Battery

Abstract

The invention relates to a battery (1) for a battery-powered vehicle (13) with at least one battery module (4). The battery module (4) comprises several battery cells (5), each with two contacts (6). The battery (1) also comprises a cooling system (2) through which cooling air (KL) flows, with at least one channel arrangement (7). The channel arrangement (7) has several flow paths (10) parallel to each other through which cooling air (KL) flows. In each of the flow paths (10), at least one of the contacts (6) of the battery cell (5) of the battery module (4) is arranged to allow cooling air (KL) to flow around it. The invention also relates to a vehicle (13) with the battery (1) and a method (14) for cooling the battery (1) of the vehicle (13).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a battery for a battery-powered vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1. The invention also relates to a battery-powered vehicle with the battery and a method for cooling the battery of the battery-powered vehicle.

[0002] In the battery of a battery-powered vehicle, significant charging currents flow through its battery cells during charging and operation. The battery cells are typically cooled by a liquid-cooled unit with cooling elements that are arranged on the battery cells – for example, via a heat-conducting layer – to transfer heat. However, in addition to the battery cells, the contacts that electrically connect the battery cells to the outside also heat up. These contacts may be located in gaps between the housing and the battery cells or between the battery cells themselves, and therefore may not be connected to the cooling unit. In these cases, the contacts are cooled by the battery cells, which conduct the heat from the contacts to the cooling elements of the cooling unit.In this process, the area of ​​the battery cell adjacent to the respective contact is significantly warmer than the temperature in the rest of the battery cell. This overheating of the area negatively impacts the battery's lifespan and charging speed.

[0003] The object of the invention is therefore to provide an improved or at least alternative embodiment of a battery of the generic type, in which the described disadvantages are overcome. The object of the invention is also to provide a battery-powered vehicle with the battery and a method for cooling the battery of the battery-powered vehicle.

[0004] This problem is solved according to the invention by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0005] The present invention is based on the basic idea of ​​additionally cooling the contacts of the battery cells in a battery of a battery-powered vehicle with cooling air.

[0006] The battery according to the invention is intended for or designed for a battery-powered vehicle. The battery comprises a housing and at least one battery module arranged in the housing, comprising several battery cells. Each battery cell of the at least one battery module has two electrical contacts. The contacts of the battery cell are designed for external contact. The battery further comprises a cooling system through which cooling air flows, with at least one channel arrangement. The cooling system is arranged in the housing, and the at least one channel arrangement is associated with the at least one battery module. The channel arrangement associated with the at least one battery module comprises at least one distributor, at least one collector, and several flow paths arranged parallel to each other between the at least one distributor and the at least one collector, through which cooling air flows.In each of the flow paths of the channel arrangement assigned to the at least one battery module, at least one of the contacts of the battery cells of the at least one battery module is arranged to allow cooling air to flow around it.

[0007] In the battery according to the invention, the contacts of the battery cells of the battery module are arranged in the flow paths of the channel arrangement so that cooling air can flow around them. This allows the contacts to be actively cooled, so that they heat up comparatively less during charging and / or operation of the battery. In particular, the heat generated in the contacts can be dissipated not only to the battery cells of the battery module, but also directly to the cooling air. This prevents the battery cells in the areas adjacent to the contacts from overheating. In other words, cooling the respective contacts reduces the thermal load on the battery cells and the battery modules as a whole. This can increase the battery's lifespan and charging speed.

[0008] The cooling system's channel arrangement can be located within the housing between the battery cells of the battery module and / or between the battery module and the housing. The flow paths of the channel arrangement can be specifically formed or arranged between the battery cells of the battery module. These flow paths can be fluidically connected, at least partially. In other words, the individual flow paths cannot be structurally separated from one another. The flow in the adjacent flow paths is parallel, thereby supplying cooling air to the contacts located within the flow paths. Specifically, the flow paths of the channel arrangement can be formed through gaps between the battery cells and / or between the battery cells and the housing.The airflow paths are arranged parallel to each other, allowing the cooling air to flow through them in parallel over the battery cell contacts. In other words, this prevents the cooling air, already heated at the contacts in another airflow path, from flowing around the contacts in one path. The cooling air therefore does not have to flow through multiple airflow paths sequentially and is not overheated. This allows for more effective cooling of the battery cell contacts.

