Battery array with multi-piece partition wall structure

Abstract

The invention provides a battery array with a multi-piece partition wall structure. A battery array for a traction battery pack is provided. An exemplary battery array may include a first cell stack sub-assembly including a first split partition wall member and a second cell stack sub-assembly including a second split partition wall member. The first split partition wall member and the second split partition wall member cooperate to establish a partition wall assembly between the first cell stack sub-assembly and the second cell stack sub-assembly. The partition wall assembly can be used to provide a tensile structure necessary to maintain compression of the battery cells, as well as to thermally isolate adjacent cell stack sub-assemblies from each other.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to traction battery packs and, more particularly, to battery arrays including a multi-piece divider wall structure between adjacent battery cell stack subassemblies. Background Art

[0002] An electrified vehicle includes a traction battery pack for powering the vehicle's electric motor and other electrical loads. The traction battery pack includes a plurality of battery cells and various other battery internal components that support electric vehicle propulsion. Summary of the invention

[0003] According to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a battery array for a traction battery pack includes a first battery cell stack subassembly and a second battery cell stack subassembly, wherein the first battery cell stack subassembly includes a first split partition wall component, and the second battery cell stack subassembly includes a second split partition wall component. The first split partition wall component and the second split partition wall component are nested together to establish a partition wall assembly between the first battery cell stack subassembly and the second battery cell stack subassembly.

[0004] In another non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing battery array, the first cell stack subassembly includes a first plurality of battery cells stacked between the first split partition wall member and a first tension plate and further stacked between a first pair of end plates.

[0005] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing battery arrays, the second cell stack subassembly includes a second plurality of battery cells stacked between the second split partition wall member and a second tension plate and further stacked between a second pair of end plates.

[0006] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing battery arrays, a bus bar module is disposed between the first split partition wall member and the first plurality of battery cells.

[0007] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing battery arrays, the first protrusion of the first split partition wall member engages the first channel of the second split partition wall member.

[0008] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing battery arrays, the second protrusion of the second split partition wall member engages the second channel of the first split partition wall member.

[0009] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing battery arrays, each of the first split partition wall member and the second split partition wall member includes a first side having a plurality of rib structures and a second side having at least one channel and at least one protrusion.

[0010] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing battery arrays, the divider wall assembly establishes a central wall of the battery array.

[0011] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing battery arrays, an air gap extends between the first split partition wall member and the second split partition wall member.

[0012] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing battery arrays, the first split wall member and the second split wall member are each made of a glass-filled thermoplastic material.

[0013] According to another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a battery array for a traction battery pack includes, inter alia: a first battery cell stack subassembly; a second battery cell stack subassembly; a partition wall assembly, wherein the partition wall assembly is located between the first battery cell stack subassembly and the second battery cell stack subassembly; and an external array shell, wherein the external array shell surrounds the first battery cell stack subassembly, the second battery cell stack subassembly and the partition wall assembly.

[0014] In another non-limiting embodiment of the aforementioned battery array, the external array shell is established by a top plate, a bottom plate, a first pair of end plates of the first battery cell stack subassembly, a second pair of end plates of the second battery cell stack subassembly, a first tension plate of the first battery cell stack subassembly, a second tension plate of the second battery cell stack subassembly, a first split partition wall component of the first battery cell stack subassembly, and a second split partition wall component of the second battery cell stack subassembly.

[0015] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing battery arrays, the first split partition wall member and the second split partition wall member cooperate to establish the partition wall assembly.

[0016] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing battery arrays, the first split partition wall member of the first cell stack subassembly is nested with the second split partition wall member of the second cell stack subassembly to establish the partition wall assembly.

[0017] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing battery arrays, the first protrusion of the first split partition wall member engages the first channel of the second split partition wall member.

[0018] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing battery arrays, the second protrusion of the second split partition wall member engages the second channel of the first split partition wall member.

[0019] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing battery arrays, each of the first split partition wall member and the second split partition wall member includes a first side having a plurality of rib structures and a second side having at least one channel and at least one protrusion.

[0020] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing battery arrays, an air gap extends between the first split partition wall member and the second split partition wall member.

[0021] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing battery arrays, the first split wall member and the second split wall member are each made of a glass-filled thermoplastic material.

[0022] In another non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing battery arrays, the divider wall assembly establishes a central wall of the battery array.

