UA46888C2 - LIQUID COOLED BATTERY PACKAGE SYSTEM, HIGH POWER BATTERY MODULE, CHARGED BATTERY AND BATTERY CHARGED SYSTEM - Google Patents

Abstract

Mechanically and thermally improved rechargeable batteries, modules and fluid–cooled battery systems are disclosed herein. The battery is prismatic in shape with an optimized thickness to width to height aspect ratio which provides the battery with balanced optimal properties when compared to prismatic batteries lacking this optimized aspect ratio. The optimized thickness, width and height allow for maximum capacity and power output, while eliminating deleterious side effects. The battery case allows for unidirectional expansion which is readily compensated for by applying external mechanical compression counter to that direction. In the module (32), the batteries are bound within a bundling/compression means under external mechanical compression which is optimized to balance outward pressure due to expansion and provide additional inward compression to reduce the distance between the positive and negative electrodes, thereby increasing overall battery power. The fluid–cooled battery pack (39) includes a battery–pack case (40) having coolant inlets (41) and outlets (42); battery modules within the case such that they are spaced from the case walls and from each other to form coolant flow channels (43) along at least one surface of the bundled batteries; and at least one coolant transport means (44). The width of the coolant flow channels allows for maximum heat transfer. Finally, the batteries, modules and packs can also include means for providing variable thermal insulation to at least that portion of the rechargeable battery system which is most directly exposed to ambient thermal conditions, so as to maintain the temperature of the system within the desired operating range thereof under variable ambient conditions.

Description

Description of the invention

This invention generally relates to improvements in metal hydride batteries (metal hydride batteries), battery modules made therefrom, and battery packs made from the modules. More specifically, the present invention relates to mechanical and thermal improvements in battery design, battery module design, and battery pack design.

Rechargeable prismatic batteries are used in a number of industrial and commercial applications such as forklifts, golf carts, uninterruptible power supplies and electric vehicles. 70 Rechargeable lead-acid batteries are currently the most widely used type of battery. Lead-acid batteries are a useful power source for internal combustion engine starters. However, their low energy density, approximately ZOV'h/kKG, and their inability to adequately dissipate heat make them an impractical power source for an electric vehicle. An electric car that uses lead-acid batteries has a short range of travel before recharging, requires approximately b - 12 hours for 12 recharging and contains toxic substances. In addition, electric vehicles using lead-acid batteries have slow acceleration, insufficient deep-discharge tolerance, and a battery life of only about 32,200 km.

Nickel-metal hydride batteries ("Ni-MH batteries") have a much better quality compared to lead-acid batteries, and Ni-MH batteries are the most promising type of battery available for electric vehicles. Example,

Mi-MHn batteries, such as those described in co-pending US patent application Mo. 07/934976, by

Ovshinsky and Fetsenko (OuzPipeKu and Reisepko), the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference, have a much better energy density than lead-acid batteries, can power an electric vehicle for more than about 400 km before needing a recharge, can be recharged within 15 minutes, and contain no toxic substances. Electric vehicles using Mi-MH batteries can have exceptional acceleration and a battery life of more than about 100,000 miles. Go)

In the past, there has been extensive research into improving the electrochemical aspects of the power and charge capacity of MI-MH batteries, which is described in detail in US MoMo patents 5,096,667 and 5,104,617 and US patent applications

Mo. 07/746015 and 07/934976. The contents of all such links are specifically incorporated by reference.

Initially, Ovshinskyi and his group focused on alloys based on metal hydrides that form the negative electrode. As a result of their efforts, they were able to significantly increase the reversible characteristics of hydrogen storage, necessary for efficient and economical battery applications, and obtain batteries capable of accumulating energy with a high degree of density, with efficient reversibility, high electrical efficiency, and effective volume storage of hydrogen. without structural changes or poisoning, with a long service life and repeated deep discharge. The improved characteristics of these ovonic ("Omopis") alloys, as 39 they are now called, were the result of maintaining local chemical order and, therefore, local C structural order by combining selected modifier elements into the primary matrix.

Disordered metal-hydride alloys have, in fact, an increased density of catalytically active sites and storage sites compared to single-phase or multiphase crystalline substances. These additional "sites are responsible for improved efficiency of electrochemical charge/discharge and increase in electrical energy storage capacity. The nature and number of storage areas can even be designed independently of the catalytically active areas. More specifically, these alloys are made to allow bulk

From" storage of dissociated hydrogen atoms with bond strength within reversibility, suitable for use in secondary battery applications.

Some extremely efficient hydrogen storage electrochemical substances have been obtained from the disordered substances described above. They are active substances of the Ti-M-2t-Mi type, such as those disclosed in US patent No. 4,551,400 ("the 400 patent"), the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. These substances are reversible

Ge") form hydrides to accumulate hydrogen. All the substances used in the 400 patent use a joint composition of Ti-M-Mi, where at least Ti, M, and Mi are present and can be modified with St, 7, and AI. Substances of the 400 patent are multiphase substances that can contain, but are not limited to, one or 20 more phases with crystal structures of type C.) and Siv.

Other Ti-M-24-Mi alloys are also used for rechargeable negative electrodes with hydrogen storage. One such family of substances is that described in US Pat. No. 4,728,586 (the '586 patent), the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. Patent 586 describes a specific subclass of these Ti-M-Mi-2g alloys containing Ti, M, 2, Mi and a fifth component, Sg. Patent 586 notes the possibility of impurities and modifiers in addition to the 52 Ti, M, 4, Mi and Sg component alloys, and generally describes specific impurities and modifiers, amounts and

GF) interaction of these modifiers, and certain benefits that can be expected from them.

In contrast to the ovonic alloys described above, previously known alloys were usually considered as "ordered" substances that had excellent chemistry, microstructure, and electrochemical characteristics.

The effectiveness of the known ordered substances was insufficient, but in the early 1980s, as the degree of 60 modification increased (that is, when the number and dose of elemental modifiers increased), their effectiveness began to increase significantly. This happens both because of the disorder introduced by the modifier and because of their electrical and chemical properties. This development of alloys from a certain class of ordered substances to modern multicomponent, multiphase "disordered" alloys is presented in the following patents: |1| patent

USA 3874928; |2)| US patent 4214043; IZ) US patent 4107395; 4th US patent 4107405; |5) US patent bo d112199; IEI US patent 4125688 |/| US patent 4214043; IV) US patent 4216274; |Z| US patent 4487817;

I19| US patent 4605603; (121 - US Patent 4,696,873 and (14) US Patent 4,699,856. (These references are described in detail in US Patent 5,096,667, and this description is specifically incorporated by reference).

Simply put, it was established that in all metal-hydride alloys, with an increase in the degree of modification, the role of the primary ordered base alloy is less important compared to the properties and disorder inherent in specific modifiers. In addition, an analysis of the multicomponent alloys currently available on the market and obtained by many manufacturers indicates that these alloys are being modified, following the guidelines established for ovonic alloy systems. Thus, as defined above, all highly modified alloys are disordered substances characterized by the presence of many 7/0 Components and multiple phases, i.e. ovonic alloys.

It is clear that the introduction of ovonic fusion methods has made significant improvements in the active electrochemical aspects of Mi-MH batteries. However, it should be noted that until recently the mechanical and thermal aspects of the efficiency of Mi-MH batteries were neglected.

For example, in electric vehicles, the weight of the batteries is a significant factor, because the weight of the battery is the largest /5th component of the weight of the vehicle. For this reason, reducing the weight of individual batteries is given considerable attention in the design of batteries for means of transportation that are started from electricity. In addition to reducing the weight of the batteries, the weight of the battery modules must be reduced while still providing the necessary mechanical requirements of the module (ie, ease of transport, strength, etc.). Also, when these battery modules are included in battery pack systems (such as for use in electric vehicles) the components of the battery pack must be as light as possible.

It is worth noting that applications in electric vehicles pose a critical requirement for thermal management. This is because individual cells (cells) bond together in close proximity, and many cells are electrically and thermally bonded together. Therefore, since there is an inherent tendency to release a significant amount of heat during charge and discharge, the efficient design of the battery for electric vehicles is judged by whether or not the released heat is adequately managed.

There are primarily three sources of heat. The first is the heat of the environment due to the operation of means i) movement in a hot climate. The second is resistive or I2E, heating during charge and discharge, where I is the current flowing into or out of the battery, and K is the resistance of the battery. The third - a huge amount of heat will be generated during recharging due to gas recombination. ee)

While the above parameters are generally common to all electrical battery systems, they are particularly important for nickel metal hydride battery systems. This is due to the fact that the Mi-MN has such a high specific energy, and the charge and discharge currents are also large. For example, to charge a lead-acid battery for one hour, a current of Z5BA can be used, while recharging a Mi-MH battery can use T00A for the same one-hour recharge. Secondly, since Fr

Mi-MH has exceptional energy density (that is, energy is stored very compactly), thermal dissipation is more complicated than in lead batteries. This is because the surface area to volume ratio is much smaller than that of lead-acid batteries, which means that while the heat generated is 2.5 times greater for Mi-MH batteries than for lead batteries, the heat dissipation surface is smaller.

Such an illustrative example is useful in understanding the heat management problems faced when designing Mi-MH battery packs for electric vehicles. U.S. Patent No. 5,378,555 issued to General Motors (which is incorporated by reference) describes an electric vehicle battery pack using lead acid batteries. The battery pack system using lead acid batteries has a capacity of approximately 13 kWh , weighs approximately Z63ZKG and has a vehicle range of approximately 145km.

By replacing a lead-acid battery pack with a battery pack of the same size, the "g" capacity increases to 35 kWh, and the range of the vehicle increases to approximately 400 km. One feature of this comparison is that in a 15-minute recharge, the energy supplied in Mi-MN package

Fo of batteries is 2.7 times greater than that provided in the battery pack of lead-acid batteries with its, accordingly, additional (ee) heat. However, the situation is somewhat different during discharge. To power a vehicle on a highway at a constant speed, the current flowing through the battery is the same as for a Mi-MH battery or a lead-acid battery (or any other power source for that purpose). Essentially, the electric motor that powers the vehicle "doesn't know" or "care" where it gets its energy from, or which battery supplies the power. The difference between the heating of a Mi-MH battery and a lead-acid battery when discharged is That is, since an MI-MH battery will run a vehicle for 2.7 times longer than a lead-acid battery, it needs much more time before it has a chance to "cool down".

Further, while the heat generated during charging and discharging of MI-MH batteries is not usually a problem in small household batteries or even in large batteries when they are used individually for a limited period of time, large batteries serving in qualities of an uninterruptible power source, especially when more than one of them are used in series or parallel, for example, in a satellite or an electric vehicle, because they emit enough heat during charging and discharging to affect the ultimate efficiency of the battery modules or battery pack system.

Thus, there is a need for a battery, battery module, and battery pack system design that reduces overall weight and has the necessary thermal management necessary for successful operation in electric vehicles without reducing its energy storage capacity or output power, increases battery reliability, and reduces cost. 65 The closest thing to the proposed invention - a fluid-cooled battery pack system - in its technical essence is a fluid-cooled battery pack system that includes a battery pack housing that contains at least one means for introducing and at least one means for withdrawing the refrigerant; a plurality of battery modules formed in a matrix configuration within the housing, said battery module comprising a plurality of individual batteries connected together and at least one refrigerant transport means which causes refrigerant to enter said refrigerant injection means within the housing to flow through channels for the flow of the refrigerant and exit through the indicated means for the withdrawal of the refrigerant in the case (US Patent No. 5,558,950 A dated 09/24/1996, IPC 6 NOTM10/50).

Thermal management of an electric vehicle battery system using high-energy battery technology has never been demonstrated before. Some devices, such as the Ma-5, which operate at elevated temperatures, are 7/0 heavily insulated to maintain a specific operating temperature. Such an arrangement is undesirable due to the large loss in overall energy density due to excessive weight (means) of thermal management, high complexity and excessive cost. In other systems, such as Mi-Sa, a water cooling system was used in attempts at thermal management. Again, this type of thermal management system adds weight, complexity and cost to the battery pack.

