Battery module and method of manufacturing battery module

Abstract

The invention relates to a battery module and a method of manufacturing the same. A battery module having an in-situ formed thermal management component made of a flowable material for conducting heat from battery cells inside the battery module to a heat sink located outside the battery module during use of the battery module. In some embodiments, the battery module has a housing made of a relatively lightweight material having a relatively low thermal conductivity, and the in-situ formed thermal management component is made of a material having a thermal conductivity that is higher than the thermal conductivity of the housing material. Methods of manufacturing such in-situ formed thermal management components are also disclosed.

Description

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of electrochemical cells. In particular, the present disclosure relates to battery modules having formed-in-place thermal-management components, and methods of making such battery modules.

[0003] background

[0004] In some conventional designs, for example, a battery module is composed of battery cells (such as a stack of pouch-type electrochemical cells) housed in a rigid housing made of a resin-based material (such as resin-impregnated carbon fiber cloth). The housing in such a module has a relatively low thermal conductivity, typically on the order of 0.2 W / mK to 0.3 W / mK. When the module does not include any thermal management components (such as a heat sink), thermal excursions can cause the battery management system to stop charging or discharging, depending on the operating mode during the thermal excursion. Of course, both stopping charging and stopping discharging can seriously affect the operation of the electrical devices / equipment powered by the battery module.

[0005] In other conventional designs, battery modules with composite housings include thermal management components, such as an aluminum plate integrated into the bottom wall of the housing to serve as a heat sink for the battery cells. The aluminum plate is located in an opening in the bottom wall and extends from the exterior of the housing to the interior of the housing and is placed in thermal communication with the battery cells, with an electrical insulator typically placed between the battery cells and the aluminum plate to keep the battery cells electrically isolated within the housing. While the aluminum plate allows for thermal management of the battery cells, it nearly doubles the weight of the housing, negatively impacting the gravimetric energy density of the battery module.

[0006] Overview of the Disclosure

[0007] In one embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a battery module comprising a shell surrounding a first interior space, the shell having a wall, the wall being formed of a first dielectric material and having an outer side; a battery core comprising one or more electrochemical cells; and an in-situ formed thermal management component extending through the wall of the shell so that during use of the battery module, when the battery core generates heat, the in-situ formed thermal management component can conduct heat from the battery core to the outer side of the wall.

[0008] In some embodiments, the wall includes a plurality of holes, and the formed-in-place thermal management component extends through the wall via the plurality of holes.

[0009] In some embodiments, the formed-in-place thermal management component has an outer portion extending over the plurality of holes.

[0010] In some embodiments, the formed-in-place thermal management component is comprised of a thermal adhesive.

[0011] In some embodiments, the formed-in-place thermal management component is made of a second dielectric material different from the first dielectric material.

[0012] In some embodiments, the second dielectric material has a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W / mK.

[0013] In some embodiments, the second dielectric material has a thermal conductivity greater than 1.0 W / mK.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first dielectric material has a thermal conductivity less than 0.5 W / mK.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first dielectric material has a thermal conductivity less than 0.3 W / mK.

[0016] In some embodiments, the outer side of the wall has an outer surface, and the formed-in-place thermal management component has an outer portion having an outer surface spaced apart from the outer surface of the wall.

[0017] In some embodiments, the wall includes a plurality of holes, and the formed-in-place thermal management component extends through the wall via the plurality of holes, and the outer portion extends over the plurality of holes.

[0018] In some embodiments, the formed-in-place thermal management component is adhesively bonded to the battery cell.

[0019] In some embodiments, the housing has a rectangular cross-sectional shape.

[0020] In some embodiments, the battery cell includes a plurality of pouch-type electrochemical cells.

[0021] In some embodiments, each electrochemical cell is a lithium cell.

[0022] In some embodiments, each electrochemical cell is a lithium metal cell.

[0023] In some embodiments, the wall is a bottom wall of the housing.

[0024] In some embodiments, the housing has a circular cross-sectional shape.

[0025] In some embodiments, the wall is an end wall of the housing.

[0026] In some embodiments, the housing encloses a second interior space, and the second interior space includes battery management system circuitry in operative communication with the battery cells.

[0027] In another embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a battery module. The method includes providing a battery module, wherein the battery module includes a housing, the housing enclosing an interior space and having a wall composed of a first dielectric material and having an outer side, the wall having a plurality of holes, the interior space accommodating a battery cell; applying a flowable material to the wall so as to flow through the plurality of holes and into the interior space, and contacting the battery cell and filling the plurality of holes; and curing the flowable material to produce a formed-in-place thermal management component, the formed-in-place thermal management component conducts heat generated by the battery cell during use through the wall of the housing.