[0023] The embodiments, examples and alternatives of the preceding paragraphs, claims or the following description and drawings (including any of their various aspects or corresponding individual features) may be adopted independently or in any combination. Features described in conjunction with one embodiment apply to all embodiments, unless such features are incompatible.

[0024] The various features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 An electrified vehicle is schematically shown.

[0026] Figure 2 The battery array of the traction battery pack is shown.

[0027] Figure 3 Shows Figure 2 A battery array with portions removed to illustrate selected internal components of the battery array.

[0028] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 An exploded view of the battery array is shown.

[0029] Figure 5 yes Figures 2 to 4 A plan view of the cell stack subassembly of a battery array.

[0030] Figure 6 yes Figures 2 to 4 Top view of the partition wall assembly of the battery array. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The present disclosure details a battery array for a traction battery pack. An exemplary battery array may include a first cell stack subassembly and a second cell stack subassembly, wherein the first cell stack subassembly includes a first split partition wall member and the second cell stack subassembly includes a second split partition wall member. The first split partition wall member and the second split partition wall member cooperate to establish a partition wall assembly between the first cell stack subassembly and the second cell stack subassembly. The partition wall assembly can be used to provide both the necessary tensile structure for maintaining battery cell compression and thermally isolate adjacent cell stack subassemblies from each other. These and other features are discussed in more detail in the following paragraphs of this specific embodiment.

[0032] Figure 1 An electrified vehicle 10 is schematically shown. The electrified vehicle 10 may include any type of electrified powertrain. In an embodiment, the electrified vehicle 10 is a battery electric vehicle (BEV). However, the concepts described herein are not limited to BEVs and may be extended to other electrified vehicles, including but not limited to hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), fuel cell vehicles, and the like. Therefore, although not specifically shown in the exemplary embodiment, the powertrain of the electrified vehicle 10 may be equipped with an internal combustion engine, which may be employed alone or in combination with other power sources to propel the electrified vehicle 10.

[0033] In the illustrated embodiment, the electrified vehicle 10 is depicted as an automobile. However, the electrified vehicle 10 may alternatively be a sport utility vehicle (SUV), a van, a pickup truck, or any other vehicle configuration. Although specific component relationships are shown in the drawings of the present disclosure, the drawings are not intended to limit the present disclosure. The placement and orientation of the various components of the electrified vehicle 10 are shown schematically and may vary within the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the various drawings attached to the present disclosure are not necessarily drawn to scale, and some features may be enlarged or minimized to emphasize certain details of a particular component or system.

[0034] In an embodiment, the electrified vehicle 10 is a pure electric vehicle that is propelled solely by electricity, such as by one or more electric machines 12, without any assistance from an internal combustion engine. The electric machines 12 may operate as electric motors, generators, or both. The electric machines 12 receive electricity and may convert the electricity into torque for driving one or more wheels 14 of the electrified vehicle 10.

[0035] Voltage bus 16 may electrically couple electric machine 12 to traction battery pack 18. Traction battery pack 18 is an exemplary electrified vehicle battery. Traction battery pack 18 may be a high voltage traction battery pack assembly that includes a plurality of battery cell groups capable of outputting electrical power to power electric machine 12 and / or other electrical loads of electrified vehicle 10. Other types of energy storage devices and / or output devices may alternatively or additionally be used to power electrified vehicle 10.

[0036] The traction battery pack 18 may be secured to an underbody 20 of the electrified vehicle 10 . However, the traction battery pack 18 may be located elsewhere on the electrified vehicle 10 within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 A traction battery pack (e.g., such as Figure 1 An exemplary battery array 22 of a traction battery pack 18). Figures 2 to 4 One or more battery arrays of similar design to the battery array 22 shown in may be packaged within the traction battery pack 18 .

[0038] The battery array 22 may include a plurality of battery cells 24 (see Figure 3 to Figure 4 ). In one embodiment, the battery cells 24 are lithium-ion pouch cells. However, within the scope of the present disclosure, battery cells having other geometries (cylindrical, prismatic, etc.) and / or chemistries (nickel-metal hydride, lead acid, etc.) may alternatively be utilized. The total number of battery cells 24 disposed within the battery array 22 may vary and is not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0039] The battery cells 24 may be grouped together in one or more cell stack subassemblies 26, each of which is arranged to extend along a corresponding stack axis A. In the illustrated embodiment, the battery array 22 includes two cell stack subassemblies 26. However, within the scope of the present disclosure, a greater or lesser number of cell stack subassemblies 26 may be provided in the battery array 22. In one embodiment, the stack axis A is transverse to the longitudinal axis B of the battery array 22. However, other configurations are possible.

