WO2016166496A1 - Bloc-batterie - Google Patents

Bloc-batterie Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2016166496A1
WO2016166496A1 PCT/GB2015/051247 GB2015051247W WO2016166496A1 WO 2016166496 A1 WO2016166496 A1 WO 2016166496A1 GB 2015051247 W GB2015051247 W GB 2015051247W WO 2016166496 A1 WO2016166496 A1 WO 2016166496A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
cell
frame pieces
cells
battery unit
end panel
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB2015/051247
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Dennis DOERFFEL
Konrad CIARAMELLA
Original Assignee
R E A P Systems Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by R E A P Systems Ltd filed Critical R E A P Systems Ltd
Publication of WO2016166496A1 publication Critical patent/WO2016166496A1/fr

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M10/00—Secondary cells; Manufacture thereof
    • H01M10/42—Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells
    • H01M10/425—Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
    • H01M50/20—Mountings; Secondary casings or frames; Racks, modules or packs; Suspension devices; Shock absorbers; Transport or carrying devices; Holders
    • H01M50/284—Mountings; Secondary casings or frames; Racks, modules or packs; Suspension devices; Shock absorbers; Transport or carrying devices; Holders with incorporated circuit boards, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB]
    • H01M50/287—Fixing of circuit boards to lids or covers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
    • H01M50/20—Mountings; Secondary casings or frames; Racks, modules or packs; Suspension devices; Shock absorbers; Transport or carrying devices; Holders
    • H01M50/204—Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
    • H01M50/207—Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells characterised by their shape
    • H01M50/211—Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells characterised by their shape adapted for pouch cells
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
    • H01M50/20—Mountings; Secondary casings or frames; Racks, modules or packs; Suspension devices; Shock absorbers; Transport or carrying devices; Holders
    • H01M50/218—Mountings; Secondary casings or frames; Racks, modules or packs; Suspension devices; Shock absorbers; Transport or carrying devices; Holders characterised by the material
    • H01M50/22—Mountings; Secondary casings or frames; Racks, modules or packs; Suspension devices; Shock absorbers; Transport or carrying devices; Holders characterised by the material of the casings or racks
    • H01M50/229—Composite material consisting of a mixture of organic and inorganic materials
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
    • H01M50/20—Mountings; Secondary casings or frames; Racks, modules or packs; Suspension devices; Shock absorbers; Transport or carrying devices; Holders
    • H01M50/271—Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings
    • H01M50/273—Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings characterised by the material
    • H01M50/28—Composite material consisting of a mixture of organic and inorganic materials
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
    • H01M50/50—Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
    • H01M50/543—Terminals
    • H01M50/547—Terminals characterised by the disposition of the terminals on the cells
    • H01M50/55—Terminals characterised by the disposition of the terminals on the cells on the same side of the cell
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
    • H01M50/50—Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
    • H01M50/543—Terminals
    • H01M50/552—Terminals characterised by their shape
    • H01M50/553—Terminals adapted for prismatic, pouch or rectangular cells
    • H01M50/557—Plate-shaped terminals
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
    • H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
    • H01M50/50—Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
    • H01M50/569—Constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
    • Y02E60/10—Energy storage using batteries

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a battery unit housing a plurality of cells of the type which are packaged in a folded pouch with welded seams.
  • FIG 1 is a perspective view of a typical lithium polymer cell. Lithium polymer cells with high energy density are attractive for a variety of uses including vehicular applications.
  • the cell 10 has a body 1 formed from a folded aluminium pouch which is plastic coated. The plastic coating is electrically insulating.
  • the pouch is sealed with welded side seams 2 which form a thin flexible strip around all four sides of the pouch. Two wide and thin tabs 3, 4 emerge from one side of the pouch which are the positive 3 and negative 4 cell terminals.
  • the two terminal tabs are made of dissimilar metals, namely aluminium and nickel-plated copper.
  • a polymer liner 5 insulates the cell tabs from the pouch.
  • the cell shown in Figure 1 is, by way of a specific example, a cell manufactured by Kokam Co., Ltd.. Cells with broadly comparable form factors and folded pouch aluminium packaging are also available from other
  • Example length dimensions are between approximately 60 and 330 mm and example width dimensions are between approximately: 30 and 450 mm.
  • Length is the dimension from the tab side to the distal side, and width is the dimension across the tab side.
  • Example thicknesses are between 5 and 16 mm. Many of the cells are approximately (but not exactly) square, whereas others are more rectangular, for example with approximate length-to-width aspect ratios of 1 :1 , 2:1 , 3:1 , 3:2 and 2:3.