[0028] In some embodiments, the interior space houses a battery core, and applying the flowable material to the wall includes applying a flowable thermally conductive material such that the flowable thermally conductive material contacts the battery core.

[0029] In some embodiments, the flowable material includes a thermally conductive adhesive.

[0030] In some embodiments, the method further comprises engaging a thermal management component forming tool with the housing prior to applying the flowable material.

[0031] In some embodiments, the plurality of holes are distributed over an open area of ​​the wall having a first area; the thermal management component forming tool includes an opening having a second area equal to or greater than the first area; and engaging the thermal management component forming tool with the shell includes engaging the thermal management component forming tool with the shell so that the opening is aligned with the open area of ​​the wall.

[0032] In some embodiments, the thermal management component forming tool has a frame defining the opening and configured to engage the wall outside the aperture area, the frame having a first thickness for defining an edge of an outer portion of the formed-in-place thermal management component.

[0033] In some embodiments, the wall is made of a first dielectric material.

[0034] In some embodiments, the formed-in-place thermal management component is made of a second dielectric material different from the first dielectric material.

[0035] In some embodiments, the second dielectric material has a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W / mK.

[0036] In some embodiments, the second dielectric material has a thermal conductivity greater than 1.0 W / mK.

[0037] In some embodiments, the first dielectric material has a thermal conductivity less than 0.5 W / mK.

[0038] In some embodiments, the first dielectric material has a thermal conductivity less than 0.3 W / mK. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] For the purpose of illustrating the present disclosure, the accompanying drawings show aspects of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the precise arrangements and instruments shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0041] Figure 1A is a bottom isometric view of a battery module of the present disclosure including a housing having an integrated formed-in-place thermal management component;

[0042] Figure 1B yes Figure 1A a bottom isometric view of a battery module showing the housing prior to forming a formed-in-place thermal management component;

[0043] Figure 1C It is along Figure 1A An enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 1C-1C of the battery module, showing some internal components of the battery module omitted, and for simplicity, the battery cells and electronic devices are shown in the form of a dotted block diagram;

[0044] Figure 2A yes Figure 1A and Figure 1B a reduced size bottom isometric view of the main body of the housing;

[0045] Figure 2B yes Figure 2A A top isometric view of the subject;

[0046] Figure 3A yes Figure 1B A reduced scale isometric view of a battery module of FIG. 1 showing a thermal management component forming tool engaged with the battery module;

[0047] Figure 3B yes Figure 1B A reduced scale isometric view of a battery module with a thermal management component forming tool fully engaged with the battery module;

[0048] Figure 3C After applying a flowable material as a precursor to a formed-in-place thermal management component, Figure 3B An isometric view of a battery module and a joined thermal management component forming tool;

[0049] Figure 4Ais an isometric view of a cylindrical battery module of the present disclosure including a housing having formed-in-place thermal management features integrated into a sidewall of the housing;

[0050] Figure 4B yes Figure 4A an isometric view of a cylindrical battery module of , showing a housing without a thermal management component formed in place and having a thermal management component forming tool engaged therewith;

[0051] Figure 5A is an isometric view of a cylindrical battery module of the present disclosure including a housing having formed-in-place thermal management features integrated into end walls of the housing; and

[0052] Figure 5B yes Figure 5A An isometric view of a cylindrical battery module showing a housing without a thermal management component formed in place and having a thermal management component forming tool engaged therewith.

[0053] Detailed Description

[0054] In some aspects, the present disclosure relates to battery modules, each of which includes a housing having an integrated in-situ formed thermal management component. As described in the background section above, battery modules with resin-based housings can be lightweight, but they generally lack the ability to thermally manage the battery modules. Also as described in the background section above, aluminum thermal management components can be added to the battery modules to help thermally manage the battery modules. However, the addition of aluminum thermal management components comes at the expense of significantly increasing the weight of the battery modules. In contrast, it will be apparent from reading the entire contents of the present disclosure that the battery modules of the present disclosure including at least one in-situ formed thermal management component integrated with the housing can provide the battery modules with light weight and good thermal management performance.