[0009] To circulate cooling air through the cooling system, the cooling system may include a conveying unit – for example, a fan. The cooling air may be, for example, ambient air, a mixture of ambient air and conditioned and dried air supplied by the vehicle's air conditioning system, or recirculated air within a closed loop of the vehicle. The battery cooling procedure is described in more detail below.

[0010] In one possible embodiment, in each of the flow paths of the channel arrangement associated with the at least one battery module, a maximum of four, preferably a maximum of two, and particularly preferably a maximum of one contact of the battery cells of the at least one battery module can be arranged to allow cooling air to flow around them sequentially. This allows a limited number of the battery cell contacts in the respective flow path to be sequentially surrounded by cooling air, thereby achieving particularly effective cooling of the battery cell contacts.

[0011] A minimum diameter of the cross-sectional area through which the flow paths of the channel arrangement assigned to the at least one battery module can be flowed through, or a minimum height of the flow paths of the channel arrangement assigned to the at least one battery module can be flowed through, or a minimum hydraulic diameter of the flow paths of the channel arrangement assigned to the at least one battery module can be less than 5 mm, preferably less than 2 mm. This ensures adequate cooling of the battery cell contacts in the respective flow path of the channel arrangement. The hydraulic diameter of a flow path corresponds to a ratio of four times the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path to its circumference.

[0012] The at least one battery module can have at least one air conductor rail. The at least one air conductor rail can be arranged at the contacts of the battery cells of the at least one battery module. The at least one air conductor rail can be arranged at a distance from the contacts of the battery cells, in particular.

[0013] The at least one distributor and / or the at least one collector of the channel arrangement assigned to the at least one battery module can then be located, arranged, or configured, at least partially, between the at least one air duct of the at least one battery module and the housing. For this purpose, the at least one air duct can be designed, configured, or adapted in shape accordingly. The at least one distributor and / or the at least one collector of the respective channel arrangement need not be fluidically separated from each other or from other areas of the housing.

[0014] The flow paths of the channel arrangement associated with the at least one battery module can be located, arranged, or configured, at least partially, between the at least one air duct of the at least one battery module and the battery cells of the at least one battery module, and / or between the battery cells of the at least one battery module. The flow paths may not be hermetically sealed from each other or from other areas of the housing.

[0015] The at least one air duct of the at least one battery module can have multiple openings. The flow paths of the channel arrangement associated with the at least one battery module can then be fluidically connected to the at least one distributor and / or the at least one collector of the channel arrangement associated with the at least one battery module via the openings of the at least one air duct of the at least one battery module. In other words, the at least one air duct can fluidically delimit or separate the flow paths from the at least one distributor and / or the at least one collector and fluidically connect them to the at least one distributor and / or the at least one collector via the openings.

[0016] The at least one battery module can have at least two busbars. The busbars can be electrically connected to the contacts of the battery cells of the at least one battery module. The busbars can be connected to the contacts of the battery cells, in particular by a metallurgical bond. Each busbar can electrically connect at least two contacts of the battery cells to each other and / or to the outside. The busbars can be arranged between the battery cells of the at least one battery module and the at least one air conductor rail.

[0017] At least one of the busbars of the at least one battery module can have several vortex elements, turbulence generators, or heat-conducting elements. The vortex elements of the busbar of the at least one battery module can then be arranged in at least one of the flow paths of the duct arrangement associated with the at least one battery module, allowing cooling air to flow around and / or through them. In particular, the vortex elements can be designed as knobs and / or beads and / or protrusions and / or tabs and project into at least one of the flow paths. By projecting into the flow paths, the vortex elements act as turbulence generators and can intensify the dissipation of heat to the outside. Alternatively, the vortex elements can be designed as openings with edges projecting into at least one of the flow paths.The openings allow cooling air to be directed through, thereby ensuring that the power busbar is intensively cooled on both sides.

[0018] In one possible embodiment, the battery can have multiple battery modules and the battery's cooling system can have multiple channel arrangements. Each battery module can be assigned one of the channel arrangements. The multiple channel arrangements can be arranged in parallel within the cooling system so that cooling air flows through them. This prevents the cooling air from flowing through multiple channel arrangements and thus through the battery modules sequentially, thereby avoiding the downstream battery modules being exposed to cooling air that has already been heated in the upstream battery modules.

