Support plate for electrochemical storage components in a battery case

Abstract

Support plate for electrochemical storage components in a battery case. The invention relates to a support plate (2) for electrochemical storage components (3), the support plate (2) comprising within it a cooling circuit configured to be traversed by a heat transfer fluid, the electrochemical storage components (3) each comprising an upper face (31) intended to be connected to electrical connections and a lower face (33) comprising a breaking element, the lower face (33) being located in a lower part of the electrochemical storage component (3), the support plate (2) being characterized in that it comprises recesses (20) each adapted to house the lower part of one of the electrochemical storage components (3) and each comprising a hole (22) passing through the support plate (2) and disposed in a bottom of the recess (20). (Figure 1)

Description

Title of the invention: Support plate for electrochemical storage components in a battery case

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of electric storage batteries and finds particular application in the field of electric or hybrid vehicles. More specifically, the invention relates to a support plate for electrochemical storage devices, a housing comprising such a support plate, and an electrochemical storage system comprising such a housing, commonly referred to as a "battery pack" in English.

[0002] New electric storage battery technologies, particularly those using lithium, require cooling of the electrochemical storage components of these batteries. Indeed, the use of such a battery, for example when used while driving an electric vehicle, raises the temperature of its electrochemical storage components, which can lead to thermal runaway of some of these components, and then to a fire if no cooling mechanism is provided.

[0003] This is why the electrochemical storage elements, which can take the form of cylindrical or prismatic cells, are often cooled in the battery by a dielectric liquid which immerses them, or by a cooling circuit in which glycol water circulates, the cooling circuit being contained for example in a cooling plate in contact with the electrochemical storage elements.

[0004] Despite such cooling mechanisms, it is preferable to include a rupture element in each electrochemical storage unit of the battery. This rupture element is capable of rupturing a partition within the electrochemical storage unit and releasing gases formed within it by thermal runaway, generating overpressure inside. Without this rupture element, such overpressure could cause the electrochemical storage unit to explode and start a fire.

[0005] When the rupture element is disposed on the opposite side of the positive electrode of the energy storage unit, i.e. on the opposite side of the electrical conductors connecting the electrochemical storage units to each other on their upper parts, it is difficult to simultaneously cool the electrochemical storage units, to allow the evacuation of gases formed by an overpressure in one of these electrochemical storage units, and to maintain the electrochemical storage units in position in the battery when such an overpressure occurs.

[0006] Indeed, since the gases are vented on the side opposite the upper parts of the electrochemical storage components, which are obstructed by electrical conductors, the cooling and maintenance of these components must, a priori, be carried out laterally to them. However, the space available between these electrochemical storage components is limited to the minimum necessary to allow the battery to achieve the highest possible power density.

[0007] The present invention aims to remedy at least in part the aforementioned drawbacks by providing a support plate for electrochemical storage elements, a housing comprising such a support plate, and a system comprising the housing and the electrochemical storage elements, which allow for the fixing and cooling of the electrochemical storage elements by their lower parts, while allowing the evacuation of gases formed by a thermal runaway of one of the electrochemical storage elements, by the lower part thereof.

[0008] To this end, the invention proposes a support plate for electrochemical storage organs, the support plate having within it a cooling circuit configured to be traversed by a heat transfer fluid, the electrochemical storage organs each having an upper face intended to be connected to electrical links and a lower face having a breaking element, the lower face being located in a lower part of the electrochemical storage organ, the support plate being characterized in that it has housings each adapted to house the lower part of one of the electrochemical storage organs and each having a hole through the support plate and disposed in a bottom of the housing.

[0009] Electrochemical storage devices are electrochemical cells of any shape and technology requiring cooling and a gas evacuation system for the electrochemical storage devices. For example, electrochemical storage devices are cylindrical or prismatic cells of lithium-ion technology or equivalent technology.

[0010] In the case where the electrochemical storage elements are cylindrical cells, the rupture element is, for example, a rupture disc disposed on the underside of the electrochemical storage element. The electrochemical storage elements are then, for example, arranged in a staggered pattern on the support plate, at a distance of less than 3 mm (millimeters) from each other. This distance, of approximately 1 to 3 mm, allows sufficient space between the electrochemical storage elements for thermal insulation within the housing that contains them, while optimizing the size of this housing.

