JP2013004468A - Battery pack device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a battery pack device which can uniformly cool individual cells of a battery pack, and can downsize the battery pack device and enhance a degree of freedom for design.SOLUTION: Cells 10 constituting a battery pack 20 respectively include a cell external part 12 composed of a thermally conductive material having a high thermal conductivity than air. The cells 10 are arranged in parallel while allowing the cell external parts 12 to be contacted with each other between the adjacent cells. Cooling parts 50 directly cool the cells 10 located in the circumference of the cooling parts 50. Cells 10a located closer to the cooling parts 50 are arranged more densely so as to increase a total contact area with the adjacent cells. Cells 10b located further away from the cooling parts 50 are arranged further apart from each other so as to decrease a total contact area with the adjacent cells.

Description

  The present invention relates to an assembled battery device.

  An assembled battery configured by connecting a plurality of non-aqueous secondary batteries such as lithium ion batteries as a single battery is used in an electric vehicle or the like as a power source capable of obtaining high output. Since the non-aqueous secondary battery used as this single battery generates heat due to a chemical reaction during charge and discharge, there is a problem that the performance and life of the assembled battery deteriorate due to the temperature rise due to this heat generation. In addition, when the battery temperature is uneven between the individual cells of the assembled battery, the performance and life of each single battery vary, and as a result, the performance and life of the assembled battery may be deteriorated. In view of this, various assembled battery devices have been proposed that uniformly cool the battery temperature of the assembled battery so as not to cause unevenness.

  For example, in the assembled battery device described in Patent Document 1 below, a plurality of single cells are stored in a holder case with a gap therebetween. The holder case has an inlet and an outlet. And cooling air flows in from this inflow port using cooling parts, such as a ventilation duct, passes through the crevice between each single cell, and is discharged from a discharge mouth. Thus, each cell is cooled uniformly by flowing cooling air in the holder case.

JP 2006-278140 A

  However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to provide a gap for allowing the cooling air to flow between the single cells. Furthermore, in order to cool each unit cell uniformly, it is necessary to design the formation position of the inlet and outlet in consideration of the flow direction of the cooling air flowing through the gaps between the unit cells. It was difficult to design an assembled battery device.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an assembled battery device that can uniformly cool each unit cell of the assembled battery, can reduce the size of the assembled battery device, and has high design flexibility.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an assembled battery device according to the present invention includes a plurality of battery exterior parts that include an electrode body and a heat conductive material that houses the electrode body and has a higher thermal conductivity than air. A battery unit of non-aqueous secondary batteries, comprising an assembled battery in which the battery exterior parts are in contact with each other between adjacent unit cells, and a cooling unit for cooling the assembled battery, the cooling unit, The single cells around the cooling unit are directly cooled, and the plurality of single cells have a larger total contact area with the adjacent single cells as the unit cell is closer to the cooling unit. As the unit cells are arranged densely and the distance from the cooling unit is longer, the unit cells are arranged more sparsely so that the total contact area with adjacent unit cells becomes smaller.

  According to the above configuration, the adjacent unit cells are arranged in contact with the battery exterior part, so that the battery temperature of the unit cells constituting the assembled battery can be made uniform and directly by the cooling unit. Since the cooling heat is transferred through the battery exterior part of each unit cell even to the unit cell that is not cooled automatically, it can be cooled indirectly. In addition, in the unit cell that is far from the cooling unit and is difficult to transmit the cooling heat from the cooling unit, the unit cell is arranged so as to reduce the total contact area with the adjacent unit cell. Therefore, a large amount of heat can be radiated from the surface which is not easily affected by heat from the surface and does not come into contact with the adjacent unit cell. Thereby, the single battery which comprises an assembled battery can be cooled efficiently and uniformly. Moreover, since it is not necessary to provide a gap between adjacent single cells as in the conventional case, the entire assembled battery device can be reduced in size. Furthermore, unlike the prior art, it is not necessary to design the assembled battery device in consideration of the flow direction of cooling air for cooling the unit cells, etc., so that the degree of freedom in designing the assembled battery device can be increased.

  Further, in the assembled battery device according to the present invention, a pair of the cooling units may be provided so as to sandwich the assembled battery when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the arrangement surface of the unit cells in the assembled battery.

  Moreover, the assembled battery apparatus of this invention WHEREIN: The said cooling part may be provided so that the outer periphery of the said assembled battery may be enclosed seeing from the direction orthogonal to the arrangement surface of the said cell in the said assembled battery.

