Expandable stacked plate heat exchanger for a battery unit

摘要

A heat exchanger for cooling battery cell containers in a battery unit is disclosed. The heat exchanger includes individual heat exchanger modules that are fluidly interconnected and spaced apart from each other so as to accommodate individual battery cell containers arranged between adjacent heat exchanger modules to form a battery unit. Each heat exchanger module is formed by a pair generally planar first and second heat exchanger plates having a main section and flexible inlet and outlet panels extending therefrom. The heat exchanger is formed by a stack of alternating first and second plates that are brazed together to form heat exchanger modules, the heat exchanger modules formed in the stack being interconnected by their inlet and outlet panels and expanded post-brazing by bending/flexing the inlet and outlet panels to provide adequate spacing or gaps between the modules to accommodate battery cell containers.

主权项

1. A heat exchanger for a battery unit, the heat exchanger comprising:
a plurality of heat exchanger modules each defining an internal flow passage, the heat exchanger modules each comprising:
a generally planar main section;an inlet panel defining an inlet manifold contact region and defining an internal inlet fluid passage in fluid communication with said internal flow passage of said main section; andan outlet panel defining an outlet manifold contact region and defining an internal outlet flow passage in fluid communication with said internal flow passage of said main section;the inlet and outlet panels each being joined to the main section of the heat exchanger module by a respective joining portion; wherein the inlet and outlet panels of adjacent heat exchanger modules in said plurality of heat exchanger modules are arranged in alignment with the inlet panels being interconnected at their respective inlet manifold contact regions, the internal inlet fluid passages of adjacent heat exchanger modules therefore being in fluid communication with each other, and with the outlet panels being interconnected at their respective outlet manifold contact regions, the internal outlet fluid passages of adjacent heat exchanger modules therefore being in fluid communication with each other; and wherein the inlet panels and outlet panels have a first position wherein the inlet and outlet panels are generally planar and extend in the same plane as said main section and a second position wherein said inlet and outlet panels extend out of the plane of said main section thereby spacing apart the main sections of adjacent heat exchanger modules forming gaps therebetween.