Temperature-regulated battery system and method of operating same

Abstract

Provided is a rechargeable battery system comprising at least a battery cell and an external cooling means, wherein the battery cell comprises an anode, a cathode, an electrolyte disposed between the anode and the cathode, a protective housing that at least partially encloses the anode, the cathode and the electrolyte, and at least one heat-spreader element disposed partially or entirely inside the protective housing and wherein the external cooling means is in thermal contact with the heat spreader element configured to enable transporting internal heat of the battery through the heat spreader element to the external cooling means. Also provided is a method of operating a rechargeable battery system, the method comprising implementing a heat spreader element in one or each of a plurality of battery cells and bringing the heat spreader element in thermal contact with one or a plurality of external cooling means.

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         16 . A method of operating a rechargeable battery system, said method comprising implementing a heat spreader element in one or each of a plurality of battery cells and bringing the heat spreader element in thermal contact with one or a plurality of external cooling means, allowing the heat spreader element to receive internal heat of the battery cell and transport the heat to the external cooling means. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the heat spreader element has an end connected to an electrode terminal of the battery cell or a tab protruded out of a protective housing of the battery cell and wherein the method comprises (a) bringing the electrode terminal or the tab in thermal contact with the external cooling means; and (b) operating the cooling means to keep the battery at a temperature lower than a desired temperature when the battery is discharged or when the battery supplies power to an external device. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising a step of operating a temperature sensor for measuring an internal temperature of the battery. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the step of operating a temperature sensor comprises operating the heat-spreader element as a temperature sensor for measuring an internal temperature of the battery. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the external cooling means is selected from a heat sink, a heat pipe, a vapor chamber, a stream of flowing fluid, a thermoelectric device, a heat exchanger, a radiator, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said heat-spreader element comprises a high thermal conductivity material having a thermal conductivity no less than 10 W/mK. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said heat-spreader element comprises a material selected from graphene film, flexible graphite sheet, artificial graphite film, Ag, Ag, Cu, Al, brass, steel, Ti, Ni, Mg alloy sheet, silicon nitride, boron nitride, aluminum nitride, boron arsenide, a composite thereof, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said graphene film contains a graphene selected from pristine graphene, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, graphene fluoride, graphene chloride, graphene bromide, graphene iodide, hydrogenated graphene, nitrogenated graphene, chemically functionalized graphene, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the step of implementing a heat spreader element inside the battery comprises placing the heat-spreader element in physical or thermal contact with the anode or the cathode for removing heat therefrom. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the heat-spreader element has a tab protruded outside of the protective housing and wherein said step (a) comprises controllably making the tab in thermal contact with the external cooling means. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the battery cell has an anode terminal and a cathode terminal for operating the battery and the heat-spreader element is in thermal contact with the anode terminal or the cathode terminal and wherein step (a) comprises bringing the anode terminal or the cathode terminal in physical or thermal contact with the external cooling means. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the heat-spreader element is in thermal contact with the protective housing or a cap of the protective housing and said step (a) comprises bringing the external cooling means to thermally or physically contact the protective housing or the cap, removing heat therefrom.