阅读说明：本技术 用于电池模块的冷板片 (Cold plate for battery module ) 是由 W·波特·哈里斯 于姆兰·阿什拉夫 罗伯特·韦斯利·蒂博 尼克·塞尔托 于 2019-03-18 设计创作，主要内容包括：用于电池的冷板可包括从板的第一端延伸到板的第二端、或者从板的第一侧延伸到板的第二侧的通道,通道被定位成彼此平行并且在顶表面与底表面之间。通道可以通过壁被彼此分开。可以对板进行铣削以在每个端上形成第一歧管。还可对板进行铣削以在表面中在歧管上方形成凹口。可以将用于工作流体的入口的端口和用于工作流体的出口的端口插入凹口中。板可以具有端盖,并且可以对端盖和端口进行焊接或钎焊以形成密封的壳体。在各个实施方式中,板是挤压板、铸造板或冲压/成形板。(A cold plate for a battery may include channels extending from a first end of the plate to a second end of the plate, or from a first side of the plate to a second side of the plate, the channels being positioned parallel to each other and between the top and bottom surfaces. The channels may be separated from each other by walls. The plate may be milled to form the first manifold on each end. The plate may also be milled to form a recess in the surface above the manifold. A port for an inlet of the working fluid and a port for an outlet of the working fluid may be inserted into the recess. The plate may have end caps, and the end caps and ports may be welded or brazed to form a sealed housing. In various embodiments, the plate is an extruded, cast, or stamped/formed plate.)

1. A method for manufacturing a cold plate, comprising:

Extruding a metal material through a die to form an extrusion plate;

wherein the compression plate includes a channel formed by a compression process, the channel extending linearly from a first end of the compression plate to a second end of the compression plate, the second end of the compression plate being opposite the first end of the compression plate;

wherein the compression plate includes a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface being coplanar with the top surface;

wherein the channels are positioned parallel to each other and between the top surface and the bottom surface; and is

Wherein the channels are separated from each other by walls formed by the extrusion process;

the method further comprises the following steps:

milling a first end of the extrusion plate to form a first manifold;

milling a second end of the compression plate to form a second manifold;

milling a first recess in the top surface over the first manifold;

milling a second recess in the top surface over one of the first manifold or the second manifold;

placing a first port in the first recess for the inlet of working fluid to the first manifold;

placing a second port in the second recess for egress of the working fluid from one of the first manifold or the second manifold;

Forming a first end cap and a second end cap; and

welding the squeeze plate, the first end cap, the second end cap, the first port, and the second port to form a sealed housing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first and second end caps each include a flow directing structure inserted into the first and second manifolds, respectively, to direct the flow of the working fluid.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the flow guide structure causes the working fluid from the first port to flow linearly in parallel from the first end to the second end of the squeeze plate in the same direction in a first passage and a second passage adjacent to the first passage.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the flow directing structure causes the working fluid from the first port to flow in the first channel from the first end to the second end of the expression plate, and then back in a serpentine manner in an adjacent channel from the second end to the first end of the expression plate.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein:

The cold plate includes a flow path, wherein the flow path is one of linear, serpentine, cross-flow, parallel, and series.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the flow path depends on the configuration of at least one of the first end cap and the second end cap.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the expression plate includes a serpentine flow path created in part by at least one of the first end cap and the second end cap.

8. An apparatus for thermal management, comprising:

a compression plate formed by compressing a metal material through a die, the compression plate comprising:

a channel formed by an extrusion process, the channel extending linearly from a first end of the extrusion plate to a second end of the extrusion plate, the second end of the extrusion plate being opposite the first end of the extrusion plate;

a top surface and a bottom surface coplanar with the top surface, wherein the channels are positioned parallel to each other, wherein the channels are positioned between the top surface and the bottom surface, and wherein the channels are separated from each other by walls formed by the extrusion process;

a first manifold in a first end of the extruded sheet, the first manifold formed by removing material from the extruded sheet at the first end;

A second manifold in a second end of the extruded sheet, the second manifold formed by removing material from the extruded sheet at the second end;

the device also includes:

a first port into the first manifold, the first port passing through one of the top surface and the bottom surface for an inlet of a working fluid to the first manifold;

a second port into one of the first manifold and the second manifold, the second port passing through one of the top surface and the bottom surface for an outlet of the working fluid from one of the first manifold or the second manifold;

a first end cap and a second end cap, and

wherein the compression plate, the first end cap, the second end cap, the first port, and the second port are welded to form a sealed housing.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the first and second end caps each include a flow directing structure that directs the flow of the working fluid when inserted into the first and second manifolds, respectively.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

the flow guide structure causes the working fluid from the first port to flow linearly in parallel from the first end to the second end of the squeeze plate in the same direction in a first channel and a second channel adjacent to the first channel.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

the flow directing structure causes the working fluid from the first port to flow in a first channel from the first end to the second end of the expression plate and then back in a serpentine manner in an adjacent channel from the second end to the first end.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

the device includes a flow path, wherein the flow path is one of linear, serpentine, cross-flow, parallel, and series.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

the flow path depends on a shape of the flow directing structure of at least one of the first end cap and the second end cap.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the crush plate includes a serpentine flow path created by at least one of the first end cap and the second end cap.

15. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the first manifold is integral with the stripper plate; wherein the second manifold is integral with the compression plate.

16. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the extruded panel is a one-piece cold plate panel comprising a structural skin, wherein the device has a load supported by the outer skin of an object similar to an eggshell.

17. The device of claim 8, further comprising a battery cell, wherein the battery cell is directly coupled to the device.

18. The device of claim 8, further comprising a battery cell, wherein the device has a coating, and wherein the battery cell is joined to the coating by an epoxy layer, with no structure between the coating and the epoxy layer and no second epoxy layer.

19. An apparatus for thermal management, comprising:

a plate, the plate comprising:

a channel extending linearly from a first end of the plate to a second end of the plate, the second end of the plate being opposite the first end of the plate;

a top surface and a bottom surface parallel to the top surface, wherein the channels are positioned parallel to each other, wherein the channels are positioned between the top surface and the bottom surface, and wherein the channels are separated from each other by walls;

a first aperture in a first end of the plate;

a second aperture in a second end of the plate;

the device further comprises:

a first port into the first bore for the inlet of a working fluid to the first bore; and

A second port opening into one of said first bore and said second bore for exit of said working fluid from one of said first bore or said second bore,

wherein the plate is formed by one of extrusion, stamping, or casting.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a first end cap and a second end cap, and

wherein the plate, the first end cap, the second end cap, the first port, and the second port are connected to form a sealed housing.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the plate is formed by stamping a first half of the plate, wherein the first half of the plate is brazed to a second half of the plate, the plate further comprising a plurality of perturbations disposed in the channel.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the plate is formed by casting a first half of the plate, wherein the first half of the plate is brazed to a second half of the plate, wherein the first port is parallel to the channel and the second port is parallel to the channel, and wherein the first port and the second port are configured to turn a working fluid approximately 90 degrees.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the plate further comprises a plurality of manifolds, each manifold comprising a plurality of channels extending from the first side of the plate to the second side of the plate, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a first side rail having a side rail inlet disposed proximate to a first end of the plate; and

a second side rail having a side rail outlet disposed proximate the second end of the plate, wherein

Each manifold has a first port disposed within the first side rail and in fluid communication with the side rail inlet, and wherein each manifold has a second port disposed within the second side rail and in fluid communication with the side rail outlet.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to cold plates, and in particular, to cold plates for battery modules and methods of manufacturing cold plates, and systems and methods for connecting extruded cold plates to battery cells of a battery pack.