Simply put, the prior art does not offer a configuration / internal design of an integrated battery, battery module, and thermally controlled battery pack system that is lightweight, simple, inexpensive, and combines the structural framework of the batteries, modules, and packs with an air-cooled thermal management system .

The closest thing to the proposed invention - a high-power battery module - in its technical essence is 2o High-power battery module containing a plurality of individual batteries, a plurality of electrical interconnections that provide an electrical connection between the individual batteries of the specified module and that provide an electrical connection connection between individual battery modules, and means of binding / compression of the battery module, said batteries are bound inside said means of binding / compression so that they are fastened with the possibility of providing resistance to movement or rotation during mechanical vibrations, transportation or operation ( US Patent No. 5,558,950 A dated September 24, 1996, IPC 6 NOTM10/50).

Thermal management of an electric vehicle battery system using high-energy battery technology i) has never been demonstrated before. Some devices, such as the Ma-5, which operate at elevated temperatures, are heavily insulated to maintain a specific operating temperature. Such an organization is undesirable due to a large loss in the overall energy density due to excessive weight (means) of thermal management, high complexity of the system, and excessive cost. In other systems, such as the Mi-Ssa, a water cooling system was used in attempts at thermal management. Again, this type of thermal management system adds weight, complexity and cost to the battery pack. co

This design does not offer a battery module configuration / internal design that is lightweight, simple, inexpensive, and capable of operating in a unified battery, module, and ise) 5-pack air-cooled thermal management framework. "Mr

The closest thing to the proposed invention - a mechanically improved rechargeable battery - is a mechanically improved rechargeable battery that includes a housing that contains a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal, at least one positive electrode located inside the housing and electrically connected to the positive electrode terminal, at least one negative electrode located " inside the housing and electrically connected to the indicated negative electrode terminal, at least one 7-3 s electrode separator located between the indicated positive and negative electrodes inside

And the case, while the separator provides electrical isolation between the positive and negative electrodes, but what? allows chemical interaction between them and the battery electrolyte, located in the case, the electrolyte provides the environment and wetting of the specified positive electrode, negative electrode and separator, while

The battery case has a prismatic shape (US Patent No. 5,558,950 A dated 09/24/1996, IPC 6 NOTM10/50). Their thermal management of an electric vehicle battery system using high-energy battery technology has never been demonstrated before. Some devices, such as Ma-5, which operate at elevated temperatures,

Me, heavily insulated to maintain a specific operating temperature. Such an organization is undesirable because of the large

Go! loss in overall energy density due to excessive weight (means) of thermal management, high complexity of 5o and excessive cost. In other systems, such as the Mi-Ssa, a water cooling system was used in attempts at thermal management. Again, this type of thermal management system adds weight, complexity and cost to the battery pack.

Simply put, the prior art does not offer a configuration/internal design of an integrated battery, battery module, and thermally controlled battery pack system that is lightweight, simple, inexpensive, and integrates the structural framework of the batteries, modules, and packs with an air-cooled control system. warmth (F, The closest thing to the proposed invention - a rechargeable battery system - is a rechargeable battery system formed from at least one connected rechargeable battery, while the rechargeable battery system is exposed to environmental thermal conditions that worsen its thermal operating conditions 6o "US Patent No. 5,558,950 A dated September 24, 1996, IPC 6 NOSH 10/50).

Thermal management of an electric vehicle battery system using high-energy battery technology has never been demonstrated before. Some devices, such as the Ma-5, which operate at elevated temperatures, are heavily insulated to maintain a specific operating temperature. Such an organization is undesirable due to a large loss in the total energy density due to excessive weight (means) of thermal management, high complexity and excessive cost. In other systems, such as the Mi-Sa, a water cooling system was used in attempts at thermal management. Again, this type of thermal management system adds weight, complexity and cost to the battery pack. Therefore, the prior art does not offer a configuration / internal design of an integrated battery, battery module and thermally controlled battery pack system that is lightweight, simple, inexpensive and combines the structural basis of batteries, modules and packs with an air-cooled thermal management system .

The basis of the proposed inventions is the task of creating such means that would offer such a configuration/internal design of an integrated battery, a battery module and a thermally controlled battery pack system, which would be light, simple, inexpensive and would combine the structural basis of batteries, modules and packages with an air-cooled heat management system. This problem is solved by creating 7/0 Conditions for the formation of channels for the flow of the refrigerant along at least one surface of the connected batteries, ensuring maximum heat transfer using convective, conductive and radiative mechanisms of heat transfer from the refrigerant batteries; and such transportation of the refrigerant, which would cause the refrigerant to enter the means of introduction of the refrigerant in the housing, flow through the channels for the flow of the refrigerant and leave through the means of withdrawal of the refrigerant in the housing.

This problem is solved in the proposed fluid-cooled battery pack system, which, as a known fluid-cooled battery pack system, includes a battery pack body that contains at least one means for introducing and at least one means for withdrawing the refrigerant; a plurality of battery modules formed in a matrix configuration within the housing, said battery module comprising a plurality of individual batteries connected together, and at least one refrigerant transport means which causes refrigerant to enter said refrigerant injection means within the housing to flow through channels for the flow of the refrigerant and exit through the indicated means for the output of the refrigerant in the housing, and, according to the invention, the matrix configuration is made with the possibility of ensuring the flow of the refrigerant everywhere, at least one surface of the connected batteries of each of the battery modules, the specified modules are located in the housing on distances from it and from other modules in such a way as to form channels for the flow of Ч2г5 Chopodoagent along at least one surface of the specified connected batteries, while the width of the specified channels has optimal dimensions to ensure maximum heat transfer through convective, conductive and i) radiative mechanisms heat transfer from of the specified batteries to the specified refrigerant.

A feature of the proposed battery system is that it contains a set of battery modules organized in a matrix configuration inside the case, and the matrix configuration provides

From the flow of refrigerant through at least one surface of the connected batteries of each of the battery modules.

A feature of the proposed battery system is that it is made with the possibility of using an electrically insulating gaseous or liquid refrigerant or a liquid refrigerant. co

A feature of the proposed battery system is that the gaseous refrigerant is air, and that the means of transporting the refrigerant includes an air discharge fan. ise)

A feature of the proposed battery system is that the refrigerant transport means includes a pump and the fact that the refrigerant return line is connected to the refrigerant exit means, which causes recirculation of the heated refrigerant to the refrigerant tank, from which it is transported to the refrigerant heat exchanger for extracting from it heat and finally re-directed to the refrigerant pump for repeated use in cooling the battery pack. "

A special feature of the proposed battery system is that it is installed with the ability to maintain the temperature of the battery modules below 45"C, and with the ability to maintain the temperature difference between the battery modules below 8"7C. ;" The specified problem is also solved in the proposed module, which, as a known high-power battery module, contains a set of individual batteries, a set of electrical interconnections that provide electrical

Connections between the individual batteries of said module and which provide electrical connection between their individual battery modules, and means for binding/compressing the battery module, said batteries being bound within said means for binding/compressing so that they are fastened with the possibility of providing resistance

Me, movement or rotation during mechanical vibrations, transportation or operation, and, according to

Go! of the invention, said batteries are bound in said binding/compression means by external mechanical compression, which is optimized to balance the external pressure directed outwards due to the expansion of the battery components, and providing an additional inwardly directed compression force applied to the battery electrodes inside of each battery, to reduce the distance between the positive and negative electrodes in order to increase the total capacity of the battery.

A special feature of the proposed module is that the battery modules are tied together under the action of a large mechanical compressive force, using metal rods that are installed along all four sides of the battery module and welded at the four corners of the module where the rods meet, thus forming tape around

F) periphery of the battery module. A special feature of the proposed battery module is that the battery modules are connected under the action of mechanical compression, which is approximately equal to 3.5 - 12.65 KG/cm2. A special feature of the proposed battery module is that the battery modules are bound together under the action of strong mechanical compression, using metal rods located along two sides of the battery module and welded in the corners of the module to a metal tube that leaves the end plates above the ends of the modules. and in that the end plate includes ribs projecting perpendicular to the plane of the end plates, thus providing additional strength to the end plates and slots for the metal tube, the end plates 65 being thermally isolated from the batteries connected within the module.

A special feature of the proposed battery module is that each of the battery modules contains modular spacers,

which keep the modules away from any other modules and the battery pack housing and that the module spacers are made of an electrically non-conductive material.

A special feature of the proposed battery module is that the electrical interconnections are braided cable connections, which provide high thermal dissipation and flexibility in the design/configuration of the module, and that the electrical connections from the braided cable are made of copper, copper nickel-plated copper alloy or nickel-plated copper alloy.

The specified problem is also solved in the proposed mechanically improved rechargeable battery, which, as a known mechanically improved rechargeable battery, includes a housing that contains a terminal of a positive electrode and a terminal of a negative electrode, at least one positive electrode located inside the housing and electrically connected to positive electrode terminal, at least one negative electrode located inside the housing and electrically connected to said negative electrode terminal, at least one electrode separator located between said positive and negative electrodes inside the housing, the separator providing electrical isolation between positive and negative /5 electrodes, but allows chemical interaction between them, and the battery electrolyte located in the case, the electrolyte provides the environment and wetting of the indicated positive electrode, negative electrode and separator, while the battery case has a prismatic shape, and, according to the invention, the battery i shape has an optimized ratio of thickness, width and height to ensure maximum capacity and output power of the battery.

The special feature of the proposed rechargeable battery is that the case has an upper part that contains the terminal of the positive electrode of the battery and the terminal of the negative electrode of the battery, and the shell of the battery case, in which the electrodes are located, and that the upper part of the case also includes an annular casing , defining the periphery of at least one opening through the top, and the terminals having a sealing flange around their circumference, the crimped terminals being sealed in an annular housing in the sealing flange and having an elastomeric dielectric seal located between the sealing flange and the annular casing, while the elastomeric dielectric seal is made of the hydrogen-impermeable substance polysulfone.

A special feature of the proposed rechargeable battery is that it additionally contains a high-pressure valve for reducing the internal pressure of the battery to the pressure of the surrounding atmosphere, while the high-pressure valve includes: the valve body, which has a hollow inner area in gas communication with the surrounding the atmosphere and the inner part of the case with the help of an opening; a pressure relief piston mounted within the hollow inner region, the pressure relief piston being sized to seal the axial bore, and having a sealing groove on a surface opposite the axial bore, an elastomeric dielectric seal mounted within the sealing groove, the sealing groove being configured to ise)

COVER all but one of the sealing surfaces, thus leaving the uncovered surface of the specified “E seal unprotected; wherein the elastomeric dielectric seal is made of a hydrogen impermeable polysulfone material and a compression spring is positioned to cause the pressure relief piston to compress the seal in the sealing groove and block the axial hole in the terminal.

A feature of the proposed rechargeable battery is that it additionally includes at least one "comb, which forms an electrical connection between the internal terminals of the electrode and the terminals, while the specified /--- c comb is an electrically conductive rod having a set of parallel slots , in which internal outputs . the electrode is inserted, making a frictional connection, while the comb is made of copper, copper alloy, and? nickel-plated copper or nickel-plated copper alloy.

A feature of the proposed rechargeable battery is that the separators are made of polypropylene, which has an oriented grain or groove structure, while the separators are installed in such a way that the oriented grain structure is oriented along the height direction of at least one positive electrode and at least one negative electrode electrode

Me, a feature of the proposed rechargeable battery is that the positive and negative electrodes of the battery

Go! are located in the housing so that their respective electrical collector terminals are located opposite each other in the upper part of the housing, while the positive and negative electrodes of the battery have cut corners where the electrical collector terminals of the electrodes of opposite polarity are located, thus avoiding a short circuit between the electrodes and removing the unused material, the electrode itself.

A special feature of the proposed rechargeable battery is that the internal metal prismatic body of the battery is electrically isolated from the electrodes and electrolyte.

A feature of the proposed rechargeable battery is that the negative electrodes are made of a heat-conducting agglomerated metal-hydride electrode substance and are in thermal contact with the battery case.