  Moreover, the assembled battery apparatus of this invention WHEREIN: The said cooling part may be provided in the center part of the said assembled battery seeing from the direction orthogonal to the arrangement surface of the said cell in the said assembled battery.

  Further, in the assembled battery device of the present invention, the cooling unit may be opposed to one end of the assembled battery through the center of the assembled battery as viewed from a direction orthogonal to the arrangement surface of the unit cells in the assembled battery. It may be provided over the end.

  Each unit cell of the assembled battery can be cooled uniformly, the assembled battery device can be reduced in size, and the degree of freedom in designing the assembled battery device can be increased.

It is a disassembled perspective view of the assembled battery apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is the front view of the assembled battery apparatus which excluded the holder plate seen from the direction orthogonal to the arrangement surface of a cell. It is a figure which shows the cross-sectional state of the AA line of FIG. 2 of an assembled battery apparatus. It is a figure corresponding to FIG. 2 explaining the modification of this invention. It is a figure corresponding to FIG. 2 explaining the modification of this invention. It is a figure corresponding to FIG. 2 explaining the modification of this invention.

  Hereinafter, an assembled battery device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the assembled battery device 1 holds an assembled battery 20 configured by electrically connecting a plurality of cylindrical unit cells 10 (10 a, 10 b) in series, and each unit cell 10. A pair of holder plates 30 and a water-cooled cooling unit 50 that cools the assembled battery 20 by water cooling are provided.

  The unit cell 10 is a non-aqueous secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery. The unit cell 10 includes an electrode body (not shown) having a positive electrode and a negative electrode, and a cylindrical battery exterior portion 12 that houses the electrode body. The positive electrode and the negative electrode of the electrode body are respectively connected to the positive electrode terminal 11a and the negative electrode terminal 11b exposed to the outside of the unit cell.

  The battery exterior 12 is electrically insulated from the terminals 11a and 11b. As the material of the battery exterior portion 12, for example, a heat conductive material having a higher heat conductivity than air such as polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride is used.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the pair of holder plates 30 are provided so as to sandwich the assembled battery 20 in the axial direction of the unit cell 10. Each holder plate 30 is provided with a plurality of claws (not shown) for holding one end of each unit cell 10 in the axial direction, and air flow holes 35 (35a, 35b) described later. Each unit cell 10 is held at both ends in the axial direction by the claws of the holder plate 30, so that the cell exterior parts 12 are brought into contact with each other between the adjacent unit cells 10 and the respective axis directions are aligned in parallel. Are arranged. Since the battery exterior portions 12 are in contact with each other between the adjacent unit cells 10 in this way, heat conduction occurs between the unit cells 10, and as a result, the battery temperature of the unit cells 10 constituting the assembled battery 20 is made uniform. Can be made.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of cooling units 50 are provided so as to sandwich the assembled battery 20 when viewed from a direction (axial direction of the single battery 10) orthogonal to the arrangement surface of the assembled batteries 20 in the assembled battery 20. . Each cooling unit 50 includes a flat cooling substrate 51 having thermal conductivity and a cooling pipe 52 embedded in the cooling substrate 51. The cooling substrate 51 is disposed in contact with the battery exterior portion 12 of the unit cell 10a around the cooling unit 50 (cooling substrate 51). In addition, cooling water flows as a refrigerant in the cooling pipe 52. Thereby, the cooling unit 50 can directly cool the plurality of single cells 10a in contact with the cooling substrate 51 by the cooling heat of the cooling water. Further, as described above, since the unit cells 10 are arranged with the cell exterior parts 12 in contact with each other between the adjacent unit cells 10, the unit cells 10 that are not in contact with the cooling unit 50 are also It can cool indirectly via the battery exterior part 12 of each unit cell 10.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the cells 10a that are close to the cooling unit 50 are densely arranged so that the total contact area with the adjacent cells 10 is large. In the present embodiment, the unit cells 10a are arranged in a close packing manner on the arrangement surface. That is, each unit cell 10a is arranged so as to be in contact with six adjacent unit cells on the arrangement surface (except for the unit cell 10a in contact with the cooling substrate 51). As described above, since the unit cell 10a has a large total contact area with the adjacent unit cell 10, the cooling heat from the cooling unit 50 can be efficiently transmitted between the adjacent unit cells 10a. .

