WO2019092007A1

WO2019092007A1 - Battery cell with improved cooling

Info

Publication number: WO2019092007A1
Application number: PCT/EP2018/080455
Authority: WO
Inventors: Thomas Klemen; Markus Feigl; Nikolaus Hautmann; Rene Deponte
Original assignee: Robert Bosch Gmbh
Priority date: 2017-11-08
Filing date: 2018-11-07
Publication date: 2019-05-16
Also published as: EP3707773A1; DE102017219798A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a battery cell (10), having a cell housing (12), which holds an electrode arrangement (14) comprising a cathode and an anode, wherein a first current collector (16) for electrical contact-connection of the cathode is provided in the cell housing (12) and wherein a second current collector (18) for electrical contact-connection of the anode is provided in the cell housing, and wherein an insulating housing (20) is provided inside the cell housing (12), said insulating housing insulating at least one of the first current collector (16) and the second current collector (18) from the cell housing (12), wherein at least one of the first current collector (16), the second current collector (18) and the insulating housing (20) is designed having a temperature-control structure (24).

Description

description

title

Battery cell with improved cooling The present invention relates to a battery cell. In particular, the present invention relates to a battery cell with improved cooling.

State of the art

Various batteries, such as lithium-based energy storage

or lithium-ion batteries, are indispensable in today's life. Areas of application include, in addition to fully electrically powered vehicles or hybrid vehicles also electrical tools, electrical entertainment electronics, computers, mobile phones and more

Applications.

In particular, prismatic hardcase battery cells are widely used in today's electrified motor vehicles. For example, in the

This battery format is used for series produced batteries for hybrid vehicles. An efficient cooling is an advantage.

US 2012/0177973 describes a battery cell which has two current collectors for electrical contacting. It is provided that at least one of the current collector, in particular by cooling channels, is provided to guide a cooling medium through the current collector.

DE 10 2013 200 212 A1 describes a battery cell for a battery module for supplying an electric drive of an electric or hybrid vehicle. The battery cell includes a housing that has current collectors that function as

Heat pipes are formed. US 2015/0325889 describes a battery with two stacked battery cells. In this case, a cooling element is provided with two or more separate cooling channels.

JP 2006210185 describes a battery with a cooling structure. The cooling structure is arranged on a winding element.

Disclosure of the invention

The present invention is a battery cell, comprising a cell housing, which accommodates an electrode assembly having a cathode and an anode, wherein in the cell housing, a first current collector for electrically contacting the cathode is provided and wherein in the

Cell housing a second current collector is provided for electrically contacting the anode, and wherein within the cell housing, an insulating housing is provided, which isolates at least one of the first current collector and the second current collector of the cell housing, wherein at least one of the first current collector, the second current collector and the insulating housing is designed with a tempering structure.

A battery cell as described above allows in particular a particularly effective cooling of the battery cell and thereby a significant

Safety.

The above-described battery cell includes a cell case which houses an electrode assembly having a cathode and an anode. The

Cell housing may, for example, be at least partially made of a metal, such as aluminum, to have sufficient stability and, optionally, to be at least partially electrically conductive, such that the housing may be electronically connected to one of the electrodes, such as the cathode can be. Furthermore, the electrode arrangement can in principle be designed as is suitable for the corresponding battery cell and in principle in such a way as is known from the prior art, for example for prismatic battery cells. Accordingly, the electrode arrangement may in particular be designed with an anode, a cathode and a separator arranged between the anode and the cathode. For example, the electrode arrangement can form a lithium-ion cell and be designed accordingly. For example, the battery cell may have a wound configuration, wherein the current collectors may each be welded to the wound structure as described below.

It is further provided that in the cell housing, a first current collector is provided for electrically contacting the cathode and that in the

Cell housing provided a second current collector for electrically contacting the anode. The current collectors thus serve to the anode

or contact the cathode of the electrode assembly and an external contact to the anode or the cathode of the

To enable electrode assembly. The current collector of the anode may be made of aluminum, whereas the current collector of the cathode may be made of copper.

In an above-described battery cell, an insulating housing is further provided within the cell housing, which is at least one of the first

Current collector and the second current collector isolated from the cell housing. In particular, the insulating housing serves to mechanically fix the first and the second current collector and to prevent electrical contact between the current collector or the current collectors and the housing, for example when a force is applied from the outside.

It is further contemplated that at least one of the first current collector, the second current collector and the insulating housing is configured with a tempering structure. For example, only the first current collector, only the second current collector, only the insulating housing or any combination, so for example both current collectors and optionally the insulating housing or only one of the current collectors, that of the anode or the cathode, and the insulating housing, with a temperature control be provided. In particular, this embodiment, according to which at least one of the first current collector, the second current collector and the insulating housing is configured with a tempering, can provide significant advantages over the prior art.

