Power storage device

Abstract

A power storage device (100) comprises a power storage module (10) having a plurality of power storage cells (11), a cooler (30) arranged vertically above the power storage module (10), and a thermally conductive layer (40) arranged between the power storage module (10) and the cooler (30). The cooler (30) comprises a plurality of flow path sections (31) arranged next to one another in an X-direction, and a connecting section (35) arranged between the flow path sections (31) arranged next to one another in the X-direction and connecting the flow path sections (31) to one another. The connecting section (35) has a flexural rigidity that is lower than that of each of the plurality of flow path sections (31).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This non-provisional application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-008790 filed with the Japan Patent Office on January 24, 2024, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. BACKGROUND field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a power storage device. Description of the state of the art

[0003] Japanese National Patent Publication No. 2023-529400 discloses a battery pack comprising a plurality of cells, a tray, a plate, and cooling tubes. The plurality of cells are housed in a receiving space of the tray. The plate covers the upper opening of the receiving space of the tray. The cooling tubes are arranged on the outer surface (the surface opposite the receiving space) of the plate. SUMMARY

[0004] Although not explicitly described in Japanese National Patent Publication No. 2023-529400, in some packages, a thermally conductive layer is arranged between the plate (cooler) and the plurality of cells (power storage cells). In other packages, there may be height differences between the plurality of cells. In such packages, a relatively thick thermally conductive layer must be arranged (stacked) on a cell with a relatively low height to conform to the flat shape of the plate. This leads to a reduction in the cooling efficiency of the cell with a relatively low height.

[0005] The present disclosure was made to solve the above problem. An object of the present disclosure is to provide a power storage device that can efficiently cool a plurality of power storage cells.

[0006] A power storage device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a power storage module, a cooler arranged vertically above the power storage module, and a thermally conductive layer sandwiched between the power storage module and the cooler. The power storage module includes a plurality of power storage cells stacked in a prescribed direction. The cooler includes a plurality of flow path portions arranged side by side in the prescribed direction and extending in a longitudinal direction of each of the plurality of power storage cells, and at least one connecting portion arranged between the plurality of flow path portions arranged side by side in the prescribed direction.The at least one connecting section has a lower bending stiffness than each of the plurality of flow path sections.

[0007] In the power storage device according to one aspect of the present disclosure, as described above, the at least one connecting portion has a lower bending rigidity than each of the plurality of flow path portions. As a result, each of the plurality of flow path portions can be arranged while bending the at least one connecting portion. This allows each of the plurality of flow path portions to easily adhere to the thermally conductive layer by bending the at least one connecting portion, without requiring adjustment of the thickness of the thermally conductive layer according to the height of the power storage cell when there are height differences among the plurality of power storage cells.In other words, the height position of each of the plurality of flow path sections can correspond (follow) to the height position of the thermally conductive layer by bending the at least one connecting portion without disposing a relatively thick thermally conductive layer on a power storage cell with a relatively small height (disposing a thermally conductive layer with a relatively small thickness on a power storage cell with a relatively large height). This allows the thickness of the thermally conductive layer to be made uniform. This enables efficient cooling of the plurality of power storage cells.

[0008] In the power storage device according to any one of the above-described aspects, the at least one connecting portion preferably has a protruding shape that protrudes upward in the vertical direction or downward in the vertical direction. With this configuration, the at least one connecting portion can have a longer length (conduction length) than when the at least one connecting portion has a flat shape. As a result, the above-described flexural rigidity of the at least one connecting portion can be more easily reduced than when the at least one connecting portion has a flat portion.

[0009] In the power storage device according to any one of the above-described aspects, the power storage module preferably includes a thermally insulating material disposed between at least some power storage cells of the plurality of power storage cells. The thermally insulating material is disposed at a position where the thermally insulating material overlaps the at least one connection portion in the vertical direction. At this time, the thermally conductive layer does not need to be stacked on the thermally insulating material. Since the thermally insulating material is disposed at a position where the thermally insulating material overlaps the at least one connection portion in the vertical direction, the at least one connection portion can be bent at a position where the thermally conductive layer is not disposed.Thereby, the thermally conductive layer which interferes with the at least one connecting portion can be suppressed, so that the at least one connecting portion can be bent more easily.