Background

Electronic devices and circuitry including batteries may overheat, which may hinder reliability and lead to premature failure. In some cases, the amount of heat output is related to the power input or output of the device. Techniques for managing such overheating may include heat sinks, thermoelectric coolers, forced air systems, fans, heat pipes, and the like. In some cases, the electronic device may also be heated to achieve desired operating conditions. Some methods of thermal management of battery packs and cells have attempted to provide rapid and well controlled heating and/or cooling of the battery pack.

However, these existing methods have limited capabilities in the following respects: maintaining the battery cell within a desired temperature range during operation; controlling a maximum cell temperature and a minimum cell temperature; achieving an operating set point temperature; or to ensure a limited range of thermal variability between battery cells in a battery pack. Accordingly, there remains a need for improved systems and methods for thermal management of battery packs and other electronic devices.

Disclosure of Invention

In one embodiment, an apparatus may include a plate comprising: a channel extending linearly from a first end of the plate to a second end of the plate opposite the first end of the plate, the plate including a top surface and a bottom surface parallel to the top surface, the channels being positioned parallel to each other and between the top surface and the bottom surface, the channels being separated from each other by a wall; a first manifold at the first end of the plate formed by removing material from the first end of the plate; and a second manifold at the second end of the plate formed by removing material from the second end of the plate. The apparatus may further include: a first port into the first manifold, the first port passing through one of the top and bottom surfaces for an inlet of a working fluid to the first manifold; and a second port into one of the first manifold and the second manifold, the second port passing through one of the top surface and the bottom surface for egress of the working fluid from the one of the first manifold or the second manifold; a first end cap and a second end cap, and wherein the plate, the first end cap, the second end cap, the first port and the second port are connected to form a sealed housing. In various exemplary embodiments, the plate is an extruded plate.

In one embodiment, a method for manufacturing a cold plate may include: extruding a metal material through a die to form an extrusion plate, wherein the extrusion plate includes a channel formed by an extrusion process that extends linearly from a first end of the extrusion plate to a second end of the extrusion plate opposite the first end of the extrusion plate. The compression plate extends linearly to a second end of the compression plate opposite the first end of the compression plate, the compression plate includes a top surface and a bottom surface parallel to the top surface, the channels are positioned parallel to each other and between the top and bottom surfaces, the channels are separated from each other by walls formed by the compression process. The process may further include: milling a first end of an extrusion plate to form a first manifold; milling a second end of the extrusion plate to form a second manifold; milling a first recess in the top surface over the first manifold; milling a second recess in the top surface over one of the first manifold or the second manifold; placing a first port in the first recess, the first port for the inlet of working fluid to the first manifold; placing a second port in the second recess, the second port for egress of working fluid from one of the first manifold or the second manifold; forming a first end cap and a second end cap; and welding the extrusion plate, the first end cap, the second end cap, the first port and the second port to form a sealed housing. The welding may be friction welding. In various embodiments, the compression plate is a cold plate tab configured for installation in a vehicle and for directly joining the battery cells of the battery pack to the cold plate tab. In an example embodiment, the cold plate is a tensile skin having a compressive structure.

In some examples of the above methods and apparatus, the first end cap and the second end cap each include a flow directing structure that may be inserted into the first manifold and the second manifold, respectively, to direct the flow of the working fluid.

In some examples of the above methods and apparatus, the flow directing structure causes the working fluid from the first port to flow linearly, parallel in the same direction from the first end to the second end of the expression plate in a first channel and a second channel that may be adjacent to the first channel.

In some examples of the above methods and devices, the flow directing structure causes working fluid from the first port to flow from the first end to the second end of the plate in a first channel, and then back from the second end to the first end in a serpentine manner in an adjacent channel.

Drawings

With reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings:

fig. 1A and 1B illustrate an example extruded panel formed using an extrusion process, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2A and 2B illustrate example compression plates with saw cuts at first and second ends according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2C and 2D illustrate example end caps for a compression plate according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 illustrates an example extruded plate having notches cut out from the cold plate, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 illustrates an example compression plate having ports positioned in recesses, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example cold plate including an example extruded plate with end caps, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6 illustrates an end view of an example cold plate having side rails according to aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 illustrates a diagram of a cold plate manufacturing system formed using an extrusion process, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 8 illustrates a flow diagram of a process for manufacturing a cold plate using an extrusion process, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 9A and 9B illustrate comparative example stacks for cooling battery packs according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 10A illustrates a top view of an example cold plate, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 10B illustrates a side view of an example cold plate, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 10C illustrates a cross-sectional view of an example cold plate, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 11A illustrates a top view of an example cold plate, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 11B illustrates a side view of an example cold plate, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 11C illustrates a cross-sectional view of an example cold plate, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 12A illustrates a top view of an example cold plate, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 12B illustrates a side view of an example cold plate, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 12C illustrates a cross-sectional view of an example cold plate, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 13A illustrates a perspective view of an example stamped plate, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 13B illustrates a perspective view of an example cold plate, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 14A illustrates a perspective view of an example cast plate, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 14B illustrates a perspective view of an example cold plate, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 15A illustrates a perspective view of an example cold plate, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 15B illustrates a perspective cross-sectional view of an example compression plate in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

The following description is of various exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure in any way. Rather, the following description is intended to provide convenient illustrations for implementing various embodiments, including the best mode. It being apparent that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in these embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

For the sake of brevity, conventional techniques, operations, measurements, optimizations, and/or controls for manufacturing cold plates using extrusion processes, friction stir welding, stamping, brazing, die casting, or sheet metal will not be described in detail herein. Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in the various figures contained herein are intended to represent example functional relationships and/or physical couplings between the various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may be present in an actual system or associated method of use.

A thermal management system according to the principles of the present disclosure may be configured with any suitable components, structures, and/or elements to provide desired dimensional, mechanical, electrical, chemical, and/or thermal characteristics.

As used herein, "battery pack" describes a group of any number of battery cells interconnected in series or parallel or a combination of series and parallel for providing energy storage and/or power to a system as a single integrated unit. One example of a battery is an electric vehicle lithium ion battery, which may consist of thousands of cylindrical lithium ion batteries.