  • the thickness dimension is specified to ⁇ 0.2 mm.
  • Lateral dimensions are specified to ⁇ 2 mm. These dimensions do vary quite considerably within any given batch.
  • the cell seam width is typically perhaps 5-7 mm and specified to ⁇ 1 mm and cell seam thickness ⁇ 0.3 mm.
  • the tab dimensions are approximately: protruding length 30 mm, width 80 mm and thickness 0.3 mm. Weights for the cells vary from approximately 20 to 5000 grammes depending on size. A typical cell voltage is around 4V when fully charged, depending on exact cell chemistry. It is also noted that in some commercially available cells of this type, especially high power cells, the cell tabs protrude on two opposite sides, instead of being next to each other on one side.
  • One task of a systems integrator is to connect multiple cells in series or parallel, or a combination of series and parallel, in order to form a battery with the desired voltage, capacity and performance capabilities.
  • the design considerations for forming the cells into a battery are both electrical and mechanical. Cells are expected to sustain high charge and discharge currents, which are carried by the thin cell terminal tabs. Multiple cells are connected in series to achieve higher voltages. A low resistance and reliable electrical connection between cells and other equipment is key to building a safe battery. Any single cell interconnection weakness will drastically reduce the performance and life of a battery. The voltage and temperature of each cell need to be monitored to ensure the battery remains within safe operating conditions.
  • shock and vibration is a significant design consideration.
  • BMS battery management system
  • the function of the BMS is to monitor temperature and voltage of the individual cells and provide safety control in the event of failure, as well as control over charge and discharge in order to prolong battery life and ensure safe and predictable operation of the battery.
  • the rigid containment of cells is potentially hazardous, since the cells naturally expand and contract as part of their charge and discharge cycle, and also change thickness as part of ageing. A rigid containment which prevents this natural expansion and contraction can cause irreversible cell damage and compromise safety.
  • the edges of the cell seams are usually not electrically insulated. This is because the insulating layer on the flexible aluminium sheet used for the pouch is a surface coating. Consequently, the cut edges at the cell seams expose the aluminium. Connecting these edges to any battery potentials should be avoided.
  • the cell seams are also a structurally vulnerable area, so for example it would not be advisable to rest a battery directly on the seams, bearing in mind a typical battery of 5-15 cells could weigh of the order of 10 kg.
  • the coated aluminium sheet used to make the pouches is thin, relatively easy to perforate and has poor abrasion resistance. Consequently, care needs to be taken in the packaging of cells into a battery unit to ensure that the cells cannot rub against each other under vibration.
  • the battery units should protect against external piercing which, for example, may be a risk when installing or removing battery units; bearing in mind that the battery units are heavy and often need to be fitted into tight and relatively inaccessible spaces where there may be sharp edges from other equipment. Damage to cells is also a risk factor during assembly of a battery unit. There is therefore a need to provide an improved battery unit for this type of cell.
  • a battery unit comprising: a plurality of similar cells, each of which is contained in a pouch of a generally rectangular shape with a welded side seam around its four sides, each cell having a positive and a negative terminal tab protruding from the side seam; and a plurality of frame pieces, which are clamped together such that mutually facing contact surfaces of adjacent frame pieces grip a cell by its seam to hold the cell in position inside the battery unit.
  • This design not only grips the seams by the frame pieces but also allows the seams to be enclosed within the battery unit, protecting the relatively delicate seam surfaces and seam edges.
  • the enclosure protects the seams from damage and also contact with conductive parts, bearing in mind that the seam edges are sometimes not insulated and could have a significant voltage.
  • a top cover piece is preferably also provided which encloses the battery unit.
  • the battery unit may further comprise a printed circuit board.
  • the printed circuit board can have a number of slots through which the terminal tabs pass and are folded over and clamped onto the printed circuit board by tab clamps. Upper sides of the slots in the printed circuit board are advantageously chamfered or rounded to avoid a corner bearing against the folded over terminal tabs, which could potentially cause the tabs to shear off during assembly or later use.
  • the top cover piece is fastened to the printed circuit board via the tab clamps to provide a sandwich construction that structurally supports the printed circuit board and inhibits any bending moments acting on the printed circuit board.
  • the battery unit includes several different kinds of frame piece.
  • the frame pieces include first and second end panel frame pieces as well as open frame pieces which are arranged between the end panel frame pieces.