[0055] In the context of the present disclosure, including the appended claims, the term "battery module" includes any combination of a housing and a battery cell contained in the housing, and includes one or more electrochemical cells. For example, a battery module of the present disclosure may be a battery module having a battery cell consisting of a plurality of pouch-type batteries and a housing containing the pouch-type batteries. In some embodiments of such a battery module, a plurality of pouch-type batteries may be wrapped to form a single stack of such batteries, or the pouch-type batteries may not be wrapped and may be held together with each other in a manner other than wrapping. As the case may be, the housing of such a battery module may or may not contain a battery management system (BMS) circuit and / or other electronic devices. In some embodiments of such a battery module, the housing may have a rectangular prism shape. In this case, the term "rectangular prism shape" allows the corners and / or edges of the housing to be rounded while not destroying the overall rectangular nature of the housing. In Figure 1A to Figure 3CAn example of a battery module having a rectangular prism shape is shown in FIG.

[0056] As another example, a battery module of the present disclosure may be a battery module having a battery cell contained in a housing and composed of a spirally wound jelly roll, the jelly roll including, for example, an anode layer, a separator layer, and a cathode layer, possibly including other and / or alternative layers. The jelly roll may be contained in a suitable container, for example, with an electrolyte. In such an example, the housing may be cylindrical in shape. FIG. 4A to FIG. 5B An example of a battery module having a cylindrical housing is shown in FIG.

[0057] Each electrochemical cell can have any suitable chemistry (e.g., lithium-based, sodium-based, potassium-based, lead-based, sulfur-based, etc.) and any suitable type (e.g., intercalation / deintercalation or plating / stripping between different electrodes, or a combination thereof). For example, each electrochemical cell can have a lithium-based chemistry and be a lithium-ion type or a lithium-metal type having a lithium-ion anode and a lithium-metal anode, respectively. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that a wide range of electrochemical cells can be used in the battery modules of the present disclosure.

[0058] In some embodiments, a battery module of the present disclosure includes a housing that surrounds at least one internal space containing a battery core. The housing has at least one wall, and at least one formed-in-situ thermal management component is integrated with the at least one wall. In some instances, before integrating one or more formed-in-situ thermal management components, some or all of the housings are made of a dielectric material, such as a resin-based material, for example, a resin-based composite material. In one example, the resin-based composite material includes one or more layers of impregnable fabric and / or other reinforcing impregnating materials and / or is covered with one or more suitable resins. In some embodiments, the thermal conductivity of such a material is less than 0.5 W / mK or in the range of about 0.2 W / mK to 0.46 W / mK, or the like. As will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, thermal conductivity is considered to be low and ineffective in the case of thermal management of a battery module.

[0059] For each thermal management component formed in situ, the corresponding shell wall may be provided with a plurality of holes that extend completely through the wall and are arranged, for example, in a regular or irregular manner. The shape of each hole may be any desired shape, such as circular, rectangular, elliptical, polygonal, etc. The number and size of the holes may be determined based on the thermal conductivity area of ​​the thermal management component formed in situ required to conduct heat from the battery core in the interior space of the shell to the exterior of the shell. This is because, when the thermal conductivity of the thermal management component formed in situ is significantly higher than the thermal conductivity of the shell wall, the main thermal path from the battery core to the exterior of the shell is through the material of the thermal management component formed in situ within the holes in the wall. Other considerations for determining the size and / or number of holes for each thermal management component formed in situ may include, but are not limited to, the required strength of the wall containing the hole, the flow characteristics of each flowable material used to form the thermal management component formed in situ, and the location requirements of the flowable material within the interior space of the shell to provide the necessary thermal conductivity function of the thermal management component formed in situ. Those skilled in the art will understand the considerations required when determining the size, shape and number of holes required for a particular application.

[0060] In the context of the present disclosure, including in the appended claims, when modifying "thermal management component", the term "formed in situ" means that the thermal management component is formed by applying, bonding, injecting, etc., to the wall at least one flowable material (which is a precursor to the formed in situ thermal management component) so that the flowable material flows at least into the corresponding hole, into the interior space of the housing, to the extent permitted by one or more internal structures (e.g., battery cells, wires, cables, etc.), and optionally, onto the exterior portion of the wall at the hole area or at the opening area. Once the one or more flowable materials have been applied, and optionally shaped or otherwise processed (e.g., spread, leveled, etc.), it / they are allowed to cure into a final usable form, i.e., the formed in situ thermal management component. In this case, "curing" and similar terms mean that each flowable material loses its flowability, regardless of the mechanism involved (e.g., cross-linking (with or without an activator and / or with or without an external stimulus), curing, drying, degassing, etc.). It should also be noted that in the context of "curing", the term "allowing" includes not only passive allowing (e.g., by the passage of time), but also active allowing, such as but not limited to applying heat and / or applying another type of electromagnetic radiation (e.g., ultraviolet light, microwaves, etc.), as well as other applications. Other terms encompassed by "curing" include, but are not limited to, "hardening", "maturation", "solidification", etc.