F) The specified problem is also solved in the proposed rechargeable battery system, which, as is well known, is formed from at least one connected rechargeable battery, while the rechargeable battery system is exposed to the thermal conditions of the environment, which worsen its thermal operating conditions, and, according to the invention, it contains a means for providing variable thermal insulation, at least that part is rechargeable! of the battery system, which is most exposed to the thermal influence of the environment, to ensure that the temperature of the rechargeable battery system is maintained within the required operating range under variable environmental conditions.

A feature of the proposed rechargeable battery system is that the means for providing variable insulation 65 includes a temperature sensor, a means of compressible thermal insulation and a means for compressing the means of compressible thermal insulation in response to the temperature determined by the thermal sensor.

The feature of the proposed rechargeable battery system is that the temperature sensors include electronic sensors, the compressible thermal insulation means contains compressible foam or fiber insulation, and the means for compressing the compressible thermal insulation means includes a piston device that alternately increases or decreases

The amount of compression on compressible foam or fiber insulation in response to signals from electronic sensors.

A feature of the proposed rechargeable battery system is that the temperature sensors and means for compressing the means of compressible thermal insulation are combined into a single module.

A special feature of the proposed rechargeable battery system is that the combined, single module, temperature sensor / insulation compressor contains a bimetallic plate that allows the compressible 7/0 Thermal Insulation to expand into place to protect the battery system from low ambient temperatures and compress the insulation. , to eliminate the insulating effect of the battery system in warm ambient conditions.

One aspect of the present invention provides a mechanically improved rechargeable battery. The battery includes: 1) the battery case, which contains the terminal of the positive electrode of the battery and the terminal of the negative electrode of the battery; 2) at least one positive electrode of the battery, located inside the battery case and electrically connected to the terminal of the positive electrode of the battery; 3) at least one negative electrode of the battery, located inside the battery case and electrically connected to the terminal of the negative electrode of the battery; 4) at least one battery electrode separator located between the positive and negative electrodes inside the battery case to electrically isolate the positive electrode from the negative electrode, but which still allows their chemical interaction; and 5) the battery electrolyte, which surrounds and wets the positive electrode, negative electrode, and separator. The battery case is prismatic in shape and has an optimized thickness-to-width-to-height ratio.

Another aspect of the present invention includes an improved high capacity battery module. The battery module, according to this invention, includes: 1) a set of individual batteries; 2) a set of electrical interconnections that connect the individual batteries of the module to each other and provide a means for electrically connecting the individual battery modules to each other; and 3) means of binding / compressing the battery module. Batteries are internally bonded by means of i) module bonding/compression by external mechanical compression, which is optimized to balance the outward pressure due to the expansion of the battery components and to provide an additional inward compressive force on the battery electrodes within each cell to reduce the distance between co

With positive and negative electrodes, thereby increasing the overall power of the element.

The means of connecting / compressing the module is designed in such a way as to: 1) allow the application of the necessary battery compression; 2) perform the necessary mechanical function of a series of modules resistant to vibrations; and 3) be as light as possible.

Another aspect of the present invention is the mechanical design of a lightweight, fluid-cooled battery pack system. In its most general form, this fluid cooled battery pack system includes: 1) a battery pack housing having at least one refrigerant inlet and at least one refrigerant outlet; 2) at least one battery module located and mounted inside the housing such that the battery module is spaced from the walls of the housing and from any other battery modules inside the housing to form channels for the flow of refrigerant along at least one surface of the bonded batteries , and the width of the channels for the flow of the refrigerant has optimal dimensions with c to ensure maximum heat transfer by means of convective, conductive and . radiant heat transfer mechanisms from refrigerant batteries; and C) at least one means of transporting the refrigerant, which causes the refrigerant to enter the means of introduction of the refrigerant in the housing, to flow along the channels for the flow of the refrigerant and to exit through the means of withdrawal of the refrigerant in the housing. In a more acceptable embodiment, the battery pack system is cooled by air. In another aspect of the present invention, the mechanical design of the battery, module and battery pack system described above is integrated electronically using a charger algorithm developed by

Meh, yes, to quickly charge the battery pack system, while at the same time increasing the life of the battery by

Go! with the help of minimized recharging and control of heat release.

Finally, the batteries, modules and packs may also include a means of providing variable thermal insulation, at least for that part of the battery recharging system that is most directly exposed to said ambient thermal conditions so as to maintain the temperature of the battery recharging system within the required operating range range under variable environmental conditions. Fig. 1 is a highly stylized cross-sectional view of a mechanically improved rechargeable battery according to the invention, detailing the battery electrodes, separator, battery housing and battery electrical terminals;

F) Fig. 2 is a stylized image of an exploded cross-sectional view of a mechanically improved ka rechargeable battery, depicting in detail how many of the battery's components interact during assembly; Fig. 3 is an enlarged image of the terminal, the upper part of the shell, the sealing of the terminal and the comb of the electrode shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a stylized cross-sectional view of a crimp-sealed connection made to hermetically secure the battery terminal to the top of the battery casing; Fig. 5 is a stylized image of a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a battery terminal, which shows in detail how a high-pressure valve can be mounted in a terminal; 65 fig.b6 is a stylized image of a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a battery terminal, which depicts in detail how an electrical conductive connector of the socket type can be mounted in the terminal;

Fig. 7 - a stylized image of the electrode comb; Fig. 8 is a stylized top view of a battery module according to the present invention, detailing the manner in which the batteries are connected, including their orientation, the rods and end plates that hold the batteries under external mechanical compression, and the axis of compression; Fig. 9 is a stylized representation of a side view of the battery module shown in Fig. 8, specifically depicting the manner in which the metal rods are installed in the slot in the ribs of the end plates; Fig. 10 - a stylized image of the view from. the end of the battery module shown in Figures 8 and 9, specifically illustrating the manner in which the end plates and compression rods interact; 70 Fig. 11 is a stylized top view of a battery module according to the present invention, which specifically depicts the modular pads according to the present invention and the leads of the pads attached to them; Fig. 12 is a stylized side view of the battery module shown in Fig. 11, specifically illustrating the manner in which modular spacers are placed above and below the battery module; Fig. 1Za is a stylized image of one version of the embodiment of the end plates of the battery modules corresponding to the present invention, which specifically depicts a ribbed end plate; Fig. 136 is a stylized image of a cross-sectional view of the ribbed end plate shown in Fig. 1Za; Fig. 14 is a stylized image of one embodiment of a connection from a braided cable, suitable for modules and battery packs, which, according to the present invention, depicts a specific electrical connection from a flat cable in a braid; Fig. 15 is a stylized top view of one embodiment of a fluid-cooled battery pack according to the present invention, detailing the matrix placement of battery modules within the pack body, the manner in which the modular spacers form refrigerant flow channels, and fluid inlet and outlet openings and means of transporting the fluid; c Fig. 16 is a graph of battery temperature versus idle time, which indicates the way in which the algorithms of the temperature-controlled fan affect the temperature of the battery during self-discharge of the package; i) Fig. 17 - graph of battery resistance and battery thickness depending on the external compression pressure, optimal and functional ranges are clearly presented; Fig. 18 illustrates the effect of temperature on the specific energy of the battery, depicting a graph of the temperature of the battery in SO as a function of the specific energy in Wh/kH; Fig. 19 illustrates the effect of temperature on the specific power of the battery, depicting a graph of the temperature of the battery in SO as a function of the specific power in W/kH; so Fig. 20 is a graph of the volume consumption of the refrigerant and the percentage of the maximum heat transfer and the speed of the refrigerant depending on the interval along the middle axis of separation (refers to the average width of the channel ise) with 5 Refrigerant) for the vertical flow of the refrigerant through the channels for Refrigerant flow; "g Fig. 21 - a graph of the volume flow rate of the refrigerant and the percentage part of the maximum heat transfer and the speed of the refrigerant depending on the interval along the middle axis of separation (refers to the average width of the refrigerant channel) for the horizontal flow of the refrigerant through the channels for the flow of the refrigerant; Fig. 22 - a graph of temperature growth depending on the temperature of the surrounding sulfur charge and voltage of the package as a function of time during charge and discharge cycles, using the charge method with the "temperature-compensated voltage limit"; Fig. 23 - a graph of temperature growth depending on the ambient temperature and voltage;" package depending on the time during charge and discharge cycles, using the "fixed voltage limit" charge method; Fig. 24 is a graph of battery capacity, measured in Ah, depending on the type of battery for M series batteries; their Fig. 25 is a graph of battery power, measured in W, depending on the type of battery for M series batteries; Fig. .26 - a graph of normalized battery capacity, measured in mAh/cm?, depending on the type of battery

Fo for M series batteries; (ee) Fig. 27 - a graph of the normalized power of the battery, measured in mW/cm", depending on the type of battery for batteries of the M series; Fig. 28 - a graph of the specific power of the battery, measured in W/kKG, depending depending on the battery type for the M series batteries, Fig. 29 is a graph of the specific energy of the battery, measured in Wh/kH, depending on the battery type for the M series batteries.

One aspect of the present invention provides a mechanically improved rechargeable battery shown generally in Fig.1. Generally, in the engineering of rechargeable batteries, such as the nickel-metal hydride battery system, a lot of attention is paid to the electrochemical aspects of the batteries, while much less time and energy is spent on improving the mechanical aspects of the battery, module and package design. Applicants explored improvements in the mechanical design of rechargeable battery systems, focusing on aspects such as energy density (both volumetric and gravimetric), strength, durability, mechanical aspects of battery efficiency, and thermal management.

As a result of these studies, the applicants developed a mechanically improved rechargeable battery 1, which includes: 1) a battery case 2, which contains a terminal 7 of the positive electrode of the battery and a terminal 8 of the negative electrode 65 of the battery; 2) at least one positive electrode 5 of the battery, located inside the body 2 of the battery and electrically connected to the terminal 7 of the positive electrode of the battery; 3) at least one negative electrode 4 of the battery, located inside the body of the battery 2 and electrically connected to the terminal 8 of the negative electrode of the battery; 4) at least one battery electrode separator b located between the positive and negative electrodes inside the battery case 2 to electrically isolate the positive electrode from the negative electrode, but which still allows their chemical interaction; and 5) battery electrolyte (not shown) surrounding and wetting positive electrode 5, negative electrode 4 and separator 6. Battery body 2 is prismatic in shape and has an optimized thickness to width to height ratio.

As used, the term "battery" specifically refers to electrochemical cells containing a plurality of positive and negative electrodes separated by separators sealed in a housing having 7/0 positive and negative terminals on its outer side, where all corresponding electrodes are connected to their respective terminals

This optimized ratio, as described below, allows the battery to have balanced optimal properties compared to prismatic batteries that do not have this optimized ratio. In particular, the thickness, width and height are optimized to provide maximum capacity and power output, while /5 eliminating harmful side effects. Additionally, this particular case design allows for unidirectional expansion that can easily be compensated for by applying an external mechanical compressive force in that one direction. Applicants have found that the optimum electrode thickness to width ratio should be between approximately 0.1 - 0.75 and the optimum height to width ratio 0.75 - 2.1. Specific examples of batteries and the ratio of their electrode height to width are given in Table 1. ch 8;

It should be noted that even within the optimal range of ratios, there are optimal sub-ranges depending on the required properties of the batteries. For example, Fig. 24 - 29 depict how different height-to-width ratios of M series batteries (given in Table 1) give different optimal values depending on the specific required (ee) properties. Fig. 24 and 25, which are graphs of capacity in A"h and power in W depending on the type of battery, respectively, indicate that for the maximum capacity and power M the element is better. However, as can be seen from Fig. 26 and 27, what are the graphs of normalized capacity in mAh/cm? and power in mW/cm2 depending on the type of re) battery, respectively, if the capacity and power are normalized to the area of the electrodes, the M-40 cell is the best. "

Additionally, if the specific power of the batteries is determined, the M-40 cell is also the best, as shown in Fig. 28, which shows a graph of the specific power of the batteries in W/kH depending on the type of battery. Finally, if the specific energy of the batteries is important, the M-20 cell is preferable, as shown in Fig. 29, which is a plot of the specific energy of the batteries in

Wh/kKG depending on the type of battery.