As used herein, "battery cell" describes an electrochemical cell capable of producing electrical energy from a chemical reaction. Some battery cells may be rechargeable by introducing a current through the battery cell. There are different types of battery cells based on the chemical reaction used to generate the electrical current, such as lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, nickel-hydrogen, nickel-metal hydride, lithium ion, sodium-nickel chloride (also known as "zebra"). Since the battery cell generates electric energy based on a chemical reaction, the temperature of the battery cell may affect the efficiency of generating electric energy. The cell unit may also be a fuel cell, such as a hydrogen-oxide proton exchange membrane cell, a phosphoric acid cell or a solid acid cell. The principles of the present disclosure may be desirably applied to a wide variety of battery cell types and are not limited to a particular battery cell chemistry, size, or configuration.

As used herein, a "heat pump" describes a system that moves thermal energy from one part of the system (referred to as a "heat source") to another part of the system (referred to as a "heat sink") through the application of an external power source. Typically, heat is transferred by the motion of a fluid circulating between a heat source and a heat sink. Examples include reversible two-phase refrigerant systems and single-phase glycol systems.

As used herein, a "vapor chamber" (or "heat pipe") describes a heat transfer device that incorporates principles of both thermal conductivity and phase change to effectively manage heat transfer between two interfaces.

The term "extrusion" or "extrusion" may refer to a process of shaping a material, such as metal or plastic, by forcing the material through a die.

According to example embodiments, an apparatus may include a cold plate. The cold plate may include an extrusion plate including a channel extending linearly from a first end of the extrusion plate to a second end of the extrusion plate. The compression plate may further include first and second manifolds formed at respective first and second ends of the compression plate. The cold plate may further include an inlet and an outlet, each associated with one of the manifolds for passing the working fluid through the cold plate via the manifold. The cold plate may further include a first end cap enclosing the first manifold and a second end cap enclosing the second manifold. In an example embodiment, the compression plate, the first end cap, the second end cap, the first port, and the second port are welded to form a sealed housing. In an example embodiment, the compression plate, the first end cap, the second end cap, the first port, and the second port are brazed to form a sealed housing. According to example embodiments, the cold plate may be directly connected to the battery cell with only the epoxy layer and the uv coating between the battery cell and the cold plate.

Referring now to fig. 1A and 1B, the cold plate may include a compression plate 105. The compression plate 105 is formed using a compression process. The compression plate 105 may incorporate aspects of the compression plates 205, 305, 405, 505, and 605 as described with reference to fig. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. In various example embodiments, the cold plate is thin relative to its width and length, and thus is also described herein as a cold plate sheet.

In an example embodiment, the compression plate 105 is made by compressing a metal material through a die. In one example embodiment, the metal material is an aluminum alloy. For example, the metal material may be 6063 aluminum alloy. However, the metallic material may be any extrudable metal having good thermal conductivity and/or good ductility. According to various aspects, the crush plates 105 having good ductility can withstand impact loads with low deformation. In some cases, the cold plate is malleable to achieve vibration, shock and impact performance. In one example embodiment, the cold plate is lightweight, having, for example, less than 8% of the mass of the module.

In another exemplary embodiment, the compression plate 105 is made of any suitable material. For example, the squeeze board 105 may be made of plastic or composite material. In an example embodiment, the plastic may be a thermally conductive plastic.

In some example embodiments, the compression plate 105 may include a channel 110 and a wall 115. In an example embodiment, the compression plate 105 includes a channel 110 formed by a compression process, the channel 110 extending linearly from a first end 121 of the compression plate 105 to a second end 122 of the compression plate 105 opposite the first end 121 of the compression plate 105. The pressing plate 105 may include a top surface 131 and a bottom surface 132 substantially coplanar with the top surface 131. In some example embodiments, substantially coplanar refers to plus or minus 5 degrees.

The channel 110 is separated from the wall 115 by a wall formed by an extrusion process. Each channel may be defined by walls 115 and the top and bottom of the channel (associated with top surface 131 and bottom surface 132, respectively). In some cases, the channel-to-channel spacing is at least 10 mm. In other words, in some example embodiments, the walls 115 are 10mm thick, but they may have any suitable dimensions. In other example embodiments, the channels are spaced from channel to channel by a distance at least suitable for the minimum flow of extruded metal required to form the wall 115.

The wall 115 may be part of the compression plate 105 and is compressed during the formation of the compression plate 105. In some cases, wall 115 is a flow divider. In some cases, the walls 115 between the channels 110 are not thicker than necessary for extrusion purposes. In some cases, the walls 115 between the channels 110 are thicker than the extrusion dictates, resulting in better flow distribution. In an exemplary embodiment, the walls 115 do not provide the primary structural integrity of the cold plate sheet.

The channel 110 may be of any suitable shape. In some cases, the channels 110 are rectangular in shape. In some cases, the channels 110 all have the same dimensions. In some cases, the channels 110 may have different dimensions than other channels 110. For example, in some cases, the width of the first channel and the width of the second channel are different from each other. In some cases, the channel 110 is 2mm to 2.5mm in height and 26mm in width with an aspect ratio of about 0.1. Further, the channels 110 may have any suitable height and width and aspect ratio to achieve the desired thermal resistance of the cold plate.

In some cases, the channels 110 are configured to simulate the thermal conductivity of a material having microchannels. In an example embodiment, the channel 110 is configured to facilitate the flow of the working fluid. In some cases, the working fluid includes one of a gas and a liquid. In an example embodiment, the working fluid comprises one of: refrigerant (e.g., R134a or R1234yf), air, coolant fluid, and glycol-based solution. In an example embodiment, the working fluid is circulated by a heat pump or the like. In other example embodiments, the working fluid includes CO2 and is used in conjunction with a CO2 based vapor compression cycle. In such a configuration, the passage 110 may be modified to have a blockage to control the pressure of the working fluid to achieve performance.

In an example embodiment, the cold plate fins have any suitable dimensions. In some cases, the cold plate fin is 700mm to 800mm long from the first end 121 to the second end 122. However, the cold plate fins may have any suitable length. In some cases, the cold plate pieces are 300mm to 400mm wide. However, the cold plate fins may have any suitable width. In some cases, the width of the cold plate sheet is limited by the die size. In some cases, the cold plate may be formed by welding the first cold plate to the second cold plate along respective sides of the first cold plate and the second cold plate to form a super cold plate sheet. For example, two 185mm cold plate pieces may be welded together to form a 370mm wide cold plate piece. In some cases, the cold plate sheet is 5.5mm to 6mm thick from the first surface to the second surface. However, the cold plate sheet may have any suitable thickness.

