Battery Pack with Segmented, Electrically Isolated Heat Sink

摘要

A battery assembly is provided that utilizes electrically isolated heat sinks to enhance battery pack thermal management and safety. The battery assembly is divided into groups of batteries, where the batteries within each group are of the same voltage, and where each battery group is serially coupled to the other battery groups. The heat sink is segmented, where each heat sink segment is thermally coupled to the batteries within a single battery group, and where each heat sink segment is electrically isolated from the adjacent heat sink segments. The heat sink segments are thermally coupled to a cold plate, and electrically isolated from the cold plate by a layer of a thermal interface material.

主权项

1. A battery assembly, comprising:
a plurality of batteries, each battery of said plurality of batteries comprising a first terminal at a first end portion of said battery and a second terminal at said first end portion of said battery, wherein said plurality of batteries are divided into a plurality of battery groups, wherein each battery group of said plurality of battery groups comprises a subset of said plurality of batteries, wherein said batteries within each subset of said plurality of batteries are electrically connected in parallel, wherein said batteries within each subset of said plurality of batteries are maintained at a different voltage than every other subset of said plurality of batteries, and wherein said battery groups of said plurality of battery groups are electrically connected in series; and a plurality of bus bars positioned proximate to said first end portion of each of said plurality of batteries, wherein said plurality of bus bars are electrically connected to said first and second terminals of each battery of said plurality of batteries; a plurality of heat sink segments, wherein each heat sink segment of said plurality of heat sink segments is electrically isolated from adjacent heat sink segments, wherein each heat sink segment of said plurality of heat sink segments is thermally coupled to one battery group of said plurality of battery groups such that a second end portion of each battery of each battery group is thermally coupled to one heat sink segment of said plurality of heat sink segments, and wherein said second end portion of each battery of said plurality of batteries is distal from said first end portion of each battery of said plurality of batteries; a cold plate thermally coupled to said plurality of heat sink segments; and a layer of a thermal interface material interposed between said cold plate and each of said plurality of heat sink segments, wherein said thermal interface material is thermally conductive and electrically insulative.