[0011] Thanks to the invention, the electrochemical storage devices are cooled, held in position and can vent gases formed by overpressure in One of the electrochemical storage units, despite the presence of a rupture element in its lower part and an electrical connection in its upper part, is designed to maintain its position, cool, and vent the gases. The support plate has vent holes and is permeated by a heat transfer fluid. Each hole is positioned opposite the lower face of one of the electrochemical storage units, allowing for the removal of the rupture element if necessary.

[0012] The support plate therefore includes a heat transfer fluid inlet and outlet, fluidly connected to a heat exchanger located, for example, outside the housing. The heat exchanger is traversed, for example, by the heat transfer fluid and a refrigerant that also undergoes a thermodynamic cycle. The heat transfer fluid and the refrigerant exchange heat within the heat exchanger to cool or heat the electrochemical storage components as required. It should be noted that the holes pass through the support plate in areas outside the cooling circuit, i.e., areas not traversed by the heat transfer fluid, to prevent leakage of this fluid.

[0013] According to an optional and advantageous feature of the invention, the depth of the housing is at least 5 to 10% of the height of the electrochemical storage element disposed in the housing. This will obviously depend on the size of the element, it being understood that 5 to 10 mm is generally necessary to hold a cylindrical cell in place. This feature ensures that the electrochemical storage element is securely held, even in the event of gas ejection due to thermal runaway within the electrochemical storage element. The depth of the housing and the height of the electrochemical storage element are measured orthogonally to the support plate.

[0014] Furthermore, the hole at the bottom of the housing is preferably sized to allow the rupture element to pass through in the event of overpressure or rupture of the electrochemical storage unit. This feature allows the rupture element to be ejected from the support plate in such a case of overpressure or rupture, and thus facilitates the evacuation of gases from under the support plate.

[0015] It is understood that the support plate has an upper face containing the housings and on which the electrochemical storage elements are arranged, and a lower face through which the gases are discharged. In this application, the terms "under", "above", "below", "lower" or "upper" therefore refer to a vertical direction orthogonal to the support plate with the lower face of the support plate that is above the upper face of the support plate.

[0016] In one embodiment of the invention, the support plate comprises a first plate and a second plate assembled together, the first plate being stamped and intended to be in contact with the electrochemical storage components, and the second plate being flat. In other words, the first plate has raised features formed by stamping that create the recesses, while the second plate is substantially flat and forms a sealed space between the first and second plates to create the cooling circuit. The first plate also preferably forms the edges of the support plate, on which the inlet and outlet of the heat transfer fluid are arranged.

[0017] The second plate is substantially flat because it can nevertheless include flux disruptors forming slight reliefs on the second plate, of negligible dimensions compared to the reliefs forming the housings on the first plate, i.e. smaller by at least a factor of 10. The first and second plates are preferably metallic, for example made of aluminium.

[0018] The first and second plates are joined together, particularly around the perimeter of the support plate and in the areas corresponding to the back walls of the housings. In these areas, the first and second plates are in contact with each other and no fluid can circulate. Therefore, the presence of a through hole in these areas does not pose a sealing problem.

[0019] This embodiment is inexpensive and allows efficient cooling, the sealed space between the first plate and the second plate can be used for the circulation of the heat transfer fluid, which can thus get as close as possible to the lower parts of the electrochemical storage components.

[0020] The first plate is, for example, brazed to the second plate to form the cooling circuit suitable for receiving the heat transfer fluid. Brazing is a simple assembly method and allows for sealing the cooling circuit without additional equipment. Other assembly methods are possible, such as welding or bonding, which also allow for forming the cooling circuit suitable for receiving the heat transfer fluid.

[0021] The first plate is, for example, brazed to at least part of the perimeter of the second plate, preferably around the entire perimeter, so as to limit the distance between the adjacent units to this perimeter and this perimeter, for example, at least to the distance between two adjacent units or to twice this distance. The first plate and the second plate thus form a watertight border around all the units, this border being close enough to the units to channel the heat transfer fluid homogeneously, whether between the border and the units or between the units themselves.

[0022] In this embodiment of the invention, the first plate comprises, for example, at least a first portion distant from the second plate and parallel to it, second portions and third portions, the second portions forming side walls of the housings and joining the first portion to the third portions, the third portions being brazed to the second plate and forming borders at the bottom of the housings, around the holes.