[0010] In the power storage device according to any one of the above-described aspects, the at least one connecting portion preferably comprises a plurality of connecting portions. The plurality of connecting portions are arranged in the prescribed direction with a pitch therebetween, the pitch corresponding to a prescribed number of power storage cells of the plurality of power storage cells. With this configuration, the connecting portion can be arranged for each prescribed number of power storage cells. This allows each of the plurality of flow path portions to preferably follow the height differences between the power storage cells.

[0011] In this package, the prescribed number is preferably three. In this configuration, the connecting section can be arranged for every three power storage cells.

[0012] In the power storage device according to any one of the above-described aspects, preferably, each of the plurality of flow path sections is provided across some power storage cells of the plurality of power storage cells. Each of the plurality of flow path sections includes a first flow path through which a refrigerant flows from a first side in the longitudinal direction to a second side in the longitudinal direction, and a second flow path through which the refrigerant flows from the second side in the longitudinal direction to the first side in the longitudinal direction. With this configuration, the part (upstream part) of the power storage cell on the first side in the longitudinal direction can be cooled more effectively by the first flow path than the part (downstream part) of the power storage cell on the second side in the longitudinal direction.Also, the part (upstream part) of the power storage cell on the second side in the longitudinal direction can be cooled more effectively by the second flow path than the part (downstream part) of the power storage cell on the first side in the longitudinal direction. As a result, the temperature distribution among a plurality of power storage cells in the longitudinal direction can be made uniform by the refrigerant flowing through both the first flow path and the second flow path.

[0013] In this case, the first flow path is preferably arranged in a central portion of each of the plurality of flow path sections in the prescribed direction. The second flow path includes a first-side flow path connected to a first branch flow path branching from the first flow path to a first side in the prescribed direction, and a second-side flow path connected to a second branch flow path branching from the first flow path to a second side in the prescribed direction. In this configuration, the first flow path (first-side flow path) may be a flow path upstream of the second flow path (second-side flow path), whereby the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the first flow path is lower than the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the second flow path.At this time, the temperature of the power storage cell arranged at the central portion in the prescribed direction among the plurality of power storage cells tends to be higher than the temperature of the power storage cell arranged at the end side in the prescribed direction. Therefore, with this configuration, the power storage cell tending to a relatively high temperature can be cooled by the relatively low-temperature coolant flowing through the first flow path, and the power storage cell tending to a relatively low temperature can also be cooled by the relatively high-temperature coolant flowing through the second flow path. This can suppress temperature fluctuations among the plurality of power storage cells.

[0014] The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present disclosure when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of a power storage device according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a power memory cell according to the embodiment. Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line III-III of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a power storage module with height differences between the power storage cells. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a cooler and a power storage module according to the embodiment, viewed from the Z1 side. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a power storage module according to a first modification of the embodiment. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a power storage module according to a second modification of the embodiment. Fig. 8 is a plan view showing a configuration of a flow path portion according to a third modification of the embodiment. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding parts in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will not be repeated.

[0016] The vertical direction is referred to herein as the Z direction. Specifically, the upward and downward directions of the extension direction are referred to as the Z1 direction and the Z2 direction, respectively. The X direction and the Y direction are each a direction orthogonal to the Z direction (ie, a horizontal direction). The X direction is orthogonal to the Y direction. The X direction and the Y direction are examples of the "prescribed direction" and the "longitudinal direction" in the present disclosure, respectively. The Z direction is an example of the "vertical direction" in the present disclosure.

[0017] Fig. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a power storage device 100 according to the present embodiment. The power storage device 100 is, for example, a device for storing electric energy for driving an electric vehicle (not shown). Fig. For example, the X direction shown in Figure 1 is the forward-backward direction of the electric vehicle. The Y direction is the right-left direction of the electric vehicle. The power storage device 100 may be housed in an electrical device (e.g., a stationary power storage device) other than the electric vehicle.

[0018] The power storage device 100 includes a plurality of power storage modules 10 (two in the present embodiment), a housing 20, and a cooler 30. The number of power storage modules 10 is not limited to the above example. One power storage module 10 or three or more power storage modules 10 may be provided.

[0019] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the structure of one of a plurality of power storage cells 11 in the power storage module 10. The power storage cells 11 have the same structure and the same orientation. Each of the power storage cells 11 is shaped to extend in the Y direction. Specifically, the power storage cell 11 has the shape of a prism extending in the Y direction. The power storage cells 11 are stacked (arranged) in the X direction (see Fig. 3).

