Tesla patent reveals cooling system in battery packs

Tesla has patented a battery pack design with a cooling system using plates to dissipate heat. It’s likely what is in Tesla’s current stationary energy storage products.

While most legacy automakers who are starting to build all-electric vehicles are doing it with pouch battery cells, Tesla has pioneered building battery packs with thousands of small cylindrical cells.

They developed battery modules to stack the battery cells into safe and energy-dense packs.

Those battery cells generate heat that needs to be dissipated and Tesla has been refining its technology.

Recently, Tesla filed for a patent on a new ‘energy storage system’ with a plate-based cooling system.

Tesla describes the system in its patent application:

“The energy storage system includes a module housing having multiple battery cells positioned inside the module housing. Each of the battery cells has a first end and a second end. Further, each of the battery cells has a positive terminal and a negative terminal. A first interconnect is positioned over the multiple battery cells. A second interconnect is positioned over the multiple battery cells. Multiple first cell connectors connect the positive terminal of the battery cells to the first interconnect. Similarly, multiple second cell connectors connect the negative terminal of the battery cells to the second interconnect. A top plate having an interior side and an exterior side is positioned over the first interconnect and the second interconnect. The top plate includes one or more weak areas above the one or more battery cell. The weak areas are regions that have less integrity and thus, where mechanical failure is more likely to occur if a battery cell releases gas. These regions may be physically weaker areas compared to the surrounding areas and may rupture when pressure builds up due to a failed cell. Alternatively, the weak areas may be chemically weaker and preferentially rupture when exposed to the caustic gases released by a failed battery cell. The weak areas may also fail due to a combination of physical and chemical weakening.”

Here are drawings from Tesla’s new patent application:

Here’s the full patent application.