[0023] By "parallel" we also mean to cover "substantially parallel", that is to say parallel to within a few degrees.

[0024] The third portions are also parallel to the second plate and are entirely brazed to it, the second portions extending entirely through the entire thickness of the support plate (except for the sheet metal thicknesses).

[0025] Alternatively, the first plate comprises at least a first portion located away from and parallel to the second plate, second portions curved to form a projecting collar on the support plate, then returning within the thickness of the support plate to be brazed to the second plate at third portions of the first plate, these third portions being parallel to the second plate and entirely brazed to it. This alternative makes it possible to increase the depth of the housings without increasing the thickness of the support plate anywhere other than at the housings.

[0026] In yet another embodiment, the third portions are not entirely parallel to the second plate and are brazed to the second plate only at one of their ends. The third portions form a raised edge within the housing relative to the second plate, allowing the heat transfer fluid to cool the electrochemical storage components directly beneath their lower faces. This alternative embodiment is compatible with second portions extending only within the thickness of the support plate or also forming projecting edges thereof, as mentioned above.

[0027] The invention also relates to a housing for electrochemical storage devices, comprising a support plate according to the invention, the housing comprising a flat portion arranged parallel to the support plate, a vent and stops interposed between the flat portion and the support plate, so as to form a space for evacuating gas from the electrochemical storage devices.

[0028] The flat portion is, of course, opposite the underside of the support plate. This housing configuration provides thermal protection from the external environment of the housing, while leaving sufficient space to effectively direct the gases towards the vent by thermal convection. These gases can indeed be at a temperature of around 1000°C (degrees Celsius) at the outlet of the component. electrochemical storage. As a guide, the space between the support plate and the flat portion is at least 3 mm and preferably between 8 and 15 mm.

[0029] The vent is, for example, an elastomer having a closed orifice opening on a slight overpressure of approximately 300 mbar. The vent is preferably located in the flat portion, formed in particular by a bottom wall of the housing.

[0030] Furthermore, at least one of the stops is, for example, positioned between two recesses in the support plate. The stops are regularly distributed between the recesses and around a perimeter of the support plate; they withstand the explosion of one of the electrochemical storage components (i.e., the bursting of the rupture element). Optionally, a stop is also interposed between the edge of the bottom of a recess and the flat portion.

[0031] In this example, one of the walls delimiting the housing forms the flat portion. Alternatively, the flat portion is an additional plate interposed between the bottom wall of the housing and the support plate. The housing may, in fact, comprise several plates intended to support different components of an electrochemical storage system according to the invention.

[0032] According to another optional and advantageous feature of the invention, the housing comprises elastic means for securing the lower parts of the electrochemical storage elements against walls delimiting the compartments, the elastic means for securing them being supported by said compartments. The elastic means comprise, for example, strips, particularly metallic ones, fixed to the side walls of the compartments, or an elastomeric material such as a foam, for example polyurethane. They hold the lower faces of the electrochemical storage elements against the bottoms of the compartments, thereby ensuring thermal contact between the edges of the bottoms of the compartments and the lower faces of the electrochemical storage elements.Indeed, the edges of the housing bases thus form thermal bridges in contact on one side with the heat transfer fluid and on the other side with the lower surfaces of the electrochemical storage components.

[0033] It should be noted that the side walls, which partially delimit the cooling circuit, can contribute to the cooling of the electrochemical storage components when these side walls are in contact with these electrochemical storage components. This contact is not guaranteed due to manufacturing tolerances of the electrochemical storage components.

[0034] According to yet another optional and advantageous feature of the invention, the housings having side walls connecting the bottoms of the housings to an upper face of the support plate, the housing includes sealing means configured to block any passage of gas to the upper face of the plate support, the sealing means being arranged between the lower parts of the electrochemical storage components and the side walls of the housings.

[0035] These sealing means prevent gas from rising into the upper part of the housing, i.e., above the support plate. They are, for example, arranged above or below the elastic clamping means, in the housings.

[0036] The invention also relates to an electrochemical storage system comprising a housing according to the invention, and electrochemical storage elements, the upper face of each of which is connected to electrical links of the system, and the lower part of each of which is disposed in one of the housings of the support plate, the depth of the housing being at least 5 to 10% of a height of the electrochemical storage element disposed in the housing.

