JP7166901B2 - battery cooler - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a battery cooling device for cooling batteries.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an electric vehicle or the like is equipped with a battery in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked. Methods for cooling such batteries include surface cooling, in which the inside of the battery cell is cooled by cooling the surface thereof, and tab cooling, in which the inside is cooled by cooling the electrode tabs extending from the battery cell. As a surface cooling type cooling device, for example, a device as disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. Further, as a tub cooling type cooling device, for example, a device as disclosed in Patent Document 2 is known.

JP 2011-243358 A JP 2006-210245 A

As described above, a battery and a cooling device in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked are mounted on an electric vehicle or the like, and a small size is desirable from the viewpoint of the demand for weight reduction and freedom of installation.

However, since the above Patent Document 1 is a surface cooling type device in which a heat transfer member is sandwiched between each battery cell, it is difficult to reduce the size in the stacking direction. Further, in Patent Document 2, since the heat pipe is located above the battery, it is difficult to reduce the size in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the structure in which an insulating member is newly installed on the electrode tab has a disadvantage in terms of cost and manufacturing process. Therefore, there has been a demand for a low-cost battery cooling device that can be downsized.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a low-cost battery cooling device that can be downsized.

In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a battery cooling device according to the present invention includes a battery cell body, an electrode tab extending from the battery cell body, and an insulation provided around the electrode tab. A battery cooling device for cooling a battery configured by stacking a plurality of battery cells having a member, wherein the battery cooling device is arranged to extend between the opposing electrode tabs extending from the battery cell body, It is characterized by comprising a heat transfer member thermally connected to the insulating member, and a cooling means thermally connected to the heat transfer member and arranged outside the battery.

Further, in another battery cooling device according to the present invention, in the above-described invention, the electrode tab is composed of a pair of a positive electrode tab and a negative electrode tab which are arranged with a gap in the width direction at the edge of the battery cell body. The heat transfer member is arranged so as to be thermally connected to at least one of the insulating member between or outside the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab, and is arranged to extend in the stacking direction of the battery cells. It is characterized by

Further, in another battery cooling device according to the present invention, in the above-described invention, the electrode tabs include a positive electrode tab arranged at one edge of the battery cell main body and a positive electrode tab arranged at the other edge of the battery cell main body. The heat transfer member is arranged to extend between the electrode tabs adjacent in the stacking direction or between the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab of the same battery cell body. It is characterized by being

Further, in another battery cooling device according to the present invention, in the above-described invention, the heat transfer member is arranged to extend in the width direction of the battery cell, and is arranged for each battery cell or for a plurality of battery cells. It is characterized by being provided every other time.

Further, in another battery cooling device according to the present invention, in the above invention, the heat transfer member is arranged non-linearly along the contour of the battery cell via at least one bent portion, and the bent portion A part or the whole of the section is characterized by being a condensing section.

Further, in another battery cooling device according to the present invention, in the invention described above, the heat transfer member is formed of a round tube, a flat tube, or a combination thereof, and the insulating member is provided around the electrode tab. It is characterized by being a heat pipe having a shape according to.

Further, in another battery cooling device according to the present invention, in the above-described invention, the heat transfer member is a connection member that thermally connects the heat pipe and the insulation member, and the connection member is a single or a plurality of heat transfer materials, wherein the heat transfer materials are at least solder, aluminum or graphite.

Further, in the battery cooling device according to the present invention, in the above-described invention, a heat-conducting heat-transfer member is disposed between the adjacent battery cells and thermally connected to the heat-transfer member connected to the cooling means. It is characterized by having a plate-like member.

Further, in another battery cooling device according to the present invention, in the above-described invention, the plate member is arranged between the adjacent battery cells or every two or more of the battery cells. Characterized by

Another battery cooling device according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the invention described above, the cooling means is a water cooling type cooling means.