[0061] Each flowable material can be any suitable flowable material having a sufficiently high thermal conductivity to conduct the expected heat. In some embodiments, it is desirable that the thermal conductivity of each flowable material is greater than about 1 W / mK, such as in the range of about 1 W / mK to about 4 W / mK, or about 4 W / mK or greater. In some embodiments, it is desirable that each flowable material and the resulting formed-in-place thermal management component is a dielectric material to improve the electrical safety of the battery module.

[0062] In some embodiments, it is desirable that the entire housing be made of a lightweight material (such as a lightweight fiber reinforced resin composite or plastic, such as a thermosetting plastic) and especially a lightweight material that is a dielectric material. Compared to a similar battery module having an aluminum housing or one or more metal thermal management components, the battery module has relatively greater electrical safety when both the housing and the formed-in-place thermal management components are non-conductive.

[0063] Typically, lightweight housing materials have relatively low thermal conductivity. For example, as described above, some desired fiber reinforced resin composites have thermal conductivities in the range of about 0.2 W / mK to about 0.3 W / mK, which is too low to effectively conduct heat away from the battery cell. However, when such materials are used in combination with a flowable material having a suitably high thermal conductivity (such as, for example, greater than about 1 W / mK, such as in the range of about 1 W / mK to about 4 W / mK, or about 4 W / mK or more), the thermal conductivity is increased by about 4 times to about 6 times or more. In some embodiments, the flowable material can be a thermal adhesive such as, for example, available from ITW Performance Polymers of Denver, Massachusetts. Thermal adhesive, or other thermal adhesive.

[0064] In some embodiments, one or more spaces filled with flowable material are located between the battery core and the inner surface of the wall containing multiple holes. In some cases, one or more spaces are provided by, for example, using a spacer, one or more retaining members to maintain the gap between the wall and the battery core, or simply by making the internal space of the housing larger than the battery core. In the case of the last example, the battery core can float freely in the internal space of the housing, and when the flowable material is provided when the perforated wall is facing upward, the battery core settles on the lower side of the internal space, creating a gap between the perforated wall and the battery core. After the flowable material has been installed to fill the gap and has been cured, the resulting portion of the thermal management component formed in situ can at least hold the battery core firmly in place by completely filling the gap and in some instances by adhesive bonding to the battery core. In some cases, one or more spaces are provided by forming one or more corresponding grooves in the wall on the inside. In some cases, one or more spaces are provided by a combination of maintaining a gap and forming one or more grooves. When one or more grooves are provided on the inside of the perforated wall, one or more holes can be in fluid communication with each groove. For example, when the holes are arranged in linear rows, the holes in one or more rows can be in fluid communication with corresponding linear channels formed in the inner surface of the wall. The locations of the holes and any internal grooves provided can be coordinated with the locations on the battery pack with thermal contacts between the formed-in-place thermal management components and the battery pack.

[0065] In some embodiments, the formed-in-place thermal management component includes an outer portion that is located on the outer surface of the aperture wall and extends over the hole so that the hole is obscured when the battery module is viewed from a distance. In some cases, the outer portion has a uniform thickness and can be characterized as a sheet or plate. In some cases, the outer portion protrudes from the surrounding portion of the outer surface of the aperture wall. In some cases, the outer portion is located in a groove formed in the outer surface of the aperture wall. In some cases, the outer portion is partially located in a groove formed in the outer surface and protrudes from the surrounding portion of the outer surface.

[0066] In some aspects, the present disclosure relates to a method of manufacturing a battery module of the present disclosure, the battery module including at least one formed-in-place thermal management component. In some embodiments, before forming the formed-in-place thermal management component, the battery module may include a housing that surrounds an interior space that houses a battery cell, the housing having a wall that includes a plurality of holes for mounting a flowable material to the battery module. As described above, the flowable material is a precursor to the formed-in-place thermal management component and is installed into the interior space of the housing so as to contact the battery cell and fill the holes and extend to the outside of the wall. In this way, when the flowable material has solidified into the formed-in-place thermal management component and when the battery cell generates heat, the formed-in-place thermal management component can operate to transfer heat from the battery cell to the outside of the housing.