[0019] In one possible embodiment, the battery can have a cooling unit through which coolant flows, with at least one cooling element assigned to the at least one battery module. The cooling element of the cooling unit assigned to the at least one battery module can be arranged in the housing in a heat-transferring manner against the battery cells of the at least one battery module. This heat-transferring arrangement can, for example, be achieved via a thermally conductive intermediate layer that improves the thermally conductive connection between the battery cells and the cooling element and also compensates for tolerances between the battery cells and the cooling element. The coolant can, for example, be a coolant or a refrigerant.

[0020] The cooling element of the cooling unit can be designed, for example, as a flow-through disc, plate, or tubes / channels. The design of the cooling element can vary depending on the shape of the battery cells, battery modules, and / or the battery itself. For instance, the cooling element can be positioned below the battery cells of the battery module, transferring heat to them. Alternatively or additionally, the cooling element can be positioned between two adjacent rows of battery cells and / or between the battery cells of the battery module, transferring heat to them. The cooling unit then cools the battery cells of the battery module.

[0021] The invention also relates to a battery-powered vehicle. The vehicle comprises the battery described above and a supply unit for providing cooling air. The battery's cooling system is connected to the supply unit via an airflow path and is permeable to the cooling air.

[0022] The invention also relates to a method for cooling the battery of the battery-powered vehicle described above. In this method, the vehicle's power supply unit provides the cooling air for the battery's cooling system. The cooling system is then circulated with cooling air, and the contacts of the battery cells of the at least one battery module are surrounded by this cooling air and thereby cooled.

[0023] The battery's cooling system activates a flow of cooling air when the battery's current temperature exceeds a predefined threshold temperature. This threshold temperature can be equal to or higher than the ambient temperature. When the battery's current temperature is below the threshold, cooling is unnecessary; instead, the goal is to heat the battery as quickly as possible to a temperature range suitable for charging. Therefore, cooling can remain inactive until the threshold temperature is reached, allowing the battery to warm up to that temperature. Once the threshold temperature is reached, cooling can then be activated.

[0024] The amount of cooling air flowing through the battery's cooling system can increase with rising battery temperature and decrease with falling battery temperature. This ensures that the battery is always supplied with the required amount of cooling air, thereby reducing the energy required for cooling.

[0025] In a possible first embodiment of the method, the supply unit can provide the cooling air as a mixture of preferably filtered ambient air and conditioned and dried air supplied by the vehicle's air conditioning system. The conditioned and dried air is advantageously dry and clean and can dehumidify the ambient air when mixed with it. Furthermore, the temperature of the supplied ambient air can be reduced by mixing in the conditioned air, thereby improving battery cooling.

[0026] The proportion of ambient air in the mixture can decrease as the battery's temperature rises and increase as it falls. Specifically, the supply unit can set the proportion of ambient air in the mixture to zero if the battery's temperature exceeds a predefined threshold. In other words, the proportion of ambient air mixed into the cooling air can be adjusted as needed. As the battery's temperature falls, the risk of condensation of water vapor in the ambient air within the battery increases. An increased proportion of ambient air can dehumidify the ambient air more effectively, thereby reducing the risk of condensation. As the battery's temperature rises, the risk of condensation of water vapor in the ambient air also increases.The amount of water vapor inside the battery is reduced, and therefore the proportion of ambient air in the mixture can be reduced. Since ambient air is available in limited quantities and requires a high energy output to supply, this also reduces the energy required to cool the battery.

[0027] In a possible second embodiment of the method, the supply unit can provide the cooling air as pure ambient air. Ambient air is freely available in large quantities, allowing the battery's cooling system to be supplied with large volumes of this ambient air. This enables the battery cell contacts of the battery modules to be effectively cooled despite the low heat capacity of air. Before flowing through the battery's cooling system, the ambient air can be filtered, preheated, and / or dehumidified in the supply unit. This prevents battery contamination and / or condensation of water or water vapor contained in the ambient air within the battery.If cooling is only started when the threshold temperature above the ambient temperature is reached, dehumidifying the ambient air can even be omitted, as condensation of the water or water vapor contained in the ambient air inside the battery can be reliably avoided.