  Further, the unit cells 10b that are far from the cooling unit 50 and are difficult to transmit the cooling heat from the cooling unit 50 are sparsely arranged so that the total contact area with the adjacent unit cells 10 is small. In the present embodiment, the unit cells 10b are arranged in a square filling on the arrangement surface. That is, each unit cell 10b is arranged so as to be in contact with the four unit cells 10a adjacent on the arrangement surface. Thus, the total contact area of each unit cell 10b with the adjacent unit cell 10 is made smaller than the total contact area of each unit cell 10a with the adjacent unit cell 10; A large amount of heat can be radiated from the surface of the battery exterior portion 12 which is not easily affected by the heat from the adjacent unit cells 10 and does not come into contact with the adjacent unit cells 10. Thereby, it can suppress that the battery temperature of the single cell 10b to which the cooling heat from the cooling part 50 is hard to be transmitted rises.

  Each of the holder plates 30 is formed with a plurality of air flow holes 35 communicating with the spaces 15 (15a, 15b) surrounded by the battery exterior parts 12 of the plurality of single cells 10. Then, as shown by the dotted arrows in FIG. 3, a refrigerant such as air is supplied from each air flow hole 35 of one holder plate 30 and flows into each space 15 by a fan (not shown). The refrigerant flowing into each space 15 is discharged from each air flow hole 35 of the other holder plate 30 while cooling each unit cell 10. Thereby, each unit cell 10 can be further cooled.

  The air flow hole 35b communicating with the space 15 surrounded by the unit cell 10b has a larger diameter than the air flow hole 35a communicating with the space 15a surrounded by the unit cell 10a. Thereby, since the refrigerant | coolant amount which flows through the space 15b becomes larger than the refrigerant | coolant amount which flows through the space 15a, the single cell 10 which comprises the assembled battery 20 can be cooled more efficiently and uniformly.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the adjacent unit cells 10 are arranged in contact with each other to the battery exterior portion 12, and therefore, the battery temperatures of all the unit cells 10 of the assembled battery 20 can be made uniform, and Since the cooling heat is also transferred to the single cells 10 that are not directly cooled by the cooling unit 50 through the battery exterior portion 12 of each single cell 10, it can be indirectly cooled. Further, in the unit cells 10b that are far from the cooling unit 50 and difficult to transmit the cooling heat from the cooling unit 50, the unit cells 10b are arranged sparsely so that the total contact area with the adjacent unit cells is small. It is difficult to receive the influence of the heat from the unit cell 10 and a large amount of heat can be radiated from the surface not in contact with the adjacent unit cell 10. Thereby, each single battery 10 of the assembled battery 20 can be cooled efficiently and uniformly. Moreover, since it is not necessary to provide a gap between adjacent single cells as in the prior art, the entire assembled battery device 1 can be reduced in size. Furthermore, unlike the prior art, it is not necessary to design the assembled battery device 1 in consideration of the flow direction of the cooling air that cools the unit cell 10 and the like, so the degree of freedom in designing the assembled battery device 1 can be increased. .

  As mentioned above, although one Embodiment of this invention was described, it only showed the specific example and does not specifically limit this invention, A specific structure etc. can be design-changed suitably. Further, the actions and effects described in the embodiments of the invention only list the most preferable actions and effects resulting from the present invention, and the actions and effects according to the present invention are described in the embodiments of the present invention. It is not limited to what was done.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the cooling unit 50 is provided in a pair so as to sandwich the assembled battery 20 when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the arrangement surface of the unit cells 10 in the assembled battery 20, but is particularly limited thereto. It is not something. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the cooling unit 150 may be provided so as to surround the outer periphery of the assembled battery 20 when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the arrangement surface of the unit cells 10 in the assembled battery 20. In this case, the unit cell 10a that is close to the cooling unit 150 (cooling substrate 151), that is, the unit cell 10a that is disposed near the outer periphery of the assembled cell 20 has a large total contact area with the adjacent unit cell 10. Closely arranged. In addition, the unit cells 10b that are far from the cooling unit 150, that is, the unit cells 10b that are arranged near the center of the assembled battery 20, are arranged sparsely so that the total contact area with the adjacent unit cells 10 is small. The Thus, when the cooling unit 150 is provided so as to surround the outer periphery of the assembled battery 20, each unit cell 10 of the assembled battery 20 can be further cooled.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, the cooling unit 250 may be provided at the center of the assembled battery 20 when viewed from the direction orthogonal to the arrangement surface of the unit cells 10 in the assembled battery 20. In this case, the unit cell 10 a that is close to the cooling unit 250 (cooling substrate 251), that is, the unit cell 10 a that is disposed near the center of the assembled battery 20, has a large total contact area with the adjacent unit cell 10. So closely arranged. In addition, the unit cells 10b that are distant from the cooling unit 250, that is, the unit cells 10b that are arranged near the outer periphery of the assembled cell 20, are sparsely arranged so that the total contact area with the adjacent unit cells 10 is small. . Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the cooling substrate 251 of the cooling unit 250 may have a cylindrical shape.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, the cooling unit 350 passes through the central portion of the assembled battery 20 when viewed from the direction orthogonal to the arrangement surface of the assembled cells 20 in the assembled battery 20 (the axial direction of the assembled cells 10). The battery 20 may be provided from one end to the other opposite end. In this case, the single cells 10a that are close to the cooling unit 350 are closely arranged so that the total contact area with the adjacent single cells 10 is large. In addition, the unit cells 10b that are far from the cooling unit 350 are arranged sparsely so that the total contact area with the adjacent unit cells 10 becomes small.