[0067] In some embodiments, the method of manufacturing the battery module of the present disclosure may further include applying a flowable material to the outer surface of the wall containing the hole, so that when the flowable material has solidified into the formed-in-place thermal management component, the formed-in-place thermal management component has a portion inside the shell and a portion outside the shell that is integrally formed with the portion of the formed-in-place thermal management component contained in the hole. In this way, a continuous flow path exists within the formed-in-place thermal management component for heat from the battery cell.

[0068] In some embodiments, a thermal management component forming tool is used to form a portion of a formed-in-place thermal management component that resides on an exterior of a wall containing a hole. In some examples, the thermal management component forming tool has a frame defining an opening that is sized to correspond to a desired size of the portion of the formed-in-place thermal management component on the exterior of the wall. In some examples, the thickness of the frame is equal to or greater than the thickness of the amount of flowable material applied to the exterior of the wall to produce the portion of the formed-in-place thermal management component. For example, the following in conjunction with Figure 5B Other Examples are Described. The foregoing aspects and other aspects of the present disclosure are exemplified by the remainder of this detailed description section and the accompanying drawings.

[0069] Now referring to the accompanying drawings, Figures 1A to 3C Shown are: 1) an exemplary formed-in-place thermal management component 100 ( Figure 1A and Figure 1C ), which is part of an exemplary battery module 104; and 2) an exemplary method of manufacturing a formed-in-place thermal management component ( FIG. 3A to FIG. 3C ). Figure 1A and Figure 1C Each shows a battery module 104 with a formed-in-place thermal management component 100 in place, and Figure 1B FIG. 2 shows a battery module prior to forming a formed-in-place thermal management component. Figure 1A and Figure 1BAs shown in each of the examples, the battery module 104 includes a housing 108 having a generally rectangular prism shape and including a body 108MB and first and second end closures 108EC(1) and 108EC(2) that close opposite ends of the body. For completeness, Figure 2A and Figure 2B The battery module 104 ( Figure 1A ) is a view of the main body 108MB of the housing 108 before being constructed.

[0070] In addition to Figure 1A to Figure 3C In embodiments of the battery module other than the one shown, the housing may have another shape, such as cylindrical, etc., and / or may be constructed in another manner, such as using two complete halves joined at an open end in the middle of the battery module (i.e., with end closures in place), etc. Figure 1A and Figure 1B For the battery module 104 shown, the position of such a connection between the two halves can be, for example, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the battery module (see, for example, Figure 1A 104LA) or parallel to the longitudinal axis 104LA. It should be noted that the shape and size of the housing (here housing 108) can be any suitable shape and size for the design of the battery module in question. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate the many shapes and sizes that the housing 108 can take, and the examples shown herein are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Generally, the primary consideration for the housing 108 is that the housing 108 has at least one wall, such as wall 108W, or that one or more portions of the housing 108 can accommodate a formed-in-place thermal management component 100. Each end closure 108EC(1) and 108EC(2) can be any suitable end closure, such as the end closure 108EC(1) shown including an electrical connector 112, and so on.

[0071] like Figure 1CAs shown, in this example, the housing 108 defines two interior spaces 116 (1) and 116 (2), which respectively house a battery cell 120 and an electronic device 124, such as, for example, a battery management system (BMS) and associated circuits. The battery cell 120 can be any suitable battery cell based on any suitable chemistry as described above. For example, the battery cell 120 can include one or more individual batteries (e.g., pouch-type batteries), and when multiple batteries are present, they can be stacked on top of each other. The battery chemistry can involve suitable active ion species, such as lithium, sodium, potassium, sulfur, lead, and any suitable electrolyte in any suitable form, such as liquid, gel and / or solid. Each electrode can be of any suitable type, such as a plating / stripping type or an embedding / de-embedding type. In a non-limiting example, the battery cell 120 includes a plurality of lithium metal batteries stacked on top of each other along a stacking direction 120SD, in which example, the lithium metal batteries extend perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 104LA. In this particular example, the housing 108 is specifically designed to apply pressure to the battery cells 120 in the stacking direction 120SD and to resist pressure that builds up within the battery cells when the anodes (not shown) are plated with lithium during charging. One skilled in the art will understand how to design the housing 108 to handle such pressure from the battery cells 120. In some embodiments, it is not necessary to provide the second interior space 116(2) because any electronic devices 124 (if any) may be located elsewhere.