According to an example embodiment, the cold plate has a stiffness suitable for vibrations and impacts to which the battery pack in the vehicle is subjected. In one example embodiment, a sheet with an aspect ratio [ t/W ] of 0.017 has a first natural frequency exceeding 55Hz (free) and exceeding 230Hz (fixed at both ends). In other example embodiments, the sheet has a first natural frequency of more than 30Hz, more than 40Hz or more than 50Hz (free) and more than 200Hz, 210Hz, 220Hz (fixed at both ends). The importance of the first natural frequency range is to distinguish the relatively rigid cold plate from the non-rigid microchannels. The microchannel has a first natural frequency of less than about 5 Hz.

Because the microchannels alone lack stiffness, if one microchannel supports the cells of the battery pack with the microchannels without any other structural support, common vibration and shock impacts can cause the microchannels to move relative to the cells. This will eventually cause fatigue and separation of the joint between the microchannel and the cell. Thus, when the microchannels have been used for cooling, they are connected to a thick/rigid support structure.

Referring now to fig. 9A, a battery pack including cells 960 is cooled using a simple microchannel band 950. The stack associated with microchannel strip 950 may include: battery cell 960, first epoxy layer 961, coating 962, support structure 951, second epoxy layer 963, and microchannel strip 950. Coating 962 can provide electrical insulation between cell 960 and support structure 951. In various embodiments, coating 962 may be an ultraviolet coating, a powder coating, an anodized coating, an epoxy, or any other coating generally known in the art. The first epoxy layer 961 bonds the battery cells 960 to the support structure 951, and the second epoxy layer 963 bonds the microchannels 950 to the support structure 951. Further, UV coating 962 may be placed between cell unit 960 and support structure 951. Such manufacturing techniques involve multiple steps and stacking of discrete components (i.e., cell, support structure, and microchannels). Such stacking can lead to tolerance errors and increased thermal resistance, particularly in the additional epoxy layers and other support structures.

The microchannel cold plate also experiences greater thermal resistance due to the gap. Because the microchannel strip structures are narrow, they are placed in a strip shape, and inevitably, there will be at least a small gap 952 between the first microchannel strip and the second microchannel strip. These gaps may include spaces between microchannel strip 950 and the support structure, gaps due to the support structure, and gaps between two side-by-side strips. These gaps can be reduced by reducing the tolerances (to increase manufacturing costs), but the remaining gaps will be filled with some material or air, which typically has a higher thermal resistance. Thus, these gaps increase the thermal resistance away from the cell in both the x-direction and in the-y-direction.

In contrast, referring to fig. 9B, the extruded cold plate 974 described herein includes channels 975 integrated into the support structure such that the extruded cold plate has sufficient rigidity to support the unit, and additionally the overall thermal resistance of the stack is low. In an example embodiment, the stack associated with the cold plate piece 974 includes: battery cell 970, epoxy layer 971, coating 972, and cold plate piece 974. This example embodiment is easier to manufacture than the microchannel example described above because there are fewer discrete components to connect. In an example embodiment, the system 980 includes: a cold plate 974, a coating 972 on a surface of the cold plate 974, and a battery cell 970 connected to the cold plate 974 and the coating 972 via an epoxy layer 971. The coating 972 may provide electrical insulation between the battery cells 970 and the cold plate 974. In various embodiments, coating 972 may be a uv coating, a powder coating, an anodized coating, an epoxy, or any other coating generally known in the art.

In an example embodiment, the cold plate may be attached to the battery pack across a plurality of cells. Thus, the cold plate sheet may span multiple battery cells without an air gap.

Thus, the cold plate can reduce tolerance related issues in design/manufacture. The cold plate sheet may also eliminate thermal resistance that may be caused by air gaps in the micro-channel example described above. The cold plate sheet may also reduce the overall thermal resistance by at least eliminating the second epoxy layer and its associated thermal resistance, and also by reducing the thickness of the metal between the battery cell and the working fluid, if not. In example embodiments, the metal between the cold plate channel and the battery cell is about 1.75mm thick, or 1mm to 2.5mm thick, or 0.5mm to 3mm thick, or any suitable thickness.

In an example embodiment, the cold plate is a single cold plate sheet. In one example embodiment, a one-piece cold plate may be described as a structural skin, where the structural system has a load supported by the outer skin of an object similar to an egg shell. In other example embodiments, a single cold plate is described as an object having an outer skin that carries both tensile and compressive forces within the skin and no load carrying internal frames. In an example embodiment, the unitary cold plate sheet has an outer skin that is a tensile skin having a compressive structure.

Although primarily described herein as a compression plate 105 formed in one compression push-pull or as a compression plate 105 formed by placing multiple compression plates end-to-end to form a compressed cold plate having a passageway from one end to the other, it should be noted herein that other methods of manufacture may be used and that the cold plate may include any device similar in structure to the cold plate examples described herein. For example, a cold plate may be formed by separately fabricating the top of the cold plate and the bottom of the cold plate. The top and/or bottom may include channels extending from the first end to the second end of the cold plate such that when combined together, the structure is similar to that described in connection with fig. 1A. The top and bottom portions may be formed by extrusion, by casting, by injection molding, by additive manufacturing, by reduction manufacturing, by stamping/forming, and/or any other suitable manufacturing technique. The top and bottom portions may be joined together by any suitable manufacturing technique, such as friction welding, brazing, stamped/formed designs, structural bonding, laser welding, and the like. Further, in a unique embodiment, the top portion may be overmolded over the bottom portion.

Further, in this example embodiment, the top portion may include a first material and the bottom portion includes a second material that is different (dissimilar) from the first material. For example, the top portion may be a very thermally conductive material (e.g., aluminum), while the bottom portion may be a material (e.g., steel or molded plastic) having a relatively lower thermal conductivity (as compared to the top portion). In this manner, heat from the battery is conducted to the working fluid in the channels, but heat from other structures (e.g., from the vehicle chassis or other structures supporting the battery pack) is less easily conducted to the working fluid. This is important because the working fluid is therefore configured to cool the battery primarily. In this way, the system is configured such that its cell cooling efficiency is higher than that of a system having top and bottom portions of cold plates each comprising the same material. In other words, the cold plate acts both as a heat sink to the battery cell and as an insulator (as opposed to) to the environment on the side away from the battery cell.

In an example embodiment, the cold plate sheet minimizes the amount of material and the number of interfaces through which heat is transferred from the battery cell to the working fluid. Further, in the exemplary embodiment, the channels are not microchannels (having hydraulic diameters calculated to be about 10 microns to 200 microns), but are microchannels (having hydraulic diameters calculated to be about 200 microns to 3 millimeters), or are conventional channels (hydraulic diameters greater than 3 millimeters). In an example embodiment, the hydraulic diameter of the rectangular channel is calculated as 4 area/perimeter. In various example embodiments, a cold plate is configured to uniformly remove heat from a large area having many heat sources. In an example embodiment, the cold plate channel is sized to prevent a blocked flow. For example, the channels may include conformal recesses in the top and bottom, zig-zag surfaces, or any shape or configuration to create turbulence.