[0028] In a possible third embodiment of the method, the supply unit can provide the cooling air as recirculated air within a closed circuit of the vehicle. This recirculated air can be cooled within the vehicle's circuit in a cooler through which ambient air flows, and / or in a cooler through which ambient air is circulated by a fan, and / or in a cooler through which the refrigerant of a vehicle's refrigerant circuit flows, and / or in a cooler through which the coolant of a vehicle's coolant circuit flows. The recirculated air is, in particular, filtered and / or dehumidified air intended exclusively for cooling the battery cells. The recirculated air can also consist entirely or partially of another gas.

[0029] To prevent moisture contamination of the battery, small amounts of ambient air can be added to the circulating air in the closed loop, either intermittently or continuously. This creates a slight positive pressure relative to the surrounding environment, thereby replacing circulating air escaping through potential leaks in the closed loop with filtered and dried ambient air. Simultaneously, it prevents contaminated ambient air from entering the closed loop. Alternatively or additionally, an expansion tank can be incorporated into the closed loop.The circulating air stored in the expansion tank allows a slight overpressure relative to the environment to be maintained in the closed circuit even after the vehicle is switched off, even if the volume of the circulating air in the closed circuit is reduced by cooling.

[0030] Further important features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims, the drawings and the associated description of the figures based on the drawings.

[0031] It is understood that the features mentioned above and those to be explained below can be used not only in the combination specified, but also in other combinations or on their own, without leaving the scope of the present invention.

[0032] Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and are explained in more detail in the following description, wherein identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar or functionally identical components.

[0033] They show, each schematically Fig. 1 a view of a battery according to the invention in a first embodiment; Fig. 2 a view of the battery according to the invention in the first embodiment with a partially disassembled housing; Fig. 3 a view of cooling air flow in a cooling system on air duct rails of the battery according to the invention in the first embodiment; Fig. 4 a view of cooling air flow in the cooling system of the battery according to the invention in the first embodiment; Fig. 5 a view of a battery module of the battery according to the invention in a second embodiment; Fig. 6 a view of the battery module of the battery according to the invention in a third embodiment; Fig. 7 an exploded view of the battery module of the battery according to the invention in a fourth embodiment; Fig. 8 a view of the battery module of the battery according to the invention in the fourth embodiment; Fig. 9 a view of the battery module of the battery according to the invention in the fourth embodiment with characterized cooling air flow; Fig. 10 an exploded view of the battery module of the battery according to the invention in the fourth embodiment with characterized cooling air flow; Fig. 11 a view of a vehicle according to the invention with the battery according to the invention when carrying out a method according to the invention in a first embodiment; Fig. 12 a view of the vehicle according to the invention with the battery according to the invention when carrying out the method according to the invention in a second embodiment; Fig. 13 a view of the vehicle according to the invention with the battery according to the invention when carrying out the method according to the invention in a third embodiment.

[0034] Fig. Figure 1 shows a view of a battery 1 according to the invention with a cooling system 2 through which a cooling air KL can flow and a housing 3. Fig. Figure 2 shows a view of the battery 1 according to the invention with the cooling system 2 and the partially disassembled housing 3. The battery 1 is for a battery-powered vehicle 13 - see [reference to relevant section]. Fig. 11 - provided or designed. The flow of cooling air KL in the cooling system 2 is indicated here and below by arrows.

[0035] Referring to Fig. In addition to the cooling system 2 and the housing 3, the battery 1 comprises several – here two – battery modules 4, each consisting of several – here four – battery cells 5. The battery cells 5 are stacked side by side in the respective battery module 4 in a stacking direction ST. The battery modules 4 are adjacent to each other perpendicular to the stacking direction ST and are arranged at a distance from one another. The battery cells 5 of the battery modules 4 are electrically contacted with each other and with the outside via their contacts 6 by means of busbars 43. For this purpose, the busbars 43 are made of an electrically conductive material – such as a metal like copper – and are electrically connected to the contacts 6 of the battery cells 5.

[0036] Referring to Fig. 2. Two channel arrangements 7 of the cooling system 2 are formed between the battery cells 5 of the two battery modules 4 and between the battery cells 5 of the two battery modules 4 and the housing 3. Each battery module 4 is assigned one of the channel arrangements 7. Each channel arrangement 7 comprises a distributor 9a and a collector 9b as well as several flow paths 10, which are arranged between the distributor 9a and the collector 9b to allow parallel flow of cooling air KL.