Because such a provision of a temperature control, the

Battery cell without temperature influences from outside the cell housing rather tempered directly inside, ie cooled or heated, which can allow a particularly efficient or effective tempering. Because the temperature can act directly inside the cell, without having to temper additional components, such as the cell housing. As a result, the cooling capacity or the heating power of the entire system can be reduced, which can save weight and costs. For example, targeted heat removal directly in the area of heat generation may be possible.

With regard to heating, the battery cell can be brought to the operating temperature particularly quickly, which can allow a gentle operation of the battery cell.

With regard to cooling, it may thus also be possible to dispense with cooling plates. These are provided in the prior art, especially at the module level and act from the exterior of the cell housing to the electrode assembly. By dispensing with such cooling plates in turn can be saved weight and costs can be reduced. In addition, a reduction in height can be made possible, which can enable use even in space-poor applications. Moreover, the foregoing shows that the battery cell described herein may be particularly advantageous in mobile arrangements, such as in vehicles.

Furthermore, it can be made possible by the omission of cooling plates that the assembly of a battery module with one or more battery cells as described here can be significantly simplified. Because in a mounting eliminates the problem, after which each of the intended cells should be mounted over the entire surface of the cooling plate or that under Considering the manufacturing and assembly tolerances an effective thermal coupling between the battery cells and the cooling plate should be present.

In addition, although a cooling can be realized in the interior of the cell housing, but adjacent to this. As a result, in addition to effective temperature control, it can additionally be prevented that the temperature does not overlap adjacent battery cells in the event of disproportionate heating of the electrode arrangement. By cooling inside the case but by using one or both current collectors or the

Insulating housing also adjacent to this, a thermal barrier can be created, which can allow protection of adjacent battery cells. As a result, in addition to the advantages mentioned above, a significant gain in security can be achieved.

It may be preferred that the tempering structure has at least one cooling channel for guiding a coolant. In particular, using cooling channels, a particularly effective tempering, ie cooling or heating, can be made possible. In addition, can be made possible by the design and management of the cooling channel or the cooling channels in a simple way to adapt to the desired temperature. In this case, as coolant or cooling fluid, in particular cooling fluid,

basically any coolant can be used. However, it may be particularly preferable if the cooling medium is not electrically conductive. Examples of such refrigerants include, for example, any silicone oils, such as those known for example from transformers. Furthermore, a plurality of cooling channels is also included in the invention, even if the following is only spoken of a cooling channel. The described embodiments thus apply to a cooling channel and likewise to a plurality of at least two cooling channels. For example, the cooling channel may for example be divided more or split, so that at a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet, a coolant structure with a plurality of

Coolant channels can be provided, which is a particularly effective

Allow temperature control. With regard to a connection of the cooling channel, it can be provided that a coolant connection is provided for guiding coolant into the cooling channel or out of the cooling channel adjacent to an electrical connection of the electrode arrangement, that is to say in particular on the same side, for example on the top side. In this embodiment, it can thus be provided that the periphery of the battery cell is provided approximately including all the electrical connections on one side of the battery cell, that is approximately at the top. This embodiment can thus allow an improved assembly, since the periphery is spatially concentrated and thus the other pages have no restrictions of the installation space or the mounting conditions.

It can further be preferred that a coolant connection for guiding coolant into the cooling channel or out of the cooling channel is arranged adjacent to an insulator of an electrical connection, ie the coolant extends through the insulator and a cooling channel terminates approximately at the insulator. The insulator may, for example, be arranged inside the cell housing and protect the electrical, in particular external, connection from contact with the cell housing. In this case, the insulator may have approximately two holes, wherein the coolant can pass through a bore in the cooling channel and through the second bore, the coolant from the cooling channel emerge again, the coolant can flow through the entire current collector or through the entire insulating, so as to realize a tempering, ie a heating or cooling.