  • the design is modular so that different battery units can have different numbers of open frame pieces depending on how many cells are desired, for example a number of cells between 2 and 25, more commonly between 5 and 15-20.
  • each open frame piece has a male surface and a female surface
  • the first and second end panel frame pieces have a male surface and a female surface respectively, wherein the male and female surfaces are shaped and configured to interlock each other.
  • the frame pieces can be provided with a number of through-holes around their periphery through which clamping bolts pass to clamp the frame pieces together.
  • the frame pieces are generally rectangular, there may be a through-hole at or near each of the four corners and additional through-holes along the sides, or at least the three sides other than the terminal tab side, for example at the mid-point along each side.
  • the clamping bolt through-holes are recessed in the frame pieces such that a cavity is formed between mutually abutting outer rim contact surfaces of two adjacent frame pieces and mutually abutting inner contact surfaces which grip the cell seam. The provision of this cavity inhibits bowing of the stacked frame pieces when they are clamped together.
  • the cells are preferably held by the frame pieces such that there is a spacing between adjacent cells.
  • the frames are made somewhat thicker than the cells, or more precisely thicker than the maximum possible thickness of the cells, bearing in mind that cell thickness varies somewhat from cell to cell because of manufacturing variations, and that cells naturally expand and contract in use as part of their charge and discharge cycle, as well as changing thickness with ageing.
  • the inter-cell spacing can be left as an air gap to aid cooling.
  • the inter-cell spacing can be at least partially filled with a soft material to damp vibration and cushion shocks between adjacent cells while at the same time leaving the cells free to expand and contract in use.
  • the frame pieces can be generally rectangular in some embodiments. Moreover, generally rectangular frame pieces can advantageously have chamfered or rounded corners, for example at two adjacent corners intended to be at the bottom of the battery unit. This can be a space saving measure, if the battery unit needs to be installed in a tubular vessel, such as a watertight vessel for an underwater vehicle.
  • the battery unit may further comprise a battery management system which is an electronics unit performing the function of generally managing the battery unit in terms of safety and reliable and predictable operation having regard to temperature and voltage measurements of the individual cells.
  • Some embodiments use cells of the type in which the positive and negative terminal tabs protrude from the seam on the same side of the pouch, whereas other embodiments use cells of the type in which the positive and negative terminal tabs protrude from the seam on different sides of the pouch, e.g. the currently commercially available cells in which the cell tabs protrude on two opposite sides.
  • a frame piece for making up a battery unit of cells of the type which are contained in a pouch of a generally rectangular shape with a welded seam around its four sides, with each cell having a positive and a negative terminal tab protruding from the side seam, the frame piece being shaped and configured such that multiple such frame pieces can be stacked with cells in between, the cells being gripped by their seams by adjacent frame pieces when the stack of frame pieces is clamped together.
  • a kit of frame pieces for making up a battery unit of a plurality of cells the cells being of the type which are contained in a pouch of a generally rectangular shape with a welded seam around its four sides, with each cell having a positive and a negative terminal tab protruding from the side seam
  • the kit comprising: first and second end panel frame pieces; and a plurality of open frame pieces to be assembled in a stack between the first and second end panel frame pieces; wherein the frame pieces are provided with contact surfaces which, when two frame pieces are clamped together to enclose a cell, grip the cell by its seam.
  • the kit may further comprise a printed circuit board having a number of slots through which terminal tabs of cells can be inserted.
  • the kit may further comprise a top cover piece which serves to enclose an assembled battery unit on the side of the cell terminal tabs.
  • the kit may further comprise a battery management system, which may be housed on its own dedicated printed circuit board.
  • the invention in another aspect provides a method of assembling a battery unit comprising:
  • first and second end panel frame pieces each with an internal surface and an external surface, and a plurality of open frame pieces, each with two internal surfaces
  • the two internal surfaces of each open frame piece have dissimilar shape and configuration, being first and second surfaces, wherein the first surfaces are interlockable with the second surfaces, so that adjacent open frame pieces stack in an interlocking manner, and wherein the internal surface of the first end panel frame piece is a first surface and the internal surface of the second end panel frame piece is a second surface, so that all frame pieces interlock with each other in an assembled battery unit.
  • the assembly method may be further applied as follows, in the case that the cells are of the type which have their positive and a negative terminal tabs protruding from the seam on the same side of the pouch, A printed circuit board is provided having a number of pairs of slots positioned and dimensioned to allow the positive and negative terminal tabs of a cell to be inserted through them.
