Air-cooled battery cooling system for air mobility vehicle

An air-cooled battery cooling system for an air mobility vehicle may ensure the cooling performance for batteries using air flows during the flight of the air mobility vehicle, since the cooling of the batteries is performed using an air flow in the top-bottom direction due to the hovering of the air mobility vehicle and an air flow in the front and rear direction due to the cruising of the air mobility vehicle, the efficient cooling performance for the batteries is ensured in a variety of flight modes. Furthermore, the batteries are securely fixed while being cooled by air flows via the heat transfer pads within the battery packs.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0150233, filed Nov. 11, 2020, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to an air-cooled battery cooling system for an air mobility vehicle, the battery cooling system ensuring battery cooling performance using an air flow during the flight of the air mobility vehicle.

Description of Related Art

Recently, the development of air mobility vehicles usable for a variety of purposes, such as freight transportation or medical transportation, has been underway. Air mobility vehicles are entering the stage of practical use, due to increased energy efficiency and reliability thereof.

Such air mobility vehicles may fly by operating propellers, which also enable takeoff and landing. In particular, recently, propellers of air mobility vehicles are configured to tilt depending on the flight mode such that the angles of propellers change depending on whether air mobility vehicles are hovering to vertically take off or land or cruising to fly forward thereof.

Since propellers are driven by the operation of motors, power for actuating motors may be provided, and corresponding power is stored in a battery. Such a battery may have structural strength and cooling efficiency. When the battery is not efficiently cooled or is structurally unstable, the battery may have a danger of thermal runaway and a resultant fire.

This is directly related to the safety of air mobility vehicles, and there is a demand for a modular structure able to ensure the stability of a battery.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Various aspects of the present invention are directed to providing an air-cooled battery cooling system configured to ensure battery cooling performance using an air flow during the flight of the air mobility vehicle and stabilize batteries using a battery fixing structure.

In various aspects of the present invention, there is provided an air-cooled battery cooling system for an air mobility vehicle, the cooling system including: a base including a mounting space, extending in a longitudinal direction thereof, and having defined therein an air path through which an external air flows into the mounting space; and a battery pack mounted inside the mounting space of the base and including a plurality of batteries and a plurality of heat transfer panels fixing the batteries in the battery pack, wherein the heat transfer panels are spaced from each other to define air circulation paths therebetween such that air introduced through the air path of the mounting space cools the batteries while flowing through the air circulation paths.

The base may include first air paths extending through the mounting space from one end portion to the other end portion such that air flows therethrough and second air paths extending through the mounting space in a top-to-bottom direction or vice versa such that air flows therethrough.

The heat transfer panels may extend in the longitudinal direction of the base such that the plurality of batteries is disposed and fixed in the longitudinal direction thereof. The battery pack may be configured such that the plurality of heat transfer panels is spaced from each other in a lateral direction and the top-bottom direction of the base to define the air circulation paths through which air introduced through the first air paths and the second air paths circulates.

The base may include one-side inlet in one end portion thereof and the other-side outlet in the other end portion thereof, defining the first air paths extending through the mounting space from one side to the other side, and a filter removing impurities is provided in one-side inlet.

The base may include a top inlet provided above the mounting space and a bottom outlet provided below the mounting space, defining the second air paths extending through the mounting space in the top-to-bottom direction thereof, and a filter removing impurities is provided in the top inlet.

The air-cooled battery cooling system may further include a propeller provided on one end portion of the base and configured to tilt in a top-bottom direction thereof. The mounting space may be provided in one end portion of the base, such that, when the propeller operates, air circulates through the first air paths or the second air paths, depending on a tilting position of the propeller.

The battery pack may be a plurality of battery packs disposed on both side portions of the mounting space to be spaced from each other.

Each of the heat transfer panels may include a pair of pads defining therein a plurality of recessed receptacles in which the batteries are accommodated, respectively, the receptacles being spaced from each other by predetermined distances, such that, when the pads of the pair of pads are coupled to each other, the batteries are surrounded by the receptacles.

Each of the heat transfer panels may further include heat transfer pads provided on the receptacles of the pads, the heat transfer pads having high thermal conductivity such that when the pads of the pair of pads are coupled to each other, the heat transfer pads are located between the receptacles and the batteries.

The plurality of heat transfer panels may be spaced from each other in a lateral direction while being staggered in the longitudinal direction such that the receptacles in the heat transfer panels are staggered in a zig-zag pattern.

The heat transfer panels may be disposed such that the receptacles of each of the heat transfer panels are located between the receptacles of an adjacent one of the heat transfer panels.

The batteries may be cylindrically shaped and be disposed in a top-bottom direction by the pair of pads.