[0072] like Figure 1B , Figure 1C and Figure 2A As shown, in this example, the wall 108W has a plurality of holes 108A (only a few are labeled to avoid clutter) arranged in a pattern having an open area 128. The holes 108A are provided for two purposes. First, the holes 108A allow for the thermal management component 100 (formed in place) to be Figure 1A ) of a precursor flowable material 300 ( Figure 3C ) flows through the wall 108W and into the interior space 116 (1) to contact the battery cell 120. Second, the hole 108A provides an in-situ thermal management component 100 ( Figure 1A ) to provide an overall continuous path for heat flow from the battery cells to the exterior of the module. In this manner and during use of the battery module 104, the formed-in-place thermal management component 100 can conduct heat from the battery cells 120 to a heat sink (not shown) that is in thermal communication with the formed-in-place thermal management component exterior to the battery module to assist in thermal management of the battery module.

[0073] Depending on the thermal conductivities of the wall 108W and the formed-in-place thermal management component 100, respectively, the number and / or size of the holes 108A may vary. For example, when the thermal conductivity of the wall 108W is relatively low, such as when the wall is made of a lightweight composite material having a relatively very low thermal conductivity, the number of holes 108A may need to be greater than the number of holes required for a situation where the thermal conductivity of the wall is higher. Additionally or alternatively, in such a situation, the size of the holes 108A may become larger for the lower thermal conductivity material. Thus, depending on the type of battery module 104 in question (e.g., lithium metal versus lithium ion), the housing 108 and therefore the wall 108W may need to carry relatively large loads, such as tensile loads in the case of a lithium metal battery cell 120, where the wall must carry a relatively large tensile load. In such a situation, care must be taken to ensure that the wall 108W itself or the composite formed by the wall and the formed-in-place thermal management component 100 is strong enough to carry such loads. Those skilled in the art will be able to design housing 108 (including the size and number of apertures 108A), as well as the pattern of apertures in aperture region 128, for the specific conditions and design requirements of battery module 104 without undue experimentation.

[0074] refer to Figure 1C as well as Figure 1A In this example, the formed-in-place thermal management component 100 includes an outer portion 100E located on the outer surface 108ES of the wall 108W. Figure 1A As best seen in FIG. 1 , the outer portion 100E is at the hole 108A ( Figure 1B and Figure 3C ) extends across the entire opening area 128 ( Figure 1B ) so as to cover all holes in a sheet or plate-like manner. In addition, in this embodiment, the outer portion 100E of the thermal management component 100 formed in situ has a thickness T ep The outer portion 100E is formed to protrude from the outer surface 108ES of the wall 108. In some embodiments, a continuous sheet / plate-like outer portion 100E is desired to increase the surface area of ​​the formed-in-place thermal management component 100 for engagement with an external heat sink (not shown). Although the outer portion 100E protrudes from the outer surface 108ES of the wall 108, in other embodiments, the wall may include a groove (not shown) in which the outer portion is formed. In an example, the depth of such a groove may be equal to the thickness T of the outer portion 100E. ep In some embodiments, the outer portion 100E may not be provided, such that the portion 100A of the formed-in-place thermal management component 100 within the hole 108A is the portion of the formed-in-place thermal management component that contacts the heat sink.

[0075] like Figure 1CAs shown, the formed-in-place thermal management component 100 has an inner portion 100I that fills a gap G between the battery cell 120 and the wall 108W. In some embodiments, the gap G is on the order of 1 mm to 2 mm or less. In a non-limiting example, the gap G is in the range of 0.5 mm to 1 mm. That is, the gap G in other embodiments may be greater than 2 mm. In some embodiments, the battery cell 120 is firmly held in place by the walls of the housing 108 other than the wall 108W, so that when the inner portion 100I of the formed-in-place thermal management component 100 is in place, the battery cell 120 is completely confined within the interior space 116 (1). In addition, effectively bonding the battery cell 120 to the appropriate position of the housing 108 will increase the modal stiffness of the battery module 104. In some embodiments, the bond between the formed-in-place thermal management component 100 and the battery cell 120 essentially provides the only fixation of the battery cell within the interior space 116 (1). In some embodiments, the inner surface 108IS of the wall 108 may include channels or other grooves (not shown) that facilitate the flowable material 300 ( Figure 3C ) in the gap G( Figure 1C ) distribution within .

[0076] FIG. 3A to FIG. 3C The manufacturing of battery module 104 ( Figure 1A ) of an example method of forming a thermal management component 100 in situ. In this embodiment, a thermal management component forming tool 304 is used to assist in forming a formed-in-situ thermal management component 100 ( Figure 1A ). First refer to Figure 3A The method may begin by engaging a thermal management component forming tool 304 with a battery module 104. The thermal management component forming tool 304 includes a frame 304F that defines an opening 304O that is sized and shaped to define a formed-in-place thermal management component 100 ( Figure 1A and Figure 1C ) of the outer portion 100E. In this example, the thermal management component forming tool 304 includes a set of alignment tabs 304T(1) to 304T(4) that engage corresponding respective walls of the battery module 104 so as to form the flowable material 300( Figure 3C ) is applied to the battery module, the thermal management component forming tool 304 is held in place, such as Figure 3B shown.