[0037] Referring to Fig. In the second section, the distributors 9a are fluidically connected downstream of an inlet 8a of the housing 3, and the collectors 9b are fluidically connected upstream of an outlet 8b of the housing 3. The flow paths 10 are fluidically connected in parallel between the distributors 9a and the collectors 9b, and thus cooling air KL can flow through them in parallel. The cooling air KL can flow into the housing 3 via the inlet 8a and through the channel arrangements 7 located in the housing 3. The cooling air KL can flow out of the housing 3 via the outlet 8b.

[0038] Referring to Fig. 2 The battery 1 has a cooling unit 11 with several – here two – cooling elements 12. The cooling elements 12 are multi-part and are arranged in the battery modules 4 between the battery cells 5, so that the battery cells 5 can transfer the generated heat to the cooling fluid – for example, coolant – via the cooling elements 12 and thus be cooled.

[0039] Fig. Figure 3 shows a view of the flow of cooling air KL in the cooling system 2 at the current busbars 43 of the battery modules 4 of the battery 1 according to the invention. Fig. The housing (3) is not shown and the battery modules (4) are only partially shown. Fig. Figure 4 shows a view of the flow of cooling air KL in the cooling system 2 of the battery 1 according to the invention. Fig. The housing 3 and the battery modules 4 are not shown.

[0040] Referring to Fig. In the 3-channel arrangement, the busbars 43 and the contacts 6 of the battery cells 5 are arranged in the flow paths 10 so that cooling air KL flows around them. This allows the busbars 43 and the contacts 6 to be cooled particularly effectively by the cooling air KL. Only two contacts 6 of the battery cells 5 are arranged in each flow path 10, so that within the channel arrangement 7 the contacts 6 are cooled in pairs parallel to each other by the cooling air KL.

[0041] Fig. Figure 5 shows a view of the battery module 4 and the channel arrangement 7 of the battery 1 according to the invention in a second embodiment. It is understood that the battery 1 can have several such battery modules 4 and several such channel arrangements 7. In the second embodiment of the battery 1, the battery 1 comprises two air conductor rails 42. The current busbars 43 are arranged here between the air conductor rails 42 and the battery cells 5 of the battery module 4. The air conductor rails 42 are made of an electrically non-conductive material – such as plastic – and can, in particular, be an integral part of a housing surrounding the battery module 4.

[0042] The air duct rails 42 of the battery module 4 define the distributor 9a, the collector 9b, and two flow paths 10. The air duct rails 42 are arranged on the battery cells 5 such that one of the two flow paths 10 is formed between each battery cell 5 and the respective air duct rail 42. Each air duct rail 42 includes two openings 17a and 17b, with the flow paths 10 being fluidically connected to the distributor 9a via the openings 17a and to the collector 9b via the openings 17b. The distributor 9a, the collector 9b, and the flow paths 10 are not completely fluidically separated from the outside. Within each flow path 10, the contacts 6 of the battery cells 5 are arranged to allow cooling air KL to flow around them sequentially.In each flow path 10, one of the two contacts 6 of the respective battery cell 5 is located, and thus half of all contacts 6 of the battery module 4 are located.

[0043] Fig. Figure 6 shows a view of the battery module 4 and the channel arrangement 7 of the battery 1 according to the invention in a third embodiment. It is understood that the battery 1 can have several such battery modules 4 and several such channel arrangements 7. In the third embodiment of the battery 1, the distributor 9a and the collector 9b are arranged along the respective air guide rail 42 and are partially bounded to the outside by the respective air guide rail 42. The flow paths 10 are formed partially between the air guide rails 42 and partially between the battery cells 5 of the battery module 4. The respective air guide rail 42 comprises several openings 17a and 17b, respectively, which fluidically connect the flow paths 10 to the distributor 9a and collector 9b, respectively. In the respective flow path 10, the contacts 6 of the battery cells 5 are arranged to allow cooling air KL to flow around them sequentially.In each flow path 10, the two contacts 6 of the respective battery cell 5 are located. Therefore, the number of flow paths 10 corresponds to the number of battery cells 5.

