Accumulator housing

Abstract

Accumulator housing with a base body (2) open on one side and a cover (3) closing the open side (3) of the base body (2), wherein the base body (2) is configured to accommodate accumulator modules (4) cooled by means of a coolant, and wherein the base body (2) has a bottom plate (5) opposite the open side (3) which has a leakage opening (12) for draining any escaped coolant, characterized in that the bottom plate (5) has a groove (9) which forms a web (10) on the inner surface (6) of the bottom plate (5) opposite the open side (3) of the base body (2), wherein the web (10) has a web side wall (11) which provides the leakage opening (12), and wherein a shaped body (13) is provided which closes the leakage opening (12) in a coolant-permeable manner, wherein the shaped body (13) is inserted into the groove (9).

Description

The invention relates to an accumulator housing with a base body open on one side and a lid closing the open side of the base body, wherein the base body is designed to accommodate accumulator modules cooled by means of a coolant, and wherein the base body has a bottom plate opposite the open side which has a leakage opening for draining any escaped coolant. Accumulator housings in general, and those for accommodating accumulator modules in particular, are well known from the prior art, which is why a separate printed reference is not required here. A typical accumulator housing consists of a base body. This body typically has a base plate and attached side walls. Opposite the base plate, the base body is open, resulting in an overall trough-shaped design. The base unit provides a volumetric space. In its intended use, this space serves to house battery cells that are electrically connected. Typically, several battery cells are combined to form a battery module, with the base unit accommodating several battery modules that are arranged side by side in the final assembly state. The battery housing is fitted with battery modules or cells through the open side of the housing. This open side is closed by a cover. In the final assembly state, this cover is placed on the housing and connected to it, thus completely enclosing and encapsulating the battery modules and cells within the housing. The base body and the lid closing the base body are preferably detachably connected in the fully assembled state, which allows maintenance and repair work to be carried out on the battery modules and cells housed in the battery casing. In particular, it allows defective battery modules and cells to be replaced if necessary. According to a preferred application, the battery cells housed in the battery casing are lithium-ion cells. Such cells are used particularly in electromobility, for example in land vehicles, especially passenger cars or vehicles used in public transport, or in rail vehicles, especially passenger trains. Under normal operating conditions, the battery modules housed in the battery casing are cooled by means of a coolant. For this purpose, according to a preferred design, the battery modules have a housing with a base equipped with a cooling channel. Under normal operating conditions, this cooling channel is supplied with coolant. Water is primarily used as the coolant. It is supplied to the individual battery modules via appropriate tubing. Each battery module has two housing connections for this purpose: one for water supply and the other for water drainage. Hoses for supplying and draining water as coolant are attached to these housing connections. It is also possible for individual battery modules to be connected in series for cooling purposes, so that the water used as coolant flows sequentially through the cooling channels provided by each battery module. Even under normal operating conditions, coolant can leak unintentionally from a standard battery housing. Such leakage occurs particularly in the event of a leak, whether in the cooling channels or the tubing. The escaping coolant accumulates in the main body of the battery housing, and at a sufficient level, this can damage the battery modules. However, the primary risk is that leaking coolant can cause a voltage arc between individual battery modules or cells, which in the worst-case scenario can lead to a fire, especially with lithium-ion cells. To address this problem, it is known from the prior art to use so-called absorbent mats. These are typically arranged in a space between the battery modules and the base plate of the battery housing. They are made of an absorbent material and can absorb and bind any leaked coolant. This prevents unintentional contact between battery modules or cells and leaked coolant. The absorption capacity of the suction mats used is preferably dimensioned such that the total amount of coolant available, at least theoretically, can be fully absorbed. However, known suction mats cannot prevent, particularly when the battery housing is tilted, the accumulation of leaked coolant at the lowest point of the housing in such a quantity that unintentional contact between battery modules or cells and the coolant cannot be reliably ruled out. Such a tilt of the battery housing can occur, especially when used in conjunction with a vehicle, if the vehicle itself is at an angle, for example, on a slope or in a curve.A tilted vehicle can therefore have a detrimental effect, meaning that in the event of coolant leakage, despite the presence of absorbent mats, it is not prevented that contact of the leaking coolant with battery modules or cells can lead to a voltage flashover and thus, in the worst case, to a fire. Based on this, the object underlying the invention is to further develop a battery housing of the type mentioned above in such a way as to ensure safe operation by the user while avoiding the problems described above. To solve this problem, the invention proposes an accumulator housing of the type mentioned at the outset, which is