ELECTRICALLY INSULATING BATTERY CELLS IN A BATTERY MODULE FROM AN INTEGRATED COOLING PLATE
A battery module includes a cooling plate arranged underneath a set of battery cells. In an embodiment, one or more electrical insulation layers are arranged between a bottom of each battery cell in the set of battery cells and the cooling plate, wherein an overall thickness of the one or more electrical insulation layers is configured to be greater than or equal to a threshold electrical creeping distance. In a further embodiment, a particular electrical insulation layer is configured with a mixture of thermally-conductive, electrically insulative paste and a set of solid electrically insulative objects (e.g., glass balls). The set of solid electrically insulative objects may be configured to stiffen the first electrical insulation layer so as to resist a weight of the set of battery cells and maintain the overall thickness to be at least equal to the threshold electrical creeping distance.
1 . A battery module of an energy storage system, comprising:
a set of battery cells;
a cooling plate arranged underneath the set of battery cells; and
one or more electrical insulation layers arranged between a bottom of each battery cell in the set of battery cells and the cooling plate, wherein an overall thickness of the one or more electrical insulation layers is configured to be greater than or equal to a threshold electrical creeping distance.
2 . The battery module of claim 1 , wherein the one or more electrical insulation layers are configured to maintain the overall thickness to be greater than or equal to the threshold electrical creeping distance despite a weight of the set of battery cells based on a set of solid electrically insulative objects being included among the one or more electrical insulation layers.
3 . The battery module of claim 2 , wherein the set of solid electrically insulative objects configured with sufficient structural strength to resist deformation from the weight of the set of battery cells.
4 . The battery module of claim 2 , wherein the set of solid electrically insulative objects are made of glass.
5 . The battery module of claim 4 , wherein the set of solid electrically insulative objects corresponds to a set of glass spheres.
6 . A battery module of an energy storage system, comprising:
a set of battery cells;
a cooling plate arranged underneath the set of battery cells and configured to cool the set of battery cells; and
a first electrical insulation layer arranged between a bottom of each battery cell in the set of battery cells and the cooling plate, the first electrical insulation layer including a mixture of thermally-conductive, electrically insulative paste and a set of solid electrically insulative objects.
7 . The battery module of claim 6 , wherein the set of solid electrically insulative objects are made of glass.
8 . The battery module of claim 7 , wherein the set of solid electrically insulative objects corresponds to a set of glass spheres.
9 . The battery module of claim 6 , further comprising:
a second electrical insulation layer arranged between the first electrical insulation layer and the cooling plate.
10 . The battery module of claim 9 , wherein the second electrical insulation layer includes insulation foil.