Systems and methods for monitoring temperatures of batteries

• US 10,352,777 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2015
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Georgeson, Gary E., Safai, Morteza
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunlap, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US14/591,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20160195437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,651 Days
• Field of Search: 374152, 374162, 374161, 701 344, 296231, 296235
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/12 using changes in colour, translucency or reflectance
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/125 using changes in reflectance
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2205/00 Application of thermometers in motors, e.g. of a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/488 Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/00 Safety devices for primary or secondary batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/10 Temperature sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A method for monitoring a temperature of a battery is provided. The method includes applying a thermochromatic coating to a surface of the battery. The method additionally includes directing electromagnetic radiation towards the thermochromatic coating, observing a thermochromatic response of the thermochromatic coating to the electromagnetic radiation, and identifying at least one portion of the battery that has experienced a temperature above a predefined threshold temperature, based on the thermochromatic response.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a temperature of a battery, the method comprising:

disposing a battery having a first cell and a second cell within a container;

applying a first thermochromatic coating to the first cell;

applying a second thermochromatic coating to the second cell;

applying a third thermochromatic coating to the battery;

applying a fourth thermochromatic coating to the container;

directing electromagnetic radiation towards the first thermochromatic coating, the second thermochromatic coating, the third thermochromatic coating, and the fourth thermochromatic coating;

observing a thermochromatic response emitted by the first thermochromatic coating, the second thermochromatic coating, the third thermochromatic coating, and the fourth thermochromatic coating; and

identifying at least one portion of the battery that has experienced temperatures exceeding a predefined threshold temperature and amount of time at temperatures exceeding the predefined threshold temperature based on the thermochromatic response.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying the first, second, third, and fourth thermochromatic coatings further comprises applying a thermochromatic paint and a thermochromatic tape.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the directing the electromagnetic radiation further comprises directing ultraviolet light towards the first, second, third, and fourth thermochromatic coatings.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the observing the thermochromatic response further comprises generating one or more images of the first cell, the second cell, the battery, and the container using an imaging device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a plurality of images of the first cell, the second cell, the battery, and the container obtained over a time period; and

identifying a heating pattern in the stored plurality of images.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the observing the thermochromatic response further comprises detecting a change in a color or an intensity of the thermochromatic response.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the amount of time of at least one of the first cell, the second cell, the battery, or the container above the predefined threshold temperature; and

replacing the at least one of the first cell, the second cell, the battery, or the container in response to the determining.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising installing the battery in an aircraft.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying the first thermochromatic coating to the first cell comprises coating an entire outer surface of the first cell with the first thermochromatic coating, wherein the applying the second thermochromatic coating to the second cell comprises coating an entire outer surface of the second cell with the second thermochromatic coating, wherein the applying the third thermochromatic coating to the battery comprises coating an entire outer surface of the battery with the third thermochromatic coating, and wherein the applying the fourth thermochromatic coating to the container comprises coating an entire outer surface of the container with the fourth thermochromatic coating.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first thermochromatic coating, the second thermochromatic coating, the third thermochromatic coating, and the fourth thermochromatic coating includes a plurality of probes configured to emit the thermochromatic response in response to exposure to a frequency range of the electromagnetic radiation, the thermochromatic response indicative of an amount of time at temperatures exceeding the predefined threshold temperature, the predefined threshold temperature comprising a minimum temperature at which the plurality of probes are activated.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying the first thermochromatic comprises applying the first thermochromatic coating that includes first probes configured to activate at a first threshold temperature, wherein the applying the second thermochromatic comprises applying the second thermochromatic coating that includes second probes configured to activate at the first threshold temperature or a second threshold temperature that is different from the first threshold temperature, wherein the applying the third thermochromatic coating comprises applying the third thermochromatic coating that includes third probes configured to activate at a third threshold temperature that is different from the first threshold temperature and the second threshold temperature, and wherein the applying the fourth thermochromatic coating to the container comprises applying the fourth thermochromatic coating that includes fourth probes configured to activate at a fourth threshold temperature that activate at a fourth threshold temperature that is different from the first, second, and third threshold temperatures.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first thermochromatic coating fluoresces in response to exposure to a first frequency range of electromagnetic radiation, wherein the second thermochromatic coating fluoresces in response to exposure to a second frequency range of electromagnetic radiation, wherein the third thermochromatic coating fluoresces in response to exposure to a third frequency range of electromagnetic radiation that differs from at least one of the first and second frequency ranges of electromagnetic radiation, and wherein the fourth thermochromatic coating fluoresces in response to a fourth frequency range of electromagnetic radiation that differs from at least one of the first, second, and third frequency ranges of electromagnetic radiation.