  • the step is added of inserting the printed circuit board in a slot in the first end panel frame piece so that it stands up transverse to the first end panel frame piece.
  • the steps of laying a cell on a frame piece further include inserting the tabs of the cell through the lowest available pair of slots on the printed circuit board.
  • Figure 1 is a perspective drawing of a single cell.
  • Figure 2 is a perspective drawing of a battery unit embodying the invention.
  • FIG 3 shows the same battery unit as Figure 2, but with the top cover piece removed to show further features.
  • Figure 4 shows the top cover piece
  • Figure 5A shows a cell being held between two open frame pieces to illustrate how the cells are contained in the battery unit.
  • Figure 5B corresponds to Figure 5A, but with the two open frame pieces flipped over.
  • Figure 6 is a detail schematic section showing how the terminal tabs of two adjacent cells are connected.
  • Figure 7 is a detailed section of two frames showing how the male and female faces abut each other when clamping a cell by its seam through the action of a clamping bolt.
  • Figure 8 is a perspective view of an early stage during assembly prior to fitting the first cell.
  • FIG 2 is a perspective drawing of a battery unit 100 embodying the invention.
  • the battery unit 100 contains multiple cells of the type shown in Figure 1 .
  • the battery unit 100 has a modular construction formed from a stack of interlocking frame pieces 15, 20, 25. Each cell pouch is gripped by its side seams between two of the frame pieces.
  • the frame pieces are of three types. There is a first end panel frame piece 15, a second end panel frame piece 25 and a plurality of intermediate open frame pieces 20. There are six open frame pieces 20 in the example of Figure 2.
  • the battery unit of Figure 2 has seven cells gripped by their side seams at the seven interfaces between the eight frame pieces.
  • the battery unit 100 also has a top cover piece 30 which together with the frame pieces 15, 20 and 25 encloses the cells, which also means that in Figure 2 the cells 10 are not visible.
  • the top cover piece 30 also accommodates a battery management system (BMS) printed circuit board (PCB) 32 with a CAN-bus connector. Also visible at the top are positive and negative battery terminals 12 and 14 which protrude through suitably shaped apertures in the top cover piece 30.
  • BMS battery management system
  • PCB printed circuit board
  • the frame pieces 15, 20 and 25 are secured together by nine clamping bolts 24 and associated nuts 26 (not visible).
  • the clamping bolts pass through-holes in the frame pieces 15, 20, 25.
  • the frame and cover pieces 15, 20, 25, 30 are made of a suitable material, with the desirable material properties being: low weight, rigidity, electrically insulating, heat resistant, fire retardant and not soluble when exposed to chemicals from the cells should they leak.
  • a number of polymer materials may be suitable.
  • a suitable manufacturing method is injection moulding.
  • the material used in practice is glass-fibre reinforced nylon (registered trade mark), i.e. aliphatic polyamide. Carbon fibre and rubber-based materials may also be suitable.
  • the top cover piece 30 can be made of a sheet of blank (or populated) PCB.
  • the frame pieces 15, 20 and 25 preferably have chamfered or rounded corners 22.
  • the top cover piece 30 also has rounded edges 34 to form a rounded corner of the battery unit 100 on the top side.
  • the top cover piece also has plain through-holes 36 and countersunk through-holes 38, the purpose of which is described further below.
  • FIG. 2 Other features visible in Figure 2 are holes 16 in the sides of the open frame pieces 20 which allow for external mounting if desired.
  • the external mounting holes 16 may merely be depressions in the moulding which are blind bores rather than through-holes, which can then be selectively drilled through to form holes if desired, or may be supplied as holes initially.
  • the channel holes 18 are intended as apertures for forced air cooling across the upper portions of the cells.
  • FIG. 3 shows the same battery unit as Figure 2, but with the top cover piece 30 removed to reveal further features which are now described.
  • each open frame piece 20 is the same and has a male face and a female face.
  • the end panel pieces 15 and 25 are different, in that the end panel piece 15 has a female face, whereas the end panel piece 25 has a male face.
  • an alternative construction could be envisaged with identical end panel pieces, e.g. both with male faces, and two types of open frame pieces, e.g. one type with two male faces and another type with two female faces.
  • the PCB 40 accommodates voltage and temperature sensors for measuring the voltage and temperature of each individual cell.
  • the PCB 40 also forms part of the structural sandwich by which terminals of adjacent cells are connected to each other, as described in detail further below.