[0044] Fig. Figure 7 shows an exploded view and Fig. Figure 8 shows a view of the battery module 4 and the channel arrangement 7 of the battery 1 according to the invention in a fourth embodiment. It is understood that the battery 1 can have several such battery modules 4 and several such channel arrangements 7. In the fourth embodiment of the battery 1, the channel arrangement 7 comprises the distributor 9a and two collectors 9b. The distributor 9a is located centrally between the air guide rails 42, and the collectors 9b are arranged laterally on the distributor 9a. The flow paths 10 are formed between the battery cells 5 of the battery module 4 and the respective air guide rail 42. Each air guide rail 42 includes several openings 17a and 17b that fluidically connect the flow paths 10 to the distributor 9a and to the collector 9b. In the respective flow path 10, the contacts 6 of the battery cells 5 are arranged to allow cooling air KL to flow around them sequentially.In each flow path 10, one of the contacts 6 of the respective battery cell 5 is located. Therefore, the number of flow paths 10 corresponds to twice the number of battery cells 5.

[0045] Fig. 9 shows a view and Fig. 10 An exploded view of the battery module 4 and the channel arrangement 7 of the battery 1 according to the invention in the fourth embodiment with a characterized flow of cooling air KL. As in Fig. 9 and Fig. As can be seen in Figure 10, the cooling air KL flows into the distributor 9a and is introduced into the flow paths 10 via the openings 17a. From the flow paths 10, the cooling air KL then flows through the openings 17b into the two collectors 9b.

[0046] Fig. Figure 11 shows a view of a vehicle 13 according to the invention during the execution of a method 14 according to the invention in a first embodiment. The vehicle 13 comprises the battery 1, a supply unit 15, and an air conditioning system 16. The supply unit 15 provides ambient air UL, and the air conditioning system 16 provides dried, pre-tempered, clean air KLL. In the method 14, the cooling system 2 of the battery 1 is then supplied with cooling air KL, which consists of a mixture of ambient air UL and the air KLL. It is conceivable that the cooling system 2 of the battery 1 is supplied exclusively or always with the cooling air KL, which is a mixture of the air KLL and the supplied ambient air UL.Alternatively, it is conceivable that the cooling system 2 of the battery 1 is temporarily supplied with cooling air KL mixed from the climate air KLL and the provided ambient air UL, and temporarily with cooling air KL consisting exclusively of the provided ambient air UL.

[0047] Fig. Figure 12 shows a view of the vehicle 13 according to the invention with the battery 1 according to the invention during the execution of the method 14 according to the invention in a second embodiment. In the second embodiment of the method 14, the cooling system 2 of the battery 1 is supplied with cooling air KL consisting of ambient air UL. The supply unit 15 is here formed by a thermal management system 35 of the vehicle 13.

[0048] For this purpose, ambient air UL is drawn from the environment by the supply unit 15 at an inlet 18a. From the inlet 18a, the ambient air UL can be compressed via path A in a compressor 19, filtered in an air filter 20, and supplied to the cooling system 2 of the battery 1 as cooling air KL via a valve 21. In path B, the ambient air UL can be supplied directly to the cooling system 2 of the battery 1 as cooling air KL without passing through the compressor 19 and the air filter 20, via a valve 22 and valve 21. If required, the cooling air KL can also be heated in an electric heater 27.

[0049] The ambient air UL can also be partially routed via valve 22 in path C to a consumer 23 – such as for supplying air to the cabin heater – and then to the outside. Furthermore, the ambient air UL can be used in path D via another valve 24 for warm air supply – such as for electric heating or heating with a heat exchanger / heat pump.

[0050] At an outlet 18b, the cooling air KL from the cooling system 2 of the battery 1 can be routed via a valve 26 to the outside in a path E or in a path F as a heat or cold source for the thermal management system 35 of the vehicle 13 – for example, for a heat pump. In addition, the coolant flowing in the cooling unit 11 of the battery 1 – for example, coolant or refrigerant – can be tempered in a heat exchanger 25.

[0051] Fig.Figure 13 shows a view of the vehicle 13 according to the invention with the battery 1 according to the invention when carrying out the method 14 according to the invention in a third embodiment. In the third embodiment of the method 14, the cooling air KL is provided as circulating air KRL in a closed circuit 28 of the vehicle 13. In this circuit 28, the cooling air KL or circulating air KRL flows through not only the cooling system 2 of the battery 1 but also a valve 29, the electric heater 27 and the compressor 19.