In determining the optimal ratios, the applicants noted that if the batteries are too tall, there is a tendency for the electrodes to split during expansion and contraction to 2 s, which increases. There are also problems with increased internal electrical resistance of the electrodes, and gravimetric segregation of the electrolyte to the lower part from the battery, leaving the upper blocks of electrodes dry. Both of these latter issues reduce the capacity and power output of the batteries. If, on the other hand, the electrodes are too short, the capacity and power of the battery are reduced

Due to the reduced inclusion of electrochemically active materials, the specific energy density of the battery decreases due to a change in the ratio of the components of the battery's own weight to the electrochemically active components.

Also, if the batteries are too wide, there is an increased tendency for the electrodes to split during expansion and compression. There is also the problem of increased internal electrical resistance, which reduces the capacity and power output of the batteries. But, if the electrodes are too narrow, the capacity and power of the battery decreases due to 5 Reduced inclusion of electrochemically active materials, and the specific energy density of the battery decreases due to a change in the ratio of the components of the battery's own weight to the electrochemically active components. Finally, if the battery is too thick, there are problems with improper heat dissipation from the center electrodes, which reduces battery capacity and power. Also, there is an increased overall through-thickness expansion of the electrode bonding agents, which causes pitting and damage to the battery case and creates gaps between the positive and negative electrodes, thus reducing battery power and capacity. This excessive expansion of the means of connecting the electrodes must be compensated by external mechanical ones

F) compression. However, when the battery is too thick, an excessive amount of external force is required to compensate for the expansion, and splitting of the electrodes occurs. On the other hand, if the battery is too thin, fewer electrodes fill the battery, and therefore the capacity and power of the battery are reduced due to reduced boron Incorporation of electrochemically active materials, and the specific energy density of the battery is reduced due to a change in the ratio of the components of the battery's own weight to the electrochemically active components .

In this application, the term "expansion" includes both thermal and electrochemical expansion. Thermal expansion occurs due to heating of the battery components using the mechanisms described above, and electrochemical expansion occurs due to the change between the various lattice structures in the charged and discharged states of the battery's electrochemically active substances.

The battery housing 2 is more preferably made of any material that is thermally conductive, mechanically strong and rigid, and chemically inert to the battery chemistry, such as metal. As an alternative, polymer or composite materials can be used as the material for the battery case. When choosing such a material, attention should be paid to heat transfer. As detailed in the US patent application. MO 08/238570 dated May 5, 1995, the content of which is incorporated by reference, experiments with plastic cases show that the internal temperature of a metal hydride battery placed in a plastic case rises to about 80"C from ambient temperature after cycling from C/10 to 120905 capacity, while the temperature of the stainless steel case only rises to 32"C. Thus, bodies made of heat-conducting polymer or composite material are preferable. It is most acceptable if the body is made of stainless steel. 7/0 It is beneficial to electrically isolate the outer surface of the metal case from the environment by covering it with a non-conductive polymer coating (not shown). An example of one such layer is an insulating polymer layer in the form of a tape made of a polymer such as polyester.

The mechanical strength and stiffness of the polymer tape are important, as well as the insulating properties. In addition, it is more acceptably inexpensive, homogeneous and thin.

The inner part of the battery case 2 must also be electrically isolated from the battery electrodes. This can be done by applying a coating of an electrically insulating polymer (not shown) to the inner surface of the battery case, or, alternatively, by enclosing the battery electrodes and electrolyte in an electrically insulating polymer reservoir (not shown) that is inert to the battery chemistry. This reservoir is then capped and 2 batteries are inserted into the housing.

In a more acceptable embodiment, shown in Fig. 2, the battery case contains the upper part C of the case, to which the terminal 7 of the positive electrode of the battery and the terminal 8 of the negative electrode of the battery are attached, and the shell 9 of the battery case, in which the electrodes 4, 5 are located. Fig. 3 shows that the upper part of the case C has holes 13 through which the positive and negative terminals 7, 8 of the battery are in electrical connection with the electrodes 4, 5 of the battery. The diameter of the holes 13 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the terminal 7, 8, but smaller than the outer diameter of the seal 10 used to seal the terminal 7, 8 to the upper part of the housing. The terminals 7, 8 include a sealing flange 11, which helps to seal the terminals 7, 8 i) to the upper part of the housing C using a seal 10. The seal 10 is usually an O-ring. The seal 10 includes a sealing flange groove 12 into which the sealing flange 11 of the terminals 7, 8 is inserted. This groove 12 helps to obtain a good high-pressure seal between the terminals 7, 8 and the upper part C of the housing and to keep the seal 10 in place when the terminal 7 , 8 are closed with a crimp in the upper part

From the body. The seal 10 is more preferably made of an elastomeric dielectric substance impermeable to hydrogen, such as, for example, polysulfone. The top C housing also includes a shroud 14 surrounding each of the holes 13 and extending outward from the top C housing. The shroud 14 has an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the seal 10. The shroud 14 is crimped around the seal 10 and the sealing flange 11 ise) from TERMINAL 1, 8 of the battery to form an electrically non-conductive high-pressure seal between terminal 7, 8 and the upper part of the housing. A crimped terminal seal provides vibration resistance compared to the prior art threaded seal. The upper part C of the body, the shell 9 of the body and the annular casing 14 can be made of stainless steel 3041.

Fig. 4 shows part of the battery according to the present invention, showing in detail the way in which the terminals 7, 8 of the battery are crimped into the upper part of the housing. From this drawing, it can be clearly determined how in c the casing 14 of the upper part of the housing Z is a closed crimp around the seal 10, which, in turn, . sealed around the sealing flange, 11 terminals 7, 8 batteries. In this way, they form a seal, huh?" resistant to vibrations.

The method of connecting terminals 7, 8 to the upper part of the C housing includes crimping the terminals 7, 8 to the upper part of the C housing. This method of crimping has a number of advantages over the previous state of the art in that the crimping technique can be performed quickly on high-speed equipment, resulting in immediate cost reduction. In addition, this method uses a smaller amount of material, P than

Me. prior art, which reduces the weight of the terminals, leading to an indirect reduction in cost. Enlarged

Go! the surface area of this design, together with the reduced weight of the substances, also leads to increased heat dissipation from the terminals. Another advantage of this invention is that it allows you to manufacture the battery case and other parts from any malleable material and does not specifically require laser sealing, special ceramic-metal sealing, or any special (and therefore expensive) methods. In addition, the total number of parts is reduced and the need for high-precision machining of the parts is eliminated.

Battery terminals 7, 8 are usually made of copper or a copper alloy, preferably metallized with nickel for corrosion resistance. However, any electrically conductive material that (F) is compatible with the battery chemistry can be used. It should be noted that the terminals 7, 8 of the battery described in the context of the present invention have a smaller thickness of the ring and a larger diameter compared to those in the prior art. As a result, the terminals according to the present invention are very effective heat dissipators, and in this way significantly contribute to the thermal management of the battery.

Terminals 7, 8 may also have an axially aligned central hole 15. The central hole 15 serves many purposes. One important use is that it serves to reduce the weight of the battery. It can also serve as a hole into which an external electrical connector can be inserted, making a frictional connection. That is, a cylindrical or ring-shaped battery wire connector can be inserted, 65 making a frictional connection, into the central hole 15 to provide an external electrical connection to the battery. Finally, it can serve as a location for a pressure relief valve to relieve excess pressure from the interior of the battery. The hole 15 can pass partially through the terminal (if it is intended only as a connector socket) or completely through (if it is intended for pressure relief and serves as a connector socket). When at least one of the terminals 7, 8 contains a high-pressure valve for reducing the internal pressure of the battery to the pressure of the surrounding atmosphere, the valve can be fixed in an axial hole inside the terminal, see Fig. 5. Most preferably, the high-pressure valve 16 includes: 1) the valve body 17 having an empty inner region 21 in gas communication with the surrounding atmosphere and the inner region of the battery case through holes 15, 18 and 23; 2) the pressure relief piston 19 is located inside the empty inner region 21, and the pressure relief piston 19 is sized to seal the axial hole 18 and has a sealing groove 20 on its surface opposite the axial hole 18; 3) an elastomeric dielectric seal (not shown) is inside the seal groove, the seal groove 20 being shaped to cover all but one of the seal surfaces, thus leaving the uncovered seal surface unprotected; and 4) a compression spring 22 positioned to cause the pressure relief piston 19 to compress the seal in the seal groove 20 and block the axial hole 18 in the terminal 7, 8. See details. US Patent No. 5,258,242, dated November 2, 1993, "EGESTKOSNEMISAYG SE NAMIMO IMRKOMEO RKEZBIMKE MEMT", the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Again, a more acceptable elastomeric dielectric seal is made of a hydrogen impermeable polysulfone material. Additionally, it is preferable that the valve be designed to release an excess internal pressure of greater than about 8.436 kG/cm 7 to ensure battery integrity, since battery casings typically have pressures of at most about 10.545 kG/cm 7 ,

In addition to the resealing valve described above, batteries may use other types of valves in accordance with the present invention. In particular, collapsible discs, high pressure plugs and diaphragm valves can be used. One such diaphragm valve is described in US Patent No. 5,171,647, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Also, while it is more acceptable for the high-pressure valve to be placed inside the empty battery terminal, the valve can also effectively be located elsewhere on the top of the battery in its own protective housing, or simply connect to a hole in the top of the battery housing. .

Another alternative embodiment of the battery terminal is shown in Fig. b, which shows the terminal 7, 8, in which the external connector 24 of the battery terminal can be tightly seated, making a frictional connection. The connector 24 00 is connected to the external terminal 25 of the battery. Lead 25 may be of any conventional known type, such as a solid rod; metal tape; single-core or multi-core wire; or braided cable for 09 high battery currents (which is described below). More acceptable, the connector 24 of the output is an empty ring (ee) drum connector, which, making a friction connection, is inserted into the axially aligned central hole 15 of the terminals 7, 8 of the battery. The connector 24 of the output is held in the terminal 7, 8 of the battery by means of the partition 26 of the drum connector. A solid drum connector is described in US Pat. Nos. 4,657,335 dated Apr. 14, 1987 and No. 4,734,063 dated Mar. 29, 1988, KABIAI YIM KEBSHEMT EGESTKISAI BOSKET, which are incorporated herein by reference.

If necessary, the embodiments shown in Fig. 5 and b can be combined into one embodiment, which includes both the valve 16 of increased pressure and the external connector 24 of the battery output. Additionally, a collapsible disc (ie, a non-reusable pressure relief seal) may be included instead of or in addition to a high pressure valve. a While crimped terminals and top housings are a more acceptable embodiment of the present invention, other types of terminals and, therefore, other types of top housings may be used. In particular, a screw on terminal uniting the seal may be used in the form of an O-ring. In general, any type of known sealed terminal can be used as long as it can withstand the battery's operating pressures and is resistant to the battery's electrochemical environment. b While any battery system can benefit from the improvements presented design of the battery, module and package, it is more acceptable that the positive electrodes are made of nickel hydroxide and (ee) the negative electrodes are made of a hydrogen absorbing alloy. (That is, a disordered multicomponent metal hydride alloy, which is described in US patent application Mo 08/259793 dated June 14, 1994, US patent 5407781 dated 18 April

IC e) 1995 (both of which are specifically incorporated herein by reference), and the applications and references that depend thereon and are specifically referenced herein. It is also more acceptable that the electrodes are separated by non-woven felt nylon or polypropylene separators, and the electrolyte is an alkaline electrolyte, for example, one containing 20 - 45 95 wt. potassium hydroxide. Such separators are described in US Pat. No. 5,330,861, which is incorporated herein by reference. o MI-MH batteries for household use on the market used metal-hydride electrodes based on ime) paste to achieve a sufficient degree of gas recombination and protect the base alloy from oxidation and corrosion. Such paste-based electrodes usually combine a mixture of active substance powder with plastic 60 binders and other non-conductive hydrophobic substances. An unnecessary consequence of this method is a significant decrease in the thermal conductivity of the electrode structure compared to the structure according to the present invention, which consists essentially of 10095 conductive active substance pressed onto a conductive substrate.