The air-cooled battery cooling system for an air mobility vehicle, having the above-described structure for cooling the batteries, ensures the cooling performance for the batteries using air flows during the flight of the air mobility vehicle, since the cooling of the batteries is performed using an air flow in the top-bottom direction due to the hovering of the air mobility vehicle and an air flow in the front and rear direction due to the cruising of the air mobility vehicle, the efficient cooling performance for the batteries is ensured in a variety of flight modes. Furthermore, the batteries are securely fixed while being cooled by air flows via the heat transfer pads within the battery packs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, an air-cooled battery cooling system for an air mobility vehicle according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG.1andFIG.2are views exemplarily illustrating an air-cooled battery cooling system for an air mobility vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,FIG.3is a front view of the air-cooled battery cooling system for an air mobility vehicle illustrated inFIG.1,FIG.4andFIG.5are cross-sectional views of the air-cooled battery cooling system for an air mobility vehicle illustrated inFIG.1, andFIG.6is a view exemplarily illustrating the battery pack of the air-cooled battery cooling system for an air mobility vehicle.

As illustrated inFIG.1andFIG.2, the air-cooled battery cooling system for an air mobility vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention may include a base100having a mounting space110, extending in a longitudinal direction thereof, and having defined therein an air path P1through which an external air flows to the mounting space110; and a battery pack200disposed inside the mounting space110of the base100and including a plurality of batteries210and a plurality of heat transfer panels220fixing the batteries210, wherein the heat transfer panels220are spaced from each other to define air circulation paths P2therebetween such that air introduced through the air path P1of the mounting space110cools the batteries210while flowing through the air circulation paths P2.

Here, the base100may be disposed in a wing of the air mobility vehicle or a boom extending from the wing. The air path P1through which an external air flows to the mounting space110is formed in the base100, and the battery pack200is provided in the mounting space110such that the batteries210of the battery pack200are cooled by the air passing through the air path P1.

The batteries210and the heat transfer panels220are provided in the battery pack200, and the plurality of batteries210are fixed by the heat transfer panels220. Here, the heat transfer panels220may be made of an aluminum alloy having high thermal conductivity and strength. Furthermore, the batteries210may be lithium (Li) ion batteries.

The plurality of batteries210are fixed to the plurality of heat transfer panels220. The heat transfer panels220are spaced from each other such that the air circulation paths P2are formed between the heat transfer panels220. Thus, when the air mobility vehicle flies, air is introduced into the air path P1extending through the mounting space110of the base100. Accordingly, the introduced air performs heat exchange with the plurality of heat transfer panels220while flowing through the air circulation paths P2within the battery pack200. Consequently, the batteries210fixed to the heat transfer panels220are cooled due to the heat exchange with the air.

In the present manner, the present invention may perform cooling on the batteries210using air introduced during the flight of the air mobility vehicle. Here, the heat transfer panels220to which the batteries210are spaced from each other to define the air circulation paths P2may provide smooth air flows, improving the cooling performance.

Describing the above-described features of the present invention in more detail, the base100includes first air paths P1-aextending through the mounting space110from one end portion to the other such that air flows therethrough and second air paths P1-bextending through the mounting space110in the top-to-bottom direction or vice versa such that air flows therethrough.

As described inFIG.4andFIG.5, the base100has the first air paths P1-aextending through the mounting space110in the longitudinal direction and the second air paths P1-bopen in the top-bottom direction of the mounting space110. Here, since the first air paths P1-aare configured to be open in the forward-backward direction of the mounting space110, air is introduced into the first air paths P1-afrom the front of the air mobility vehicle when the air mobility vehicle flies forward in a cruising mode. Furthermore, since the second air paths P1-bare open in the top-bottom direction of the mounting space110, air is introduced into the second air paths P1-bfrom above or below the air mobility vehicle when the air mobility vehicle vertically flies in a hovering mode.

In the present manner, the base100has the first air paths P1-aand the second air paths P1-bsuch that air may circulate in both the forward-backward direction and the top-bottom direction thereof, so that the battery pack200may be cooled in a variety of flying directions.

Here, since the heat transfer panels220extend in the longitudinal direction of the base100, the plurality of batteries210are disposed and fixed in the longitudinal direction thereof. The battery pack200is configured such that the plurality of heat transfer panels220are spaced from each other in the lateral direction and the top-bottom direction to define the air circulation paths P2through which air introduced through the first air paths P1-aand the second air paths P1-bcirculates.