Referring now to fig. 2A and 2B, an extrusion plate 205 with saw cuts is shown, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The expression plate 205 may incorporate aspects of the expression plates 105, 305, 405, 505, and 605 as described with reference to fig. 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6. The manifold may be milled out of the extrusion plate 205 and may incorporate aspects of the manifolds 310, 410, and 510 as described with reference to fig. 3, 4, and 5. In an example embodiment, the manifold is integral with the compression plate.

In an example embodiment, the compression plate 205 includes a first manifold 211 formed in a first end of the compression plate 205 and a second manifold 212 formed in a second end of the compression plate 205. In an example embodiment, the manifold is created by removing material from the ends of the extruded plate to form slits or voids in each end of the extruded plate 205. In various exemplary embodiments, material is removed by sawing in the end of the extruded sheet or by using a router to remove the material. In some cases, the saw cuts are 24mm deep by 2.5mm high by 370mm wide. In addition, any suitable size saw cut may be used.

In some examples, the cold plate may also include an end cap 215. End cap 215 is configured to cover the manifold. The end cap 215 may incorporate aspects of the end cap 525 and the end cap 615 as described with reference to fig. 5 and 6. In some cases, the first and second end caps each include a flow directing structure 230, the flow directing structures 230 being inserted into the first and second manifolds 211 and 212, respectively, to direct the flow of the working fluid. In some cases, the flow directing structure causes the working fluid from the first port to flow linearly, in parallel, from the first end to the second end of the plate in the same direction in a first channel and a second channel adjacent to the first channel.

In one example, the first and second end caps are configured to create a single manifold on each end such that fluid flows into an inlet on a first end of the cold plate sheet, flows through the cold plate sheet in parallel channels, and flows out of an outlet located at a second end of the cold plate sheet opposite the first end.

In another example embodiment, the flow directing structure may include teeth that subdivide the first manifold 211 and/or the second manifold 212 to direct flow into and/or out of particular channels.

In one example embodiment, where the inlet and outlet of the working fluid are in the first manifold, the flow directing structure may divide the first manifold 211 in half such that the working fluid flows into the inlet port on one side of the dividing wall of the flow directing structure, down half of the channel to the second manifold 212, back down the other half of the channel to the second half of the first manifold 211, and out the outlet port of the second half of the first manifold 211.

In another example embodiment, the flow directing structure may have teeth configured to direct flow down and back every other channel or group of channels. In this example embodiment, the flow may enter at one end of the first side and flow in a serpentine manner down and back across the cold plate. In this example embodiment, the fluid may be discharged on a first side near the opposite ends of the sheet, or may be discharged on a second side opposite the first side near the opposite ends of the sheet. Regardless, in this example embodiment, the fluid flows at a relatively constant velocity across the cold plate, except when it makes a U-turn as it changes direction from one parallel path to another.

In another example embodiment, the flow directing structure may include a flow manifold configured with teeth to direct flow from the top manifold portion down a first channel (or set of channels) and then back to an adjacent channel (or set of channels) and into the bottom manifold portion. Thus, in example embodiments, the flow may enter at one end of the first side and flow down and back across the cold plate, but not pass back and forth more than once to minimize thermal gradients. The split manifold header creates additional freedom of flow path selection.

In yet another example embodiment, the central manifold may be located between the first compression plate and the second compression plate. The central manifold may be inserted into a saw cut on the respective first and second extrusion plates and may be configured to direct the flow received from both plates. For example, the central manifold may return flow from the first compression plate to other channels of the first compression plate and return flow from the second compression plate to other channels of the second compression plate.

In another example embodiment, the flow directing structure 230 causes the working fluid to flow through the expression plate from the inlet port to the outlet port. In some cases, the flow directing structure 230 causes working fluid from the first port to flow from the first end to the second end of the plate in a first channel and then from the second end back to the first end in a serpentine manner in a second channel.

In some cases, the expression plate 205 includes a flow path, wherein the flow path is one of: linear, serpentine, cross-flow, parallel, and series. In some cases, the flow path depends on the structure of the first end cap and the second end cap. In some cases, the expression plate 205 includes a serpentine flow path created by the end caps. According to various example embodiments, the channel configuration may be changed by changing the end cap design.

In an example embodiment, unlike the flow directing structure 230 described previously, and with reference to fig. 2C, a manifold may be formed in the end cap 215. For example, the end cap 215 may include a structure having one or more cavities 241. In embodiments having a single cavity 241, the end cap 215 includes a single hollow manifold, without a dividing wall. In an embodiment with two chambers, there is a single dividing wall 242 between the first and second chambers. In addition, any suitable number of cavities N may be formed using N-1 dividing walls. End cap 215 may be formed by removing material from the solid structure, for example, using router or sawing. In other example embodiments, the end cap may be formed by additive manufacturing or any other suitable method. In this example, end cap 215 is then attached to a non-sawing type extrusion plate. In another example embodiment, a hollow manifold portion is formed in the end of the extrusion plate, and a flat plate (for example) may be used to cover the manifold thus formed.

Additionally, in another example embodiment where the manifold is located in the end of the extrusion plate, returning to the flow directing structure 230 previously described and with reference to fig. 2D, the end cap 215 may include a base member 255, fingers 257, and sidewalls 258. This embodiment may be "T" shaped for insertion into the manifold. The side walls 258 may be located on either end of the end cap 250 and may be configured to close off the ends of the manifold. The fingers 257 may be configured to extend from the base member 255 for insertion into the manifold. Fingers 257 may also be configured to direct the flow of fluid and subdivide the manifold. Thus, in an example embodiment, the flow path of the fluid in the cold plate can be altered by reconfiguring the design of the fingers on the end cap 250. For example, fingers may be added to further subdivide the manifold, fingers may be removed to create more parallel flow, and fingers may be placed in different locations, changing the flow in the cold plate sheet without having to redesign the sheet. This facilitates an agile design without changing the manufacturing process for the cold plate body.

In some cases, the compression plate 205 is designed to maximize flow under the battery cell.

In example embodiments, any suitable manifold structure may be used that directs flow from the inlet to the outlet through channels (as already described herein) in the cold plate.

Fig. 3 shows an extrusion plate 305 having a notch 315 cut from one of the top and bottom sides (in this case, top side 313) of the extrusion plate 305, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, in an example embodiment, the compression plate 305 may include a manifold 310 and a recess 315. The expression plate 305 may incorporate aspects of the expression plates 105, 205, 405, 505, and 605 as described with reference to fig. 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6. The recesses 315 may be milled out of the compression plate 305 and may incorporate aspects of the recesses 415 and 515 as described with reference to fig. 4 and 5.

