Battery thermal management system including thermal interface material with integrated heater element

• US 10,446,887 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2014
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Burrows, Neil Robert, Chorian, Steve F., Garfinkel, George Albert, Vejalla, Dhanunjay, Kuo, Chung-hsing
• Primary Examiner(s): Usyatinsky, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US14/336,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20160020496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,912 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/02 to electric heating circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2009 for braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/443 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/27 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/12 for vehicles propelled by dc motors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 : for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 : for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 : Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/635 : based on ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/653 : characterised by electrically insulating or thermally conductive materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/655 : Solid structures for heat exchange or heat conduction
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6555 : arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6571 : Resistive heaters arrangements for heating the battery by its resistance to the internal current H01M10/637
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 : Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A battery pack includes a battery cell, a thermal interface material adjacent the battery cell and a heater element integrated with the thermal interface material.

Claims

1. A battery pack, comprising:

a battery cell;

a thermal interface material adjacent said battery cell,

wherein said thermal interface material includes an epoxy resin or a silicone based material; and

a heater element integrated with said thermal interface material, wherein said heater element is a resistive heater wire that is embedded, bonded, overlaid, or printed on said thermal interface material.

2. The battery pack as recited in claim 1, wherein said thermal interface material is sandwiched between said battery cell and a second battery cell.

3. The battery pack as recited in claim 1, wherein said heater element is sandwiched between a first layer and a second layer of said thermal interface material.

4. The battery pack as recited in claim 1, wherein said heater element is arranged in a grid that includes a plurality of heating wires arranged as a meandering loop.

5. The battery pack as recited in claim 4, wherein said thermal interface material is wrapped around said battery cell.

6. The battery pack as recited in claim 1, wherein said thermal interface material contacts a cold plate.

7. The battery pack as recited in claim 1, comprising a control system that monitors at least one temperature condition associated with said battery cell and actuates said heater element if said at least one temperature condition drops below a predefined threshold value.

8. The battery pack as recited in claim 1, comprising a control system that includes a control module, a first sensor, and a second sensor.

9. The battery pack as recited in claim 8, wherein said first sensor is configured to sense an ambient temperature of said battery pack and said second sensor is configured to sense a temperature of said battery cell.

10. The battery pack as recited in claim 9, wherein said control module is configured to actuate said heater element based on said ambient temperature and said temperature of said battery cell.

11. The battery pack as recited in claim 1, wherein said thermal interface material is positioned between said battery cell and a cold plate.

12. The battery pack as recited in claim 1, wherein said heater element includes a meandering loop of resistive heater wires.

13. The battery pack as recited in claim 1, wherein said heater element includes a heating wire having end legs that extend away from said thermal interface material.

14. The battery pack as recited in claim 13, wherein said end legs connect to a current source that is configured to pass a current through said heating wire.

16. The battery pack as recited in claim 1, comprising:

a second battery cell;

said thermal interface material separates said battery cell and said second battery cell; and

wherein said heater element is selectively actuated to heat a side surface of each of said battery cell and said second battery cell.

17. The battery pack as recited in claim 1, wherein said resistive heater wire is overlaid onto said thermal interface material.

18. The battery pack as recited in claim 1, wherein said resistive heater wire is bonded to said thermal interface material.

19. The battery pack as recited in claim 1, wherein said resistive heater wire is printed on said thermal interface material.

15. A battery pack, comprising:

a battery cell;

a thermal interface material adjacent to said battery cell,

wherein said thermal interface material includes an epoxy resin or a silicone based material;

a resistive heater wire embedded, bonded, overlaid, or printed on said thermal interface material;

a current source configured to pass a current through said resistive heater wire to heat said battery cell; and

a control module configured to command said current source to pass said current when a temperature of said battery cell drops below a predefined threshold value.