Vehicle battery cooling apparatus

• US 20020043413A1
• Filed: 10/12/2001
• Published: 04/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kimishima, Masahiro, Echigoya, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 6,481,230 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00278 for the battery arrangement of batteries B60R16/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/323 characterised by comprising auxiliary or multiple systems, e.g. plurality of evaporators, or by involving auxiliary cooling devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00307 Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/06 with air cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/005 the electric storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/28 characterised by the electric energy storing means, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/40 characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0053 relating to fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• 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 10/633 characterised by algorithms, flow charts, software details or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6568 characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6569 Fluids undergoing a liquid-gas phase change or transition, e.g. evaporation or condensation heat pipes H01M10/6552
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/663 the system being an air-conditioner or an engine
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/006 : of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 : Fuel cells
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/907 : Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/951 : Assembly or relative location of components

Abstract

The passenger compartment air-conditioning apparatus has a second heat exchanger disposed adjacent to and in front of a first heat exchanger for cooling a cooling liquid of a battery. When the temperature of the battery is increased at the time the battery is charged in a quick charge mode, a compressor of the passenger compartment air-conditioning apparatus is actuated by a coaction of a battery ECU and an air-conditioning ECU to supply a refrigerant to the second heat exchanger. A fan is rotated to cool external air with the second heat exchanger. The cooled external air is introduced into the first heat exchanger, which cools the cooling liquid of the battery.

Claims

1. An apparatus for cooling a battery mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

first cooling means for cooling a cooling liquid to cool the battery with external air introduced by a fan; and

second cooling means disposed adjacent to and in front of said first cooling means in a forward direction of the vehicle, for cooling said first cooling means with a passenger compartment air-conditioning apparatus on the vehicle.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first cooling means comprises a first heat exchanger disposed outside of a passenger compartment of the vehicle, for cooling said cooling liquid, and said second cooling means comprises a second heat exchanger branched from a refrigerant circulation passage of said passenger compartment air-conditioning apparatus and disposed outside of said passenger compartment.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

temperature detecting means for detecting a battery temperature of said battery; and

control means connected to said temperature detecting means and said first and second cooling means, for controlling operation of said first and second cooling means based on the battery temperature detected by said temperature detecting means.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said first cooling means comprises a first heat exchanger disposed outside of a passenger compartment of the vehicle, for cooling said cooling liquid, and said second cooling means comprises a second heat exchanger branched from a refrigerant circulation passage of said passenger compartment air-conditioning apparatus and disposed outside of said passenger compartment.

5. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said control means comprises means for operating only said first cooling means to cool said battery when the battery temperature detected by said temperature detecting means is increasing and exceeds a predetermined reference temperature, and operating both said first and second cooling means to cool said battery when the battery temperature detected by said temperature detecting means is increasing further and exceeds a predetermined reference temperature higher than said predetermined reference temperature.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said first cooling means comprises a first heat exchanger disposed outside of a passenger compartment of the vehicle, for cooling said cooling liquid, and said second cooling means comprises a second heat exchanger branched from a refrigerant circulation passage of said passenger compartment air-conditioning apparatus and disposed outside of said passenger compartment.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said battery comprises a battery mounted on an electric vehicle which has a propulsion source comprising an electric motor powered battery.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said battery comprises a battery mounted on a hybrid vehicle which has propulsion sources comprising an internal combustion engine and an electric motor powered battery.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said battery comprises a battery mounted on a hybrid vehicle which has a propulsion source comprising an electric motor powered by a fuel battery and said battery.