As illustrated inFIG.6, the plurality of heat transfer panels220extend in the longitudinal direction of the base100and are spaced from each other in the lateral direction thereof, defining the air circulation paths P2between the heat transfer panels220. InFIG.6, the forward-backward direction is the direction in which the drawing paper is viewed, while the lateral direction is the right-left direction thereof. Thus, air introduced through the first air paths P1-aof the base100may exchange heat with the heat transfer panels220while flowing in the forward-backward direction through the air circulation paths P2between the heat transfer panels220, cooling the batteries210. Furthermore, the air circulation paths P2formed by the plurality of heat transfer panels220may allow air to flow in the top-bottom direction thereof, since the plurality of heat transfer panels220are spaced from each other in the lateral direction thereof. Thus, the air introduced through the second air paths P1-bof the base100may exchange heat with the heat transfer panels220while flowing in the top-bottom direction through the air circulation paths P2between the heat transfer panels220, cooling the batteries210.

As described above, the plurality of heat transfer panels220of the battery pack200are spaced from each other in the lateral direction and arrayed in the top-bottom direction such that the batteries210may be efficiently cooled by the air introduced through the first air paths P1-aand the second air paths P1-b. That is, as illustrated inFIG.4, the air introduced from the front of the base100cools the batteries210while flowing from one side to the other side through the air circulation paths P2between the heat transfer panels220. Furthermore, as illustrated inFIG.5, the air introduced in the top portion to bottom direction of the base100cools the batteries210while flowing from the top portion to the bottom through the air circulation paths P2between the heat transfer panels220.

Furthermore, the base100has one-side inlet101in one end portion thereof and the other-side outlet102in the other end portion thereof, defining the first air paths P1-aextending through the mounting space110from one side to the other side thereof. A filter F removing impurities may be provided in one-side inlet101.

That is, one-side inlet101provided in one end portion of the base100allows air to be introduced therethrough from the front of the air mobility vehicle, and the other-side outlet102provided in the other end portion of the base100allows air that has flowed through the mounting space110to be discharged therethrough. Here, one-side inlet101may be provided in one end portion of the base100, and the filter F preventing the entrance of impurities is provided in one-side inlet101to remove impurities in the air introduced from the front. The other-side outlet102may be provided in the other end portion of the base100, with the size and position thereof being determined such that the air that has flowed through the first air paths P1-ato be efficiently discharged therethrough. Here, the filter F is not provided in the other-side outlet102, since the other-side outlet102is not a component through which an external air is introduced, or the filter F may be provided in the other-side outlet102.

Furthermore, the base100has a top inlet103provided above the mounting space110and a bottom outlet104provided below the mounting space110, defining the second air paths P1-bextending through the mounting space110in the top-to-bottom direction thereof. A filter F removing impurities may be provided in the top inlet103.

That is, the base100may have the top inlet103provided above the mounting space110such that air may be introduced therethrough from above the air mobility vehicle and the bottom outlet104provided below the mounting space110such that the air that has flowed through the mounting space110may be discharged therethrough. Here, the top inlet103may be provided in the base100above the mounting space110, and the filter F preventing the entrance of impurities is provided in the top inlet103to remove impurities in the air introduced from above. The bottom outlet104may be provided in the base100below the mounting space110, with the size thereof being determined such that the air that has flowed through the second air paths P1-bto be efficiently discharged therethrough. Here, the filter F is not provided in the other-bottom outlet104, since the bottom outlet104is not a component through which an external air is introduced, or the filter F may be provided in the bottom outlet104.

Since the first air paths P1-aextending in the direction from one-side inlet101to the other-side outlet102is provided in the mounting space110of the base100, the air introduced from the front of the air mobility vehicle may be provided to the battery pack200disposed inside the mounting space110. Furthermore, since the second air paths P1-bextend in the direction from the top inlet103to the bottom outlet104, the air introduced from above the air mobility vehicle may be provided to the battery pack200disposed inside the mounting space110. Accordingly, cooling air may be provided to the interior of the battery pack200in a variety of flight modes and a variety of flight directions, efficiently cooling the batteries210.

Furthermore, a propeller120configured to tilt in the top-bottom direction is provided on one end portion of the base100, and the mounting space110is provided in one end portion of the base100. When the propeller120operates, air circulates through the first air paths P1-aor the second air paths P1-b, depending on the tilting position of the propeller120.

Here, the propeller120is tiltably disposed on one end portion of the base100via a tilting unit. The direction of thrust is determined depending on the tilting angle of the propeller120. Thus, the mounting space110is provided on one end portion of the base100such that air is introduced thereto by thrust generated during the operation of the propeller120. In the cruising mode in which the air mobility vehicle flies forward, the propeller120disposed perpendicularly to the horizon generates an air flow in the front-to-rear direction thereof. Thus, external air is introduced to the first air paths P1-aof the base100and flows through the air circulation paths P2of the battery pack200in the direction from one side to the other side, cooling the batteries210. Furthermore, in the hovering mode in which the air mobility vehicle flies in the top-bottom direction thereof, the propeller120disposed horizontally generates an air flow in the top-to-bottom direction thereof. Thus, external air is introduced to the second air paths P1-bof the base100and flows through the air circulation paths P2of the battery pack200in the top-to-bottom direction thereof, cooling the batteries210.