In particular, the notch 315 may be formed by any suitable method, including gouging or laser removing a portion of the top or bottom side of the compression plate 305. Notch 315 is any suitable size for receiving a port as described below. The recess is configured to provide an opening to the manifold 310. In embodiments where the manifold is located in an end cap, the recess may also be located in the end cap.

Fig. 4 shows an extrusion plate 405 with ports 420 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, the compression plate 405 may include a manifold 410, a recess 415, and a port 420. The compression plate 405 may incorporate aspects of the compression plates 105, 205, 305, 505, and 605 as described with reference to fig. 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6.

In an example embodiment, the port 420 may include a flange 421. In an exemplary embodiment, the flange 421 is configured to fit in the recess 415. In an exemplary embodiment, the first port 420 includes a flange 421 for mating with the first recess 415. In an example embodiment, the port 420 is attached to the compression plate 405 by friction welding the flange 421 to the compression plate 405. Further, any suitable method of creating a port in the manifold may be used.

Port 420 may incorporate aspects of port 520 and port 620 as described with reference to fig. 5 and 6. In an example embodiment, the first port 420 is an injection port. In an example embodiment, the first port 420 is an inlet port. In an example embodiment, the first port 420 includes an inlet fitting.

In other example embodiments, not shown in fig. 4, the compression plate 405 further includes a second port having a second flange for mating in a second recess in the compression plate 405. In an example embodiment, the second port is an outlet port for flowing out a flow of the working fluid. The second port may be located at the same manifold as the first port, or may be located at a manifold opposite the first port. Additionally, the second port may be located on the same side of the compression plate 405 as the first port or on an opposite side of the compression plate 405. Thus, in an example embodiment, the first port is configured as an inlet for working fluid to the first manifold, and the second port is configured as an outlet for working fluid to be exhausted from one of the first or second manifolds. In some cases, the first port 420 and the second port (not shown in this figure) are both integrated connection ports integrated on the compression plate.

Fig. 5 illustrates a cold plate 500 including an extruded plate 505 having an end cap 525 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, the cold plate 500 includes an extruded plate 505, a manifold 510, a notch 515, ports 520 and 521, and an end cap 525. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 5, the cold plate 500 may also include side rails 530. The compression plate 505 may incorporate aspects of the compression plates 105, 205, 305, 405, and 605 as described with reference to fig. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6.

Manifold 510 may incorporate aspects of manifolds 210, 310, and 410 as described with reference to fig. 2, 3, and 4. Notch 515 may incorporate aspects of notch 315 and notch 415 as described with reference to fig. 3 and 4. Port 520 may incorporate aspects of port 420 and port 620 as described with reference to fig. 4 and 6. The end cap 525 may incorporate aspects of the end cap 215 and the end cap 615 as described with reference to fig. 2 and 6.

Side rail 530 may incorporate aspects of side rail 630 as described with reference to figure 6. In some cases, side rail 530 includes a mounting interface or flange. In various exemplary embodiments, the side rails 530 are formed by extrusion, stamping, or the like. In some cases, the side rails 530 are friction welded to the side edges of the cold plate 500. Thus, in some cases, the cold plate 500 also includes a mounting interface for mounting the cold plate 500 to other objects. In some cases, the other objects include one of: battery packs and vehicle structures. Thus, in an example embodiment, side rail 530 may be referred to as a mounting side rail.

Fig. 6 shows an end view of a cold plate 600 having side rails 630 according to aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, the cold plate 600 may include ports 620 and 621, end caps 615, and side rails 630.

Port 620 may incorporate aspects of ports 420 and 520 as described with reference to fig. 4 and 5. The end cap 615 may incorporate aspects of the end caps 215 and 525 as described with reference to fig. 2 and 5. Side rail 630 may incorporate aspects of side rail 530 as described with reference to figure 5.

Fig. 7 illustrates a diagram 700 of a cold plate manufacturing system 705 formed using an extrusion process in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, the cold plate manufacturing system 705 may include an extruder 710, a milling component 715, a port placement component 720, an end cap component 725, a welding component 730, and an engagement component 735.

The extruder 710 may extrude a metal material through a die to form an extrusion plate. In various embodiments, the cold plate manufacturing system may replace the extruder 710 with a die casting machine or a stamping/forming component.

The milling feature 715 may mill a first end of the plate to form a first manifold; milling a second end of the plate to form a second manifold; milling a first recess in the top surface over the first manifold; and milling a second recess in one of the top or bottom surfaces above or below one of the first or second manifolds. In some cases, milling is performed by sawing. In some cases, milling may be performed by a milling "planer". In some cases, the saw cuts are 24 mm deep, 2.5 mm high, 370 mm wide or any suitable dimension.

The port placement component 720 can place a first port in the first recess for the inlet of working fluid to the first manifold and a second port in the second recess for the outlet of working fluid from one of the first or second manifolds.

The end cap component 725 may form a first end cap and a second end cap as described herein.

The welding member 730 may weld the pressing plate, the first end cap, the second end cap, the first port, and the second port to form a sealed housing. In some cases, the welding comprises friction welding. In some cases, the friction welding further comprises sealing the first end cap to the first manifold and the second end cap to the second manifold in a solderless manner and without a bond or adhesive. In some cases, friction welding further includes sealing the first end cap to the first manifold and the second end cap to the second manifold in a manner that prevents leakage from occurring even under loads and vibrations common in vehicular applications. In some cases, the friction welding creates a self-sealing interface between the squeeze plate, the first and second ports, and the first and second end caps without the subsequent use of a sealant. Although generally described herein as being sealed by a friction welding technique, in other example embodiments, any suitable technique for connecting two objects may be used. For example, the plastic may be friction stirred. Structural bonding, laser welding, and other known techniques for joining objects may be used to suit a particular joint. In various embodiments, when various components are formed by casting or stamping/forming, a brazing component, not shown, may be used instead of the welding component 730.

The joining member 735 may join the unit directly to the cold plate. In an example embodiment, direct bonding reduces thermal stacking.

Fig. 8 illustrates a flow diagram 800 of a process performed by the cold plate manufacturing system 705 for manufacturing a cold plate using an extrusion process, according to aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, the cold plate manufacturing system may execute a set of codes to control the functional elements of the cold plate manufacturing system to perform the described functions. Additionally or alternatively, the cold plate manufacturing system may use dedicated hardware. In an example embodiment, the operations described herein may include various sub-steps, or may be performed in conjunction with other operations described herein. These operations may be performed in accordance with the methods and processes described in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

At block 805, the cold plate manufacturing system may extrude a metallic material through a die to form an extruded plate. In certain examples, aspects of the described operations may be performed by the extruder 710 as described with reference to fig. 7. The compression plate may include a channel formed by the compression process, the channel extending linearly from a first end of the plate to a second end of the plate opposite the first end of the plate. The plate includes a top surface and a bottom surface parallel to the top surface. The channels are positioned parallel to each other and between the top surface and the bottom surface; and in some cases the channels are separated from each other by walls formed by the extrusion process.

