US 11,752,898 B2
Aircraft battery systems having heat activated thermal barriers
Yue Fan, Fort Worth, TX (US); Michael Raymond Hull, Fort Worth, TX (US); and Zachary Edwin Dailey, Grapevine, TX (US)
Assigned to Textron Innovations Inc., Providence, RI (US)
Filed by Textron Innovations Inc., Providence, RI (US)
Filed on Sep. 13, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/472,907.
Prior Publication US 2023/0078659 A1, Mar. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. B60L 58/26 (2019.01); H01M 10/625 (2014.01); H01M 10/6567 (2014.01); B64D 13/00 (2006.01); B64C 29/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60L 58/26 (2019.02) [B64C 29/0033 (2013.01); B64D 13/006 (2013.01); H01M 10/625 (2015.04); H01M 10/6567 (2015.04); B60L 2200/10 (2013.01); H01M 2220/20 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A battery system comprising:
a plurality of battery modules each including a plurality of battery cells having a bottom surface;
a shared cooling structure thermally coupled to each of the battery modules, the shared cooling structure configured to conduct heat relative to the battery modules; and
a plurality of thermal interfaces each disposed between one or more respective battery cells and the shared cooling structure, each thermal interface configured to transition from a first thickness having a first thermal conductivity state to a second thickness having a second thermal conductivity state responsive to heat generated by the one or more respective battery cells exceeding a threshold level, the second thickness greater than the first thickness;
wherein, each thermal interface moves the one or more respective battery cells away from the shared cooling structure in the second thermal conductivity state to create one or more air gaps between the bottom surface of the one or more respective battery cells and the shared cooling structure; and
wherein, the second thermal conductivity state is lower than the first thermal conductivity state such that after one of the thermal interfaces has transitioned from the first thermal conductivity state to the second thermal conductivity state, heat transfer from the one or more respective battery cells to the shared cooling structure is reduced.