[0040] The battery cells 24 of each cell stack subassembly 26 may be electrically connected by a pair of bus bar modules 25. Each bus bar module 25 may include a plurality of bus bars (not shown) that may be coupled to tab terminals (not shown) of the battery cells 24 to electrically connect the battery cells 24 to each other. Once electrically coupled, the battery cells 24 may supply the power necessary to achieve electric propulsion of the electrified vehicle 10.

[0041] The battery cells 24 (and bus bar modules 25) of each cell stack subassembly 26 can be stacked between a pair of end plates 28 along the direction of the stack axis A. The battery cells 24 (and bus bar modules 25) of each cell stack subassembly 26 can also be stacked between the tension plates 30 and the split partition wall members 32 along a direction transverse to the stack axis A. The battery cells 24 can be held in compression between the end plates 28 and between the tension plates 30 and the split partition wall members 32, thereby eliminating the need for compression fixtures when assembling the battery array 22. When the battery array 22 is fully assembled, the bus bar modules 25 can be sandwiched between the battery cells 24 and the tension plates 30 and between the battery cells 24 and the split partition wall members 32.

[0042] The end plates 28, the tension plates 30, the top plates 34, and the bottom plates 36 may cooperate to establish an outer array housing 38 of the battery array 22. The outer array housing 38 may be arranged to substantially surround the various battery internal components of the battery array 22. Two or more of the top plates 34, the bottom plates 36, the end plates 28, and the tension plates 30 may be formed together as a single piece to reduce parts and complexity. For example, the bottom plates 36 and the tension plates 30 may be formed together to establish a U-shaped structure covering the ends and bottom of the battery array 22. However, other configurations are contemplated within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0043] The split partition wall member 32 of one of the cell stack subassemblies 26 may cooperate with the split partition wall member 32 of an adjacent cell stack subassembly 26 to establish a partition wall assembly 40 of the battery array 22 (see Figure 3 ). The partition wall assembly 40 can separate and thermally isolate the cell stack subassemblies 26 from each other. During assembly of the battery array 22, when one of the cell stack subassemblies 26 is moved into an appropriate position adjacent to another of the cell stack subassemblies 26, the split partition wall members 32 can interlock or nest together.

[0044] In the illustrated embodiment, the divider wall assembly 40 is positioned at or near the center of the battery array 22, and thus may be considered to provide a center wall of the battery array 22. However, the divider wall assembly 40 may be located elsewhere along the length of the battery array 22, such as when the battery array 22 includes more than two cell stack subassemblies 26, for example.

[0045] Now the main reference Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 (Continue to refer to Figures 1 to 3), each split partition wall member 32 may include a first side 42 facing the battery cells 24 of the corresponding cell stack subassembly 26 and a second side 44 facing in the direction of the split partition wall member 32 toward the adjacent cell stack subassembly 26. A plurality of rib-like structures 46 may protrude outwardly from the first side 42. The rib-like structures 46 may increase the strength and rigidity of the split partition wall member 32, thereby providing the tensile structure necessary to maintain compression of the battery cells 24 of each cell stack subassembly 26.

[0046] The second side 44 of each split wall member 32 may include one or more channels 48 and one or more protrusions 50. The channels 48 may be sized and shaped to receive the protrusions 50 of an adjacent split wall member 32, and the protrusions 50 may be sized and shaped to engage the channels 48 of an adjacent split wall member 32. Thus, the split wall members 32 can interlock / nest together to form the wall assembly 40 during assembly of the battery array 22.

[0047] The split partition wall members 32 may be designed to interlock with each other in a manner that creates an air gap 52 therebetween. The air gap 52 may increase thermal resistance and slow heat transfer between adjacent cell stack subassemblies 26 within the battery array 22.

