IP Library Granted Patent US 10,020,550
Granted Patent B2
US 10,020,550 · App. 15/437,228 · Granted Jul 10, 2018

Energy storage pack

Inventors: Robert David Sumpf, Jr. (San Francisco, CA); Ernest Matthew Villanueva (San Francisco, CA); David Elias Hegeman (San Jose, CA); Satvik Vipin Batavia (Milpitas, CA); Ganesh Ramanarayan Singh (Troy, MI); Alex Prilutsky (Redwood City, CA); Scott Ira Kohn (Redwood City, CA); Bruce Phillip Edwards (Menlo Park, CA); Peter Thomas Tennessen (Oakland, CA); Jayesh Bharat Gorasia (San Francisco, CA); Hugh Burnett Ross (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Tesla, Inc.
H01M10/6556H01M2/1077H01M10/643H01M10/6554
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,020,550
App. No.
15/437,228
Granted
Jul 10, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

An energy storage pack includes a coolant inlet manifold, a coolant outlet manifold, and a plurality of thermal-exchange tubes extending between the coolant inlet manifold and the coolant outlet manifold to exchange heat between coolant passing through the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes and a plurality of battery cells mounted adjacent to and among the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes within the energy storage pack. In one embodiment, at least one of coolant inlet manifold and the coolant outlet manifold includes a plurality of thermal-exchange tube terminating structures and a plurality of hose segments intercoupling the plurality of thermal-exchange tube terminating structures. The energy storage pack may further include a coolant inlet opening located on the coolant inlet manifold and a coolant outlet opening located on the coolant outlet manifold.

Claims (54)

1. An energy storage pack comprising:

a coolant inlet manifold;

a coolant outlet manifold, wherein at least one of the coolant inlet manifold and the coolant outlet manifold comprises:

a plurality of thermal-exchange tube terminating structures; and

a plurality of hose segments intercoupling the plurality of thermal-exchange tube terminating structures; and

a plurality of thermal-exchange tubes extending between the coolant inlet manifold and the coolant outlet manifold to exchange heat between coolant passing through the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes and a plurality of battery cells mounted adjacent to and among the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes within the energy storage pack.

2. The energy storage pack of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes comprise a first side surface, a second side surface, and a plurality of internal ribs coupling the first side surface to the second side surface.

3. The energy storage pack of claim 2 , wherein the first side surface, the second side surface, and the plurality of internal ribs define a plurality of coolant passages.

4. The energy storage pack of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes comprise scallop shapes along its length, at least some of the scallop shapes corresponding to battery cells.

5. An energy storage pack comprising:

a coolant inlet manifold;

a coolant outlet manifold;

a plurality of thermal-exchange tubes extending between the coolant inlet manifold and the coolant outlet manifold;

a first clamshell;

a second clamshell joined to the first clamshell to form an enclosure, the first clamshell and the second clamshell defining a plurality of battery receipt locations;

electronics at least partially residing adjacent the second clamshell;

a plurality of battery cells contained within the enclosure and residing within some of the plurality of battery receipt locations; and

a metal cylinder thermal-exchange structure having a height greater than a height of at least one battery cell and residing within a battery receipt location of the plurality of battery receipt locations,

wherein at least one of the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes resides adjacent to and provides heating and cooling to a corresponding group of battery cells of the plurality of battery cells and to the metal cylinder thermal-exchange structure.

6. The energy storage pack of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of thermal-exchange tube terminating structures comprises:

two half-tanks sandwiched to a corresponding end of a thermal-exchange tube of the plurality of thermal exchange tubes; and

two hose barbs, each coupled to a corresponding half-tank.

7. The energy storage pack of claim 6 , wherein the two half-tanks, the two hose barbs, and the corresponding end of the thermal-exchange tube are brazed together.

8. The energy storage pack of claim 7 , further comprising teeth that crimp together the two half-tanks.

9. The energy storage pack of claim 1 , further comprising:

a coolant inlet opening located on the coolant inlet manifold; and

a coolant outlet opening located on the coolant outlet manifold.

10. An energy storage pack comprising:

a first clamshell;

a second clamshell joined to the first clamshell to form an enclosure, the first clamshell and the second clamshell defining a plurality of battery receipt locations;

a plurality of battery cells residing within at least some of the plurality of battery receipt locations;

a heating/cooling system comprising:

a plurality of thermal-exchange tubes running adjacent to and providing heating and cooling to the plurality of battery cells;

a coolant inlet manifold coupled to first ends of the plurality of thermal exchange tubes; and

a coolant outlet manifold coupled to second ends of the plurality of thermal exchange tubes, wherein at least one of the coolant inlet manifold and the coolant outlet manifold comprises:

a plurality of thermal-exchange tube terminating structures; and

a plurality of hose segments intercoupling the plurality of thermal-exchange tube terminating structures;

electronics at least partially residing adjacent the second clamshell; and

at least one thermal-exchange structure residing within at least one of the plurality of battery receipt locations to exchange heat between the electronics and the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes.

11. The energy storage pack of claim 10 , wherein, wherein the at least one thermal-exchange structure comprises a cylinder having a height greater than a height of a battery cell residing within an adjacent battery opening.

12. The energy storage pack of claim 10 , further comprising a second thermal-exchange structure located between the at least one thermal-exchange structure and the electronics.

13. The energy storage pack of claim 12 , wherein the second thermal-exchange structure comprises a metal plate.

14. The energy storage pack of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the plurality of thermal-exchange tube terminating structures comprises:

two half-tanks sandwiched to a corresponding end of a thermal-exchange tube of the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes; and

two hose barbs, each coupled to a corresponding half-tank.

15. The energy storage pack of claim 14 , wherein the two half-tanks, the two hose barbs, and the corresponding end of the thermal-exchange tube are brazed together.

16. The energy storage pack of claim 10 , wherein at least some of the thermal-exchange tubes comprise a first side surface, a second side surface, and a plurality of internal ribs coupling the first side surface to the second side surface.

17. The energy storage pack of claim 16 , wherein the first side surface, the second side surface, and the plurality of internal ribs define a plurality of coolant passages.

18. The energy storage pack of claim 10 , wherein at least some of the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes comprise scallop shapes along its length, at least some of the scallop shapes corresponding to battery cells.

19. The energy storage pack of claim 5 , further comprising a plurality of thermal-exchange tube terminating structures, at least some of which include:

two half-tanks sandwiched to a corresponding end of a thermal-exchange tube of the plurality of thermal-exchange tubes; and

two hose barbs, each coupled to a corresponding half-tank.

20. The energy storage pack of claim 19 , wherein the two half-tanks, the two hose barbs, and the corresponding end of the thermal-exchange tube are brazed together.

21. The energy storage pack of claim 20 , further comprising teeth that crimp together the two half-tanks.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 14, 2017
From: SUMPF, ROBERT DAVID, JR.; VILLANUEVA, ERNEST MATTHEW; HEGEMAN, DAVID ELIAS; BATAVIA, SATVIK VIPIN; SINGH, GANESH RAMANARAYAN; PRILUTSKY, ALEX; KOHN, SCOTT IRA; EDWARDS, BRUCE PHILLIP; TENNESSEN, PETER THOMAS; GORASIA, JAYESH BHARAT; ROSS, HUGH BURNETT
To: TESLA, INC.
Reel/Frame 042009/0023 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation In Part 15411154 · Jan 20, 2017
Continuation In Part 14056552 · Oct 17, 2013
Related Publication 20170162922A1 · Jun 8, 2017
Cited By (4)
US 12,531,305 US 12,555,840 US 12,620,666 US 12,725,851