[0077] Figure 3C The battery module 104 is shown with the thermal management component forming tool 304 in place and the flowable material 300 fully in place, including within the opening 304O, to form the outer portion 100E ( Figure 1A and Figure 1C) precursor. As will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, the flowable material 300 may be applied in any manner suitable for the relevant conditions and parameters. For example, if the flowable material 300 has a relatively low viscosity and / or the pores 108A ( Figure 3B ) is large enough, then the flowable material 300 is simply poured into the area of ​​the opening 304O of the thermal management component forming tool 304 and allowed to flow into the hole and fill the gap G ( Figure 1C As another example, if the flowable material 300 has a relatively high viscosity and / or the pores 108A ( Figure 3B ) is not large enough, the flowable material may need to be injected or otherwise forced into the gap G ( Figure 1C ), and may also need to enter the hole in this way. In some embodiments, the frame 304F of the thermal management component forming tool 304 can have a thickness Tf ( Figure 3A ), the thickness Tf being equal to or greater than the thickness Tf of the outer portion 100E of the thermal management component 100 formed in situ ep ( Figure 1C ). Depending on the characteristics of the flowable material 300, a scraping tool (not shown) can be dragged along the upper surface of the frame 304F to scrape the flowable material within the opening 304O of the thermal management component forming tool 304. In other embodiments, the thermal management component forming tool 304 may include more than one opening 304O. Once the flowable material 300 has been properly cured, the thermal management component forming tool 304 is removed from the battery module 104 (not shown, but see Figure 1A ).

[0078] As described above, the formed-in-place thermal management components of the present disclosure may be used with battery modules having shapes other than rectangular prism shapes. Figure 4A and Figure 5A Two exemplary formed-in-place thermal management components 400 and 500 are shown for use with corresponding cylindrical battery modules 404 and 504, respectively. Although not shown, the battery cells of each cylindrical battery module 404 and 504 may be, for example, spirally wound jellyroll type.

[0079] First turn Figure 4A and Figure 4B In this example, the battery module 404 includes a housing 408, and the formed-in-place thermal management component 400 is located on the side wall 408S of the housing. In addition to the fact that the formed-in-place thermal management component 400 is curved, in all other aspects, the thermal management component 400 can be similar to Figure 1A The formed-in-place thermal management component 100 is the same or similar. Figure 4BThe battery module 404 is shown before forming the formed-in-place thermal management component 400, the hole 408A (equivalent to Figure 1B The holes 108A) are arranged in a desired pattern within the aperture area 412. In this example, approximately corresponding to FIG. 3A to FIG. 3C The curved thermal management component forming tool 416 of the thermal management component forming tool 304 is shown engaged with the housing 408. The thermal management component forming tool 416 is curved to match the curvature of the housing 408, and in this example, the thermal management component forming tool includes a pair of locating tabs 416T(1) and 416T(2) for engaging the opposing end walls 408E(1) and 408E(2) of the housing. Other aspects and features of the thermal management component forming tool 416 may be similar to those of FIG. 3A to FIG. 3C The thermal management component forming tool 304 may be the same or similar.

[0080] Figure 5A and Figure 5B The end wall 508E ( Figure 5B ) is provided on the formed-in-place thermal management component 500. In addition to its circular shape (in this example), the formed-in-place thermal management component 500 ( Figure 5A ) can be used with Figure 1A The formed-in-place thermal management component 100 is the same or similar. Figure 5B 8A in the end wall 508E prior to forming the formed-in-place thermal management component 500, and a thermal management component forming tool 512, which in this case is simply a circular sleeve that snugly engages the side wall 508S of the housing 508 and is positioned above the end wall 508E (relative to the Figure 5B The distance D is equal to or greater than the outer portion 500E ( Figure 5A ) thickness T ep '. Provided FIG. 4A to FIG. 5B Additional examples and embodiments are provided to illustrate the flexibility and broad applicability of formed-in-place thermal management components manufactured in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0081] Various modifications and additions may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The features of each of the various embodiments described above may be combined with the features of other described embodiments as appropriate, so as to provide a plurality of feature combinations in relevant new embodiments. In addition, although the foregoing describes a plurality of separate embodiments, the content described herein merely illustrates the application of the principles of the present disclosure. In addition, although the particular methods herein may be illustrated and / or described as being performed in a particular order, the order is highly variable within common skill to implement various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, this description is meant to be taken only as an example, and does not otherwise limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0082] Exemplary embodiments have been disclosed above and shown in the accompanying drawings. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, omissions and additions may be made to the contents specifically disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A battery module, comprising: a housing enclosing a first interior space, the housing having a wall composed of a first dielectric material and having an outer side; A battery cell comprising one or more electrochemical cells; and A formed-in-situ thermal management component extends through the wall of the shell so that when the battery cell generates heat during use of the battery module, the formed-in-situ thermal management component can conduct heat from the battery cell to the outside of the wall.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: The wall includes a plurality of apertures, and the formed-in-place thermal management component extends through the wall via the plurality of apertures.

