward is provided between the inner surface of the upright portion 7 and the outer peripheral side surface of the secondary battery unit 8. The spacer 10 is inserted to fill the gap between the upright portion 7 and the secondary battery unit 8, thereby fixing the secondary battery unit 8 and improving the heat transfer from the secondary battery unit 8 to the upright portion 5. You may. Further, the upright portion 7 may be a simple flat plate as shown in FIG. Then, the plate-shaped upright portions 7 may be arranged in parallel at intervals of the outer diameter of the secondary battery unit 8, and the secondary battery units 8 may be arranged and inserted between the upright portions 7, 7.

[0012]

As described above, according to the present invention, the heat generated from the secondary battery alone can be radiated directly from the bottom surface and also from the side surface, so that the temperature controllability can be improved. Has an excellent effect.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 (a) to 1 (c) are an exploded perspective view, a partial perspective view inside a container, and a layout explanatory view of an upright portion of an embodiment of a modular secondary battery according to the present invention, respectively.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory sectional view of an upright portion according to another embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective explanatory view of an upright portion of still another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Container 2 Bottom plate part 2a, 2b Aluminum plate 3 Variable conductance type heat pipe 3a Heat absorption part 3b Heat radiation part 4 Heat pipe 5 Groove 6 Heat radiation fin 7 Standing part 7a-7c Arc surface 8 Secondary battery unit 9 Space 10 Spacer

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A module type secondary battery comprising a module in which a plurality of single secondary batteries are housed in a container, wherein the container has a bottom plate portion having uniformity and heat dissipation, and a heat conductive material. And an upright portion integrally provided so as to stand upright on the bottom plate portion, and each of the accommodated secondary batteries alone is in thermal contact with the bottom plate portion and the upright portion. Features a modular secondary battery.