As described above, the propeller120are disposed on one end portion of the base100, and the mounting space110is disposed on one end side of the base100. Accordingly, the batteries210inside the battery pack200may be cooled using an air flow due to thrust generated during the operation of the propeller120.

Here, the battery pack200may be a plurality of battery packs provided on both side portions of the mounting space110to be spaced from each other. Although the battery packs200may be disposed in the center portion of the mounting space110, additional components, such as the tilting unit T, of the propeller120may be disposed in the mounting space110, in addition to the battery packs200. Thus, the battery packs200may be disposed on both side portions of the mounting space110and spaced from each other to prevent interference with other components. Furthermore, when the battery packs200are disposed on both side portions of the mounting space110, the introduction of air flowing through the internal surfaces of the mounting space110may be facilitated, ensuring the cooling performance of the batteries210.

The heat transfer panels220of the battery pack200will be described in detail. As illustrated inFIG.6, each of the heat transfer panels220includes a pair of pads221defining therein a plurality of recessed receptacles222in which the batteries210are accommodated, respectively. The receptacles222are spaced from each other by predetermined distances. When the pads of the pair of pads221are coupled to each other, the batteries210are surrounded by (or received in) the receptacles222. The heat transfer panels220may be made of an aluminum alloy, and are respectively comprised of a pair of pads221defining the plurality of receptacles222therein in the longitudinal direction thereof, with the batteries210being accommodated in the receptacles222. Portions of the pair of pads221, except for the receptacles222, may be jointed to each other via stamping or the like. When the pads221are jointed to each other, the batteries210accommodated in the receptacles222are surrounded by the pads221such that the batteries210may exchange heat with external air via the heat transfer panels220.

Here, the batteries210are lithium-ion batteries210, are cylindrically shaped, and are disposed in the top-bottom direction by the pair of pads221such that air flowing through the circulation paths P2may flow in both the front and rear direction and the top-bottom direction thereof. When the batteries210are horizontally disposed in the heat transfer panels220, the air flow in the top-bottom direction is blocked, and the entire packages would be increased to provide the air flow. Thus, the batteries210fixed to the heat transfer panels220are disposed in the top-bottom direction such that air circulates in both the front and rear direction and the top-bottom direction through the air circulation paths P2defined by the heat transfer panels220.

Furthermore, heat transfer pads223having high thermal conductivity are provided on the receptacles222of the pads221of the heat transfer panels220. The heat transfer pads223are made of a high thermal conductivity material. When the pads of the pair of pads221are coupled to each other, the heat transfer pads223are located between the receptacles222and the batteries210to be in close contact with the batteries210and the heat transfer pads223. Thus, the thermal conductivity between the air and the batteries210is improved via the heat transfer panels220, ensuring the cooling performance. Furthermore, since the heat transfer pads223remove the spaces between the receptacles222of the heat transfer panels220and the batteries210, the batteries210are securely fixed to improve structural stability and ensure the cooling performance due to high thermal conductivity.

Furthermore, as illustrated inFIG.6, the plurality of heat transfer panels220are spaced from each other in the lateral direction while being staggered in the longitudinal direction such that the receptacles222in the heat transfer panels220are staggered in a zig-zag pattern. Since the heat transfer panels220disposed in the lateral direction in each of the battery packs200are disposed to be staggered in the longitudinal direction thereof, the receptacles222are staggered in a zig-zag pattern such that the air circulation paths P2between the heat transfer panels220extend in a corrugated and wave-shaped pattern. Accordingly, air flowing through the air circulation paths P2may efficiently exchange heat with the heat transfer panels220, ensuring the cooling performance of the batteries210.

Furthermore, the heat transfer panels220may be disposed such that the receptacles222of each heat transfer panel220are located between the receptacles222of an adjacent heat transfer panel220. Accordingly, the distances between the heat transfer panels220may be reduced, reducing an overall size of the battery packs200comprised of the batteries210. Furthermore, since the receptacles222of each heat transfer panel220are located between the receptacles222of an adjacent heat transfer panel220, the air circulation paths P2may extend in the corrugated and wave-shaped pattern, ensuring the heat exchange performance between the air flowing through the air circulation paths P2and the heat transfer panels220.

The air-cooled battery cooling system for an air mobility vehicle, having the above-described structure for cooling the batteries210, ensures the cooling performance for the batteries210using air flows during the flight of the air mobility vehicle, since the cooling of the batteries210is performed using an air flow in the top-bottom direction due to the hovering of the air mobility vehicle and an air flow in the front and rear direction due to the cruising of the air mobility vehicle, the efficient cooling performance for the batteries210is ensured in a variety of flight modes. Furthermore, the batteries210are securely fixed while being cooled by air flows via the heat transfer pads223within the battery packs200.