[0020] The power storage cell 11 has a length L1 in the Y direction. The power storage cell 11 has a length L2 in the X direction. The length L1 is greater than the length L2. In other words, the power storage cell 11 has the Y direction as its longitudinal direction. The power storage cell 11 also has a height H1 in the Z direction. The height H1 is less than the length L1. The height H1 is greater than the length L2. Each of the power storage cells 11 can be arranged to extend in the X direction.

[0021] As in Fig. 1, the housing 20 contains the power storage modules 10. The housing 20 comprises an upper housing 21 and a lower housing 22. The power storage modules 10 are housed in the space defined by the connection of the upper housing 21 to the lower housing 22. The cooler 30 is also housed in the space described above. The configuration of the housing 20 is not limited to the Fig. 1. For example, the upper housing 21 may not be incorporated into the housing 20. The cooler 30 is an example of a "cooler" within the meaning of the present disclosure.

[0022] The cooler 30 is arranged above (toward the Z1 side) the power storage module 10. The cooler 30 is provided to cover the power storage modules 10 from the Z1 side. The cooler 30 is in the shape of a plate extending along the XY plane. The cooler 30 cools the power storage module 10 by a refrigerant flowing through a flow path section 31, which will be described later.

[0023] Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line III-III of Fig. 1. As in Fig. 3, the power storage device 100 includes a thermally conductive layer 40. The thermally conductive layer 40 is formed on an upper end surface 11a (see Fig. 2) applied to each power storage cell 11. The thermally conductive layer 40 is sandwiched between the cooler 30 and the power storage module 10 (power storage cells 11). In other words, the thermally conductive layer 40 is stacked on the power storage module 10. The cooler 30 is stacked on the thermally conductive layer 40. The thermally conductive layer 40 is made, for example, of a thermally conductive adhesive.

[0024] The power storage module 10 (see Fig. 1) also includes a thermally insulating material 12. The thermally insulating material 12 is disposed between at least some of the power storage cells 11. A plurality of thermally insulating materials 12 are disposed therebetween. Specifically, the thermally insulating material 12 is provided for every three power storage cells 11 (a power storage cell unit 11U, described later) stacked (arranged) in the X direction. The thermally conductive layer 40 is not disposed (stacked) on the thermally insulating material 12. The thermally insulating material 12 is also formed to extend in the Y direction (with the Y direction as the longitudinal direction), similar to the power storage cell 11, which is not shown in the figure.

[0025] The power storage device 100 includes an adhesive layer 50. The adhesive layer 50 is located between the lower housing 22 and the power storage module 10. The power storage module 10 is attached to the lower housing 22 by the adhesive layer 50.

[0026] The cooler 30 includes a plurality of flow path sections 31 arranged side by side in the X direction. Each of the flow path sections 31 is configured to extend along the Y direction. Specifically, each flow path section 31 includes a flow path 32, a flow path 33, and a flow path 34. The flow path 32, the flow path 33, and the flow path 34 are each configured to extend along the Y direction. The flow path 32, the flow path 33, and the flow path 34 communicate with each other. The flow path 32 is an example of the "first flow path" within the meaning of the present disclosure. The flow path 33 is an example of the "second flow path" and the "first-side flow path" within the meaning of the present disclosure. Flow path 34 is an example of the “second flow path” and the “second-side flow path” as used in this disclosure.

[0027] The flow path 32 is arranged in the central part of each flow path section 31. In other words, the flow path 32 is arranged between the flow path 33 and the flow path 34. The flow path 33 is arranged on the X1 side of the flow path 32. The flow path 33 is arranged near one end of each flow path section 31 on the X1 side. The flow path 34 is arranged on the X2 side of the flow path 32. The flow path 34 is located near one end of each flow path section 31 on the X2 side. The X1 side and the X2 side are examples of the "first side in the prescribed direction" and the "second side in the prescribed direction" in the present disclosure, respectively.