  • a connector 42 is provided for feeding out the sensor measurements. It is noted that, in principle, the BMS could be integrated into the PCB 40, but this is not generally preferred.
  • Six tab clamps 44 are visible on the upper side of the PCB 40. The tab clamps 44 play a dual role. Firstly, they serve to interconnect positive and negative cell terminals 3 and 4 with a reliable connection. Secondly, they serve to form a rigid mechanical connection between the top cover piece 30 and the PCB 40.
  • the tab clamps are made of a rigid material.
  • they are electrically insulating, so for example can be made of a suitably hard polymer or resin material, or a reinforced polymer or resin material, with reinforcement by paper, cotton, glass fibres or carbon fibres.
  • a suitable material is tufnol (registered trade mark) which is a paper- or fabric-reinforced phenolic resin.
  • tufnol registered trade mark
  • they could be made of a metal such as copper or stainless steel.
  • the tab clamps 44 have two types of through-hole. There are three counterbore holes 46 per tab clamp 44 which receive fasteners which clamp the cell terminals to each other and the PCB 40 to form a reliable electrical connection. The arrangement is described and illustrated in detail further below. There are also two threaded holes 48 per tab clamp 44 which receive fasteners through the countersunk through-holes 38 of the top cover piece 30 (see Figure 2), whereby the top cover piece is bolted to the tab clamps 44, which are in turn bolted to the PCB 40. The PCB 40 is thus structurally supported by the top cover piece 30 via the tab clamps 44.
  • the purpose of the plain through-holes 36 in the top cover piece 30 is to provide access to the heads of fasteners in the counterbore holes 46 in the tab clamps 44, so the fasteners seated in the counterbore holes 46 can be tightened after the top cover piece 30 has been put in place and after the fasteners which secure the top cover piece 30 to the tab clamps 44 have been tightened in the tab clamp holes 48.
  • Figure 4 shows the top cover piece 30 without associated fixings and BMS PCB 32. In other words, Figure 4 shows the bare injection moulded polymer part.
  • FIG 5A shows a cell 10 being held between two open frame pieces 20 to illustrate how the cells are enclosed and held in the battery unit 100.
  • each open frame piece 20 has a male face 21 and a female face 23.
  • the cell 10 is clamped by a male face 21 on its upper side and a female face 23 on its lower side.
  • Figure 5B corresponds to Figure 5A, but with the open frame pieces 20 having been flipped over, so that the cell 10 is clamped by a female face 23 on its upper side and a male face 21 on its lower side.
  • a female seam contact surface 52 for gripping a cell side seam 2 is formed extending down three sides of the female face 23, the fourth side being that for the cell terminals.
  • the female seam contact surface 52 is subdivided into three non-contiguous portions because of the corner chamfers 22.
  • the chamfers 22 could be smaller, or absent, in which case the female seam contact surface 52 could be a contiguous strip.
  • a male seam contact surface 50 for gripping a cell side seam 2 is formed extending down three sides of the male face 21 , the fourth side being that for the cell terminals.
  • two open frame pieces 20 interlock by abutting male and female faces, with the male and female seam contact surfaces 50 and 52 gripping the side seams 2 of a cell along three of its sides in a sandwich arrangement.
  • the contact surfaces 50, 52 could optionally be provided with a surface pattern, coating which improves the grip.
  • the fourth sides of the frame pieces are designed to have a small gap between them when interlocked, which is sufficiently wide for the cell terminals to pass through. A gap of 0.5 mm is typical bearing in mind the cell terminal tabs are typically 0.3 mm thick.
  • FIG. 5A and Figure 5B Some other features are also evident in Figure 5A and Figure 5B for the first time.
  • a pair of slots 54 on each frame piece 20 for receiving the PCB 40 is evident.
  • a pair of rectangular recesses 56 on each frame piece 20 is evident.
  • the recesses 56 serve to receive a base clamp 58 (not shown) which has threaded holes for receiving the fasteners that sit in the counterbore holes 46. This clamping arrangement is described in detail further below.
  • a recess 62 on the cell terminal side is also visible, which is provided for accommodating thermistors, i.e. the temperature sensors for the individual cells.
  • the thermistors are located here, i.e.
  • a functionally significant feature on the male frame face 21 is an outer rim contact surface 60 which is formed extending down three sides of the male face 21 radially outside the male seam contact surface 50 separated by a trough male surface 68 through which the clamping though holes 17 pass.
  • the outer rim contact surface 60 and trough male surface 68 play a role in the clamping as described further below.