It can further be provided that a coolant connection for guiding coolant into the cooling channel or out of the cooling channel is provided on a side which is different from an electrical connection of the electrode arrangement and, for example, facing away from it. For example, the connections for the cooling circuit or the cooling line may be provided on the cell bottom, if the electrical connections are arranged on the head side. In the bottom of the cell case could then be two holes and in the

Provision of the cooling channel in the current collector, a seal may be present approximately in the insulating, so that it can be dispensed with further sealing elements, such as O-rings. In this embodiment, the electrical

Ports are separated from the coolant connections, which is the Safety of operation can improve. In addition, on the side of the electrical connections, such as at the head of the battery cell, a

be provided comparatively large space for cell management. The insulator may for example be a plastic injection molded part, wherein the

Seal the coolant O-rings can be provided in recordings of the insulator. However, other gaskets, such as flat gaskets or elastomer gaskets sprayed onto the insulator, are also suitable. It may further be preferred that the insulating housing at least partially positively receives at least one of the first current collector and the second current collector. In particular, in this embodiment, a good thermal contact can be made possible from the current collector to the insulating housing, which can make the above-described safety effect particularly effective. In addition, it can effectively be prevented that the respective current collector abuts against the cell housing, for example, in the event of vibrations, and thus a short circuit can occur.

It may further be preferred that the first current collector having a cooling structure or the second current collector having a cooling structure or the insulating housing having a cooling structure is produced by an additive method. In particular, using additive methods, current collectors and / or insulating housings can be formed, in which a cooling structure, such as one or more cooling channels, are configured such that a particularly effective temperature control can take place.

For example, the cooling channels completely through the or

Current collectors or the insulating housing and, for example, have a vein-like split structure. In addition, you can

For example, the current collectors are made without support structures, which can prevent a relatively costly reworking.

It may be advantageous in the case of the current collectors, for example, that additive build-up methods with aluminum and copper, which are particularly suitable as potential materials for the current collectors, are possible without problems. The same applies, for example, to plastics from which insulating housings are usually formed. In principle, any additive methods, which are also referred to as 3D printing, for example, are suitable. However, it may be particularly preferred that the additive method comprises selective laser sintering. By a selective laser sintering, a process can be understood in which a

Raw material bed is provided and by successive localized and layered white melting and hardening of the raw material and refilling of raw material, a component can be built additive layer by layer.

In particular, in a selective laser sintering can be dispensed with the formation of support structures usually because the powder bed fulfills this task, so that can be dispensed with reworking, especially in this embodiment.

In particular, by a selective laser sintering, a good adaptation can be made possible, so that for each geometry of the battery cell optimum temperature control can be achieved.

With regard to further advantages and technical features of the battery cell, reference is made to the description of the battery module, the use of the figures and the description of the figures.

The present invention further provides a battery module comprising a plurality of battery cells, as described in detail above, the battery module being free of a cooling unit acting on the battery cells from outside the cell housing.

Such a battery module can allow a particularly effective temperature control of the battery cells and thereby a particularly safe operation

guarantee. Furthermore, cost advantages as well as advantages with regard to the construction space and the weight of the battery module can be made possible.

With regard to further advantages and technical features of the battery module, reference is made to the description of the battery cell, the use, to the figures and the description of the figures. The present invention also relates to the use of an additive method for producing a current ko hectare or a

Insulating housing for a battery cell, wherein the current collector or the

Insulating housing at least one cooling structure, in particular a cooling channel, for guiding a coolant.

In particular, by an additive method and complex

Cooling structures, such as cooling ducts are introduced, which undergo about vein-like the current collector or the insulating housing. As a result, an effective temperature control and accordingly a high level of safety can be ensured.

With regard to further advantages and technical features of the use, reference is made to the description of the battery cell, the battery module, to the figures and the description of the figures.

Further advantages and advantageous embodiments of the subject invention are illustrated by the drawings. Show it

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a battery cell;

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of the battery cell of Figure 1 without a

Battery case;

3 shows a schematic sectional view showing an electrical connection of a current collector;

Fig. 4 a stream ko hectares;

Fig. 5 is a further schematic sectional view showing an electrical

Connection of a current collector;

Fig. 6 is a further schematic sectional view showing an electrical

Connection of a current collector;

Fig. 7 is a schematic view of an insulator;

Fig. 8 is a schematic view showing a connection of a

Electricity of hectares to an insulating housing;

Fig. 9 is a schematic view showing an insulating housing;

10 shows a further schematic view showing the insulating housing from FIG. Fig. 11 is a further schematic view showing the insulating housing of Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a schematic view of an insulating case in a battery cell; Fig. 13 is a further schematic view of an insulating housing in one

Battery cell;

Fig. 14 is a further schematic view of an insulating housing in one

Battery cell;

Fig. 15 an insulating housing in which the cooling channels are indicated;

Fig. 16 is a fixation of the insulating housing to a cell housing in one

-Sectional view;