[0028] The cooler 30 includes a connecting portion 35 disposed between flow path portions 31 provided adjacent to each other in the X direction. The connecting portion 35 connects the flow path portions 31 to each other. The cooler 30 includes a plurality of connecting portions 35. The connecting portions 35 are formed integrally with the flow path portions 31. In other words, the cooler 30 is manufactured by machining a single plate member. The method for manufacturing the cooler 30 is not limited to the example described above. For example, the flow path portions 31, which are provided individually, may be welded together by the connecting portion 35. Alternatively, the flow path portion 31 may also be formed by superimposing two plates in the Z direction.

[0029] It is conceivable that the height H1 may vary among the power storage cells 11. In this case, a power storage cell 11 with a relatively low height H1 requires a relatively thick thermally conductive layer 40 to be arranged (stacked) thereon to match a conventional flat-shaped cooler. This leads to a reduction in the cooling efficiency of the power storage cell 11 with a relatively low height H1.

[0030] In the present embodiment, therefore, each of the connecting portions 35 has a lower bending rigidity than the individual flow path portions 31. In other words, each of the connecting portions 35 is easier to deform (bend) than each of the flow path portions 31. In particular, the bending rigidity described above refers to the bending rigidity of the power storage cell 11 about the longitudinal direction (Y direction).

[0031] Consequently, even with height differences H1 (see Fig. 3) between the power storage cells 11, as in Fig. 4, height differences H1 can be compensated by bending the connecting portion 35 with a relatively low bending rigidity. Specifically, the cooler 30 (each flow path portion 31) can be disposed on the thermally conductive layer 40 while bending the connecting portion 35. This allows the height positions of the flow path portions 31 on both sides of the connecting portion 35 to deviate from each other by bending the connecting portion 35. As a result, the thermally conductive layer 40, which is disposed on the power storage cell 11 with a relatively low height H1, can be easily subjected to a compressive force from the Z1 side by the flow path portion 31.

[0032] As in Fig. 3, the connecting portion 35 in the present embodiment has a protruding shape that projects vertically upward (toward the Z1 side). Specifically, the connecting portion 35 includes a pair of side portions 35a extending on the Z1 side from the ends of its adjacent flow path portions 31. The connecting portion 35 also includes a flat portion 35b connecting the ends of the pair of side portions 35a on the Z1 side. The flat portion 35b extends along the XY plane so as to cross the Z direction. The connecting portions 35 have the same shape. A bent portion 36 is formed between each of the two side portions 35a and the flow path portion 31.

[0033] Connecting sections 35 are arranged in the X direction at a distance D corresponding to three stacked power storage cells 11. The three power storage cells 11 form the power storage cell unit 11U. The distance D approximately corresponds to the distance between the thermally insulating materials 12.

[0034] Each of the flow path sections 31 is provided above the three power storage cells 11. In other words, each of the flow path sections 31 is provided to cover the power storage cell unit 11U from the Z1 side. A thermally conductive layer 40 is disposed on each of the power storage cell units 11U. In other words, thermally conductive layers 40 are disposed on the power storage module 10, which are divided for each power storage cell unit 11U.

[0035] Flow path 32 is arranged on the Z1 side of the power storage cell 11 of the power storage cell unit 11U, which is located centrally in the X direction. Flow path 33 is arranged on the Z1 side of the power storage cell 11 of the power storage cell unit 11U, which is located on the X1 side. Flow path 34 is arranged on the Z1 side of the power storage cell 11 of the power storage cell unit 11U, which is located on the X2 side.

[0036] Thus, each of the three power storage cells 11 is cooled via a different flow path (32, 33, or 34). In other words, three power storage cells 11 can be cooled individually. This prevents the cooling of each power storage cell 11 from being influenced by another power storage cell 11, thus efficiently cooling each power storage cell 11.

[0037] Thermally insulating material 12 is arranged at a location where thermally insulating material 12 overlaps each of the connecting portions 35 in the Z direction. A gap S1 is defined between the thermally insulating material 12 and the connecting portion 35, which gap is arranged at a location where the thermally insulating material 12 overlaps the connecting portion 35 in the Z direction. The thermally conductive layer 40 is not arranged in the gap S1.

[0038] The thermally insulating material 12 has a height H2 in the Z direction. The height H2 is greater than the height H1 of the power storage cell 11.