  • Figure 6 is a detail schematic section showing how the terminal tabs of two adjacent cells 10 are connected.
  • the top cover piece 30 and frame pieces 20 (or 15 or 25) are omitted from the section for clarity.
  • the positive cell tab 3 of the cell 10 on the left of the drawing is inserted through a slot 64 in the PCB 40 and folded over.
  • the negative cell tab 4 of the adjacent cell 10 on the right of the drawing is inserted through an adjacent slot 64 and folded over the positive cell tab 3, so they overlap.
  • a hole is punched, or otherwise formed, through the two cell tabs aligned with hole 66 in the PCB 40.
  • a fastener 45 is then inserted in counterbore hole 46 and threaded into the threaded hole in the base clamp 58 so that a the tab clamp 44, the two cell tabs 3 and 4 and the PCB 40 are all clamped together.
  • This direct cell tab connection provides low electrical resistance and high reliability with multiple fasteners 45 per cell tab connection.
  • the upper sides of the PCB slots 64 are chamfered on both sides to avoid a sharp corner bearing against the cell tabs 3, 4, which could potentially cause the cell tabs to shear off during assembly or later use. It will be appreciated that a rounded form could be used instead of a 45 degree chamfer.
  • the frame piece is not shown in the section - specifically the base clamp recess 56 is not shown, but it is the base clamp recess 56 which offers up the base clamp 58 ready to receive the fasteners 45 at the appropriate step in the assembly process.
  • Figure 5A and Figure 5B for example, three fasteners 45 clamp each tab pair 3, 4 using one tab clamp 44. In this way a robust and reliable electrical connection is formed between opposite polarity terminals of adjacent cells.
  • the tab clamps 44 in the two halves of the battery unit 100 are staggered, indicating a series connection of the cells 10 in which adjacent cells are rotated 180 degrees relative to each other so that opposite polarity terminal tabs are adjacent to each other. It will be understood that if an odd number of cells 10 are provided, such as seven in the unit shown in Figure 2, then the positive and negative battery terminals 12 and 14 will be in different halves of the battery unit 100, which will most often be preferred to keep these terminals further apart.
  • the modular construction allows any desired number of cells 10 to be incorporated in a battery unit.
  • the cover piece 30 will be bespoke to the number of cells, but the frame pieces 15, 20 and 25 are generic, with an n-cell battery unit being composed of one of each end panel frame piece 15 and 25 and (n-1 ) open frame pieces 20.
  • parallel connection of cells or groups of cells is possible as well as series connection.
  • series connection For example, in a single battery unit, there could be seven pairs of cells connected in parallel, and each of these seven pairs connected in series. Another example would be an arbitrary number of cells, say six, connected in parallel.
  • a parallel connection between cells would be arranged by having all cells arranged in the same way, i.e. with positive terminals in one half of the unit and negative terminals in the other half, and all the positive terminals (and all the negative terminals) connected with a metal bridging piece directly beneath the tab clamps on that side of the battery unit.
  • the thickness of the open frame pieces 20, and corresponding free depth of the end panel frame pieces 15 and 25, is chosen in relation to the thickness of the cells 10 so that there is a spacing or gap between adjacent cells, so that they are free to expand and contract during use, and so that any thickness variation from cell-to-cell can be tolerated.
  • the open frame pieces 20 have a thickness of 15 mm, then cells of a specified thickness of less than perhaps 13.5 mm or 14 mm can be accommodated.
  • the same 15 mm thick frame pieces could be used to make up battery units using cells of various different thicknesses, for example 12, 10 or 8 mm. If there is a need to be precise about the definition of thickness, this could be from male to female face 21 , 23 or male to female seam contact surface 50, 52.
  • the depth inside the end panel frame pieces 15, 25 for accommodating a cell is at least half the thickness of the open frame pieces 20, or more precisely this depth is that from the end piece's male or female face, or seam contact surface to its interior side wall. If there is a relatively large gap between adjacent cells 10, then this gap can be left free as an air gap, which if desired, can be used to aid cooling by forcing air through the channels between cells. On the other hand, if the gap is relatively small, it is preferred that a layer of padding is placed between adjacent cells to avoid them rubbing together under vibration or being forced together under an external physical shock. A variety of materials could be used for the padding, such as plastic foam or rubber-based materials.
  • the material should be soft enough to yield to expanding cells and preferably also have good damping properties to inhibit vibration as well as being preferably resilient.