[0037] Preferably, the space between the electrochemical storage elements in the housing is filled with air. In other words, the electrochemical storage elements are not immersed in a dielectric liquid, which helps to limit sealing problems.

[0038] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description on the one hand, and from several illustrative and non-limiting examples of embodiments given with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings on the other hand, in which:

[0039] [Fig. 1] represents in vertical section an electrochemical storage system according to the invention, in an embodiment of the invention, comprising a housing equipped with a support plate on which electrochemical storage components are arranged,

[0040] [Fig.2] shows in vertical section a lower part of one of the organs of electrochemical storage of the [Fig.1], arranged in a housing of the support plate of the [Fig.1] case.

[0041] [Fig.3] represents in perspective seen from above, the housing of the [Fig.2],

[0042] [Fig.4] represents, in perspective top view, the entirety of the support plate of [Fig.2], on which a single electrochemical storage unit is arranged to better visualize the arrangement of housings in the support plate,

[0043] [Fig.5] shows in horizontal section the support plate of [Fig.4], showing the circulation of a heat transfer fluid through the support plate and between the slots in the support plate, and

[0044] [Fig.6] shows in vertical section a lower part of one of the organs of electrochemical storage in one of the housings of the support plate shown [Fig.5], the housing comprising elastic plating means and sealing means.

[0045] According to one embodiment of the invention, an electrochemical storage system 10 according to the invention, represented [Fig.1], comprises a housing 1 and electrochemical storage elements 3 arranged on an upper face 27 (referenced [Fig.4]) of a support plate 2 of the housing 1. This electrochemical storage system 10 is commonly called a "battery pack" and is, for example, intended to be carried in an electric or hybrid vehicle.

[0046] In this embodiment of the invention, the electrochemical storage organs 3 are cylindrical cells extending vertically in a direction Z oriented from a bottom wall 12 of the casing 1 towards an upper part of the casing 1, i.e. along a thickness of the casing 1.

[0047] The housing 1 extends mainly orthogonally to the vertical direction Z, along a longitudinal direction Y and a transverse direction X orthogonal to the longitudinal direction Y, the longitudinal direction Y and the transverse direction X each being parallel to lateral partitions of the housing 1.

[0048] The electrochemical storage elements 3 each have an upper face 31 connected to electrical connections in the upper part of the housing 1, these electrical connections being here a positive conductive bar 51 and a negative conductive bar 53. The positive conductive bar 51 and the negative conductive bar 53 are each connected to an electrical connector 14 located in a side partition of the housing 1 and allowing the electrochemical storage system 10 to be electrically connected to vehicle equipment. It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the invention, the electrochemical storage elements 3 are shown connected in parallel, but they can be connected in series, with the electrical connections passing from a negative terminal to a positive terminal successively from cell to cell.

[0049] The electrochemical storage organs 3 each also have a lower face 33 positioned in the bottom of a housing 20 of a support plate 2. More precisely, a whole lower part 35 (referenced in Figures 2, 4 and 6) of each electrochemical storage organ 3, the lower part 35 comprising the lower face 33, is housed in a housing 20.

[0050] It should be noted that in this embodiment of the invention, the housing 1 can only house one electrochemical storage element 3 in its vertical dimension, but alternatively the housing can house several electrochemical storage elements in its vertical dimension, several support plates according to the invention then being provided in the housing for this purpose.

[0051] As can be seen [Fig. 4], the support plate 2 may have a plurality of housings 20 arranged in a staggered pattern within the support plate 2. Thus, the electrochemical storage elements 3 are also arranged in a staggered pattern on the support plate 2. As an indication, the diameter of each electrochemical storage organ 3 is approximately 46mm and the distance between two adjacent electrochemical storage organs 3 is approximately 3mm, so as to allow thermal insulation between them.

[0052] Each electrochemical storage unit 3 comprises a rupture element 330, here a rupture disc, shown in [Fig. 2]. This rupture element 330 forms part of the lower face 33 of the electrochemical storage unit 3 and is designed to detach from this lower face 33 as soon as an overpressure of at least 6 to 7 bar is present within the electrochemical storage unit 3. The positioning of this rupture element 330 on the lower face 33 of the electrochemical storage unit 3 makes it possible, in the event of thermal runaway of the latter, on the one hand, to prevent the heating of the electrical connections 51, 53 and thus, by conduction, to prevent the heating of neighboring electrochemical storage units in order to prevent their runaway, and on the other hand, to prevent the ejection of hot gases in the direction of the vehicle occupants.