13. A method for monitoring a temperature of a battery having a first cell and a second cell, the battery contained within a battery container, the method comprising:

applying a first thermochromatic coating to a surface of the battery container, wherein the first thermochromatic coating includes a plurality of first probes configured to emit a first thermochromatic response when exposed to a predefined frequency range of electromagnetic radiation within a predefined time period after exceeding a first predefined threshold temperature;

applying a second thermochromatic coating to an entire outer surface of the first cell, wherein the second thermochromatic coating includes a plurality of second probes configured to emit a second thermochromatic response when exposed to the predefined frequency range of electromagnetic radiation within a predefined time period after exceeding a second predefined threshold temperature;

applying a third thermochromatic coating to an entire outer surface of the second cell, wherein the third thermochromatic coating includes a plurality of third probes configured to emit a third thermochromatic response when exposed to the predefined frequency range of electromagnetic radiation within a predefined time period after exceeding a third predefined threshold temperature;

applying a fourth thermochromatic coating to an entire outer surface of the battery, wherein the fourth thermochromatic coating includes a plurality of fourth probes configured to emit a fourth thermochromatic response when exposed to the predefined frequency range of electromagnetic radiation within a predefined time period after exceeding a fourth predefined threshold temperature;

directing the electromagnetic radiation towards the first thermochromatic coating, the second thermochromatic coating, the third thermochromatic coating, and the fourth thermochromatic coating;

observing the first thermochromatic response and identifying at least one portion of the battery container that has experienced a temperature above the first predefined threshold temperature within the predefined time period, based on the first thermochromatic response;

observing the second thermochromatic response and identifying at least one portion of the first cell that has experienced a temperature above the second predefined threshold temperature within the predefined time period, based on the second thermochromatic response;

observing the third thermochromatic response and identifying at least one portion of the second cell that has experienced a temperature above the third predefined threshold temperature within the predefined time period, based on the third thermochromatic response; and

observing the fourth thermochromatic response and identifying at least one portion of the battery that has experienced a temperature above the fourth predefined threshold temperature within the predefined time period, based on the fourth thermochromatic response.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the directing the electromagnetic radiation further comprises directing ultraviolet light towards the first, second, third, and fourth thermochromatic coatings.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the observing the first, second, third, and fourth thermochromatic responses further comprises generating at least one image of at least one of the surface of battery container, at least a portion of the entire outer surface of the first cell, at least a portion of the entire outer surface of the second cell, and the entire outer surface of the battery using an imaging device.

16. A system for use in monitoring temperatures experienced by a battery, said system comprising:

a battery including a first cell and a second cell;

a container containing the battery;

a first thermochromatic coating applied to the first cell;

a second thermochromatic coating applied to the second cell;

a third thermochromatic coating applied to battery; and

a fourth thermochromatic coating applied to the container.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth thermochromatic coatings include a plurality of probes that, in response to electromagnetic radiation of a predefined frequency range, emit a thermochromatic response indicative of an amount of time at a temperature exceeding a predefined threshold temperature, the predefined threshold temperature comprising a minimum temperature at which each respective probe is activated.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of probes include first probes configured to activate at a first threshold temperature and to emit a first thermochromatic response in response to electromagnetic radiation of a first frequency and second probes configured to activate at a second threshold temperature and to emit a second thermochromatic response in response to electromagnetic radiation of a second frequency, wherein the first frequency is different from the second frequency, the first thermochromatic response is different from the second thermochromatic response and the first threshold temperature is different from the second threshold temperature.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth thermochromatic coatings include a thermochromatic paint and a thermochromatic tape.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the battery is installed in an aircraft.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the battery is a lithium ion battery.

22. A system for monitoring temperatures experienced by a battery, the system comprising:

a monitoring computing device including a processor, the monitoring computing device configured to;

receive one or more images of thermochromatic coatings of a battery container, a battery, a first cell of the battery, and a second cell of the battery, wherein the thermochromatic coatings emit a thermochromatic response in response to electromagnetic radiation of a predefined frequency range, the thermochromatic response indicative of an amount of time at a temperature exceeding a threshold temperature;

identify, in the one or more images, at least one of a color and an intensity of the thermochromatic response emitted by the thermochromatic coatings; and

determine, from the at least one of the color and the intensity, the amount of time at a temperature exceeding the threshold temperature at the thermochromatic coatings.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the monitoring computing device is further configured to generate a heating history based at least in part on the one or more images.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the monitoring computing device is further configured to identify at least one pattern in the heating history.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the monitoring computing device is further configured to:

display the one or more images using an output device; and

visually identify in the one or more images that one or more portions of the thermochromatic coatings experienced a temperature above a predefined threshold temperature within the predefined time period.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the monitoring computing device is further configured to generate a recommendation to replace one or more portions of the thermochromatic coatings in response to determining the amount of time at the temperature exceeding the threshold temperature at the one or more portions.