In the sealed prismatic Mi-MH battery, according to the present invention, the increase in heat released during recharging is avoided by using a number of elements of heat-conducting electrode material 65 based on metal hydride. This thermally conductive metal hydride-based electrode material contains metal hydride particles in close contact with each other. Gaseous oxygen generated during recharging recombines with the formation of water and heat on the surface of these particles. In this invention, this heat is transferred through the substance of the heat-conducting negative electrode to the current collector and then to the surface of the housing.

The thermal efficiency of an array of thermally conductive metal hydride-based electrode material is further improved if this array of electrodes is in thermal contact with the battery housing, which is also thermally conductive.

In this invention, the negative electrode metal hydride material is more preferably an agglomerated electrode material such as described in US Patent No. 4,765,598; 4820481; 4915898, 5507761 and US Patent Application Mo. 08/259793 (which are incorporated herein by reference), made with 7/0 using sintering so that the Mi-MN particles are in intimate thermal contact with each other.

The positive electrode used in this invention is made of nickel hydroxide based materials. The positive electrodes can be agglomerated as described in US Pat. No. 5,344,728 (incorporated by reference) or incorporated as a paste into a nickel foam or matte of nickel fibers as described in US Pat. No. 5,348,822 et seq. (incorporated by reference ).

One aspect of the present invention indicates that in sealed Mi-MH batteries, heat generation is particularly high during recharging, especially in commercially required fast charge applications. It is noteworthy that the heat generated during recharging is released due to the recombination of oxygen on the surface of the metal-hydride electrode. Therefore, it is possible to use a thermally conductive metal hydride electrode together with a positive paste-based electrode. This more acceptable embodiment is particularly useful for optimizing the specific energy of the overall efficiency and cost of the battery. For a more detailed description of the application of agglomerated electrodes, see US patent application No. 08/238570 "ORTIMI2EO SE RASK ROK

GAKSE 5EAGEO MISKEI -METAI NUOKIOE VATTERKIE5" dated May 5, 1994, filed here by reference.

As shown in Fig. 2, each of the electrodes 4, 5, which form a package of electrodes, has electrical connecting terminals 27 attached to them. These terminals 27 are used to transmit the current that is generated in the battery cell and which flows to the terminals 7, 8 of the battery. Terminals 27 are electrically connected to terminals 7, 8, which may contain 28 for just such a connection. Alternatively, this protrusion 28 can be used for electrical and i) physical connection of the terminal 7, 8 to the collector comb 29 of the electrode terminal. As shown in Fig.7, the comb 29 is generally an electrically conductive rod containing a plurality of parallel slots 30 which receive the electrode leads, which retain the electrode leads 27 by friction, welding or brazing. Fig. 1 also shows the opening 31 of the battery terminal connector in the comb 29, which accepts the terminals. The weld/solder flange 28 of the battery terminals is press fit into the hole 31 and can then be brazed or welded in place if necessary or desired. co

The comb 29 provides a vibration resistant connector for the transmission of electrical energy from the electrodes 4, 5 to the terminals 7, 8. The comb 29 provides greater resistance to vibrations compared to the previous means of bolting ise) connection of the assembled terminals 27 to the flange 28 of the lower part of the terminal 7, 8. The known method of connecting the terminals 27 "E to the terminal 7, 8 also requires longer terminals and a longer housing (a housing that has a larger space above the fluid medium). This increases the overall weight and volume of the batteries. The absence of bolts significantly reduces the space above the fluid medium, leading to an increase in volumetric energy density. The comb 29 and terminals 7, 8 of the battery are preferably made of copper or copper alloy, which is even more preferably nickel-plated for corrosion resistance. However, they can be made from any electrically conductive material that is compatible with the battery chemistry. While a comb that accepts the leads of the electrode is a more acceptable means. connecting the electrode terminals to the battery terminals, other known means such as bolts, screws, welding or brazing can also be used and, therefore, applicants are not limited to a more acceptable embodiment.

The positive and negative electrodes 4, 5 of the battery can be located in the housing 2 of the battery so that their respective electrical collector terminals 27 are located opposite each other in the upper part of the housing. That is, all electrical collector terminals of the negative electrode are located on one side of the battery, and all are electrical

Me, the collector terminals of the positive electrode are located on the opposite side of the battery. More acceptable, positive

Go! and the negative electrodes of the battery have cut-out corners (not shown) where the electrical collector terminals of the electrodes of opposite polarity are located, thus avoiding short-circuiting between the electrodes and removing from the self-weight of the material of the unused electrode. A short circuit can occur when the electrical collector terminals of one electrode become twisted or have sharp protrusions that can then pierce the electrode separator and short circuit the adjacent electrode of the opposite polarity.

The own weight of the substance of the electrode is formed by the penetration of the active substance into the electrodes, which are inactive because they are not contiguous with the substances of their opposite electrode.

Although batteries can have any number of electrodes, depending on their thickness, a battery is more acceptable

Ф) contains 19 positive electrodes and 20 negative electrodes, alternately located inside the specified case. That is, the electrodes are alternating, and the negative ones are located on the outside, and alternate positive and negative ones are inside the entire package of electrodes. This configuration avoids possible short-circuits when the batteries are subjected to an external mechanical compression force. That is, if there is a positive and a negative electrode on the outside of the electrode pack, there will be a possibility of the electrodes forming an electrical short circuit through the metal body of the battery when the battery is subjected to external mechanical compression.

While it is necessary to have separators 6 only for the electrodes surrounding one set of battery electrodes 65 (ie, separators around only negative or only positive electrodes), it may be beneficial to include separators b surrounding each set of electrodes. Data indicate that the use of dual separators can reduce the self-discharge rate of batteries. Specifically, the charge retention increased from about 8095 after two days for the single separator batteries to about 9395 after two days for the double separator batteries. Separators b are well-known conventional polypropylene separators. They have

An oriented grain or grooved structure that appears to be machined, and more preferably the grains or grooves of the polypropylene separator material are oriented along the length of the electrodes. This orientation reduces friction and prevents grains or grooves of one separator from seizing and sticking with those of an adjacent separator during mechanical compression and/or expansion of the electrodes, because sticking and seizing can cause splitting of the electrodes. 70 Another aspect of the present invention includes an improved high capacity battery module (the term "battery module" or "module" as used herein defines two or more electrically interdependent elements) specifically shown in Figs. 8-12. To be suitable, batteries in the modules must be tightly packed, portable and mechanically robust in use. In addition, the materials used in the construction of the battery modules (other than the batteries themselves) must not excessively increase the self-weight of the module, or the 7/5 energy density of the modules will decrease. Also, since the batteries generate a lot of heat during cycling, the materials of the design must be thermally conductive and small enough to not face the problem of heat transfer away from the batteries, or act as a heat sink, trapping heat inside the batteries and modules. To meet these and other requirements, the applicants of the present invention have developed an improved high capacity battery module.

Battery module 32, according to the present invention, contains: 1) a set of individual batteries 1; 2) a set of electrical interconnects 25 that connect the individual batteries 1 of the module 32 to each other and provide a means for electrically interconnecting the individual modules 32 of the battery to each other; and 3) battery module binding/compression means (described below). The batteries are bonded together by external mechanical compression (advantages of which are described below) within the bonding/compression module means so that they become secured and will not rotate or shift when subjected to mechanical vibration during shipping or use.

While any number of batteries can be wired into a module, 2-15 batteries per "string" is typical.

The battery modules 32 are typically arrays of prismatic batteries, according to the present invention. More preferably, they are connected so that they are all oriented in the same way, and each battery has electrical terminals that are placed on top (see Fig. 9U and 12). The batteries are oriented in the module so that their narrowest side surfaces face the sides of the module, and their wider sides (those that will deform when the batteries expand) are placed adjacent to other batteries in the module. This arrangement allows expansion in only one direction within the module, which is desirable.

Batteries 1 are bound inside the means of binding / compression of the module under the action of external mechanical force ise)

35 compression, which is optimized to balance the outward pressure due to the expansion of the battery components, and to provide an additional internal compression force to the battery electrodes inside each battery to reduce the distance between the positive and negative electrodes, thereby increasing the overall battery capacity.

As described above, the expansion of prismatic batteries, which is more suitable for use in these modules, is designed to be unidirectional, so compression to shift the expansion is required only in this one c direction (see arrow 33 in the direction of compression). If there is no shear, this expansion causes bowing and gouging of the battery's outer shell and larger-than-optimal separation gaps between the electrodes, ;" thus reducing the power of the batteries. Also, overcompensation for expansion has been found to be somewhat beneficial. That is, to some extent, excessive compression actually increases the output power (reduces the internal resistance) of the connected batteries. However, excessive compression leads to splitting and short-circuiting of their electrodes inside the batteries. The mechanism for this increased power, under excessive compression, is thought to arise from compression of the positive electrode, which lowers the resistance by reducing the contact resistance between

Me. particles of the active substance in the electrode and the current collector of the electrode. Also, compression of the separator leads to

Go! reducing the distance between the plates of the positive and negative electrodes of the battery, which makes shorter paths for the movement of ions between the electrodes, thus reducing the resistance of the electrolyte between them. Fig. 17 shows the correlation of module compression and battery resistance. Modules with end plates (described in c below) were compressed using various force values and internal battery resistance (relative to total output power and charge efficiency), and the thickness of the battery was measured. As can be seen from Fig. 17, there is an optimal compression range for these modules between about 4.921 and 11.951 kG/cm2 (a force of about 500 - 1180KG per area of about 100cm32) and a functional range between about 3.5 to about 12.65kG/cm ?

Gee! (approximately Z63KG - approximately 1270kg per area of approximately 100cm2). It can be clearly seen that for these specific batteries used in this module, squeezing above the upper limit and squeezing below the lower limit of the de functional range causes an increase in the internal resistance of the batteries and therefore decreases the power. It should be noted that, while the optimal and functional compression ranges are different for different battery sizes, 60 all the graphs of compression resistance versus compression for these various battery sizes are similar in that there are functional and optimal compression ranges for the respective cell efficiencies.

Find a structure/material configuration that: 1) allows the application of the necessary compression, 2) performs the necessary mechanical function of resistance to vibrations of the means of binding/compression of the module; and 3) being as light as possible is a huge task. Applicants have discovered that the battery modules can be bonded together 65 under high mechanical compression force using metal rods 34 (preferably stainless steel) that are installed along all four sides of the battery module 32 and welded at the four corners of the module where rods meet, thus forming a belt around the periphery of the battery module. More preferably, the welded metal rods 34 are located midway between the top and bottom of the battery module, which are where the expansion is greatest. Squeezing the batteries in areas that do not contain the electrode pack would not be useful because it does not compress the electrodes. In fact, this can be harmful because it causes the electrodes to short out to the metal jacket through the internal insulator.

It should be noted that, although not easily visible from the drawings, the thickness and width dimensions along the perimeter of the upper and lower parts of the battery case are smaller by 0.5 - 1.0 mm than the overall thickness and width dimensions. These reduced dimensions ensure that all the compressive force is transmitted only to the electrode plate pack and separators. 70 Even more preferably, the welded metal bars 34 comprise two or three sets of bars positioned midway between the top and bottom of the battery module. If three sets of rods are used, the first set of rods should be placed half way between the top and bottom of the battery module, the second set of rods is then placed between the first set of rods and the top border of the battery module, and the third set of rods is placed between the first set of rods and the bottom border module /5 battery. This allows for a uniform distribution of compression and stress relaxation on any one set of bars. This compression distribution also allows the use of the smallest, lightest metal rods, thus reducing the module's own weight.