[0039] Fig. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the cooler 30 as seen from the side Z1. The dashed line and the alternating long and short dashed line in Fig. 5 indicate the power storage cell 11 and the flow path section 31, respectively. The arrows in Fig. 5 indicate the direction in which the refrigerant flows. In flow path 32, the refrigerant flows from the Y1 side to the Y2 side. In flow path 33 and flow path 34, the refrigerant flows from the Y2 side to the Y1 side, respectively. In other words, the refrigerant in flow path 32 and the refrigerant in flow paths 33 and 34 flow in opposite directions. The directions in which the refrigerant flows in the respective flow paths (32 to 34) are the same for the flow path sections 31. The Y1 side and the Y2 side are examples of the "first longitudinal side" and the "second longitudinal side," respectively, in the context of the present disclosure.

[0040] Each of the flow path sections 31 includes a connecting flow path 31a branching from the flow path 32 to the X1 side, and a connecting flow path 31b branching from the flow path 32 to the X2 side. The connecting flow path 31a connects an end 32a of the flow path 32 on the Y2 side to an end 33a of the flow path 33 on the Y2 side. The connecting flow path 31b connects the end 32a to an end 34a of the flow path 34 on the Y2 side. The connecting flow path 31a and the connecting flow path 31b are examples of the "first branch flow path" and the "second branch flow path," respectively, within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0041] Thus, flow path 32 and flow path 33 form a U-shaped flow path. Flow path 32 and flow path 34 form a U-shaped flow path. Flow path 32, flow path 33, and flow path 34 form a W-shaped flow path.

[0042] As can be seen from the refrigerant distribution described above, the refrigerant flowing through flow path 32 has a larger flow rate than the refrigerant flowing through flow path 33 and flow path 34. For example, the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through flow path 32 may be twice the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through flow path 33 and flow path 34. The flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through flow path 33 may be equal to the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through flow path 34. The flow path area of flow path 32 may be larger (e.g., twice the flow path area) than the flow path area of flow path 33 and flow path 34, which is not shown in the figure.

[0043] As described above, in the present embodiment, each of the connecting portions 35 has a lower bending rigidity than each of the flow path portions 31. This allows the connecting portions 35 to be bent without distorting the flow path portions 31. Therefore, the height positions of the flow path portions 31 connected by the bent connecting portion 35 can be different from each other by bending the connecting portion 35. Consequently, each flow path portion 31 can be easily arranged on the power storage cell 11 (thermally conductive layer 40) by bending the connecting portion 35, even if the height H1 between the power storage cells 11 is different. This eliminates the need to adjust the thickness of the thermally conductive layer 40 for each power storage cell 11 to compensate for variations in the height H1 between the power storage cells 11.As a result, the thermally conductive layer 40 can have a uniform thickness, resulting in more efficient (uniform) cooling by the cooler 30.

[0044] In the present embodiment, each of the connecting portions 35 has a protruding shape that protrudes upward in the vertical direction. This results in a longer length (line length) of each of the connecting portions 35 than when each of the connecting portions 35 has a flat shape. As a result, the bending rigidity of each connecting portion 35 can be slightly reduced. The bending amount (deformation amount) of each connecting portion 35 can be easily secured.

[0045] In the above embodiment, the example in which the connecting portion 35 has a protruding shape projecting upward in the vertical direction was described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. As shown in Fig. 6, a connecting portion 135 projecting downward in the vertical direction may connect the flow path portions 31 to each other.

[0046] In the embodiment described above, three power storage cells 11 are arranged in a region corresponding to the distance D between the connecting portions 35, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any number of power storage cells 11 other than three may be arranged in this region. Fig. In the example shown in Figure 7, for example, four power storage cells 11 are arranged in this region. In this housing, a flow path section 131 can comprise a flow path 33, a flow path 34, and two flow paths 32 arranged between the flow path 33 and the flow path 34. Only one power storage cell 11 can be provided in this region.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the flow paths (32 to 34) in the flow path section 31 were described as extending in the Y direction, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. Each flow path may also extend in the X direction.

[0048] The above embodiment described the example in which a plurality of connecting portions 35 are provided in the radiator 30, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Only one connecting portion 35 may be provided in the radiator.

[0049] In the above embodiment, an example in which the power storage module 10 includes the thermally insulating material 12 was described, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The power storage module 10 may not include the thermally insulating material 12.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the example in which the connecting portion 35 is provided above the thermally insulating material 12 was described, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The connecting portion 35 may also be provided at a location other than above the thermally insulating material 12. For example, the connecting portion 35 may be provided above a gap S2 (see Fig. 1) between two power storage modules 10.