characterized in that the base plate has a groove which forms a web on the inner surface of the base plate opposite the open side of the base body, wherein the web has a web side wall which provides a leakage opening, and in that a molded body is provided which closes the leakage opening in a coolant-permeable manner, wherein the molded body is inserted into the groove. The main body of the battery housing has a leakage opening. In the event of a malfunction, any coolant that has leaked out can be discharged through this opening into the surrounding environment. Even if the battery housing is tilted, this ensures that excess coolant cannot accumulate in such a quantity that it could come into contact with the battery modules or cells. According to the accumulator housing according to the invention, a leakage opening is provided by a web side wall of a web formed in the base plate of the main body. For this purpose, the base plate has a groove which forms the web on the inner surface of the base plate opposite the open side of the main body. The design of the leakage opening in a web side wall of the type described above has the particular advantage that, in the event of an inclination of the accumulator housing, a reliable discharge of coolant that has accumulated in the base body can take place. According to the invention, it is further provided that a molded body is provided which closes the leakage opening in a way that allows coolant to pass through, wherein the molded body is inserted into the groove. The shaped body provided according to the invention seals the leakage opening in its intended use. The seal of the leakage opening effected by the shaped body is permeable to coolant, so that coolant can be discharged through the leakage opening as needed. The shaped body therefore does not seal the leakage opening in a liquid-tight, and in particular not watertight, manner. By sealing the leakage opening with the molded body, the leakage opening is advantageously sealed in such a way that the unintentional entry of particles, in particular dust particles, dirt, and / or similar contaminants, through the leakage opening into the battery housing cannot occur. Due to the design according to the invention, a dust-tight, yet liquid-permeable seal of the leakage opening is achieved. The battery housing thus designed preferably meets the requirements for protection class IP55. The sealing element is attached to the leakage opening from the outside, i.e., from outside the base body. This offers the significant advantage that the sealing element can be functionally tested from the outside. In particular, it is not necessary to open the battery housing and remove the battery modules it contains to inspect the sealing element. Thanks to the design according to the invention, inspection by visual examination of the sealing element arranged on the outside of the base body is permitted with the battery housing closed. According to the invention, the molded body is inserted into the groove, i.e., the groove that forms the web whose side wall provides the leakage opening. The molded body is thus advantageously protected by the groove and arranged within it. Unintentional damage to the molded body, particularly from external mechanical forces, is therefore largely prevented, thus allowing for the safe use of the accumulator housing according to the invention. A "bead" within the meaning of the invention is a groove-shaped depression, for example in the form of a groove. The groove is formed in the direction of the interior space provided by the accumulator housing, resulting in the previously described ridge design. The bridge design serves both to stabilize the base plate and, if necessary, to maintain a distance between the base plate and the battery modules housed within the battery casing. This space preferably accommodates suction mats known from the prior art. As a result of the inventive design, improved drainage of leaked coolant is achieved, particularly in the case of an inclined accumulator housing, which is beneficial for safety reasons. This is achieved in particular because the leakage opening is not located opposite the open side of the base body in the base plate, but rather in a transverse direction, namely in a web side wall. According to a particular embodiment of the invention, it is preferred to align a web side wall orthogonally to the base or to the open side of the base body. A further particular advantage of the invention is that the shaped element provided for a coolant-permeable seal of the leakage opening is arranged on the outside of the base body, which facilitates simple inspection for functionality, maintenance, and, if necessary, replacement. The shaped element is arranged within the groove forming the web, which ensures a secure arrangement of the shaped element on the base body, particularly against mechanical stress. According to a further feature of the invention, the bridge has two opposing side walls, each of which has a leakage opening. Due to the web design, the base plate of the main body is divided into individual sections in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the web. To ensure that excess coolant can be released to the outside from each of these sections if necessary, both side walls of a web have a corresponding leakage opening. This further increases the operational reliability of the design according to the invention. According to a further feature of the invention, the leakage openings provided by the side walls of a web are arranged opposite each other in the transverse direction of the web. This simplifies manufacturing and, in intended operation, ensures that both leakage openings are closed with just one molded part inserted into the corresponding groove. Therefore, according to a further feature of the invention, opposing leakage openings are closed by a common molded part. This design according to the