Another more acceptable design uses metal end plates 35 at the ends of the module. Stainless steel rods are located along the surfaces of the battery module and are welded at the corners of the module to a rectangular 2o metal tube (45 in FIG. 9) that replaces the end rods and holds the end plates 35 in place. This design allows even better distribution of compression forces. The end plates 35 are preferably made of aluminum and may include ribs 36 that extend perpendicular to the plane of the end plates C5, thus providing additional strength to the plates 35 and allowing the use of lighter materials. (One embodiment of the end plates is shown in Figs. 13a and 13r. Other embodiments are described in US Patent Application Mo. 08/238570 dated May 5, 1995, which is incorporated herein by reference.) When the end plates 35 have such ribbing 36, it is necessary to have slots (not shown, but see Fig. 9) in the ribbing, and) to accommodate the rectangular metal tube 45. The end plates 35 can more appropriately be thermally insulated or insulated from the batteries connected in the module 32 by a heat-insulating substance, such as a heat-insulating layer of polymer or polymer foam. This insulation prevents uneven temperature distribution of the battery inside the module, which may be caused by the cooling effect of the fins 36 of the end plates 35. However, the fins 36 can provide additional thermal dissipation for the batteries 1 inside the module 32, if necessary, by providing heat dissipation from the end plates 35. to adjacent batteries 1. co

Each of the modules 32 may additionally contain modular spacers 37 (see Fig.11 and 12), which keep the modules 32 at a distance from any other modules 32 and from the body of the battery pack. These modular spacers 37 and 35 are placed above and below the module 32 to provide protection to the corners of the batteries 1 inside the module 32 and the electrical connection between the connection 25 and the terminals 7, 8 of the batteries 1. More importantly, the terminals 38 on the surfaces of the spacers 37 hold modules 32 at the optimal distance. Pads 37 are more suitably made of a lightweight non-conductive material such as a strong polymer. Also, it is important to the overall energy density of the package that the pads contain as little of the total amount of matter as possible to perform the function required of them, 70 and still remain as light as possible. in s Batteries and modules, according to the present invention, are more appropriately electrically connected by conductive wires (see Fig. 8 and 9), which provide a connection between them with low resistance. General resistance, which includes;" wire resistance and contact resistance should not exceed more acceptable 0.1 mΩ. The wires are attached to the terminals with a screw or bolt or, more conveniently, with the socket drum connector 24 described above. Electrical interconnections 25 of the module 32 of the battery, according to the present invention, are more acceptable connections from the cable in their braiding (see Fig. 14), which provide high thermal dissipation and flexibility of the design/configuration of the module. That is, the connection 25 from the braided cable performs two important functions inside the battery modules,

Me, according to the present invention (in addition to their normal function of transmitting electrical energy outside the batteries). o First, the braided cable 25 is flexible, which adapts to the expansion and contraction of the individual batteries 1, which leads to a change in the distance between the terminals 7, 8 of the individual batteries inside the module 32. Second, the connection of 25 with the cable in braid has a much larger surface area than a solid cable or busbar. This is important for the thermal management of batteries, modules and packs, according to the present invention, because the electrical connection is part of the thermal path that starts in the internal part of the battery, passes through electrodes 4, 5, through the output of the electrode 27, through the battery terminal 7, 8 and goes to the electrical interconnection 25. Therefore, the larger the surface area of the electrical interconnection 25, the greater is the heat dissipation and the better is the thermal management of the batteries 1. The electrical interconnection 25 from the braided cable is more acceptable made of copper

F) or copper alloy, which is more acceptable covered with nickel for corrosion resistance. Another aspect of the present invention (shown in Fig. 15) is the mechanical design of fluid-cooled battery pack systems (the terms "battery pack" or "pack" used herein refer to two or more electrically connected battery modules). Again, it should be noted that when batteries are cycled, they generate a lot of unnecessary heat. This is especially true when charging batteries. This excess heat can be harmful and even catastrophic to the battery system. Some of the negative characteristics encountered when battery pack systems have no or inadequate thermal management include: 1). significantly lower capacity and power; 2) significantly increased 65 self-discharge; C) unbalanced temperatures between batteries and modules, leading to improper handling of the battery; and 4) reduced battery life. Therefore, it is clear that appropriate thermal management is necessary for an optimally useful battery pack system.

Some of the factors to consider when thermally managing a battery pack system are: 1) all batteries and modules must be stored cooler than 657"C to avoid permanent damage to the batteries; 2) all batteries and modules must be stored cooler than 55"C , in order to. get at least 80 95 nominal battery efficiency; 3) all batteries and modules must be stored cooler than the 457 to achieve maximum service life; and 4) the temperature difference between the individual batteries and battery modules must be kept below 8°C for optimal performance. It should be noted that the improvements in the present invention regulate the temperature difference between the batteries within less than about 27°C. 70 Thermal Management of a Battery Pack System provide adequate cooling to ensure optimal efficiency and durability of Mi-MH batteries in a wide variety of operating modes.

Ambient air temperatures in the US range widely, at least from -307°C to 43°C in the lower 49 states. It is necessary to achieve the performance of the battery packs in this ambient temperature range while maintaining the batteries in their optimal efficiency range of approx. from -17C to 387C.

Nickel-metal hydride batteries exhibit a deterioration in charge efficiency at critically high temperatures above 43"C due to problems arising from the evolution of oxygen at the nickel positive electrode. To avoid these inefficiencies, the battery temperature during charging should ideally be kept below 43 "WITH. Nickel-metal hydride batteries also exhibit a deterioration in power performance at temperatures below approximately -17C due to the deterioration of the negative electrode. To avoid low power, the battery temperature should be kept above about -17C during discharge.

As noted above, in addition to degraded performance at high and low temperatures, adverse effects can occur due to temperature differences between batteries within the module during charging. high school

Larger temperature differences cause imbalances in the charge efficiency of batteries, which in turn can cause state of charge imbalances, leading to reduced capacitance and potentially i) leading to misuse of significant overcharge and overdischarge. To avoid these problems, the temperature difference between the batteries should be managed to less than 8°C and, more preferably, less than 57°C.

Fig. 18 shows the relationship between the specific energy of the battery, measured in Wh/kH, and the battery temperature for a nickel metal hydride battery according to the present invention. As can be seen, the specific energy of the battery starts to drop above about 20 7C or thereabouts and sharply decreases at a temperature above about 40C. Fig. 19 shows the relationship between the specific power of the battery, measured in W/kH, and the temperature of the battery for a nickel-metal hydride battery, according to the present invention. As can be seen, the specific capacity of the battery increases with temperature, but levels off above about 40"C. ise)

Other factors in the design of a fluid-cooled battery pack system include “E mechanical issues. For example, battery and module packing densities should be as high as possible to conserve space in the final product. Also, something added to the battery pack system to provide thermal management ultimately reduces the overall energy density of the battery system, as it does not contribute directly to the electrochemical capacity of the batteries by itself. In order to meet these and other requirements, the applicants have developed a fluid-cooled battery pack system, respectively 7-3 s to the present invention.

І In its most general form (the implementation option shown in Fig. 15) the data is cooled by liquid і? environment, the battery pack system 39 includes: 1) the battery pack housing 40 having at least one refrigerant inlet 41 and at least one refrigerant outlet 42; 2) at least one

The battery module 32 is located and installed inside the housing 40 so that the battery module 32 is spaced from the walls of the housing and from any other battery modules 32 inside the housing 40 to form channels 43 for the flow of refrigerant along at least one surface of the connected batteries, channel width 43 for current

Me. refrigerant has optimal dimensions to take into account maximum heat transfer by means of convective,

Go! conductive and radiative heat transfer mechanisms from refrigerant batteries; and 3), at least one refrigerant transport means 5r 44, which causes the refrigerant to enter the refrigerant inlet means 41 in the housing 40, flow through the refrigerant flow channels 43 and exit through the refrigerant outlet means 42 from the housing 40. More preferably, and more realistically, the battery pack system 39 includes a plurality of battery modules 32, typically from 2 to 100 modules, arranged in a 2- or 3-dimensional matrix configuration within the housing. The matrix configuration allows for high packing density while allowing refrigerant to flow through at least one surface of each of the battery modules 32.

F) The body of the battery pack 40 is preferably made of an electrically insulating substance. Even more acceptable, the body 40 is made of a light electrically insulating polymeric substance with a long service life. The substance must electrically isolate so that there is no short circuit of the batteries and modules, if the case touches them. Also, the substance should be light to increase the overall energy density of the package.

In conclusion, the substance must be strong and capable of withstanding the harsh extremes of battery pack use. Battery pack housing 40 has one or more refrigerant inlets 41 and refrigerant outlets 42, which may be dedicated fluid ports if necessary, but more preferably are simply openings in battery pack housing 40 through which cooling air enters and exits. battery pack.

The fluid-cooled battery pack system 39 is designed to use an electrically insulating refrigerant, which may be either gaseous or liquid. More preferably, the refrigerant is gaseous and, more preferably, the refrigerant is air. When air is used as the refrigerant, the means 44 for transporting the refrigerant is more preferably an exhaust fan, and even more preferably a fan that provides an air flow of 28317 - 84951 cm C/min of air per element in the package.

The fans do not have to continuously pump cooling air into the battery pack, but can be controlled to maintain battery pack temperatures within optimal levels. Fan control should be provided to turn the fan on and off and more preferably to control the fan speed to provide effective cooling during charge, startup and idle states 70 without load. Generally, cooling is most critical during charging, but is also necessary during aggressive startup. The fan speed is controlled based on the temperature difference between the battery pack and the environment, as well as the absolute temperature, the latter either to keep the battery cool when it's already cold, or to provide additional cooling when the battery is near the upper end of its ideal temperature range . For a nickel-metal hydride battery, fans are also 75 necessary during inactive periods after charging. Intermittent cooling is necessary in these conditions to provide effective cooling and leads to grid power savings by keeping the self-discharge rate below the fan power consumption. A typical result (Fig. 1b6) shows the fan at the time of 2.4 hours after the initial cooling after charging. Generally, the normal fan control procedure (described below) works well in this scenario. Fan control, when needed, allows the use of powerful fans for efficient cooling without consuming full fan power throughout operation, thus keeping energy efficiency high. Using more powerful fans is helpful in maintaining the optimal temperature of the package, which helps to optimize the efficiency and life of the package.

One example of the fan control procedure ensures that if the maximum temperature of the battery is higher than 30"C and the ambient air temperature is lower (more acceptable 5"7C or lower) than the maximum temperature of the battery, the fans turn on and pump colder air into the refrigerant channels. and)

Another useful fan control algorithm uses variable speed fans based on some criterion. This criterion includes 1) maximum battery temperature; 2) ambient temperature; 3) current use of the battery (i.e. charge, waiting for charge, high temperature, high depth of discharge (DDH) during start-up, termination, etc.); 4) the voltage of any auxiliary battery powering the refrigerant fans. This algorithm is presented in Table 2

Table 2 p

If (Your tach » 25752), then i-th

RMUM - Mipsreea t 5"Oeina "Her

RUUM - MIM (RUUM, Makhzreea) otherwise RMUM - Mipszreeeid

IF RMUM « 30, then RUM - 0 «

IF (Maiykhvai « 13) and (РМУМ » - 30) then RMUUM -30 shsh s In the algorithm given in table 2: ts "Traitah" - the maximum temperature of the module; "» "Tatr" - ambient air temperature; "Betsa" - Traitach-Tat (negative values are taken as zero); "RUUM" - the size in percentage of the fan pulse width modulation control signal (РМУМ) (0 - off, 100 "g » - full power); "Waihwai" - voltage of the additional battery of the fan;

Fo "Mipzreea!" - minimum fan speed, (oo) 3096 RPM/M during charging, waiting for charging, high temperature, high depth of discharge (DDH) at start-up; or 096 RMUM otherwise; and "Mahzreea!" - the maximum speed of the fan, with 10095 RMMU when charging or waiting for a charge, or with 6595 RMMU otherwise.

The flow rate and pressure of the cooling fluid must be sufficient to provide sufficient heat capacity and heat transfer to cool the package. The flow rate of the fluid must be sufficient to provide steady state heat removal at the maximum expected sustained heat release rate to result in an acceptable temperature rise. In typical Mi-MH battery packs with iF) 5 - 10W of heat per cell released during recharging (maximum heat release), a flow rate of 28317 - 84951 cm/min of air per cell is required to provide adequate cooling simply based on the heat capacity of the air and achieving acceptable rise in temperature. Radial type 60 fans can be used to provide the most efficient airflow for thermal management. This is due to the higher atmospheric pressure generated by these types of fans as opposed to the pressure generated by axial fans. Generally, a pressure drop of at least 1.27 cm of water column is required at the operating point of the fan, which is installed in the package. To obtain this pressure drop at high flow rates, as a rule, the ability to create a static pressure of 3.8 - 7.62 cm b5 of the water column is required by the fan.