[0052] Furthermore, the cooling air KL or circulating air KRL in circuit 28 can be cooled in one of the heat exchangers 30. The heat exchanger 30 can be a cooler 31 through which ambient air UL flows. The cooler 31 can therefore be a direct cross-flow air cooler, which is installed with a fan 43 in a module or separately from it. The heat exchanger 30 can be a cooler 32 through which ambient air UL flows. The cooler 32 can therefore be an air-to-air heat exchanger with a housing that conducts heat exchange between the ambient air UL and the cooling air KL or circulating air KRL. The ambient air UL can be supplied by a blower 36 or alternatively by a central blower of the thermal management system 35 of the vehicle 13. The heat exchanger 30 can be a cooler 33 through which the refrigerant of a refrigerant circuit KM-KL of the vehicle 13 flows. The cooler 33 can therefore be a refrigerant / air cooler.The heat exchanger 30 can be a radiator 34 through which the coolant of a coolant circuit K-KL of the vehicle 13 flows. The radiator 34 can therefore be a coolant / air radiator. The refrigerant circuit KM-KL and the coolant circuit K-KL are integrated into the thermal management system 35 of the vehicle 13. The supply unit 15 can be connected to the thermal management system 35 of the vehicle 13 via heat transfer through the radiator 33 and / or the radiator 34.

[0053] As in the second embodiment, the coolant flowing in the cooling unit 11 of the battery 1 – for example, coolant or refrigerant – is tempered in the heat exchanger 25. The heat exchanger 25 can be coupled to the refrigerant circuit KM-KL and / or the coolant circuit K-KL via valves or further heat exchangers – not shown here – for heat transfer. The coolant can also be heated, if necessary, by means of an electric heater 41 to pre-temper the contacts 6 of the battery 1 in cold ambient conditions. The refrigerant circuit KM-KL and the coolant circuit K-KL can be coupled for heat transfer via a chiller 37. The refrigerant circuit KM-KL includes several consumers 38, and the coolant circuit K-KL includes several consumers 39.Furthermore, the circuit 28 can include an expansion tank 40 to prevent excessive pressure fluctuations caused by temperature changes in the cooling air KL or the circulating air KRL. The expansion tank can, for example, be elastic or have a membrane, an elastic pipe segment, a corrugated pipe, or similar material.