17 shows a fixing of the insulating housing to a cell housing in one

Side view; and

Fig. 18 is a schematic sectional view through a further embodiment of a battery cell from the side.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a battery cell 10. The battery cell 10 comprises a cell housing 12, which accommodates an electrode arrangement 14 with a cathode and an anode and which can be closed by a cover 36. This is shown in FIG. In the figures it can be seen that in the cell housing 12, a first current collector 16 is provided for electrically contacting the cathode of the electrode assembly 14 and that in the cell housing 12, a second current collector 18 for

electrical contact of the anode of the electrode assembly 14 is provided. Furthermore, an insulating housing 20 is provided within the cell housing 12, which insulates at least one of the first current collector 16 and the second current collector 18 from the cell housing 12. Furthermore, the electrical connections of the electrode arrangement 14 are shown, which are described in more detail in FIG.

In the figure 3, an electrical connection of the second current ko hectare 18 is shown. It is shown that the current collector 18 is connected to a connecting bolt 22, wherein the connecting bolt 22 carries a top plate 24 and a spacer insulator 26. The spacer insulator 26 is disposed between the top plate 24 and an insulator 28. For a seal, a sealing ring 30 is also provided. In Figure 4 is further shown that the current collector 18 has a cooling channel 32 as tempering 34. For example, the current collector 18 may be constructed by an additive method, as described in detail below. In this case, the current collector can be constructed as shown in Figure 4 from bottom to top.

Figures 5 and 6 in turn show the connection of the current collector 16 to feed the cooling channel 32 with coolant. Shown is from the

Cell housing 12, only the lid 36. It is shown that the insulator 28 holes 38, 40 which are connected to the cooling channel 32.

Adjacent to the bores 38, 40 are receptacles 42, 44 for O-rings 46, 48 are provided. The insulator 28 is shown in detail in FIG.

Figure 8 also shows a preferred embodiment, according to which the insulating housing 20 receives the current collector 16 at least partially positive fit.

Figures 9 and 10 also show an insulating housing 20, which may also be made additive with cooling channels 32 and which two legs 50, 52 for receiving and / or insulating the current collectors 16, 18 has.

FIG. 11 also shows the insulating housing 20, wherein it is shown in particular that the insulating housing has connections 54, 56 for the cooling channels 32.

FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 show the insulating housing 20 in a battery cell 10. FIG. 15 shows the cooling channels 32 of the insulating housing 20.

FIGS. 16 and 17 show that the insulating housing 20 is fastened by means of a clamp 58, which sits on the exterior of the cell housing 12 or at the bottom thereof.

Figure 18 shows again that the current collector 16 at the

Electrode assembly 14 is welded.

Claims

claims

A battery cell, comprising a cell housing (12) having a

An electrode assembly (14) with a cathode and an anode receives, wherein in the cell housing (12) has a first current collector (16) for

wherein there is provided in the cell housing a second current collector (18) for electrically contacting the anode, and inside the cell housing (12) an insulating housing (20) is provided, which at least one of the first current collector (16 ) and the second current collector (18) isolated from the cell housing (12), characterized in that at least one of the first current collector (16), the second current collector (18) and the insulating housing (20) with a tempering structure (34) is configured ,

2. Battery cell according to claim 1, characterized in that the

Temperature control structure (34) has at least one cooling channel (32) for guiding a coolant.

3. Battery cell according to claim 2, characterized in that a

Coolant port for guiding coolant in the cooling channel (32) or from the cooling channel (32) adjacent to an electrical connection of the electrode assembly (14) is provided.

4. Battery cell according to claim 3, characterized in that a

Coolant connection for guiding coolant in the cooling channel (32) or from the cooling channel (32) adjacent to an insulator (28) of an electrical connection is arranged.

5. Battery cell according to claim 2, characterized in that a

Coolant port is provided for guiding coolant into the cooling passage (32) or from the cooling passage (32) at a side different from an electrical connection of the electrode arrangement (14). Battery cell according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the insulating housing (20) at least one of the first

Current collector (16) and the second current collector (18) at least partially receives a positive fit.

Battery cell according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the first current collector (16) having a cooling structure (34) or the second current collector (18) having a cooling structure (34) or the insulating housing (20) having a cooling structure (34). generated by an additive method.

Battery cell according to claim 7, characterized in that the additive method comprises selective laser sintering.

A battery module comprising a plurality of battery cells (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the battery module is free from a cooling unit acting on the battery cells from outside the cell case (12). 10. Use of an additive method for producing a

Electricity ko hectares (16, 18) or an insulating housing (20) for a

Battery cell (10), wherein the current collector (16, 18) or the insulating housing (20) has at least one tempering structure (34), in particular a cooling channel (32) for guiding a coolant.