  • the cooling channel holes 18 are positioned to allow air to be forced past the upper portions of the cells 10 where the cell tabs 3, 4 emerge, i.e. with reference to Figure 6 in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the figure along the space formed between the cell tabs 3 and 4, the PCB 40 and the upper shoulders of the cells 10.
  • Figure 7 is a detailed section of two open frame pieces 20 clamping a cell 10, which in the figure is largely hidden except for a part of its seam 2.
  • Figure 7 shows how the male and female faces 21 , 23 abut each other when clamping a cell 10 by its side seam 2 through the action of a clamping bolt 24.
  • Figure 7 can be thought of as a detailed section through the left- hand side of Figure 5B, since the male surfaces 21 are facing upwards and two open frame pieces 20 are shown clamping one cell 10.
  • the outer rim contact surface 60 on the male frame face 21 is clear. This (male) rim contact surface 60 is connected to the male seam contact surface 50 via a U-section trough 70 through which passes the clamping bolt through-hole 17.
  • the male rim contact surface 60 and male seam contact surface 50 abut the female rim contact surface 61 and the female seam contact surface 52 respectively, with a cavity or void being formed by the trough 70 around the clamping bolt through-hole 17, wherein the cavity is an elongate strip-shape extending round the same three sides as the contact surface 50, 52.
  • the above-described design uses cells that have their two terminal tabs protruding from the welded side seam on the same side of the cell pouch. It will be understood that other embodiments can use cells with terminal tabs that protrude on two opposite sides.
  • the frame pieces only need to be modified slightly to a small gap between adjacent frame pieces when they are interlocked which is sufficiently wide for the cell terminals to pass through. The principle of gripping the cells by their seams between adjacent frame pieces is still applicable.
  • a clamping system as shown in Figure 6 could then be used on both the top and bottom of the battery unit with a slotted PCB being used for the bottom to interconnect opposite polarity terminal tabs of adjacent cells together with other clamping features as shown in Figure 6. This would allow the positive and negative battery terminals to be retained on the top of the battery unit, if an even number of cells were used. Assembly of a battery unit is now described, since ease and reliability of assembly is an important aspect of the modular design.
  • Figure 8 is a perspective view of an early stage during assembly prior to fitting the first cell 10 when the PCB 40 for connecting the cells is inserted into the slot 54 of an end panel piece 15, so that the PCB 40 stands up vertically.
  • the PCB's terminal tab slots 64 and tab clamp holes 66 are visible.
  • this shows an early stage of assembly of the battery unit 100 shown in Figure 2.
  • Three of the nine clamping bolts 24 are inserted into the holes in the end panel piece 15 from underneath, one on each of the three sides other than the PCB/terminal side, to serve as guides for fitting the other frame pieces 20 and 25.
  • Step by step, the assembly process is as follows.
  • end frame piece 15 on a rubber mat with its internal, i.e. interior, surface facing up. Insert three clamping bolts into the holes 17 in the end frame piece 15 as shown in Figure 8. Tape the ends so they cannot fall out during the subsequent assembly steps.
  • the first open frame piece 20 over the ends of the clamping bolts 24 so that the surface of the open frame piece 20 is complementary to, i.e. interlocks with, the surface of the end frame piece 15 to which it is adjacent.
  • the end panel piece 15 has a female face, so the first open frame piece 20 will be laid down with its male face downwards.
  • Adding the first open frame piece 20 traps the side seams 2 of the first cell 10 against the corresponding seam contact surface on the end frame piece 15. In this step, care should be taken that the folded corner portions of the seams are not trapped, but rather remain tucked inside.
  • the end panel piece 25 is then placed on with its internal surface facing down on top of the last cell.
  • the nuts are then fitted on the clamping bolts 24, and the remaining six clamping bolts 24 also fitted with their associated nuts 26. Appropriate washers are included.
  • the battery unit 100 will look something like Figure 3, but without any of the tab clamps 44 in place, but rather the cell terminal tabs 3, 4 all poking up vertically through the slots 64 in the PCB 40.
  • the cell tabs are now folded over and clamped to achieve the condition shown in Figure 6 as follows. Fold appropriate pairs of cell tabs 3, 4 over each other as shown in Figure 6. The first and last tabs, which are for the terminals 12 and 14, are folded over individually. Punch holes through the cell tabs aligned with holes 66 in the PCB 40.
  • Fit top cover piece 30 which clips into slots in the open frame pieces with spring clips.
  • a foam layer or foam pads can be added to the sides of each cell as each cell is added.