According to the battery cooling device of the present invention, the heat transfer member is arranged to extend between the opposing electrode tabs extending from the battery cell body and is thermally connected to the insulating member; and cooling means arranged outside the battery, and cooling the insulating member via the heat transfer member, so that the heat transfer member is arranged between the insulating members around the electrode tabs, and the battery is cooled. It becomes possible to reduce the size in the extending direction of the electrode tab. Moreover, since there is no need to install a new insulating member at the tip of the electrode tab in the extending direction, costs and manufacturing processes can be reduced. Moreover, since the base of the electrode tab closer to the battery cell body is cooled, the cooling performance is improved.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing Embodiment 1 of a battery cooling device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic top view showing Embodiment 1 of the battery cooling device according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic top view showing Embodiment 2 of a battery cooling device according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing Embodiment 3 of a battery cooling device according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic top view showing Embodiment 3 of a battery cooling device according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of a main part showing Embodiment 3 of a battery cooling device according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic top view showing Embodiment 4 of a battery cooling device according to the present invention. FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing Embodiment 5 of a battery cooling device according to the present invention. FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing Embodiment 6 of a battery cooling device according to the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing a modification of Embodiment 6 of the battery cooling device according to the present invention. FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view showing Embodiment 7 of a battery cooling device according to the present invention. FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view showing a modification of Embodiment 7 of the battery cooling device according to the present invention. FIG. 13 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of a main part showing an eighth embodiment of a battery cooling device according to the present invention. FIG. 14 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of a main part showing a ninth embodiment of a battery cooling device according to the present invention.

The present invention utilizes the fact that the vicinity of the electrode tabs is insulated by an insulating member instead of newly installing an insulating member in a battery cooling device that uses tab cooling, which is advantageous for miniaturization in the stacking direction of the battery cells. It is.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Below, embodiment of the battery cooling device which concerns on this invention is described in detail based on drawing. In addition, in this embodiment, the case where the battery cell is rectangular (plate-shaped) and the case where the battery cell is laminated will be described separately. Also, the case where the heat transfer member is a heat pipe will be described as an example, but the heat transfer member of the present invention is not limited to the heat pipe, and any member having heat transfer properties may be used.

(Embodiment 1: when the battery cell is rectangular (plate-shaped))
First, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described as an example in which the battery is rectangular (plate-shaped).

As shown in FIG. 1, the battery cooling device 100 according to Embodiment 1 includes a plate-like battery cell main body 20, an electrode tab 22 extending from the battery cell main body 20, and an electrode tab, which will be described later in detail. It is an apparatus for cooling a battery 10 configured by stacking a plurality of battery cells 16 each having an insulating member 24 provided around a cell 22 . In addition, the battery cooling device 100 is arranged to extend between the insulating members 24 and is thermally connected to the heat pipes 12, which are heat transfer members thermally connected to the insulating members 24, and thermally connected to the heat pipes 12, and a cooling means 14 arranged outside the battery 10 . Also, the heat pipe 12 and the cooling means 14 cool the battery cell 16 via the insulating member 24 . For example, the battery cooling device 100 cools the battery 10 mounted on the electric vehicle.

Specifically, the battery 10 is formed by stacking a plurality of rectangular plate-shaped battery cells 16 in the front-rear direction X (stacking direction). Each battery cell 16 includes a battery cell body 20 covered with an electrically insulating case 18, an electrode tab 22 extending from the top of the battery cell body 20 to the outside of the case 18, and an electrode tab 22 provided around the electrode tab 22. and an insulating member 24 .

The electrode 22 tab consists of a pair of a positive electrode tab 22A and a negative electrode tab 22B that are spaced apart in the width direction at the edge of the battery cell body 20 . Specifically, the positive electrode tab 22A and the negative electrode tab 22B are arranged at an upper end portion (plate edge portion) of the battery cell body 20 with a space therebetween in the left-right direction Y (plate width direction).

As shown in FIG. 2, the insulating member 24 is an electrically insulating member that integrally surrounds the lower sides of the positive electrode tab 22A and the negative electrode tab 22B and has an elliptical shape when viewed from above. Note that the insulating member 24 is not limited to an elliptical shape. The insulating member 24 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the case 18 . The insulating member 24 and the case 18 covering the battery cell body 20 may be integrated or separate.