In addition to using fans to cool the battery pack when it is hot, fans can heat the battery pack when it is too cold. That is, if the battery pack temperature is below its minimum optimum temperature and the ambient air temperature is "higher than the battery pack, the fans can turn on to force warmer ambient air into the battery pack. The warmer air then transfers its heat energy to the battery pack, and heats it, at least to the lower end of the optimal temperature range.

Means 44 for transporting one or more refrigerants may be located in the refrigerant inlet 41 to supply new refrigerant to the battery pack housing 40 through the refrigerant flow channels 43 and from the refrigerant outlet 42. Alternatively, one or more refrigerant transport means 44 may be installed in the refrigerant outlet 42 to draw heated refrigerant outside the battery pack housing 40, causing fresh refrigerant to be drawn into the battery pack housing 40 through the refrigerant inlet 41 and flow through through channels 43 for refrigerant flow.

The refrigerant may flow parallel to the longest dimension of the refrigerant flow channels 43 (i.e. in the direction of the length of the battery modules) or, alternatively, it may flow perpendicular to the longest /5 dimension of said refrigerant flow channels 43 (i.e. in the direction of the height of the battery module). It should be noted that as the refrigerant takes heat away from the batteries as it flows through the cooling channel 43, the refrigerant heats up. Therefore, it is more appropriate for the fluid to flow perpendicular to the longest dimension of the cooling channel 43. This follows from the fact that, as the refrigerant heats up, the temperature difference between the batteries and the refrigerant decreases, and therefore the cooling rate 2o also decreases. Thus, the total thermal dissipation decreases. To minimize this effect, the refrigerant flow path should be the shorter of the two, i.e. run along the height of the batteries.

While air is the most acceptable refrigerant (because it is readily available and easy to transport in and out of the enclosure), other gases and even liquids can be used. In particular, liquid refrigerants such as freon or ethylene glycol can be used, as well as other commercially available substances based on fluorocarbon and non-fluorocarbon. When these other gases or liquids are used as i) a refrigerant, the means 44 of transporting the refrigerant can be, more appropriately, a pump. When refrigerants other than air are used, the refrigerant transport means may more conveniently include a refrigerant return line connected to the refrigerant outlet 42 that partially recirculates the heated refrigerant to a refrigerant reservoir (not shown) from which it is transported to the heat exchanger refrigerant (not shown) to remove heat from it, and finally re-feed the refrigerant to the co pump 44 for repeated use in cooling the battery pack 39. co

The optimized width of the refrigerant flow channel includes many different factors. Some of these factors include the number of batteries, their energy density and capacity, their charge and discharge rates, direction, ise) c5 Speed and volumetric consumption of the refrigerant, heat capacity of the refrigerant, etc. It has been found that regardless of most of these factors, it is important to design the cooling channels 43 to impede or slow down the volume of cooling fluid flow as it passes between the modules. Ideally, the delay in the flow mainly occurs due to friction with the cooling surfaces of the element, which leads to a decrease in the flow by 5 - 3095 of the flow volume. When the gaps between the modules are the main flow restriction in the cooling fluid control system, this causes a uniform and approximately equal /7-Z s volume flow of the cooling fluid in the gaps between all the modules, resulting in uniform cooling and reducing the effect of other flow restrictions (such as inlets or outlets), ;" which could otherwise give an uneven flow between the modules. In addition, the same area of each element is exposed to the action of the cooling fluid with a similar speed and temperature.

The battery modules are arranged to effectively cool the battery cells by maximizing their coolant velocity to achieve a high heat transfer coefficient between the cell surface and the cooling fluid. This is achieved by narrowing the intermodular gap to the value, at

Me. in which the cooling volume flow of the fluid begins to decrease, but the speed of the fluid

Go! environment is still increasing. A narrower gap also helps to raise the heat transfer coefficient because the shorter distance for heat transfer in the cooling fluid increases the temperature gradient from the element to the fluid. c The optimal width of the channel for the flow of the refrigerant depends on the length of the flow path in the direction of the flow, as well as on the area of the channel for the flow of the refrigerant in the plane perpendicular to the flow of the refrigerant. There is a weaker dependence of the optimal gap on the characteristics of the fan. For air, the width of channels 43 for two coolant flows is approximately between 0.3 - 12 mm, more acceptable between 1 - Umm and most acceptable between 3 - vmm. For vertical airflow through a module with a height of 17.78cm, the optimum achievable medium

Ф) the gap between the modules (the width of the channels 43 for the flow of the refrigerant) is approximately equal to З - 4 mm (the distance along the middle line is 105 mm long). For a horizontal airflow flowing across 4 modules with a length of 40.64 cm in a row with a total distance of 162.5 bcm, the optimal achievable average interval of the module (the width of the 43 channels for the flow of the refrigerant) is approximately equal to 7 - 8 mm (the distance along the middle line with a length of 109 mm ).

A slightly smaller inter-module gap at the far end of this row will result in a higher airflow and therefore a higher heat transfer coefficient, thus compensating for the higher outlet air temperature. A secondary inlet or series of inlets along a portion of the horizontal refrigerant flow path may also be used as a means of introducing additional refrigerant, thereby making the heat transfer between the battery cells and the refrigerant more uniform along the entire flow path.

It should be noted that the term "centerline distance" is sometimes used as a synonym for the width of the refrigerant flow channel. The reason for this is that the mentioned values of the width of the channel for the flow of the refrigerant are average numbers. The reason for this averaging is that the surfaces of the battery modules forming the flow channels 43 are not uniformly flat and level, the bond that binds the modules together and the battery surfaces themselves cause the actual width of the channel to vary along their length. Therefore, it is sometimes easier to describe the width in terms of the distance between the centers of individual modules, that is, the width along the center line, which varies for batteries of different sizes. Therefore, it is generally more convenient to describe the average channel width that applies to battery modules regardless of the actual battery size used. 70 Fig. 20 and 21 show graphs of the dependence between the width of the channel for the flow of the refrigerant (ie, the distance along the middle line) depending on the volume flow rate of the refrigerant, the percentage of the maximum speed of the refrigerant and the percentage of the maximum heat transfer for vertical and horizontal flow of the refrigerant, in accordance. The graphs are given for air as the refrigerant, and assume turbulent flow and a free air restriction of 3095. As can be seen, there are clearly optimal intervals that differ /5 Depending on the direction of the refrigerant flow. The most efficient operation is carried out in the range of x 1090 from the optimal heat transfer, however, if necessary, the system can be operated outside this range, increasing the volume consumption of the refrigerant. In the drawings, the curves marked with squares represent the volume flow rate of the refrigerant (air) and are counted from the left ordinate, while the curves marked with triangles and diamonds represent the percentage of the maximum heat transfer and the percentage of the maximum flow rate of the refrigerant, respectively, and are counted from the right ordinate.

To assist in achieving and maintaining the required module spacing within the pack housing and to provide electrical isolation between the modules, each module includes refrigerant-flow-channel spacers 37 that keep the modules 32 at an optimum distance from any other modules 32 and from the battery pack housing 40 , to form channels 43 for refrigerant flow. As disclosed above, the refrigerant-flow-channel gaskets 37 are preferably installed above and below the battery modules 32, providing protection to the corners of the modules 32, the battery terminals 7, 8 and the electrical interconnections 25. More importantly, the terminals on the surfaces of the gaskets 38 ( 8) keep the modules at an optimal distance from each other. Gaskets 37 are more preferably made of a light, electrically non-conductive substance, such as a strong polymer. It is also important for the overall energy density of the package that the pads contain as little material as possible to perform the desired function and be as light as possible.

As noted above, Mi-MH batteries function best in a certain temperature range. While the cooling system described above enables the battery pack systems of the present invention to maintain operating temperatures below the upper limit of the optimum temperature range (and sometimes operate above the lower limit of the optimum temperature range if the ambient temperature is higher) , than the battery, It is above the lower limit of the optimal temperature range), there are times when the temperature of the battery system will be lower than the lower limit of the optimal temperature range. Therefore, there is a need to somehow provide variable thermal insulation for some or all batteries and modules in a battery pack system.

In addition to the cooling systems described above, another method of thermal management of battery pack systems, according to the present invention, is to use temperature-dependent modes of charging. Temperature-dependent charge modes allow effective charging under a variety of ambient air temperature conditions. One means involves charging the batteries to a temperature-dependent voltage limit that ;" is continuously updated, which is maintained until the current drops to a set value, after which the specified input charge is supplied at a constant current. Another method involves a series of stages with decreasing constant current or constant power up to the limit of temperature-compensated voltage, with a subsequent application of a certain charge, which is carried out at constant current or power. Another method involves a series of steps of decreasing constant current or constant power that terminates

Me. by the maximum measured speed of temperature rise with subsequent supply of a certain charge, which is carried out at constant current or power. The use of temperature-dependent voltage limits guarantees 5o uniform capacity over a wide temperature range and ensures that the charge is completed with a minimal increase in temperature. For example, the use of fixed voltage charge limits leads to an increase in temperature of 8"C in one case, while the use of temperature-compensated charging leads to a temperature increase of 3"C under similar conditions. Absolute charge temperature limits (607C) are required for this battery to avoid serious overheating that can occur in case of simultaneous failure of the charger and the cooling system. Determination of the rate of change of voltage over time (am / a) based on the package or module allows a negative value of am / ai to serve as a sign of the end of the charge. It

F) can prevent excessive overcharging and improve the efficiency of battery operation, as well as serve as an additional safety limit.

An example of the temperature-dependent charge mode is given in Table 3. 60 Table C 1) Charging at maximum power until the voltage limit is reached" "7. 2) Reduce the current by 3095 and charge until "2" is reached. From the voltage limit"". 3) Repeat step 2) until the current is "BA." 2.3 4) Full charge at a constant current of 5A, charge for one hour, if the overcharge in ampere-hours is 65 greater than BA"h. 77. 2. C 5) Restart charging every 2 hours, or every X hours (see below for an illustrative equation for X)" 5.

Alternatively, restart charging if the battery module voltage drops below 158, or alternatively, restart charging if the battery module voltage drops below the minus offset voltage limit (eg 0.58 per module) or alternatively, idle battery operation at the limit voltage minus the above shift. In all of the above cases, the maximum temperature of the battery must be less than 50"C before charging is restarted. "1) The current must be limited to 10A if the maximum temperature of the battery is greater than 407C. "2) Interrupt charging if the maximum battery temperature is greater than 607C - only restart charging if the maximum battery temperature falls below 507C. 70 "3) Limit the total charge to a maximum of 95A"h for initial charge or ZOA"h for restarts. "4) Pagan - p. ММ ежанаприг и - 16.65 - Bi aks.tekmper.b atarei password Number of codes "5) for example, X - 20(1 - Min. acceptable state of charge (95))7 (60 - Max. battery temp.)

Figures 22 and 23 illustrate how the charging mode with "temperature-compensated voltage limit" can reduce the temperature rise during charging of battery pack systems. These plots plot the rise in temperature of the pack, the battery and the voltage of the pack versus time during the charge and discharge of the pack. In Fig.22 (temperature-compensated voltage limit), the upper curve represents the voltage of the package, and the lower curve gives the temperature of the package above the ambient. Fig. 22 indicates that at the end of the charge cycle, indicated by the peak of the voltage curve, the battery pack experienced only a temperature increase of 3"C above the ambient temperature. In contrast, Fig. 23 indicates a temperature increase of 8"C from the ambient temperature when using the charging method with "fixed voltage limit". Here, the curve shown by the dashed line represents the package voltage and the curve shown by the solid line represents the package temperature. Therefore, it can be seen that most of the SM part of the generated heat during standard charging was removed using the charging mode with o "temperature-compensated voltage limit".