At block 810, the cold plate manufacturing system may mill a first end of the plate to form a first manifold. At block 815, the cold plate manufacturing system may mill a second end of the plate to form a second manifold. In some examples, aspects of the described operations may be performed by milling component 715 as described with reference to fig. 7.

At block 820, the cold plate manufacturing system may mill a first recess in the top surface over the first manifold. At block 825, the cold plate fabrication system may mill a second recess in the top surface over one of the first manifold or the second manifold. In some examples, aspects of the described operations may be performed by milling component 715 as described with reference to fig. 7.

At block 830, the cold plate manufacturing system may place a first port in the first recess for the inlet of the working fluid to the first manifold. At block 835, the cold plate fabrication system may place a second port in the second recess for exit of the working fluid from one of the first manifold or the second manifold. In some examples, aspects of the described operations may be performed by the port placement component 720 as described with reference to fig. 7.

At block 840, the cold plate manufacturing system may form a first end cap and a second end cap. In certain examples, aspects of the described operations may be performed by the end cap component 725 as described with reference to fig. 7.

At block 845, the cold plate manufacturing system may weld the extruded plate, the first end cap, the second end cap, the first port, and the second port to form a sealed enclosure. In certain examples, aspects of the described operations may be performed by the welding component 730 as described with reference to fig. 7.

Fig. 10A illustrates a top view of a cold plate 1000 having inlet ports 1020 and outlet ports 1021 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The cold plate 1000 may also include a compression plate 1005, a first end cap 1015 disposed proximate to the end having an inlet port 1020 and an outlet port 1021, and a second end cap 1016 disposed opposite the first end cap.

Fig. 10B illustrates a side view of the cold plate 1000 including the extruded plate 1005, the first end cap 1015, and the second end cap 1016 according to aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 10C shows a cross-sectional view along section a-a of the cold plate 1000. The first end cap 1015 may also include fingers 1057, the fingers 1057 configured to interface with every other wall 1070 on the first end of the cold plate 1000. Similarly, second end cap 1016 may include fingers 1067, with fingers 1067 configured to interface with each wall that first end cap 1015 does not interface with. This may form a serpentine flow path in which the working fluid enters the inlet port 1020 and flows through the channels 1010 from the first end of the cold plate 1000 to the second end of the cold plate 1000 and then back from the second end of the cold plate to the first end of the cold plate 1000. This may be repeated several times and the outlet port 1021 may be on the same side as the inlet port 1020, as shown in fig. 10A.

Fig. 11A illustrates a top view of a cold plate 1100 having a first inlet port 1120, a first outlet port 1121, a second inlet port 1122, and a second outlet port 1123 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The cold plate 1100 may also include a compression plate 1105, a first endcap 1115 disposed proximate to the end having the first inlet port 1120 and the second inlet port 1122, and a second endcap 1116 disposed opposite the first endcap. In various embodiments, the inlet port may be an outlet port and the outlet port may be an inlet port, which results in a first inlet port on one end and a second inlet port on the opposite end. In an exemplary embodiment, the longitudinal orientation of the inlet ports (1120, 1122) and the outlet ports (1121, 1123) may be parallel to the flow path within the cold plate 1100. This configuration may allow the fluid connection to be made outside the system and may isolate the fluid connection from where the battery cell is located. This may have the added benefit of creating a safer system in the event of a crash, penetration or crash impact load. In addition, this may reduce the likelihood of damage to the fluid connections due to manufacturing errors, maintenance, and the like.

Fig. 11B illustrates a side view of the cold plate 1100 including the compression plate 1105, the first end cap 1115, and the second end cap 1116 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 11C shows a cross-sectional view along section B-B of cold plate 1100. The first end cap 1115 may also include fingers 1157, the fingers 1157 being configured to interface with the center wall 1170 on the first end of the cold plate 1100. Similarly, the second end cap 1116 may include a finger 1167, the finger 1167 being configured to interface with the medial wall 1170 at a second end. This configuration may create a through flow path on the first half of the compression plate 1105 and the second half of the compression plate. The working fluid may enter the first inlet port 1120 and flow through the channels 1110 from the first end to the second end on the first half of the cold plate 1100 and out the first outlet port 1121. Similarly, the working fluid may enter the second inlet port 1122 and be in the cold plate

1100 flows through the channel 1111 from the first end to the second end and out the second outlet end

Port 1123. This may ensure that there are two separate and distinct flows on each half of the cold plate 1100

A path.

Fig. 12A illustrates a top view of a cold plate 1200 having an inlet port 1220 and an outlet port 1221, according to aspects of the present disclosure. The cold plate 1200 may also include an extruded plate 1205, a first endcap 1215 disposed proximate to the end having the inlet port 1220, and a second endcap 1216 disposed opposite the first endcap 1215 proximate to the outlet port 1221. The inlet port 1220 may be disposed on a first side of the extrusion plate 1205 adjacent to the first end cap 1215, and the outlet port 1221 may be disposed on a second side of the extrusion plate 1205 adjacent to the second end cap 1216. This configuration is beneficial for pressure drop, for example, because the fluid flows across the width of the cold plate, rather than across the length of the cold plate (width being shorter than length). Thus, by placing the fluid ports (1220, 1221) on opposite sides of the cold plate 1200, and then flowing the fluid through the plate in a side-to-side direction, a lower pressure drop results. In addition, the "in-line" input/output port reduces the pressure drop that all of the fluid would experience when the port is rotated 90 degrees.

Fig. 12B illustrates a side view of the cold plate 1200 including the extruded plate 1205, the first end cap 1215, the second end cap 1216, and the inlet port 1220, according to aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 12C illustrates a cross-sectional view along section C-C of the cold plate 1200. This configuration can create a through flow path on the pressing plate 1205. The working fluid may enter the inlet port 1220 and flow through the channels 1210 from the first end to the second end of the cold plate 1200 and out the outlet port 1221.

Fig. 13A illustrates a perspective view of a punch plate 1305 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The stamped plate 1305 may include a plurality of perturbations 1307 that may be designed to increase the cooling provided to the battery by the stamped plate 1305. The stamped plate 1305 may be configured to be assembled with another extruded plate and form a cold plate. Ram plate 1305 may also include a first wall 1370 configured to mate with the flat surface of the abutting extrusion plate and form a serpentine flow path.

Fig. 13B illustrates a perspective view of a cold plate assembly 1300 according to aspects of the present disclosure. The cold plate assembly 1300 may include a first stamped plate 1305 and a second plate 1306 coupled to the first stamped plate 1305. The cold plate assembly 1300 may also include an inlet port 1320 and an outlet port 1321. In an example embodiment, the punch plate 1305 may include a punch metal sheet. In an example embodiment, the first stamped plate 1305 and the second plate 1306 may be coupled via brazing. This configuration may provide the same or similar structural benefits as the extrusion and welding embodiments.