Claims

[1] Battery (1) for a battery-powered vehicle (13), - wherein the battery (1) comprises a housing (3) and at least one battery module (4) arranged in the housing (3) with several battery cells (5), - wherein each battery cell (5) of the at least one battery module (4) has two electrical contacts (6), and - wherein the battery (1) has a cooling system (2) through which cooling air (KL) can flow and which is arranged in the housing (3) and which has at least one channel arrangement (7) assigned to each of the at least one battery module (4), characterized by , - that the channel arrangement (7) associated with the at least one battery module (4) has at least one distributor (9a), at least one collector (9b) and several flow paths (10) arranged parallel to each other between the at least one distributor (9a) and the at least one collector (9b) through which cooling air (KL) can flow, and - that in each of the flow paths (10) of the channel arrangement (7) associated with the at least one battery module (4) at least one of the contacts (6) of the battery cells (5) of the at least one battery module (4) is arranged to allow cooling air (KL) to flow around it. [2] Battery (1) according to claim 1, characterized by , that in each of the flow paths (10) of the channel arrangement (7) associated with the at least one battery module (4) a maximum of four of the contacts (6), preferably a maximum of two of the contacts (6), particularly preferably a maximum of one of the contacts (6), of the battery cells (5) of the at least one battery module (4) are arranged to be successively exposed to flow of cooling air (KL). [3] Battery (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that a hydraulic diameter of a flowable cross-section of the flow paths (10) of the channel arrangement (7) associated with the at least one battery module (4) is less than 5 mm, particularly preferably less than 2 mm. [4] Battery (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , - that the at least one battery module (4) has at least one air conductor rail (42) and the at least one air conductor rail (42) is arranged at the contacts (6) of the battery cells (5) of the at least one battery module (4), - that the at least one distributor (9a) and / or the at least one collector (9b) of the channel arrangement (7) associated with the at least one battery module (4) are formed at least partially between the at least one air conductor rail (42) of the at least one battery module (4) and the housing (3), and - that the flow paths (10) of the channel arrangement (7) associated with the at least one battery module (4) are formed at least partially between the at least one air duct rail (42) and the battery cells (5) of the at least one battery module (4) and / or between the battery cells (5) of the at least one battery module (4). [5] Battery (1) according to claim 4, characterized by , - that at least one air conductor rail (42) of at least one battery module (4) has several openings (17a, 17b), and - that the flow paths (10) of the channel arrangement (7) associated with the at least one battery module (4) are fluidically connected to the at least one distributor (9a) and / or the at least one collector (9b) of the channel arrangement (7) associated with the at least one battery module (4) via the openings (17a, 17b) of the at least one air duct rail (42) of the at least one battery module (4). [6] Battery (1) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized by , - that the at least one battery module (4) has at least two busbars (43) and the busbars (43) are electrically connected to the contacts (6) of the battery cells (5) of the at least one battery module (4), and - that the busbars (43) are arranged between the battery cells (5) of the at least one battery module (4) and the at least one air conductor rail (42). [7] Battery (1) according to claim 6, characterized by - that at least one of the current busbars (42) of the at least one battery module (4) has several vortex elements, and - that the turbulence elements of the current busbar (42) of the at least one battery module (4) are arranged in at least one of the flow paths (10) of the channel arrangement (7) associated with the at least one battery module (4) so ​​that cooling air (KL) can flow around and / or through them. [8] Battery (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , - that the battery (1) has several battery modules (4) and the cooling system (2) has several channel arrangements (7), each battery module (4) being assigned one of the channel arrangements (7), and - that the multiple channel arrangements (7) in the cooling system (2) are arranged so that cooling air (KL) can flow through them in parallel. [9] Battery (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , - that the battery (1) has a cooling unit (11) through which coolant can flow, with at least one cooling element (12) associated with the at least one battery module (4), and - that the cooling element (12) of the cooling unit (11) associated with the at least one battery module (4) is arranged in the housing (3) to transfer heat to the battery cells (5) of the at least one battery module (4). [10] Battery-powered vehicle (13), - wherein the vehicle (13) comprises a battery (1) according to one of the preceding claims and a supply unit (15) for supplying cooling air (CL), and - wherein the cooling system (2) of the battery (1) is connected to the supply unit (15) via an air conduction system and is permeable to the supplied cooling air (KL). [11] Method (14) for cooling the battery (1) of the battery-powered vehicle (13) according to claim 10, - wherein the cooling air (KL) for the cooling system (2) of the battery (1) is provided by the supply unit (15) of the vehicle (13), - wherein the cooling system (2) of the battery (1) is supplied with cooling air (KL) and the contacts (6) of the battery cells (5) of the at least one battery module (4) of the battery (1) are supplied with cooling air (KL) and thereby cooled. [12] Method (14) according to claim 11, characterized by , - that the cooling system (2) of the battery (1) is only supplied with cooling air (KL) when the current temperature of the battery (1) exceeds a predefined threshold temperature of the battery (1), and / or - that the amount of cooling air (KL) flowing through the cooling system (2) of the battery (1) increases with the rising current temperature of the battery (1) and decreases with the falling current temperature of the battery (1). [13] Method (14) according to claim 11 or 12, characterized by, that the supply unit (15) provides the cooling air (KL) as a mixture of preferably filtered ambient air (UL) and conditioned and dried air (KLL) supplied by an air conditioning system (16) of the vehicle (13). [14] Method (14) according to claim 13, characterized by , - that a proportion of the ambient air (AAL) in the mixture decreases with the rising current temperature of the battery (1) and increases with the falling current temperature of the battery (1), and / or - that the provision unit (15) sets a proportion of the climate air (CLA) in the mixture to zero when the current temperature of the battery (1) is above a predefined threshold temperature of the battery (1). [15] Method (14) according to claim 11 or 12, characterized by , that the supply unit (15) provides the cooling air (KL) as preferably filtered and / or preheated ambient air (UL). [16] Method (14) according to claim 11 or 12, - that the supply unit (15) provides the cooling air (KL) as circulating air (KRL) in a closed circuit (28) of the vehicle (13), and - that the circulating air (CCA) in the circuit (28) of the vehicle (13) is cooled in a cooler (31) through which the ambient air (UL) flows and / or in a cooler (32) through which the ambient air (UL) supplied by a fan flows and / or in a cooler (33) through which the refrigerant of a refrigerant circuit (RCC) of the vehicle (13) flows and / or in a cooler (34) through which the coolant of a coolant circuit (CCC) of the vehicle (13) flows.

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