[0053] As seen in [Fig.2], the support plate 2 has a hole 22 at the bottom of each housing 20, sized to allow the rupture element 330 to pass in the event of overpressure or rupture of the electrochemical storage unit 3, between the support plate 2 and the bottom wall 12 of the housing 1, thus facilitating the evacuation of gases under the support plate 2. These gases exiting the electrochemical storage unit 3 are represented in [Fig.2] by curved arrows exiting the hole 22.

[0054] Returning to [Fig. 1], where the gases, exiting at a temperature of approximately 1000°C from two electrochemical storage units 3 located at two lateral ends of the housing 1, are represented by straight arrows, these gases are conducted under the support plate 2 and by thermal convection towards a vent 16, provided in the bottom wall 12 of the housing. The gases are thus vented out of the housing. Since the housing is generally fixed under the vehicle chassis, they are directly vented to the open air. Vent 16 is, in this embodiment of the invention, an elastomer comprising a closed orifice opening on an overpressure of approximately 300mbar.

[0055] In order to allow good evacuation of gases under the support plate 2 towards the vent 16, a space of about 1 centimeter is maintained between the support plate 2 and the bottom wall 12 of the housing 1, thanks to stops 18 interposed between the support plate 2 and this bottom wall 12.

[0056] Furthermore, the support plate 2 is formed of a first plate 24 and a second plate 26. The first plate 24 forms the upper face 27 of the support plate 2. It is stamped, the raised areas formed by stamping on the first plate 24 serving to form the recesses 20. The second plate 26 is substantially flat and forms the lower face of the support plate 2. The first plate 24 and the second plate 26 are in this embodiment brazed to each other at the bottom of the housings 20 and also on the perimeters of the first and second plates 24, 26 as illustrated [Fig.4], so as to form a sealed space between the first plate 24 and the second plate 26.

[0057] Of course, alternatively, other types of assembly of the first plate 26 and the second plate 24 are conceivable, for example by friction stir welding.

[0058] It is understood that in this embodiment of the invention, the first plate 24 and the second plate 26 are metallic, in particular made of aluminum.

[0059] The sealed space between the first plate 24 and the second plate 26 is intended to receive a heat transfer fluid 9, illustrated [Fig. 3] by a dashed arrow, and thus forms a cooling circuit 90. The heat transfer fluid 9 is, for example, glycol water. The dashed arrows in this [Fig. 3] illustrate the gas evacuated from an electrochemical storage element 3, substantially vertically from the upper face 27 of the support plate 2 to its lower face, through the hole 22 of the housing 20 of the electrochemical storage element 3.

[0060] We now explain how each housing 20 is made in the support plate 2, always in relation to [Fig.3].

[0061] The first plate 24 comprises a first, substantially flat portion 240, arranged parallel to the second plate 26 but separated from it by a few millimeters, for example 4 mm, so as to create the cooling circuit 90 for the heat transfer fluid 9. The first plate 24 also comprises a second, cylindrical portion 242 connecting the first portion 240 to the bottom of the housing 20, formed in particular by a third portion 244 of the first plate 24. The third portion 244 is shaped like a ring and forms a rim around the hole 22, intended to support a non-breakable part of the lower face 33 of the electrochemical storage element 3. This third portion 244 is fully brazed to the second plate 26 in order to close the cooling circuit 90 around the hole 22.

[0062] The first plate 24 and the second plate 26 are therefore each cut to form the hole 22, for example before brazing the two plates 24, 26 together.

[0063] Furthermore, the second portion 242 forms a vertical cylindrical side wall of the housing 20, entirely contained within the thickness of the support plate 2 and in thermal contact with the heat transfer fluid 9. The depth of the housing 20, i.e., the height of its cylindrical side wall, is at least 5 to 10% of the height of the electrochemical storage unit 3. This depth is determined by to sufficiently cool the electrochemical storage unit 3 and to keep it in its housing 20 in case of bursting of the rupture element 330.