Fig. 14A shows a perspective view of a cast slab 1405 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The casting plate 1405 may include a plurality of perturbations 1407 that may be designed to increase the cooling provided to the cell by the casting plate 1405. Cast plate 1405 may be configured to assemble with another extruded plate and form a cold plate assembly. Cast plate 1405 may also include walls 1470 configured to mate with the flat sheet metal surfaces of the butted plates and create two separate flow paths. The metal sheet may provide a high thermal conductive material to interface the battery cells therewith. Cast sheet 1405 may provide the majority of the structural support for the battery module, and cast sheet 1405 may be thermally insulating in nature. In an example embodiment, first inlet port 1420, first outlet port 1421, second inlet port 1422, and second outlet port 1423 may be welded or brazed to cast plate 1405. In an example embodiment, the working fluid may flow through the first inlet port 1420, through the first channel 1410, to the first outlet port 1421. Similarly, working fluid may flow through second inlet port 1422, through second channel 1411, to second outlet port 1423. In an example embodiment, cast plate 1405 may be manufactured by casting.

Fig. 14B illustrates a perspective view of the cold plate assembly 1400 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The cold plate assembly 1400 may include a first casting plate 1405, a second plate 1406 coupled to the first casting plate 1405, a first inlet port 1420 coupled to a first end of the first casting plate 1405, a first outlet port 1421 coupled to a second end of the first casting plate 1405, a second inlet port 1422 coupled to a first end of the first casting plate 1405, and a second outlet port 1423 coupled to a second end of the first casting plate 1405. The ports (1420, 1421, 1422, 1423) may be coupled to the first cast plate 1405 by brazing or welding. In an example embodiment, the inlet ports (1420, 1422) and outlet ports (1421, 1423) may be oriented parallel to the channels (1410, 1411) and may create a 90 degree turn in the working fluid to enter the channels (1410, 1411).

Fig. 15A illustrates a perspective view of a cold plate assembly 1500, according to aspects of the present disclosure. The cold plate assembly 1500 may include a compression plate 1505, a first side rail 1530 coupled to the first compression plate on a first side, and a second side rail 1531 disposed opposite the first side rail 1530 and coupled to the compression plate 1505. The first side rail 1530 may include an inlet port 1520 and the second side rail 1531 may include an outlet port 1521. In addition to supplying the working fluid, the first and second side rails 1530, 1531 may also provide structural support for the battery assembly.

Fig. 15B shows a cross-section in a plane between the top surface 1501 and the bottom surface 1502 of the pressing plate 1505. In the exemplary embodiment, the compression plate 1505 includes a plurality of manifolds 1510. Each manifold 1510 may include a plurality of channels 1511 extending from the first side 1503 of the crush plate 1505 to the second side 1504 of the crush plate 1505. Each manifold 1510 can further include a manifold inlet 1522 and a manifold outlet 1523, the manifold inlet 1522 being in fluid communication with the inlet port 1520 (fig. 15A) of the first side rail 1530 and the manifold outlet 1523 being in fluid communication with the outlet port 1521 (fig. 15A) of the second side rail 1531. By the working fluid traveling laterally across the cold plate assembly 1500, the fluid may experience a reduction in pressure drop, greater mass flow rate, and greater cooling capacity.

In various embodiments, the compression plate 1505 may be extruded, stamped/formed, or cast. In various embodiments, the various components may be joined by welding or brazing.

A method for manufacturing a cold plate may include forming a plate. The plate may include a channel extending linearly from a first end of the plate to a second end of the plate opposite the first end of the plate. The plate may include a top surface and a bottom surface coplanar with the top surface. The channels may be positioned parallel to each other and between the top and bottom surfaces. The channels may be separated from each other by walls. The first end of the plate may be milled to form the first manifold. The second end of the plate may be milled to form the second manifold. A first recess may be milled in the top surface above the first manifold. A second recess may be milled in the top surface over one of the first manifold or the second manifold. The first port may be placed in the first recess as an inlet for the working fluid to the first manifold. A second port may be placed in the second recess for egress of working fluid from one of the first or second manifolds. A first end cap and a second end cap may be formed. The first end cap, the second end cap, the first port, and the second port may be sealed to form a sealed housing.

In an example embodiment, the cold plate sheet has a more uniform isotherm throughout the structure. In particular, the cold plate sheets are configured to have a nearly uniform isotherm in an "in-plate" direction that is perpendicular to the direction of flow of fluid through the cold plate sheets. In contrast, microchannel cold plates have a significant temperature difference (hot spot) in the temperature profile in the "in-plate" direction perpendicular to the direction of microchannel flow of fluid through the cold plate. These hot spots are due in part to the small surface area for heat transfer to the microchannels and to the strips with metal located between them. In contrast, in various example embodiments described herein, parallel but oppositely directed flow paths in adjacent channels may be configured to minimize thermal gradients in the cold plate sheet.

In an example embodiment, the cold plate sheet has a plurality of battery cells, which form a battery pack, attached to the compression plate, and the cold plate sheet is installed in a vehicle. The battery pack with the cold plate may be installed in a mobile environment or any other suitable system. In an example embodiment, a cooling system or "heat pump" is connected to the inlet and outlet ports of the cold plate sheet. The cooling system is configured to flow a working fluid in a closed loop between the cold plate and the heat sink. For example, the cooling fluid may flow in a closed loop between the cold plate and the heat sink. In an exemplary embodiment, a fluid pump flows working fluid to, through, and away from the cold plate, and to, through, and away from the heat sink back to the cold plate. Although generally useful for cooling cold plate panels, the cooling system can be used in reverse to heat the cold plate panels.

While the principles of the disclosure have been illustrated in various embodiments, many modifications of structure, arrangement, proportions, elements, materials, and components used in the practice may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure, which are particularly adapted to specific environments and operative requirements. These and other changes or modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure and may be expressed in the following claims.

The disclosure has been described with reference to various embodiments. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the specification is to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure. Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described above with regard to various embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature or element of any or all the claims.

As used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Also, as used herein, the terms "coupled," "coupling," or any other variation thereof, are intended to encompass a physical connection, an electrical connection, a magnetic connection, an optical connection, a communicative connection, a functional connection, a thermal connection, and/or any other connection. When language like "A, B or at least one of C" or "A, B and at least one of C" is used in the specification or claims, the phrase is intended to mean any of the following: (1) at least one A; (2) at least one B; (3) at least one C; (4) at least one A and at least one B; (5) at least one B and at least one C; (6) at least one A and at least one C; or (7) at least one A, at least one B and at least one C.