High-Power Ultracapacitor Energy Storage Pack and Method of Use

Abstract

In an energy storage cell pack including at least one energy storage cell that radiates heat in a longitudinal axial direction outwards, towards opposite electrically conductive and heat conductive terminals, a terminal heat sink includes a receiving section for structurally receiving a terminal of the opposite electrically conductive and heat conductive terminals, and more than one heat conductive cooling fin radiating outwardly from the receiving section, wherein the more than one cooling fin radiates outwardly from the terminal when the receiving section structurally receives the terminal for dissipating heat from the terminal to cool the at least one energy storage cell.

1 . A device for cooling an energy storage cell in a hybrid electric vehicle, the energy storage cell having a first terminal, the device comprising:
 a terminal interface configured to mechanically and thermally couple the device to the first terminal; and,   a heat exchanger radiating outwardly from the first terminal and configured to convectively transfer heat away from the first terminal.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the terminal interface is further configured to fix the device to the first terminal. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the terminal interface comprises a threaded cavity. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises at least one fin radiating around the first terminal. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger has a sufficiently high thermal performance that the energy storage cell requires terminal cooling only. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the energy storage cell has a second terminal; and,
 wherein the thermal performance of the heat exchanger is sufficiently high that the device may provide at least half of the terminal cooling of the energy storage cell.   
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger does not extend beyond the perimeter of the energy storage cell as viewed perpendicular to the first terminal. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a plurality of round fins. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a tool interface configured to couple to an installation/removal tool. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the tool interface comprises a recessed tool interface. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the terminal interface is further configured to fix an electrical bridging device to the first terminal. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , further comprising a tool interface configured to couple to an installation/removal tool;
 wherein the terminal interface comprises a threaded cavity;   wherein the heat exchanger comprises a plurality of circular fins, the fins not extending beyond the perimeter of the energy storage cell, as viewed perpendicular to the first terminal; and,   wherein the terminal interface comprises a surface configured to press the electrical bridging device against the energy storage cell as the device is screwed on.   
     
     
         13 . A system for cooling a plurality of energy storage cells in a hybrid electric vehicle, the plurality of energy storage cells configured to store propulsion energy of the hybrid electric vehicle, each of the plurality of energy storage cells having a first terminal, the system comprising:
 a plurality of terminal cooling devices, each having a terminal interface configured to mechanically and thermally couple the terminal cooling device to the first terminal of one of the plurality of energy storage cells, each terminal cooling device also having a heat exchanger configured to convectively transfer heat away from the first terminal of its respective coupled energy storage cell; and,   a coolant flowing across each of the heat exchangers.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein each terminal interface comprises a threaded cavity and is configured to fix each terminal cooling device to the first terminal of its respective coupled energy storage cell. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein each heat exchanger comprises at least one fin radiating from the first terminal of its respective coupled energy storage cell. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein each heat exchanger has a sufficiently high thermal performance that its respective coupled energy storage cell requires terminal cooling only. 
     
     
         17  The system of  claim 16 , wherein each of plurality of energy storage cells has a second terminal, the system further comprising
 wherein the thermal performance of the each heat exchanger is sufficiently high that each of the plurality of terminal cooling devices may provide at least half of the terminal cooling of its respective coupled energy storage cell.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein each heat exchanger does not extend beyond the perimeter of its respective coupled energy storage cell as viewed perpendicular to the first terminal. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein one of the plurality of terminal cooling devices is further configured to fix one end of an electrical bridging device to a first energy storage cell; and,
 wherein another of the plurality of terminal cooling devices is further configured to fix another end of the electrical bridging device to a second energy storage cell.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of terminal cooling devices each further comprise a tool interface configured to couple to an installation/removal tool;
 wherein the terminal interface of each of the plurality of terminal cooling devices comprises a threaded cavity, and further comprises a surface configured to press the electrical bridging device against the energy storage cell as the device is screwed on; and,   wherein the heat exchanger of each of the plurality of terminal cooling devices comprises a plurality of circular fins, the fins not extending beyond the perimeter of the energy storage cell, as viewed perpendicular to the first terminal.   
     
     
         21 . A method for cooling a plurality of ultracapacitors in a hybrid electric vehicle, the plurality of ultracapacitors configured to store propulsion energy of the hybrid electric vehicle, each of the plurality of ultracapacitors having a first terminal, the method comprising:
 providing a plurality of terminal cooling devices, each terminal cooling device having a terminal interface and a heat exchanger;   mechanically and thermally coupling each terminal cooling device to the first terminal of one of the plurality of ultracapacitors respectively;   providing a coolant flow across each of the terminal cooling devices; and,   convecting heat away from the plurality of terminal cooling devices.