The heat pipe 12 is arranged so as to be thermally connected to at least one insulating member 24 between or outside the positive electrode tab 22A and the negative electrode tab 22B, and is arranged to extend in the stacking direction of the battery cells 16 . Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the heat pipe 12 is arranged in contact with the upper surface of the insulating member 24 between the positive electrode tab 22A and the negative electrode tab 22B of each battery cell 16, It is arranged to extend in the stacking direction X across the members 24 . 1 and 2, the heat pipe 12 may be arranged non-linearly along the contour of the battery cell 16 via at least one bend 26. FIG. The bent portions 26 are bent downward at substantially right angles at the corner portions of the case 18 of the battery cell 16 on both outermost sides in the stacking direction X. As shown in FIG. From there, the heat pipe 12 extends along the outer surface (contour) of the case 18 to the lower end of the case 18 . Therefore, the heat pipes 12 are arranged in a substantially U shape (non-linear shape) when viewed in the horizontal direction Y. As shown in FIG. A heat absorbing portion (evaporating portion) of the heat pipe 12 is formed in contact with each insulating member 24 , and a heat radiating portion (condensing portion) of the heat pipe 12 is formed in the lower end portion of the outermost case 18 .

The heat pipe 12 may have two bent portions 26 as shown in FIG. It can be more than that. With this arrangement, a space on the side away from the battery cell 16 is not required, which is advantageous for miniaturization. Also, part or the whole of the bent portion 26 may be a heat radiation portion (condensation portion) of the heat pipe 12 .

As the heat pipe 12, a well-known structure in which a working fluid such as water is sealed inside a sealed container (container) or a pipeline can be used. In this embodiment, a flat heat pipe is used which is formed by pressing a circular tube to make it thin and flattened.

The cooling means 14 includes a base portion 28 arranged in contact with the heat radiating portion of the heat pipe 12, a fin portion 30, and a cold air portion (not shown). The fin portion 30 is composed of a plurality of metal plates 30A that are vertically spaced apart from each other. A base portion of the metal plate 30A is fixed to a base portion 28 which is a metal plate. A cold air section (not shown) can cool the fin section 30 by blowing cooling air onto the fin section 30 . In addition, the cooling means of the present invention is not limited to this, and a water-cooled cooling means may be used. For example, the cooling means may be configured using a water cooling jacket.

The operation and action of the above configuration will be described.
The heat generated in each battery cell 16 is absorbed by the heat pipe 12 via each insulating member 24, transported to the fin portion 30 or a cooling portion such as a water cooling jacket, and radiated. Thereby, each battery cell 16 can be efficiently cooled.

According to the present embodiment, the heat pipe 12 is disposed in contact with the upper surface of the insulating member 24 between the positive electrode tab 22A and the negative electrode tab 22B of each battery cell 16, so that the battery 10 can be downsized in the vertical direction. becomes possible. Moreover, since it is not necessary to install a new insulating member on the upper end of the electrode tab 22, the cost and the manufacturing process can be reduced. In addition, since the base of the electrode tab 22 closer to the battery cell body 20 is cooled, the cooling performance is improved.

(Embodiment 2: When battery cells are rectangular (plate-shaped))
Next, Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, a battery cooling device 200 according to Embodiment 2 is a modification of Embodiment 1 described above. Three heat pipes 32, 34, and 36 are arranged so as to extend in the stacking direction X of the battery cells 16, respectively, outside the negative electrode tab 22B.

Here, the insulating member 24 of the present embodiment is provided separately and independently around the lower sides of the positive electrode tab 22A and the negative electrode tab 22B. It may integrally surround the lower side of the tab 22B.

Each heat pipe 32 , 34 , 36 is disposed in contact with the left and right side portions of each insulating member 24 and extends to the outer surface of the case 18 via the bent portion 26 which is the corner portion of the case 18 of the outermost battery cell 16 . It extends downward along and is thermally connected to cooling means 14 (not shown).

According to the present embodiment, the heat pipes 32, 34, and 36 are disposed in contact with the left and right side portions of each insulating member 24, so that the size of the battery 10 can be reduced in the vertical direction. Moreover, since it is not necessary to install a new insulating member on the upper end of the electrode tab 22, the cost and the manufacturing process can be reduced. In addition, since the base of the electrode tab 22 closer to the battery cell body 20 is cooled, the cooling performance is improved.

(Embodiment 3: When battery cells are rectangular (plate-shaped))
Next, Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, a battery cooling device 300 according to Embodiment 3 is a modification of Embodiment 2, in which heat pipes 38 are arranged individually for each battery cell 16. is. 5, illustration of the cooling means 14 is omitted.