As described above, in addition to the upper limit of the operating temperature range of the batteries according to the present invention, there is also a lower limit. As also described above, when the ambient air temperature is higher than the battery temperature, the "cooling system" can be used as a heating system. However, (2,0) it is much more likely that if the temperature of the battery pack is low, then the temperature of the surrounding air will also be low, and probably lower than the temperature of the battery pack. Therefore, there must be times during operational use of a battery pack system when it will be advantageous to thermally isolate the batteries from d) the environment. However, the need for thermal insulation will not be constant and may vary greatly only for a very short time interval. Therefore, the need for thermal insulation will also be variable.

To accommodate this variable need for thermal insulation, applicants have invented a means to provide variable "thermal insulation." The new means of variable thermal insulation can be used on individual batteries, battery modules and also battery pack systems.

In its most general form, the means provides variable thermal insulation, at least for the part of the rechargeable battery system that is most directly exposed to the specified ambient temperature conditions so as to maintain the temperature of the rechargeable battery system in the required operating range under variable environmental conditions. h In order to provide this variable thermal insulation, the inventors combined a temperature sensing means, a compressible thermal insulation means, and a means for compressing the compressible thermal insulation means in response to the temperature detected by the thermal sensor. When the temperature sensor indicates that the ambient temperature is low, thermal insulation is placed in the necessary areas to isolate the exposed areas of the battery, module or battery pack and system. When the ambient temperature is higher, the temperature sensor causes the thermal insulation to partially or fully compress so that the insulation factor provided to the battery system by the compressible insulation is partially or fully removed. Thermal sensors can be electronic sensors that provide information to piston devices that alternately increase or decrease the compression force on compressible foam or fiber insulation by 50 degrees. As an alternative (and more acceptable, based on the use of electrical energy and from the perspective of mechanical reliability), the sensor and compression devices can be combined into a single mechanical device that causes a variable compression force on the thermal insulation as a direct response to the surrounding thermal conditions Such a combined sensor/compression device can be made of a bimetallic material such as the strips used in thermostats. At low temperatures of the surrounding air, a bimetallic device

Gee! will allow the insulation to stretch in place to protect the battery system from cold ambient conditions, but when the battery or ambient temperature is elevated, where the bimetallic device compresses the insulation to remove the insulating effect from the battery system.

While variable thermal insulation can be used to completely surround an entire battery, module, or 60-pack battery system, it is not always necessary to do so. Variable thermal insulation can be most effective when it only isolates the problem points of the system. For example, in battery modules and package systems, according to the present invention, which use ribbed end plates, it may only be necessary to thermally insulate the ends of the modules, which are most directly affected by low ambient temperature conditions. These environmental conditions can cause large temperature imbalances between the 65 batteries of the module(s) and, as a result, degrade the performance of the module or package system. By providing variable insulation for the exposed end(s) of the module(s), the temperature difference between the batteries can be reduced or eliminated and the overall temperature of the module(s) can be controlled. Finally, it should also be noted that the thermal insulation does not necessarily have to touch the batteries or modules, but can be located at a distance from the modules and leave a dead air zone near the battery or module that acts as additional thermal insulation.

The description given herein in the form of detailed embodiments is intended to disclose this invention, and the details therein should not be construed as limiting the true scope of the invention as set forth and defined in the claims set forth below.

Claims (1)

The formula of the invention 1. A fluid-cooled battery pack system comprising a battery pack housing that includes at least one refrigerant inlet means and at least one refrigerant outlet means and a plurality of battery modules formed in a matrix configuration within the housing, said battery module containing a plurality of individual batteries, connected together, and at least one refrigerant transport means which causes the refrigerant to enter said refrigerant inlet means in the housing, flow through the refrigerant flow channels and exit through said refrigerant outlet means in the housing, characterized in that the matrix configuration is performed with the ability to ensure the flow of the refrigerant through at least one surface of the connected batteries of each of the battery modules, said modules are located in the housing at a distance from it and from other modules so as to form channels for the flow of the refrigerant along at least one surface of said connected batteries, at the width of the specified channels has optimal dimensions to ensure maximum heat transfer through convective, conductive and radiative mechanisms of heat transfer from the specified batteries to the specified refrigerant. high school 2. The battery system of claim 1, characterized in that it includes a plurality of battery modules arranged in a matrix configuration within the housing, wherein the matrix configuration provides (o) refrigerant flow through at least one surface of the connected batteries of each of the battery modules . 3. The battery system according to claim 1, which is characterized by the fact that it is made with the possibility of using an electrically insulating gaseous or liquid refrigerant or a liquid refrigerant. 4. The battery system according to claim 3, which is characterized by the fact that the gaseous refrigerant is air, and that the means for transporting the refrigerant includes a forced air fan. co 5. A battery system according to claim 3, characterized in that the means for transporting the refrigerant includes a pump with a refrigerant return line connected to the means for leaving the refrigerant, which causes recirculation of the heated refrigerant to the reservoir of the refrigerant, from which it is transported to the heat exchanger and) with 5 of the refrigerant to extract heat from it and, finally, it is re-directed to the refrigerant pump for repeated use when cooling the battery pack. 6. The battery system according to claim 1, which is distinguished by the fact that it is installed with the ability to maintain the temperature of the battery modules below 45"C, and with the ability to maintain the temperature difference between the battery modules less than 8". « 20 7. A high-capacity battery module containing a plurality of individual batteries, a plurality of electrical interconnections that provide electrical connection between individual batteries of said module and that provide electrical connection between individual battery modules, and binding/compressing means for a battery module, said batteries being bound within said binding/compressing means so that they are fastened together to resist movement or rotation during mechanical vibration, transportation or operation, characterized in that said batteries are bonded in said bonding/compression means by external mechanical compression, which is optimized to balance outward pressure due to expansion of the battery components and provide an additional (22) inward compression force applied to the battery electrodes within of each battery, to reduce the distance between the positive and negative electrodes in order to increase the total capacity of the battery. (o) 8. A battery module according to claim 7, characterized in that the battery modules are bonded together under the action of a large mechanical compression force, using metal rods that are installed along all four sides of the battery module and welded at the four corners of the module, where the rods meet, to form a band around the periphery of the battery module. 9. The battery module according to claim 7, which is characterized by the fact that the battery modules are connected under the action of mechanical compression, which is approximately equal to 3.5-12.65 KG/cm. F) 10. Battery module according to claim 7, characterized in that the battery modules are connected together under the action of strong mechanical compression using metal rods located along two sides of the battery module and welded in the corners of the module to a metal tube that leaves end plates above the ends of the modules, and that because the End Plate includes ribs projecting perpendicular to the plane of the end plates, thus providing additional strength to the end plates and slots for the metal tube, the end plates being thermally isolated from the batteries bonded within module. 11. The battery module of claim 7, wherein each of the battery modules includes modular spacers that hold the modules apart from any other modules and from the battery pack housing, and wherein the modular spacers 65 are made of an electrically non-conductive material. 12. A battery module according to claim 7, characterized in that the electrical interconnections are braided cable connections that provide high thermal dissipation and flexibility in the design/configuration of the module and that the electrical interconnections are made of braided cable of copper, copper alloy, nickel-plated copper or nickel-plated copper alloy. 13. A rechargeable battery including a housing having a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal, at least one positive electrode located inside the housing and electrically connected to the positive electrode terminal, at least one negative electrode located inside the housing and electrically connected with the negative electrode terminal, at least one electrode separator is located between said positive and negative electrodes inside the housing, while the separator provides electrical isolation between the positive and negative electrodes, and allows chemical interaction between them, and the battery electrolyte located in the housing, which (electrolyte ) provides the surrounding and wetting of the indicated positive, negative electrodes and the separator, while the case has a prismatic shape, which is distinguished by the fact that the case has a ratio of thickness, width and height, which is optimal for ensuring the maximum capacity and output power of the battery. 14. A rechargeable battery according to claim 13, characterized in that the housing has an upper part that includes the battery positive electrode terminal and the battery negative electrode terminal, and the battery housing shell in which the electrodes are located and that the upper part of the housing also includes itself having an annular housing defining the periphery of at least one opening through the top, and the terminals having a sealing flange around their circumference, the crimped terminals being sealed in the annular housing in the sealing flange 2o and having an elastomeric dielectric seal located between the sealing flange and the annular casing, while the elastomeric dielectric seal is made of the hydrogen-impermeable substance polysulfone. 15. The rechargeable battery of claim 13, further comprising a high-pressure valve for releasing the internal pressure of the battery to ambient pressure, wherein the high-pressure valve includes: a valve body having a hollow inner region in communication on the gas with the surrounding atmosphere and on the inner part of the case with the help of an opening; a pressure relief piston mounted within the hollow inner region, the pressure relief piston is sized to seal the axial bore and has a sealing groove on a surface opposite the axial bore, an elastomeric dielectric seal mounted within the sealing groove, the sealing groove configured to to cover all but one sealing surface, thereby leaving the uncovered surface of said sealing unprotected; wherein the elastomeric dielectric seal is made of a hydrogen impermeable polysulfone material and a compression spring is positioned to cause the pressure relief piston to compress the seal in the sealing groove and block the axial hole in the terminal. 16. The rechargeable battery according to claim 13, which is characterized by the fact that it additionally includes at least one d) comb forming an electrical connection between the internal terminals of the electrode and the terminals, while said "g comb is an electrically conductive rod having a plurality parallel slots into which the internal leads of the electrode are inserted, making a frictional connection, while the comb is made of copper, copper alloy, nickel-plated copper or nickel-plated copper alloy. 17. Rechargeable battery according to claim 13, characterized in that the separators are made of polypropylene, which "70 has an oriented grain or groove structure, while the separators are installed so that the oriented structure /7-Z s of the grain is oriented along the direction of the height of at least one positive electrode and at least one negative electrode. ;" 18. A rechargeable battery according to claim 13, characterized in that the positive and negative electrodes of the battery are located in the housing such that their respective electrical collector terminals are located opposite each other at the top of the housing, the positive and negative electrodes of the battery having cut corners where they are located electrical collector outputs of electrodes of opposite polarity, thus avoiding a short circuit between the electrodes and removing the substance that is not used, the electrode itself. Me, 19. The rechargeable battery according to claim 13, which is characterized in that the inner metal prismatic body Go! battery is electrically isolated from electrodes and electrolyte. 20. A rechargeable battery according to claim 13, which is characterized by the fact that the negative electrodes are made of a heat-conducting agglomerated metal hydride electrode substance and are in thermal contact with the battery body. 21. A rechargeable battery system formed by at least one connected rechargeable battery, wherein the rechargeable battery system is exposed to environmental thermal conditions that deteriorate its thermal operating conditions, characterized by the fact that it includes a means for providing variable thermal insulation at least that part of the battery recharging system, which is most exposed to thermal influence (F, of the environment, to ensure the maintenance of the temperature of the battery recharging system within the necessary operating range under variable environmental conditions. 22. The rechargeable battery system of claim 21, wherein the means for providing variable insulation includes a temperature sensor, a compressible thermal insulation means, and a means for compressing the compressible thermal insulation in response to a temperature determined by the thermal sensor. 23. The battery recharging system of claim 22, wherein the temperature sensors include electronic sensors, the compressible thermal insulation means comprises compressible foam or fiber insulation, and the means for compressing the compressible thermal insulation comprises a piston device that alternately increases or decreases the amount of compression by compressible foam or fiber insulation in response to signals from electronic sensors. 24. The rechargeable battery system according to claim 23, which is characterized by the fact that the temperature sensors and the means for compressing the means of compressible thermal insulation are combined into a single module. 25. The rechargeable battery system of claim 24, wherein the integrated, single module, temperature sensor/insulation compressor includes a bimetallic plate that allows the compressible thermal insulation to expand into place to protect the battery system from low ambient temperatures and to compress insulation to eliminate the insulating effect of the battery system in warm ambient conditions. 6) (ee) (ee) (ee) (Se) « - with . and? sh» (o) (ee) (ee) IR e) ime) 60 b5