[0051] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which no flow path is provided in the connecting portion 35, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. A flow path may be provided in the connecting portion 35.

[0052] In the above-described embodiment, a flow path 33 and a flow path 34 branched from the flow path 32 are provided in the flow path section 31, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. A location where the refrigerant is divided does not necessarily have to be formed in the flow path section. For example, in the embodiment shown in Fig. In the example shown in Figure 8, the end 32b of the flow path 32 on the Y1 side is connected to the end 34b of the flow path 34 on the Y1 side by connecting the flow path 31c. Likewise, the end 32a of the flow path 32 is connected to the end 33a of the flow path 33 by connecting the flow path 31d.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the example in which the number of flow paths (32 to 34) provided in the flow path section 31 is equal to the number of power storage cells 11 corresponding to the flow path section 31 was described, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The number of flow paths provided in the flow path section may be different from the number of power storage cells corresponding to the flow path section.

[0054] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which each flow path section 31 extends over three power storage cells 11, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The number of power storage cells 11 over which the flow path section 31 extends may vary for each flow path section 31.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the example in which the connecting portion 35 has a protruding shape was described, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The connecting portion may be formed in the shape of a flat plate. For example, the bending rigidity of the connecting portion may be lower than the bending rigidity of the flow path portion because the thickness of the connecting portion is smaller than the thickness of the flow path portion. The bending rigidity of the connecting portion may be lower than the bending rigidity of the flow path portion because the bending rigidity of the material of the connecting portion is lower than the bending rigidity of the material of the flow path portion.

[0056] In the above embodiment, an example in which flow path 32, flow path 33, and flow path 34 communicate with each other was described, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Flow path 32, flow path 33, and flow path 34 may not communicate with each other.

[0057] The configurations (methods) of the embodiment and the changes described above can be combined with each other.

[0058] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, the embodiments disclosed herein are in all respects illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the terms of the claims and is intended to include all changes within the scope and meaning consistent with the terms of the claims. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] JP 2024-008790

[0001] JP 2023-529400 [0003, 0004]

Claims

[1] Power storage device (100) comprising: a power storage module (10); a cooler (30) arranged above the power storage module in a vertical direction; and a thermally conductive layer (40) sandwiched between the power storage module and the cooler, wherein the power storage module has a plurality of power storage cells (11) stacked in a prescribed direction, the cooler a plurality of flow path sections (31, 131) arranged side by side in the prescribed direction and extending in a longitudinal direction of each of the plurality of power storage cells, and at least one connecting portion (35, 135) disposed between the plurality of flow path portions arranged side by side in the prescribed direction, and the at least one connecting portion has a flexural rigidity lower than that of each of the plurality of flow path portions. [2] The power storage device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one connecting portion has a protruding shape that protrudes upward in the vertical direction or downward in the vertical direction. [3] Power storage device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the power storage module has a thermally insulating material (12) disposed between at least some power storage cells of the plurality of power storage cells, and the thermally insulating material is arranged at a position where the thermally insulating material overlaps the at least one connecting portion in the vertical direction. [4] Power storage device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one connecting section comprises a plurality of connecting sections, and the plurality of connecting portions are arranged with a pitch therebetween in the prescribed direction, the pitch corresponding to a prescribed number of power storage cells of the plurality of power storage cells. [5] The power storage device according to claim 4, wherein the prescribed number is three. [6] A power storage device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the plurality of flow path sections is provided across some power storage cells of the plurality of power storage cells, and each of the plurality of flow path sections a first flow path (32) through which a refrigerant flows from a first side in the longitudinal direction to a second side in the longitudinal direction, and a second flow path (33) through which the refrigerant flows from the second side in the longitudinal direction to the first side in the longitudinal direction. [7] Power storage device according to claim 6, wherein the first flow path is arranged at a middle portion of each of the plurality of flow path portions in the prescribed direction, and the second flow path a first-side flow path (33) connected to a first branch flow path (31a) branching from the first flow path to a first side in the prescribed direction, and a second-side flow path (34) connected to a second branch flow path (31b) branching from the first flow path to a second side in the prescribed direction.

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