The heat pipe 38 extends in the left-right direction Y (width direction) of the battery cell 16 between the insulating member 24 around the positive electrode tab 22A and the insulating member 24 around the negative electrode tab 22B in each battery cell 16. placed. Specifically, the heat pipe extends over the boundary of each battery cell 16 and is disposed in contact with the front and rear side portions of each insulating member 24 . It extends downward along the outer surface and is thermally connected to cooling means 14 . Therefore, the heat pipes 38 are arranged in a substantially U shape (non-linear shape) when viewed from the stacking direction X. As shown in FIG.

According to the present embodiment, since the heat pipes 38 are arranged in contact with the front and rear sides of each insulating member 24, the size of the battery 10 can be reduced in the vertical direction. Moreover, since it is not necessary to install a new insulating member on the upper end of the electrode tab 22, the cost and the manufacturing process can be reduced. In addition, since the base of the electrode tab 22 closer to the battery cell body 20 is cooled, the cooling performance is improved.

In this embodiment, the heat pipe 38 is provided for each battery cell 16. However, the present invention is not limited to this. may have been Even if it does in this way, there can exist an effect similar to the above.

(Embodiment 4: When battery cells are rectangular (plate-shaped))
Next, Embodiment 4 of the present invention will be described.

As shown in FIG. 7, in a battery cooling device 400 according to the fourth embodiment, the shape of the heat pipe 38 of the third embodiment is changed to a shape corresponding to the insulating member 24 around the electrode tab 22. A pipe 40 is provided.

The heat pipe 40 is made of a round tube, a flat tube, or a combination thereof, and has a shape corresponding to the insulating member 24 provided around the electrode tab 22 . Specifically, the heat pipe 40 has a shape in which a round tube and a flat tube are combined in the extending direction, and includes a concave portion 42 that is recessed in a substantially U shape when viewed from above. The concave portion 42 has a shape that matches the shape of the insulating member 24 around the positive electrode tab 22A and the negative electrode tab 22B. A front half and a rear half of the insulating member 24 are accommodated in the concave portions 42 of the heat pipes 40 adjacent to each other in the stacking direction X. As shown in FIG. The heat pipes 40 adjacent to each other in the stacking direction X are arranged in contact with each other at portions other than the concave portions 42, but may be arranged close to each other. Also, in order to increase the contact area between the heat pipe 40 and the insulating member 24, the corners of the recess 42 may be embedded with a heat transfer material such as solder, aluminum, graphite, or a combination thereof.

According to the present embodiment, the shape of the heat pipe 40 when viewed from the top is matched with the shape of the insulating member 24 around the electrode tab 22 to increase the contact area between the two, thereby enabling efficient cooling. Moreover, since it is a stable structure capable of eliminating gaps between the heat pipes 40 above the battery cells 16, it has the effect of firmly fixing the battery 10. FIG.

In the present embodiment, the heat pipe 40 is provided for each battery cell 16, but the present invention is not limited to this. may have been Even if it does in this way, there can exist an effect similar to the above.

(Embodiment 5: When electrode tabs are both tabs)
Next, Embodiment 5 of the present invention will be described. This embodiment assumes that the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab extend from both upper and lower end sides of the battery cell body.

As shown in FIG. 8, the electrode tabs 22 consist of a positive electrode tab 22A arranged at the upper edge (one edge) of the battery cell 16 and a negative electrode tab 22A arranged at the lower edge (the other edge) of the battery cell 16. tab 22B. An insulating member 24 is arranged around the positive electrode tab 22A and the negative electrode tab 22B.

The heat pipe 12 is arranged to extend between the electrode tabs 22 adjacent in the stacking direction or between the positive electrode tab 22A and the negative electrode tab 22B of the same battery cell body 20 . Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the heat pipe 12 is arranged so as to extend between the positive electrode tabs 22A and the negative electrode tabs 22B adjacent to each other in the stacking direction X. As shown in FIG. Note that the positive electrode tabs 22A and the negative electrode tabs 22B may be alternately configured for each stacked battery cell 16 . Specifically, when the upper edge of a certain battery cell 16 is the positive electrode tab 22A and the lower edge is the negative electrode tab 22B, the battery cell 16 adjacent to that battery cell 16 has the upper edge of the negative electrode tab 22B. and the lower edge is the positive electrode tab 22A.