[0064] The heat transfer fluid 9 circulates horizontally between the first plate 24 and the second plate 26, all around the housings 20, as shown [Fig. 5]. The cooling circuit 90 is closed at the edges of the first plate 24 and the second plate 26 by brazing the second plate 26 around the perimeter of the first plate 24, which forms a sealed rim 25 around the support plate 2. This sealed rim 25 is connected to the first portion 240 of the first plate 24 by side walls of the support plate 2 (visible [Fig. 4]), formed by the first plate 24, each of the side walls being vertical and arranged parallel to one of the transverse X or longitudinal Y directions.

[0065] The sealed rim 25 is made sufficiently close to the proximal housings 20 at the transverse or longitudinal ends of the first portion 240, so that the quantity of heat transfer fluid 9 circulating between the sealed rim 25 and these proximal housings 20 is substantially equal to that circulating between two adjacent housings. Thus, the heat transfer fluid 9 does not circulate predominantly at the edges of the support plate 2 and efficiently cools the electrochemical storage elements 3. In particular, the distance between one of the proximal housings 20 and one of the lateral walls of the support plate 2, and this lateral wall, is substantially equal to the distance between two adjacent electrochemical storage elements 3.

[0066] As can be seen in [Fig.5], the heat transfer fluid 9 enters the support plate 2 through a heat transfer fluid inlet 21, arranged in a transverse side wall of the support plate 2, and exits the support plate 2 through a heat transfer fluid outlet 23 9, arranged in the other transverse side wall of the support plate 2.

[0067] Furthermore, in order to promote the circulation of the heat transfer fluid 9, the first plate 24 and / or the second plate 26 may include flow disruptors, formed for example by stamping, and forming slight reliefs within the cooling circuit 90, between the housings 20.

[0068] Although the side wall of each housing 20, formed by the second portion 242, is cooled by the heat transfer fluid 9, the housing 20 is dimensioned to receive the lower part 35 of an electrochemical storage element 3 with a tolerance related to the manufacturing of the electrochemical storage elements 3. Consequently, the diameter of a housing 20 is often slightly larger than that of the electrochemical storage element 3, the lower part of which 35 is therefore not necessarily in contact with the second portion 242 forming the side wall of the housing 20.

[0069] This size difference between a housing and the electrochemical storage unit it contains is even greater in an embodiment of the invention using prismatic cells, which are subject to an increase in volume depending on their state of load and their aging. Indeed, in this case, this size difference takes into account not only the manufacturing tolerance of the cells but also their future swelling.

[0070] The cooling of the lower part 35 of the electrochemical storage organ 3 is therefore mainly done by the third portion 244 of the housing 20, forming the edge of the hole 22 at the bottom of the housing 20.

[0071] It is therefore preferable to provide one or more means of plating the lower part 35 of the electrochemical storage organ 3 against the third portion 244.

[0072] First elastic clamping means 40 consist of a polyurethane foam bonded to the second portion 242. These first elastic clamping means allow the electrochemical storage element 3 to be held against the third portion 244, despite the presence of play between the second portion 242 and the lower part 35 of the electrochemical storage element 3. Through deformation, they adapt to the size of the electrochemical storage element 3 and do not prevent the electrochemical storage element 3 from being removed from its housing in the event of maintenance of the electrochemical storage system 10.

[0073] Second elastic clamping means 70, shown in Figures 5 and 6, consist of one or two metal strips, each welded to the second portion 242 by only one of its ends. The other end of each strip is free and positioned away from the second portion 242, in the housing 20, when the latter is empty. Inserting the lower part 35 of the electrochemical storage element 3 into the housing 20 pushes the free end of each strip against the second portion 242, the strip acting as a spring between the second portion 242 and the lower part 35 of the electrochemical storage element 3. When the electrochemical storage element 3 is at the maximum diameter permitted by its manufacturing tolerance, the strip is completely compressed between the second portion 242 and the lower part 35 of the electrochemical storage element 3.

[0074] These second elastic clamping means 70 create a thermal bridge between the second portion 242, cooled directly by the heat transfer fluid 9, and the lower part 35 of the electrochemical storage unit 3. This thermal bridge is in addition to the cooling provided by the third portion 244, which forms another thermal bridge between the heat transfer fluid 9 and the lower part 35. However, this other thermal bridge is less well cooled than the second portion 242 because it is in contact with the heat transfer fluid 9 only at one of its ends.

[0075] The first and second elastic clamping means are of course clamping means of the lower part 35 of the electrochemical storage organ 3 against the third portion 244, as mentioned above.

