Rapid charging electric vehicle and method and apparatus for rapid charging

• US 10,236,543 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2017
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lightening Energy
• Original Assignee: Lightening Energy
• Inventors: Dyer, Christopher K., Epstein, Michael L., Culver, Duncan
• Primary Examiner(s): Harris, Gary D
• Application Number:
  US15/712,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20180013180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 429 62
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/302 Cooling of charging equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6557 arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6567 Liquids
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

An electric vehicle is provided. The electric vehicle includes an electric battery powering a drive system of the vehicle. The battery has a housing and a plurality of cells within the housing. The cells are spaced apart by interconnectors. The electric vehicle also includes a coolant delivery. The coolant delivery delivers coolant to the interconnectors. An electric battery is also provided.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle comprising:

an electric battery powering a drive system of the vehicle, the battery having a housing and a plurality of cells within the housing, the cells being spaced apart by interconnectors;

a coolant delivery, the coolant delivery delivering coolant to the interconnectors; and

a charging receptacle on the outside of the vehicle, the coolant delivery being connected to the receptacle.

2. The electric vehicle recited in claim 1 further comprising a coolant return, the coolant return receiving the coolant after the coolant has passed through the interconnectors.

3. The electric vehicle recited in claim 1 further comprising at least one temperature sensor providing feedback regarding the temperature of the battery.

4. The electric vehicle recited in claim 1 wherein the interconnectors are compressible.

5. The electric vehicle recited in claim 1 wherein the battery includes more than thirty cells.

6. The electric vehicle recited in claim 1 further comprising a temperature control system, an output of the coolant delivery being selectively coupleable to and decoupleable from the temperature control system.

7. The electric vehicle recited in claim 1 further comprising a controller for controlling the flow of the coolant to the battery.

8. The electric vehicle recited in claim 1 further comprising a controller using charging information of the battery to control the coolant during recharging.

9. An electric vehicle comprising:

an electric battery powering a drive system of the vehicle, the battery having a housing, the housing having a coolant input and a coolant output for passing coolant through the housing; and

a coolant delivery, the coolant delivery delivering coolant to the coolant input, the coolant delivery connected to a receptacle on the surface of the vehicle,

wherein the battery includes a plurality of cells and a plurality of channels passing between the cells, the coolant delivery delivering coolant through the channels.

10. The electric vehicle recited in claim 9 further comprising a coolant return, the coolant return receiving the coolant from the coolant output.

11. The electric vehicle recited in claim 9 wherein the battery includes more than thirty cells.

12. The electric vehicle recited in claim 9 further comprising a charging receptacle on the outside of the vehicle, the coolant delivery being connected to a receptacle.

13. The electric vehicle recited in claim 9 further comprising a temperature control system, an output of the coolant delivery being selectively coupleable to and decoupleable from the temperature control system.

14. The electric vehicle recited in claim 9 further comprising a controller for controlling the flow of the coolant to the battery.

15. The electric vehicle recited in claim 9 further comprising a controller using charging information of the battery to control the coolant during recharging.

16. An electric battery powering a drive system of the vehicle, comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of cells within the housing, the cells being spaced apart by interconnectors, the housing having a coolant input and coolant output for passing coolant through the interconnectors; and

at least one valve controlling the flow of coolant through the interconnectors.

17. The electric battery recited in claim 16 further comprising at least one temperature sensor sensing the temperatures of the cells.

18. The electric battery recited in claim 17 further comprising a controller receiving inputs from the at least one temperature sensor and controlling the at least one valve based on the inputs from the at least one temperature sensor.