The heat pipes 12 are disposed in contact with the side portions of the respective insulating members 24 and extend along the outer surface of the case 18 via bent portions 26 which are corner portions of the case 18 of the outermost battery cell 16 to provide a cooling means. 14 is thermally connected. In the example of FIG. 8, one upper and one lower heat pipes 12 are arranged on one side (right side) of each insulating member 24, but they are arranged on both sides (left and right sides) of each insulating member 24. may be Also, the heat pipe 12 may be arranged in contact with the side portion of the insulating member 24 around the positive electrode tab 22A and the negative electrode tab 22B in each battery cell 16 and extending in the left-right direction Y along the side portion. .

According to this embodiment, the heat pipes 12 are disposed in contact with the side portions of the insulating members 24, so that the size of the battery 10 can be reduced in the vertical direction. Moreover, since it is not necessary to install a new insulating member on the upper end of the electrode tab 22, the cost and the manufacturing process can be reduced. In addition, since the base of the electrode tab 22 closer to the battery cell body 20 is cooled, the cooling performance is improved.

(Embodiment 6: When the battery cell is a laminate type)
Next, Embodiment 6 of the present invention will be described. This embodiment assumes that the battery cell is of a laminate type.

As shown in FIG. 9, the battery cell 16 is a laminated type in which the case 18 and the insulating member 24 are integrated. The positive electrode tab 22A and the negative electrode tab 22B are arranged on the upper edge and lower edge of the battery cell, respectively. The heat pipes 38 of the battery cooling device 600 according to Embodiment 6 are arranged individually for each battery cell 16, as in Embodiment 3 described above.

The heat pipe 38 abuts on the side portion of the insulating member 24 around the positive electrode tab 22A and the negative electrode tab 22B in each battery cell 16 and extends in the horizontal direction Y along the side portion. The heat pipes 38 extend along the outer surface of the case 18 via the bent portions 26 that are the corners of the case 18 and are thermally connected to the cooling means 14 . Note that the heat pipe 38 may be arranged so as to extend between the positive electrode tabs 22A and the negative electrode tabs 22B that are adjacent in the stacking direction X. As shown in FIG.

According to the present embodiment, since the heat pipes 38 are disposed in contact with the side portions of the respective insulating members 24, the size of the battery 10 can be reduced in the vertical direction. Moreover, since it is not necessary to install a new insulating member on the upper end of the electrode tab 22, the cost and the manufacturing process can be reduced. In addition, since the base of the electrode tab 22 closer to the battery cell body 20 is cooled, the cooling performance is improved.

The arrangement of the heat pipes 38 and the cooling means 14 is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the heat pipe 38 may extend vertically away from the corners of the case 18, and the cooling means 14 may be arranged at each extending end. In this case, it is desirable to arrange the extended ends of the heat pipes 38 and the cooling means 14 at positions within the extended height of the electrode tabs 22 in order to reduce the size in the vertical direction.

Further, in the present embodiment, the case where the heat pipe 38 is provided for each battery cell 16 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the heat pipe 38 is provided every two or more battery cells 16 . may have been Even if it does in this way, there can exist an effect similar to the above.

(Embodiment 7: When the battery cell is a laminate type)
Next, Embodiment 7 of the present invention will be described. This embodiment assumes that the battery cell is of a laminate type.

As shown in FIG. 11, a battery cooling device 700 according to Embodiment 7 is obtained by linearizing the heat pipe 38 of Embodiment 6 described above. That is, there is no bent portion 26 in this embodiment.

Specifically, the heat pipes 38 are arranged in contact with the side portions of the insulating member 24 around the positive electrode tab 22A and the negative electrode tab 22B in each battery cell 16 and extend in the left-right direction Y along the side portions. be. One end of the heat pipe 38 extends laterally outward from the case 18, and the cooling means 14 is arranged on the upper and lower surfaces of this extended end. More specifically, the cooling means 14 on the side of the positive electrode tab 22A is arranged on the upper surface of the extended end of the heat pipe 38, and the cooling means 14 on the side of the negative electrode tab 22B is arranged on the lower surface of the extended end of the heat pipe 38. Note that the heat pipe 38 may be arranged so as to extend between the positive electrode tabs 22A and the negative electrode tabs 22B that are adjacent in the stacking direction X. As shown in FIG.