[0048] Each split partition wall member 32 can be made of a material that can provide a desired level of tensile strength while also providing electrical insulation qualities. In one embodiment, the split partition wall member 32 is made of glass-filled polyamide (GF PA6) or long glass-filled polypropylene (LGPP). However, other materials may be suitable within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0049] An exemplary battery array of the present disclosure includes a partition wall assembly that separates adjacent cell stack subassemblies from each other. The partition wall assembly can be established by interlocking or nesting split partition wall members, which can be used to both provide the necessary tensile structure for maintaining battery cell compression and thermally isolate adjacent cell stack subassemblies from each other.

[0050] Although different non-limiting embodiments are shown as having specific components or steps, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to these specific combinations. Some components or features from any of the non-limiting embodiments may be used in combination with features or components from any of the other non-limiting embodiments.

[0051] It should be understood that like reference numerals identify corresponding or similar elements throughout the several drawings.It should be understood that although particular component arrangements are disclosed and shown in these exemplary embodiments, other arrangements may also benefit from the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0052] The foregoing description should be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that certain modifications may occur within the scope of the present disclosure. For these reasons, the attached claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A battery array for a traction battery pack, comprising: A first battery cell stack sub-assembly, wherein the first battery cell stack sub-assembly includes a first split partition wall component; as well as A second battery cell stack sub-assembly, wherein the second battery cell stack sub-assembly includes a second split partition wall component, The first split partition wall component and the second split partition wall component are nested together to establish a partition wall assembly between the first battery cell stack sub-assembly and the second battery cell stack sub-assembly.

2. A battery array as described in claim 1, wherein the first battery cell stack subassembly includes a first plurality of battery cells stacked between the first split partition wall member and the first tension plate and further stacked between a first pair of end plates, and optionally, the battery array includes a bus bar module arranged between the first split partition wall member and the first plurality of battery cells.

3. The battery array of claim 2, wherein the second cell stack subassembly comprises a second plurality of battery cells stacked between the second split partition wall member and a second tension plate and further stacked between a second pair of end plates.

4. A battery array as described in any preceding claim, wherein the first protrusion of the first split partition wall member engages the first channel of the second split partition wall member, and optionally, wherein the second protrusion of the second split partition wall member engages the second channel of the first split partition wall member.

5. The battery array of any preceding claim, wherein each of the first split partition wall member and the second split partition wall member comprises a first side having a plurality of rib-like structures and a second side having at least one channel and at least one protrusion.

6. A battery array as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the divider wall assembly establishes a central wall of the battery array.

7. A battery array as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising an air gap between the first split partition wall member and the second split partition wall member.

8. The battery array of any preceding claim, wherein the first split wall member and the second split wall member are each comprised of a glass-filled thermoplastic material.

9. A battery array for a traction battery pack, comprising: The first battery cell stack sub-assembly; The second battery cell stack sub-assembly; A partition wall assembly, wherein the partition wall assembly is located between the first battery cell stack sub-assembly and the second battery cell stack sub-assembly; as well as An external array shell surrounds the first battery cell stack sub-assembly, the second battery cell stack sub-assembly and the partition wall assembly.

10. A battery array as described in claim 9, wherein the external array shell is established by a top plate, a bottom plate, a first pair of end plates of the first battery cell stack subassembly, a second pair of end plates of the second battery cell stack subassembly, a first tension plate of the first battery cell stack subassembly, a second tension plate of the second battery cell stack subassembly, a first split partition wall component of the first battery cell stack subassembly and a second split partition wall component of the second battery cell stack subassembly, and further, wherein the first split partition wall component and the second split partition wall component cooperate to establish the partition wall assembly.

11. A battery array as described in claim 9 or 10, wherein the first split partition wall member of the first battery cell stack subassembly and the second split partition wall member of the second battery cell stack subassembly are nested together to establish the partition wall assembly, and optionally, the battery array includes an air gap between the first split partition wall member and the second split partition wall member.

12. The battery array of claim 11, wherein the first protrusion of the first split partition wall member engages the first channel of the second split partition wall member, and optionally, wherein the second protrusion of the second split partition wall member engages the second channel of the first split partition wall member. 13 . The battery array of claim 11 , wherein each of the first split partition wall member and the second split partition wall member includes a first side having a plurality of rib structures and a second side having at least one channel and at least one protrusion.

14. The battery array of claim 11, wherein the first split wall member and the second split wall member are each composed of a glass-filled thermoplastic material.

15. The battery array of any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein the partition wall assembly establishes a central wall of the battery array.

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