초록 ▼

A battery cooling system 10 for use with a vehicle 14 including several batteries or battery modules 16-38 which provide power to the vehicle 12. The system 10 includes a refrigerant gas channeling or conduit system which is effective to store, compress, expand and circulate refrigerant gas through

A battery cooling system 10 for use with a vehicle 14 including several batteries or battery modules 16-38 which provide power to the vehicle 12. The system 10 includes a refrigerant gas channeling or conduit system which is effective to store, compress, expand and circulate refrigerant gas through the battery pack 12 and the system 10. A first "high pressure" conduit system, having several tubes or conduits that are disposed throughout the vehicle 14, is used to selectively carry and transport pressurized or compressed refrigerant gas to the battery pack 12 and includes a pump 42, a heat exchanger 44, expansion valves 46-52, and conduits 54, 56, 58, 60 and 62. A second "low pressure" conduit system is used to circulate the "expanded" or decompressed refrigerant gas throughout the battery pack 12 and to return the refrigerant gas to pump 42 for recompression. The low pressure conduit system includes conduits 64-78 which are in contact with one or more sides of the various battery modules 16-38 and which absorb and/or dissipate heat from battery modules 16-38, and conduits 80-84 which return the circulated refrigerant gas to pump 42.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A system for cooling a battery pack of the type used within a vehicle, said system comprising:a source of refrigerant gas; a pump for compressing said refrigerant gas; a high pressure conduit system which is fluidly coupled to said pump and which delivers said compressed refrigerant gas to said b

1. A system for cooling a battery pack of the type used within a vehicle, said system comprising:a source of refrigerant gas; a pump for compressing said refrigerant gas; a high pressure conduit system which is fluidly coupled to said pump and which delivers said compressed refrigerant gas to said battery pack; a plurality of expansion valves which are fluidly coupled to said high pressure conduit system and which is effective to decompress said refrigerant gas; and a low pressure conduit system which is fluidly coupled to said plurality of expansion values, which receives said decompressed refrigerant gas and circulates said refrigerant gas throughout said battery pack, thereby relatively rapidly and evenly cooling said battery pack.