According to the present embodiment, since the heat pipes 38 are disposed in contact with the side portions of the respective insulating members 24, the size of the battery 10 can be reduced in the vertical direction. Moreover, since it is not necessary to install a new insulating member on the upper end of the electrode tab 22, the cost and the manufacturing process can be reduced. In addition, since the base of the electrode tab 22 closer to the battery cell body 20 is cooled, the cooling performance is improved.

The position of the cooling means 14 is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. More specifically, the cooling means 14 on the side of the positive electrode tab 22A is arranged on the lower surface of the extending end of the heat pipe 38, and the cooling means 14 on the side of the negative electrode tab 22B is arranged on the upper surface of the extending end of the heat pipe 38. good too. Even in this way, it is possible to obtain the same effect as described above.

Further, in the present embodiment, the case where the heat pipe 38 is provided for each battery cell 16 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the heat pipe 38 is provided every two or more battery cells 16 . may have been Even if it does in this way, there can exist an effect similar to the above.

(Embodiment 8: when the battery cell is a laminate type)
Next, an eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described. This embodiment assumes that the battery cell is of a laminate type.

As shown in FIG. 13, in a battery cooling device 800 according to Embodiment 8, the heat transfer member is a connection member 44 that thermally connects the heat pipe 38 (or heat pipe 40) and the insulation member 24. It is. The connecting member 44 is made of a single heat transfer material or a plurality of heat transfer materials, which are at least solder, aluminum or graphite. Specifically, the connecting member 44 is provided in the gap between the heat pipe 38 and the insulating member 24 .

In the case of this laminate type battery cell, the case 18 and the insulating member 24 are integrated, so the heat pipe 38 (heat transfer member) is attached to the case 18 (laminate) near the electrode tab 22. . This configuration is synonymous with the configuration in which the heat transfer member is brought into contact with the insulating member shown in the first to fourth embodiments (when the battery cell is rectangular (plate-shaped)).

The connection member 44 can be configured using, for example, a heat transfer material such as solder, aluminum, or graphite, or a combination thereof. As a method of providing the connection member 44, a method of manufacturing the block-shaped connection member 44 in advance, joining it to the lower side of the heat pipe 38 to integrate it, and disposing it on the insulating member 24, A block-shaped connecting member 44 is placed on the insulating member 24, and then the heat pipe 38 is placed on the connecting member 44. After the heat pipe 38 is placed on the insulating member 24, the gap between the two is connected. A method of filling the member 44 and the like are conceivable.

According to the present embodiment, the connection member 44 increases the contact area between the heat pipe 38 and the insulating member 24, thereby improving the cooling performance. Further, since there is no gap between the heat pipe 38 and the insulating member 24, there is an effect that the strength of the portion where the heat pipe 38 is arranged is increased.

(Embodiment 9: When the battery cell is a laminate type)
Next, a ninth embodiment of the present invention will be described. This embodiment assumes that the battery cell is of a laminate type.

As shown in FIG. 14, a battery cooling device 900 according to the ninth embodiment is arranged between the adjacent battery cells 16 in the eighth embodiment described above, and is connected to the cooling means 14 (not shown). It has a heat-conducting plate member 46 that is thermally connected to the pipe 38 .

The plate member 46 is formed by laminating an aluminum plate 48 and a graphite sheet 50 . Aluminum plate 48 is connected to the bottom of connecting member 44 . The graphite sheets 50 are arranged on both sides of the aluminum plate 48 so as to contact the case 18 of the battery cell 16 . The upper portion of the graphite sheet 50 is in contact with the side surface of the connecting member 44 .

The plate member of the present invention is not limited to this, and may be one in which either an aluminum plate or a graphite sheet is arranged. Also, any material may be used as long as it is a heat-conducting plate-like member.

Also, the plate member 46 may be arranged between adjacent battery cells 16 or every two or more battery cells 16 .

According to this embodiment, in addition to tab cooling by the heat pipes 38 , the surfaces of the battery cells 16 can be cooled by the heat conductive plate members 46 . Therefore, the combination with surface cooling improves the cooling performance. In addition, the tub cooling absorbs part of the heat of the battery cells 16, reducing the amount of heat absorbed from the surfaces of the battery cells 16, and reducing the thickness of the heat-conducting plate members 46 sandwiched between the battery cells 16. Therefore, miniaturization in the stacking direction X can be achieved.

