US2012301768A1PendingUtilityA1

Battery cell design and method of cooling battery cells

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Assignee: RAMAMURTHI BADRI NARAYANPriority: May 27, 2011Filed: May 27, 2011Published: Nov 29, 2012
Est. expiryMay 27, 2031(~4.8 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Badri Narayan RamamurthiSatoshi AtsuchiAndrey MeshkovMohamed RahmaneSvetlana Selezneva
Y02E60/10H01M 4/765H01M 10/654H01M 10/613H01M 10/6561H01M 10/3909H01M 10/399
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Claims

Abstract

The battery cell design includes a battery cell component comprises a current conducting element, that includes at least a portion that is hollow, further component is configured to be located within a battery cell. Another embodiment of the component comprises a first element that defines a first fluid path therein; and a second element that defines a second fluid path, wherein the two fluid paths are in communication with each other, further wherein the battery cell component is configured to conduct electric current. A battery cell and battery cell assembly that uses the component, and a method of cooling a battery assembly is also disclosed. The present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiment(s), and it is recognized that equivalents, alternatives, and modifications, aside from those expressly stated, are possible and within the scope of the appending claims.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A battery cell component comprising:
 a current conducting element, wherein a portion of the current conducting element is hollow, thereby defining a fluid path containing a fluid therein wherein at least one end of said fluid path is open to an exterior of said current collector, further wherein the battery cell component is configured to be located within a battery cell, further wherein the battery cell is configured to operate at a temperature in a range from about 280° C. to about 350° C. and further wherein the battery cell comprises a sodium-based battery cell.   
     
     
         2 . A battery cell component comprising:
 a first element defining a first fluid path therein; and   a second element, defining a second fluid path, wherein the second fluid path is in fluid communication with the first fluid path, further wherein the battery cell component is configured to conduct electric current.   
     
     
         3 . The battery cell component of  claim 2 , wherein the first element and the second element are substantially longitudinal. 
     
     
         4 . The battery cell component of  claim 2 , wherein the first element and the second element are substantially concentric. 
     
     
         5 . The battery cell component of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first element and the second element are substantially helical. 
     
     
         6 . The battery cell component of  claim 2 , wherein an outer surface of the first element and the second element comprises one of a metal and an alloy. 
     
     
         7 . The battery cell component of  claim 2 , wherein the battery cell component is configured for use in a sodium-based battery cell. 
     
     
         8 . The battery cell component of  claim 2 , wherein a fluid in the first fluid path and the second fluid path comprises one of a gas, a liquid, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The battery cell component of  claim 8 , wherein the gas comprises air. 
     
     
         10 . A battery cell comprising:
 a case housing containing:   a cathode;   an anode surrounding the cathode; and   the battery cell component of  claim 2 , wherein the battery cell component is located within the cathode.   
     
     
         11 . A battery cell comprising:
 an anode;   a cathode in communication with the anode; and   a current collector, wherein a portion of the current collector is hollow, thereby defining a fluid path containing a fluid therein, wherein at least one end of said fluid path is open to an exterior of said current collector; wherein the battery cell is configured to operate at a temperature in a range from about 280° C. to about 350° C. and further wherein the batter cell comprises a sodium-based battery cell.   
     
     
         12 . The battery cell of  claim 11 , wherein the current collector comprises a substantially longitudinal current collector. 
     
     
         13 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The battery cell of  claim 11 , wherein the fluid comprises one of a liquid, a gas, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The battery cell of  claim 15 , wherein the gas comprises air. 
     
     
         17 . The battery cell of  claim 11 , wherein the substantially longitudinal current collector comprises one of a metal and an alloy. 
     
     
         18 . A battery pack assembly comprising:
 a plurality of battery cells in electrical communication, wherein each of the plurality of battery cells comprise:   an anode;   a cathode in communication with the anode; and   a current collector, wherein a portion of the current collector is hollow, thereby defining a fluid path therein; and   a cooling system in fluid communication with the fluid path, the cooling system comprising at least one fluid channel.   
     
     
         19 . The battery pack assembly of  claim 18 , the cooling system further comprising a pump configured to pump a fluid through one of the fluid path and the at least one fluid channel. 
     
     
         20 . The battery pack assembly of  claim 18 , wherein a fluid in the fluid path and the at least one fluid channel comprises one of a liquid, a gas, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The battery pack assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the gas comprises air. 
     
     
         22 . The battery pack assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of battery cells comprise sodium-based battery cells. 
     
     
         23 . The battery pack assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one fluid channel and the fluid path comprises a closed loop system. 
     
     
         24 . The battery pack assembly of  claim 23 , the cooling system further comprising a heat exchanger configured to release heat from the fluid. 
     
     
         25 . The battery pack assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one fluid channel and the fluid path comprises an open loop system. 
     
     
         26 . A method of cooling comprising:
 connecting a cooling system to a battery pack assembly, said battery pack assembly comprising a plurality of battery cells electrically connected to each other, the cooling system comprising at least one fluid channel containing a fluid therein, the at least one fluid channel being in thermal communication with the plurality of battery cells;   circulating a fluid in the least one fluid channel, thereby controlling a temperature of the plurality of battery cells.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , the plurality of battery cells each comprise a current collector, wherein a portion of the current collector is hollow, thereby defining a fluid path therein;
 the at least one fluid channel in fluidic communication with the fluid path.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , the plurality of battery cells comprising sodium-based battery cells. 
     
     
         29 . The battery cell of  claim 11 , wherein said fluid path circulates in and out of said current collector. 
     
     
         30 . The battery cell component of  claim 1 , wherein said fluid path circulates in and out of said current collector. 
     
     
         31 . The battery cell component of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises air.

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