Vehicle Energy-Storage System

1 . An energy-storage system for a vehicle comprising:

a plurality of modules, each module comprising two half modules coupled together, each half module including:

a plurality of cells, the cells being cylindrical rechargeable lithium-ion cells each having a first end and a second end, the first end distal from the second end, and having an anode terminal and a cathode terminal being disposed at the first end;

a current carrier electrically coupled to the cells, the cathode terminal of each of the cells being coupled to a respective first contact of the current carrier, the anode terminal of each of the cells being coupled to a respective second contact of the current carrier;

a blast plate disposed substantially parallel to the current carrier such that the cells are disposed between the current carrier and the blast plate; and

an enclosure having the cells, current carrier, and blast plate disposed therewithin, the enclosure including a coolant input port, a coolant output port, and a power connector electrically coupled to the current carrier, the enclosure having a coolant sub-system configured to circulate liquid coolant between the two half modules and within each half module by directing the coolant into the enclosure through the coolant input port and out of the enclosure through the coolant output port such that each of the cells is at approximately the same temperature, wherein the cells are disposed between the current carrier and the blast plate such that an exterior side of each of the cells is not in contact with the exterior sides of other cells, the coolant sub-system further configured to circulate the liquid coolant among and between the cells to provide submerged, substantially evenly distributed cooling;

a tray having the plurality of modules disposed therein, wherein at least two adjacent modules are fluidly coupled together such that at least two adjacent coolant input ports are engaged with each other and at least two adjacent coolant output ports are also engaged with each other;

the tray including:

a positive bus bar; and

a negative bus bar, the positive and negative bus bars being separately electrically coupled to the power connectors associated with the plurality of modules; and

a coolant system configured to circulate the liquid coolant being pumped into the tray such that each of the modules is at approximately the same temperature.

2 . The energy-storage system of claim 1 , wherein the current carrier includes a plurality of fuses each electrically coupled to the respective first contact.

3 . The energy-storage system of claim 1 , wherein the cathode terminal of each cell is welded to the respective first contact of the current carrier and the anode terminal of each cell is welded to the respective second contact of the current carrier.

4 . The energy-storage system of claim 3 , wherein the welding is laser welding.

5 . The energy-storage system of claim 1 , wherein the blast plate is closer to the second end of the cells than to the first end, each of the cells being oriented to allow venting into the blast plate for both half modules.

6 . The energy-storage system of claim 1 , wherein the tray is sized and arranged to be disposed in the chassis of an electric vehicle.

7 . The energy-storage system of claim 1 , wherein the current carrier is held in the enclosure by at least one plastic stake.

8 . The energy-storage system of claim 1 , wherein at least two adjacent modules of the plurality of modules are electrically coupled to each other.

9 . The energy-storage system of claim 1 , wherein the first contact of the current carrier is a positive contact and the second contact of the current carrier is a negative contact.

10 . The energy-storage system of claim 1 , wherein the cells are oriented and mounted horizontally in each half module.

11 . (canceled)

12 . The energy-storage system of claim 1 , wherein air pockets are formed using channels in a space between the current carrier and the blast plate that is not occupied by the cells.

13 . The energy-storage system of claim 1 , wherein the coolant system employs parallel cooling.

14 . The energy-storage system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid coolant flows through each half module along a cylindrical body of a battery cell within the half module.

15 . The energy-storage system of claim 1 , wherein the modules are arranged in a plurality of strings, each string of the plurality of strings including a plurality of modules.

16 . The energy-storage system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid coolant comprises at least one of: a synthetic oil, ethylene glycol and water, and a liquid dielectric.

17 . The energy-storage system of claim 15 , wherein the liquid coolant flows through the strings in parallel and the liquid coolant flows within each respective string of the battery modules in parallel.

18 . The energy-storage system of claim 1 , wherein a direct current internal resistance of each battery cell is maintained within a substantially predefined resistance.

19 . The energy-storage system of claim 1 , wherein a temperature of each half-module is maintained at approximately the same temperature.

20 . The energy-storage system of claim 1 , wherein a temperature of each cell is maintained at an approximately uniform level.