  • bus bars are designed such that they are the tab clamps as well.
  • clamping of the frame pieces is described in the above embodiments using nut and bolt arrangements, it will be understood that alternatives are possible.
  • the frame pieces could be welded together after assembly using a suitable plastic welding technique using heat, lasers, solvent etc.
  • the assembled battery unit could be clamped together prior to welding with a separate clamp to ensure the cell seams are gripped securely, and then released from the separate clamp afterwards.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Electrochemistry (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Composite Materials (AREA)
  • Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Battery Mounting, Suspending (AREA)

Abstract

Un bloc-batterie (100) contient de multiples piles du type contenu dans une poche de forme généralement rectangulaire avec un joint latéral soudé, telles que des piles au lithium-polymère. Le bloc-batterie (110) a une construction modulaire constituée d'un empilement de pièces de bâti de verrouillage (15, 20, 25) où le nombre de pièces de bâti ouvert (20) peut être modifié en fonction de la nombre souhaité de piles. Chaque poche de pile est saisie par ses joints latéraux entre deux des pièces de bâti. Le bloc-batterie (100) comporte également une pièce de couvercle supérieur (30) qui, conjointement avec les pièces de bâti (15, 20, 10) et (25), entoure les piles. La pièce de couvercle supérieur (30) loge également un système de gestion de batterie (BMS) (32). Cette conception protège les piles quelque peu fragiles tout en assurant en même temps une construction modulaire légère.
PCT/GB2015/051247 2015-04-13 2015-04-29 Bloc-batterie WO2016166496A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB1506216.9 2015-04-13
GBGB1506216.9A GB201506216D0 (en) 2015-04-13 2015-04-13 Battery unit

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WO2016166496A1 true WO2016166496A1 (fr) 2016-10-20

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GB (1) GB201506216D0 (fr)
WO (1) WO2016166496A1 (fr)

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WO2017222375A1 (fr) * 2016-06-20 2017-12-28 Est-Floattech B.V. Empilement de cellules de batterie, batterie comprenant un empilement de cellules de batterie, et procédé d'assemblage d'un empilement de cellules de batterie
CN108063201A (zh) * 2017-12-06 2018-05-22 力帆实业(集团)股份有限公司 新能源汽车电池包电芯支架
CN109546022A (zh) * 2017-11-29 2019-03-29 蜂巢能源科技有限公司 电池包及具有其的车辆
CN113410569A (zh) * 2020-03-16 2021-09-17 通用汽车环球科技运作有限责任公司 用于电池模块的对准和组装的工具和方法
EP4123806A1 (fr) * 2021-07-22 2023-01-25 SK On Co., Ltd. Module de batterie et bloc-batterie l'incluant

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CN108428822B (zh) * 2017-08-30 2023-10-20 宁德时代新能源科技股份有限公司 二次电池的顶盖组件以及二次电池
CN114639904B (zh) * 2022-03-31 2024-03-15 东莞新能德科技有限公司 电芯、电池及电子设备

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2017222375A1 (fr) * 2016-06-20 2017-12-28 Est-Floattech B.V. Empilement de cellules de batterie, batterie comprenant un empilement de cellules de batterie, et procédé d'assemblage d'un empilement de cellules de batterie
NL2017013B1 (en) * 2016-06-20 2018-01-04 Est-Floattech B V Battery cell stack, battery comprising a battery cell stack, and method for assembling a battery cell stack
CN109546022A (zh) * 2017-11-29 2019-03-29 蜂巢能源科技有限公司 电池包及具有其的车辆
CN109546022B (zh) * 2017-11-29 2021-06-18 蜂巢能源科技有限公司 电池包及具有其的车辆
CN108063201A (zh) * 2017-12-06 2018-05-22 力帆实业(集团)股份有限公司 新能源汽车电池包电芯支架
CN108063201B (zh) * 2017-12-06 2023-05-16 力帆实业(集团)股份有限公司 新能源汽车电池包电芯支架
CN113410569A (zh) * 2020-03-16 2021-09-17 通用汽车环球科技运作有限责任公司 用于电池模块的对准和组装的工具和方法
CN113410569B (zh) * 2020-03-16 2023-08-22 通用汽车环球科技运作有限责任公司 用于电池模块的对准和组装的工具和方法
EP4123806A1 (fr) * 2021-07-22 2023-01-25 SK On Co., Ltd. Module de batterie et bloc-batterie l'incluant

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