invention is structurally simple, enables cost-effective and easy assembly, and also ensures that a plurality of leakage openings are closed as intended with just one molded part. According to a further feature of the invention, a web side wall provides a plurality of leakage openings. These can be located relatively close together with respect to the longitudinal extent of the web or – alternatively – further apart. Of essential importance in this context is solely that the leakage openings provided by a web side wall are sealed against liquid by a shaped element that effectively covers the leakage openings by being inserted into the groove forming the web. According to a further feature of the invention, a leakage opening is designed as a slot and extends on one end into a transition area between the side wall of the web and the adjacent inner surface of the base plate. This ensures the reliable drainage of even residual coolant. In particular, it prevents an unwanted coolant level from accumulating within the base body, which would otherwise occur if the leakage openings were positioned vertically apart from the inner surface of the base plate. Instead, the slot-shaped leakage openings extend on one end into the area of ​​the inner surface of the base plate, thus ensuring virtually residue-free drainage of any leaked coolant. According to a further feature of the invention, it is provided that a plurality of beads are provided which are designed to run parallel to each other, with each bead forming a web with leakage openings. Depending on the size of the battery housing's base plate, a large number of the aforementioned corrugations can be provided, preferably spaced equidistant from one another. The corrugations run parallel to each other, resulting in an overall symmetrical structure. Furthermore, this design ensures that no unwanted accumulation of leaked coolant can occur at any point within the base body. According to a further feature of the invention, a coolant-absorbing mat is arranged on the inner surface of the base plate between two adjacent ribs. Such a mat serves to absorb and temporarily store any coolant that may have leaked in the event of a malfunction. Preferably, mats are provided in such a quantity, i.e., with such a total available absorption capacity, that the theoretically available total quantity of coolant can be completely absorbed by the mats. Therefore, a coolant leakage opening is generally not necessary.However, if the mats are unable to fully absorb any leaked coolant, for example due to mat aging, an excessive amount of coolant, or an unfavorable tilt of the battery housing, any remaining coolant not absorbed by the mats can escape through the designated leakage opening as described above. In any case, this ensures that unintended contact between the battery modules and the coolant is prevented, thus reliably avoiding fire-causing voltage flashovers. According to a further feature of the invention, each molded part is provided with a housing to receive it. This housing protects the molded part from external influences, in particular from mechanical forces. This further facilitates precise and secure positioning of the molded part on the base body. According to a further feature of the invention, the housing has openings for the discharge of coolant. Should coolant accumulate within the base body in the event of a malfunction, as described above, it can be discharged via the designated leakage opening. Although the base body closes the leakage opening, it is not liquid-tight, thus allowing for the intended discharge of coolant despite the molded body. The housing enclosing the molded body also has openings, namely through-holes, through which the escaped coolant can be discharged in the event of a leak. According to a further feature of the invention, the housing, together with the molded body it accommodates, is inserted into a groove. This advantageously provides comprehensive protection of the molded body against external influences. Firstly, the molded body is protected by the adjacent web side walls. All other surfaces or sides of the molded body are covered by the housing, thus ensuring complete protection of the molded body. The reliable attachment of the molded body to the base of the accumulator housing is therefore guaranteed. According to a further feature of the invention, a molded body is formed from an elastically deformable material. This allows the molded body to fit snugly, particularly against the web side walls. The molded body is oversized relative to the volume provided by the molded body housing and is pre-pressed for intended assembly. During normal use, the molded body expands elastically, causing it to press against the web side walls and the boundary walls of the molded body housing. This ensures full-surface contact of the molded body, particularly against the web side walls. According to a further feature of the invention, a molded body has a section formed from an elastically deformable material. Such an elastically deformable section can, in particular, be configured to exert a force in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the ribs, i.e., towards the web side walls, resulting in a tight seal between the molded body and the web side walls. Such an elastic section can, for example, be configured as a strip section extending in the longitudinal direction of the web and dividing the molded body into two separate parts. According to a further feature of the invention, the housing is connected to the base plate by means of suitable connecting elements, thereby receiving a molded body. Particularly for reasons of simplified assembly and disassembly, it is preferred to use detachable connecting elements. However, joining by gluing or soldering is also possible. It is particularly preferred to screw the housing for the molded body to the base plate. This ensures a ground connection between the base plate and the housing. According to a further feature of the invention, the housing is provided with a protective device to protect the fasteners from mechanical forces. Such a protective device can be formed, for example, by the housing providing a flange or the like, which flange covers and thus protects the fastener, in particular the screw. According to a further feature of the invention, a housing also includes a cover arranged between the molded body and a housing section, which extends beyond the contact area between the molded body and a web side wall. Such a cover advantageously ensures that the ingress of dust particles, dirt, and / or similar contaminants into the contact area between the molded body and the associated web side wall is reliably prevented. The cover thus provides additional protection against unwanted dust ingress into the battery housing. Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the figures. Fig. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a partial section of an accumulator housing according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows a schematic perspective view from below of a bead incorporated into a base plate of the accumulator housing; Fig. 3 shows a schematic sectional view of a longitudinal section of the bead; and Fig. 4 shows a schematic sectional view of a bead cross-section. Fig. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a partial section of an accumulator housing 1 according to the invention. This accumulator housing 1 serves to hold accumulator modules 4, which are cooled by a coolant. The accumulator housing 1 has a base body 2, which is trough-shaped and has an open side 3 and a base plate 5 opposite the open side 3. In the fully assembled state, the open side 3 of the base body 2 is closed by a cover, which is not shown in detail in the figures. On the base plate side, the battery housing 1 has support supports 21 and 22 which, in the fully assembled state, support the battery modules 4 housed within the battery housing 1. Each battery module 4 has a module housing in which electrically interconnected battery cells are arranged. These battery cells are, for example, lithium-ion cells. The accumulator modules 4 are cooled by a coolant. Water, for example, can be used as the coolant. For cooling purposes during intended use, each module housing has a base equipped with a cooling channel. This cooling channel is connected to a coolant supply line. During intended use, coolant flows through the cooling channel provided by the battery module housing. This results in the cooling of the battery cells housed within the battery module housing. In the event of leaks in either a cooling channel and / or a hose connected to it, coolant may escape unintentionally. This coolant then collects in the trough-shaped base body 2. In the worst case, the escaped coolant could damage individual battery modules 4 or cells, possibly even causing a voltage flashover and resulting in a fire. To overcome the problems associated with leaking coolant, so-called absorbent mats 14 are arranged in the space formed by the support supports 21 and 22 between the accumulator modules 4 and the inner surface 6 of the base plate 5. These absorbent mats 14 can absorb and permanently store leaking coolant, thus preventing unwanted contact between the accumulator modules 4 and the coolant. The absorbent mats 14 expand accordingly when they absorb coolant, which is why the space created by the support supports 21 and 22 is dimensioned accordingly. Preferably, the mats 14 are designed with such absorbency that they can absorb the entire amount of coolant that would theoretically escape in the event of a malfunction. However, the mats 14 may fail to function properly if the accumulator housing 1 is tilted relative to the horizontal. In this case, depending on the tilt of the accumulator housing 1, coolant may accumulate in a certain area of ​​the housing 1 in such a quantity that unintentional contact between the accumulator modules 4 and the coolant can no longer be reliably prevented. For this reason, not only are absorbent mats 14 provided, but also leakage openings 12 (see Fig. 4) through which coolant can escape and be released into the external environment of the accumulator housing 1 if necessary. According to the invention, the base plate 5 of the base body 2 has a groove 9. This groove is incorporated into the outer surface 7 of the base body 2 and forms a web 10 on the inner surface 6 of the base plate 5 opposite the open side 3 of the base body 2. This relationship is particularly evident from a comparison of Figures 1, 3, and 4. The web 10 has a web wall 11, which provides the leakage opening 12. This relationship is particularly evident from the illustration in Figure 4. According to the invention, a shaped body 13 is also provided, which closes the leakage opening 12 while allowing coolant to pass through and is inserted into the groove 9. This connection is also particularly evident from the illustration in Fig. 4. As can be seen in particular from the illustration in Fig. 2, the shaped body 13 inserted into the groove 9 is arranged in a housing 15. This housing 15 is connected to the base plate 5 by receiving the shaped body 13, for which purpose screws 19 and corresponding nuts 20 are provided in the illustrated embodiment. The housing 15 in turn has through-openings 16. Coolant that has previously passed through the molded body can flow out through these openings. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 15 has protective devices 17 formed by bends. These bends 17 protect, in particular, the screws 19 and nuts 20 from mechanical stress. The molded body 13 consists of a liquid-permeable material, so that in the event of a leak, coolant can escape through the molded body 13 via corresponding leakage openings 12. The molded body 13 seals the associated leakage openings 12, particularly in a dust-tight manner, so that the accumulator housing 1 meets the requirements of protection class IP55. The shaped body 13 can, for example, be a sponge. This can be made of a textile material, but also of a fibrous material, in particular a fibrous material made of natural and / or plastic fibers. The functioning of the construction according to the invention is as follows. Escaping coolant can be discharged to the outside via the leakage openings 12. The leakage openings 12 are formed in the web side walls 11 of each web 10, which, in the illustrated embodiment, run orthogonally to the inner surface 6 of the base plate 5. A molded element 13 is provided for dust-tight sealing of the leakage openings 12. This molded element 13 is inserted into the corresponding groove 9, and each molded element 13 effectively seals opposing leakage openings 12 of a web 10, as can be seen in Fig. 4. The molded element 13 is additionally protected from external influences by a housing 15, which advantageously supports the reliable operation of the accumulator housing 1 according to the invention.In order to safely drain any coolant that has escaped after passing through the molded body 13, the housing 15 has corresponding through-openings 16. Furthermore, a cover 18 is provided by the housing 15, which is arranged between the housing 15 and the molded body 13. This cover 18 extends over the contact area 8 between the molded body 13 and the associated web side walls 11, as can be seen particularly in Fig. 4. This ensures that dust, dirt particles and / or other contaminants cannot unintentionally enter the contact area between the molded body 13 and the associated web side wall 11. The cover 18 can, for example, be made of a film material that also has corresponding openings 16 or is made of a liquid-permeable material. The leakage openings 12 are preferably slot-shaped. The through-openings 16 can be designed as bores and have a diameter of 7 mm. Reference sign 1 Housing 2 Base body 3 Open side 4 Accumulator module 5 Base plate 6 Inner surface 7 Outer surface 8 Contact area 9 Bead 10 Web 11 Web side wall 12 Leakage opening 13 Molded body 14 Mat 15 Housing 16 Through opening 17 Protective device 18 Cover 19 Screw 20 Nut 21 Support 22 Support

Claims

Accumulator housing with a base body (2) open on one side and a cover (3) closing the open side (3) of the base body (2), wherein the base body (2) is configured to accommodate accumulator modules (4) cooled by means of a coolant, and wherein the base body (2) has a bottom plate (5) opposite the open side (3) which has a leakage opening (12) for draining any escaped coolant, characterized in that the bottom plate (5) has a groove (9) which forms a web (10) on the inner surface (6) of the bottom plate (5) opposite the open side (3) of the base body (2), wherein the web (10) has a web side wall (11) which provides the leakage opening (12), and wherein a shaped body (13) is provided which closes the leakage opening (12) in a coolant-permeable manner, wherein the shaped body (13) is inserted into the groove (9). Accumulator housing according to claim 1, characterized in that the web (10) has two opposing web side walls (11), each of which has a leakage opening (12). Accumulator housing according to claim 2, characterized in that the leakage openings (12) are arranged opposite each other. Accumulator housing according to claim 3, characterized in that opposing leakage openings (12) are each closed by a common molded body (13). Accumulator housing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a web side wall (11) provides a plurality of leakage openings (12). Accumulator housing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a leakage opening (12) is designed in a slot-like manner and extends on one end into a transition area between the web side wall (11) and the adjacent inner surface (6) of the base plate (5). Accumulator housing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a plurality of beads (9) are provided which are formed parallel to each other, each bead (9) forming a web (10) with leakage openings (12). Accumulator housing according to claim 7, characterized in that a coolant-absorbing mat (14) is arranged on the inner surface side of the base plate (5) between two adjacent ribs (10). Accumulator housing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a housing (15) receiving the molded body (13) is provided for each molded body (13). Accumulator housing according to claim 9, characterized in that the housing (15) has through-openings (16) for the discharge of coolant. Accumulator housing according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the housing (15) together with the shaped body (13) received by the housing (15) is inserted into a groove (9). Accumulator housing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a shaped body (13) is formed from an elastically deformable material. Accumulator housing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a shaped body (13) has a section formed from an elastically deformable material. Accumulator housing according to one of the preceding claims 9 to 13, characterized in that a housing (15) receiving a molded body (13) is connected to the base plate (5) by means of appropriate connecting means. Accumulator housing according to claim 14, characterized in that the housing (15) is screwed to the base plate (5). Accumulator housing according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that the housing (15) has a protective device (17) for protecting the connecting means from mechanical forces. Accumulator housing according to one of the preceding claims 9 to 16, characterized in that a housing (15) further comprises a cover (18) arranged between the molded body (13) and a housing section, which extends beyond the contact area between the molded body (13) and an adjacent web side wall (11).

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