[0076] Furthermore, the housing 1 includes sealing means 60 preventing the gas evacuated by one of the electrochemical storage elements 3 from passing over the support plate 2 through the gap located between the second portion 242 and the lower part of the electrochemical storage element 3. These sealing means 60 consist, for example, of an O-ring or an elastomer overmolding of the upper part of the second portion 242 along the entire upper edge of the housing 20.

[0077] These sealing means 60 are for example arranged above elastic plating means 70 or 40 also arranged in the housing 20, as shown [Fig.6].

[0078] Thus, the gas exiting under pressure from an electrochemical storage unit 3 is forced to escape through the underside of the support plate 2. The stops 18 maintain a sufficient distance between the bottom wall 12 and the support plate 2 to facilitate this evacuation, and for this purpose must withstand the bursting of a rupture element 330. A plurality of stops 18 are therefore provided, not only under the edge 25 of the support plate 2, but also between the housings 20. In particular, one or more stops 18 may be provided between the bottom of a housing 20 and the bottom wall 12, that is to say, interposed between, on the one hand, the third portion 244 and the second plate 26 and, on the other hand, the bottom wall 12.

[0079] Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples just described, and many modifications can be made to these examples without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, the features of different embodiments of the invention can be combined to carry out the invention, provided that these embodiments are not incompatible with each other.

Claims

Demands

1. Support plate (2) for electrochemical storage organs (3), the support plate (2) comprising within it a cooling circuit (90) configured to be traversed by a heat transfer fluid (9), the electrochemical storage organs (3) each comprising an upper face (31) intended to be connected to electrical links and a lower face (33) comprising a rupture element (330), the lower face (33) being located in a lower part (35) of the electrochemical storage organ (3), the support plate (2) being characterized in that it comprises housings (20) each capable of housing the lower part (35) of one of the electrochemical storage organs (3) and each comprising a hole (22) passing through the support plate (2) and disposed in a bottom of the housing (20).

2. Support plate (2) according to claim 1, in which the hole (22) is dimensioned to allow the rupture element (330) to pass through in the event of overpressure or rupture of the electrochemical storage component (3).

3. Support plate (2) according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a first plate (24) and a second plate (26) assembled together, the first plate (24) being stamped and intended to be in contact with the electrochemical storage components (3), and the second plate (26) being flat.

4. Support plate (2) according to claim 3, wherein the first plate (24) comprises at least a first portion (240) distant from the second plate (26) and parallel thereto, second portions (242) and third portions (244), the second portions (242) forming side walls of the housings (20) and joining the first portion (240) to the third portions (244), the third portions (244) being brazed to the second plate (26) and forming borders at the bottom of the housings (20), around the holes (22).

5. A housing (1) for electrochemical storage devices (3), comprising a support plate (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the housing (1) comprising a flat portion disposed parallel to the support plate (2), a vent (16) and stops (18) interposed between the flat portion and the support plate (2), so as to form a space for the evacuation of gas from the electrochemical storage organs (3).

6. Housing (1) according to claim 5, in which at least one of the stops (18) is disposed between two housings (20) of the support plate (2).

7. Housing (1) according to claim 5 or 6 in which the vent (16) is arranged in the flat portion, formed in particular by a bottom wall (12) of the housing (1).

8. Housing (1) according to any one of claims 5 to 7, comprising elastic means (40, 70) for clamping the lower parts (35) of the electrochemical storage elements (3) against walls delimiting the housings (20), the elastic means (40, 70) for clamping being in particular carried by said housings (20).

9. Housing (1) according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the housings (20) have side walls connecting the bottoms of the housings (20) to an upper face (27) of the support plate (2), the housing (1) has sealing means (60) configured to block any passage of gas to the upper face (27) of the support plate (2), the sealing means (60) being disposed between the lower parts (35) of the electrochemical storage elements (3) and the side walls of the housings (20).

10. Electrochemical storage system (10) comprising a housing (1) according to any one of claims 5 to 9, and electrochemical storage elements (3), the upper face (31) of each of which is connected to electrical connections of the system, and the lower part (35) of each of which is disposed in one of the housings (20) of the support plate (2), the depth of the housing (20) being at least 5 to 10% of a height of the electrochemical storage element (3) disposed in the housing (20).

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