In the above embodiment, the cooling means is an air-cooling type cooling means that blows cooling air to the fins. A water-cooled cooling means using a jacket or the like may be used. In this way, it is possible to obtain the same effect as described above.

As described above, according to the battery cooling device of the present invention, the heat transfer member is arranged to extend between the opposing electrode tabs extending from the battery cell body, and is thermally connected to the insulating member. , a cooling means thermally connected to the heat transfer member and disposed outside the battery for cooling the insulating member via the heat transfer member, so that the heat transfer member is disposed between the insulating members around the electrode tabs. are arranged, and the size of the battery can be reduced in the extending direction of the electrode tabs. Moreover, since there is no need to install a new insulating member at the tip of the electrode tab in the extending direction, costs and manufacturing processes can be reduced. Moreover, since the base of the electrode tab closer to the battery cell body is cooled, the cooling performance is improved.

In addition, since the heat transfer member is provided between the electrode tabs rather than on the electrode tabs, it is more resistant to vibration and less likely to break than the above-described conventional device. When the battery is of the laminate type, the electrode tab portion is made thinner than the central portion in the vertical direction of the battery because the foil is collected. Therefore, in the battery cooling device according to the present invention, the space between the electrode tabs is effectively used, and the heat transfer member is placed in this space. Therefore, the battery cooling device according to the present invention does not increase the apparent volume of the battery even if the heat transfer member is placed in the space, so that it can contribute to miniaturization.

10 battery 12, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40 heat pipe (heat transfer member)
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 14 cooling means 16 battery cell 18 case 20 battery cell body 22 electrode tab 22A positive electrode tab 22B negative electrode tab 24 insulating member 26 bending portion 28 base portion 30 fin portion 30A metal plate 42 concave portion 44 connecting member 46 plate-like member 48 aluminum plate 50 graphite Sheet 100 to 900 Battery cooling device X Lamination direction (front-back direction)
Y Horizontal direction

Claims (9)

A battery cooling device for cooling a battery configured by stacking a plurality of battery cells each having a battery cell body, an electrode tab extending from the battery cell body, and an insulating member provided around the electrode tab. and
a heat transfer member disposed extending between the opposing electrode tabs extending from the battery cell body and thermally connected to the insulating member; and a heat transfer member thermally connected to the heat transfer member, the battery and a cooling means arranged outside the
The heat transfer member is arranged non-linearly along the contour of the battery cell via at least one bent portion, and a part or the whole of the bent portion is a condensation portion. Device. The electrode tab consists of a pair of a positive electrode tab and a negative electrode tab that are spaced apart in the width direction at the edge of the battery cell body,
The heat transfer member is arranged so as to be thermally connected to at least one of the insulating member between or outside the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab, and is arranged to extend in the stacking direction of the battery cells. The battery cooling device according to claim 1. The electrode tab is composed of a positive electrode tab arranged at one edge of the battery cell body and a negative electrode tab arranged at the other edge of the battery cell body,
The heat transfer member is arranged to extend between the electrode tabs adjacent in the stacking direction or between the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab of the same battery cell body. Item 1. The battery cooling device according to item 1. 4. The heat transfer member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the heat transfer member is arranged so as to extend in the width direction of the battery cell, and is provided for each battery cell or every two or more battery cells. 1. A battery cooling device according to claim 1. 2. The heat transfer member is a heat pipe having a shape corresponding to the insulating member provided around the electrode tab and having a shape of a round tube, a flat tube, or a combination thereof. 5. The battery cooling device according to any one of 1 to 4 . the heat transfer member comprises a connecting member that thermally connects the heat pipe and the insulating member;
The connection member is made of a single heat transfer material or a plurality of heat transfer materials,
6. The battery cooling device according to claim 5 , wherein the heat transfer material is at least solder, aluminum or graphite. 7. The cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , further comprising a heat-conducting plate-like member disposed between the adjacent battery cells and thermally connected to the heat-conducting member connected to the cooling means. A battery cooling device according to one. 8. The battery cooling device according to claim 7 , wherein the plate-shaped member is arranged between the adjacent battery cells or every two or more of the battery cells. The battery cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the cooling means is water cooling type cooling means.

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