MAINTENANCE-FREE THERMAL MANAGEMENT BATTERY PACK SYSTEM
A thermal management battery pack system includes a containment box having a plurality of sides located around a perimeter of the bottom and a hermetically sealed cell box containing at least one energy cell located within the cell box. The cell box has a cover and a plurality of sides. The sides of the cell box are located away from the sides of the containment box. A plurality of external power connection points are located on the cover of the cell box. A dielectric fluid fills the cell box around the at least one energy cell. A sufficient amount of a phase-change material is located in the dielectric fluid to maintain a temperature within the cell box to within about five degrees Celsius of a temperature exterior to the containment box.
1 . A thermal management battery pack system comprising:
a containment box having a plurality of sides located around a perimeter of the bottom;
a hermetically sealed cell box containing at least one energy cell located within the cell box, the cell box having a cover and a plurality of sides, the sides of the cell box being located away from the sides of the containment box;
a plurality of external power connection points located on the cover of the cell box;
a dielectric fluid filling the cell box around the at least one energy cell; and
a sufficient amount of a phase-change material located in the dielectric fluid to maintain a temperature within the cell box to within about five degrees Celsius of a temperature exterior to the containment box.
2 . The thermal management battery pack system according to claim 1 , wherein the phase-change material comprises a plurality of separate elements.
3 . The thermal management battery pack system according to claim 1 , further comprising an inverter located within the cell box and releasably coupled to the external power connections.
4 . The thermal management battery pack system according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of openings extending through the plurality of sides of the containment box, the openings providing fluid communication between the cell box and an exterior of the containment box.
5 . The thermal management battery pack system according to claim 1 , further comprising a heater located within the cell box.
6 . The thermal management battery pack system according to claim 5 , wherein the heater is electrically coupled to at least one of the energy cells.
7 . The thermal management battery pack system according to claim 5 , wherein the heater is electrically coupled to an outside source.
8 . The thermal management battery pack system according to claim 1 , further comprising a battery management system electrically coupled to the at least one energy cell.
9 . The thermal management battery pack system according to claim 8 , wherein the battery management system is adapted to cycle between a sleep mode and a monitoring mode.
10 . A thermal management battery pack system comprising:
a cell box;
a plurality of energy cells located within the cell box; and
a thermal management system comprising:
a phase-change material located in the cell box; and
a dielectric fluid covering the plurality of energy cells and the phase-change material,
wherein an adequate type and amount of phase-change material is located in the cell box to maintain a temperature of the cell box within about twenty degrees Celsius of a temperature outside of the cell box.
11 . The thermal management battery pack system according to claim 10 , further comprising a heater located in the dielectric fluid and electrically coupled to one of the plurality of energy cells.
12 . The thermal management battery pack system according to claim 10 , further comprising a battery management system located in the dielectric fluid.
13 . The thermal management battery pack system according to claim 10 , wherein an adequate type and amount of phase-change material is located in the cell box to maintain a temperature of the cell box within about ten degrees Celsius of a temperature outside of the cell box.
14 . A method of manufacturing a battery pack system comprising the steps of:
(a) placing at least one energy cell in a cell box;
(b) placing a phase-change material in the cell box;
(c) covering the at least one energy cell and the phase-change material in a dielectric fluid;
(d) placing a cover over the cell box; and
(e) placing the cell box in a containment box having a plurality of side walls, forming a space between the cell box and the side walls of the containment box.
15 . The method according to claim 14 , further comprising the step of electrically coupling a heater to the at least one energy cell and placing the heater inside the dielectric fluid.
16 . The method according to claim 14 , further comprising the step of providing power connection points to the cover.
17 . The method according to claim 16 , further comprising the step of coupling an inverter to the power connection points on the cover.
18 . A battery pack system manufactured according to the steps of claim 14 .