3. The battery module according to claim 2, wherein: The formed-in-place thermal management component has an outer portion extending over the plurality of holes.

4. The battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The formed-in-place thermal management component is comprised of a thermal adhesive.

5. The battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The formed-in-place thermal management component is made of a second dielectric material different from the first dielectric material.

6. The battery module according to claim 5, wherein: The second dielectric material has a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W / mK.

7. The battery module according to claim 5, wherein: The second dielectric material has a thermal conductivity greater than 1.0 W / mK.

8. The battery module according to any one of claims 6 and 7, wherein: The first dielectric material has a thermal conductivity less than 0.5 W / mK.

9. The battery module according to claim 8, wherein: The first dielectric material has a thermal conductivity less than 0.3 W / mK.

10. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: The outer side of the wall has an outer surface, and the formed-in-place thermal management component has an outer portion having an outer surface spaced apart from the outer surface of the wall.

11. The battery module according to claim 10, wherein: The wall includes a plurality of holes, and the formed-in-place thermal management component extends through the wall via the plurality of holes, and the outer portion extends over the plurality of holes.

12. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: The formed-in-place thermal management component is adhesively bonded to the battery cell.

13. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: The housing has a rectangular cross-sectional shape.

14. The battery module according to claim 13, wherein: The battery cell includes a plurality of pouch-type electrochemical cells.

15. The battery module according to claim 14, wherein: Each electrochemical cell is a lithium cell.

16. The battery module according to claim 15, wherein: Each electrochemical cell is a lithium metal cell.

17. The battery module according to claim 13, wherein: The wall is a bottom wall of the housing.

18. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: The housing has a circular cross-sectional shape.

19. The battery module according to claim 18, wherein: The wall is an end wall of the housing.

20. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein: The housing encloses a second interior space, and the second interior space includes battery management system circuitry in operative communication with the battery cells.

21. A method for manufacturing a battery module, the method comprising: Providing the battery module, wherein the battery module includes a housing, the housing enclosing an interior space and having a wall, the wall being composed of a first dielectric material and having an outer side, the wall having a plurality of holes, the interior space accommodating a battery cell; applying a flowable material to the wall so as to flow through the plurality of holes and into the interior space and contact the battery cell and fill the plurality of holes; and The flowable material is allowed to solidify, thereby producing a formed-in-place thermal management component that conducts heat generated by the battery cells during use through the wall of the housing.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein: The interior space houses a battery core, and applying a flowable material to the wall includes applying a flowable thermally conductive material such that the flowable thermally conductive material contacts the battery core.

23. The method according to any one of claims 21 and 22, wherein: The flowable material includes a thermally conductive adhesive.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising engaging a thermal management component forming tool with the housing prior to applying the flowable material.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein: The plurality of holes are distributed over an open area of ​​the wall having a first area; The thermal management component forming tool includes an opening having a second area equal to or greater than the first area; and Engaging the thermal management component forming tool with the housing includes engaging the thermal management component forming tool with the housing such that the opening is aligned with the aperture region of the wall.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein: The thermal management component forming tool has a frame defining the opening and configured to engage the wall outside the aperture area, the frame having a first thickness for defining an edge of an exterior portion of the formed-in-place thermal management component.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein: The wall is made of a first dielectric material.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein: The formed-in-place thermal management component is made of a second dielectric material different from the first dielectric material.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein: The second dielectric material has a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W / mK.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein: The second dielectric material has a thermal conductivity greater than 1.0 W / mK.

31. The method according to any one of claims 29 and 30, wherein: The first dielectric material has a thermal conductivity less than 0.5 W / mK.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein: The first dielectric material has a thermal conductivity less than 0.3 W / mK.

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