  As described above, the arrangement position, shape, and number of the cooling unit are not particularly limited as long as the cooling unit directly cools the unit cells 10 around the cooling unit. Therefore, for example, the cooling unit can be provided at the center of the assembled battery 20 as seen from the direction orthogonal to the arrangement surface of the unit cells 10 in the assembled battery 20 and can be provided so as to surround the outer periphery of the assembled battery 20. is there. Thus, since the arrangement position, shape, and number of cooling units are not limited, the degree of freedom in designing the assembled battery device 1 can be increased.

  Moreover, in the above-mentioned embodiment, although the single battery 10 is a cylindrical battery, it is not specifically limited to this, A rectangular parallelepiped battery may be sufficient. Moreover, the contact location may be made into a flat contact surface by polishing or the like so that the contact area with the adjacent unit cell 10 is increased. Thereby, since many heat conductions can be produced between the single cells 10, the single cells 10 of the assembled battery 20 can be made more uniform.

  In the above-described embodiment, the cooling unit 50 cools the unit cell 10 by water cooling. However, if the unit cell 10 around the cooling unit 50 is directly cooled, the cooling unit 50 is particularly suitable for this. It is not limited, It may be an air-cooled type that cools a single battery around the cooling unit by blowing cooling air, a heat sink that cools by radiating heat, or the like.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the unit cells 10a that are close to the cooling unit 50 are arranged in close-packing on the arrangement surface, and the unit cells 10b that are far from the cooling unit 50 are arranged in square arrangement on the arrangement surface. However, as long as the unit cells 10a are arranged densely and the unit cells 10b are arranged sparsely, they may be arranged in a filling structure other than this. In addition, the unit cells 10 may be arranged so that the total contact area with the adjacent unit cells 10 gradually decreases in proportion to the distance from the cooling unit 50.

  Moreover, the sensor which detects the temperature of the cell 10 may be provided, and the temperature of the refrigerant | coolant of the cooling part 50 may be changed based on the detection result of this sensor.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 assembled battery apparatus 10 cell 12 battery exterior part 20 assembled battery 50 cooling part

Claims (5)

A plurality of non-aqueous secondary battery cells each having an electrode body and a battery exterior portion made of a heat conductive material having a higher thermal conductivity than air, which accommodates the electrode body, are connected to each other between adjacent single cells. An assembled battery arranged in parallel with the battery exterior part in contact;
A cooling unit for cooling the assembled battery,
The cooling unit directly cools the unit cells around the cooling unit,
The plurality of single cells are densely arranged so that the unit cell closer to the cooling unit has a larger total contact area with the adjacent unit cell, and the unit cells farther from the cooling unit are adjacent to each other. An assembled battery device characterized by being arranged sparsely so as to reduce the total contact area with the cells.   2. The assembled battery device according to claim 1, wherein a pair of the cooling units are provided so as to sandwich the assembled battery when viewed from a direction orthogonal to an arrangement surface of the unit cells in the assembled battery.   2. The assembled battery device according to claim 1, wherein the cooling unit is provided so as to surround an outer periphery of the assembled battery when viewed from a direction orthogonal to an arrangement surface of the unit cells in the assembled battery. .   The cooling unit is provided in a central portion of the assembled battery as viewed from a direction orthogonal to the arrangement surface of the unit cells in the assembled battery. The assembled battery device described.   The cooling section is provided across the other end facing from one end of the assembled battery through the center of the assembled battery as viewed from a direction orthogonal to the arrangement surface of the unit cells in the assembled battery. The assembled battery apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-3 characterized by the above-mentioned.

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