Temperature controlling apparatus for battery, vehicle apparatus using the same, and controlling method therefor

• US 20030118891A1
• Filed: 12/10/2002
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Murakami, Hiroshi, Maeda, Tomohiko, Ota, Kazushi, Kayano, Morio, Saito, Mitsunobu
• Granted Patent: US 7,767,354 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/62
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/525 Temperature of converter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/56 Temperature prediction, e.g. for pre-cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/345 Gastight metal hydride accumulators
• 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 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/617 for achieving uniformity or desired distribution of temperature
• 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 10/6563 with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/667 the system being an electronic component, e.g. a CPU, an inverter or a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

In an ECU, a coolant fan performs cooling operation such that a control DUTY value is limited by a control DUTY value according to tolerable noise level of the cooling fan based on a vehicle speed in a case in which the temperature in the high-voltage battery is lower than a predetermined limitation for highest temperature. In a case in which the temperature in the high-voltage battery is higher than the predetermined limitation for highest temperature, the cooling fan performs the cooling operation by using an energy storage device cooling operation requirement value and an IPU cooling operation requirement value such that performance in the high-voltage battery is not affected.

By doing this, a temperature controlling apparatus for batteries in which it is possible to cool the battery and solve temperature difference among a plurality of batteries can be provided.

Claims

1. A temperature controlling apparatus for batteries, which is provided with a cooling fan for sending cooling air to a plurality of batteries which are connected to each other, comprising:

a temperature measuring device for measuring a temperature of each battery;

a temperature difference calculating device for calculating temperature difference among batteries;

a controlling device for setting and controlling current value sent to the cooling fan according to the temperature difference among batteries.

2. A temperature controlling apparatus for batteries, which is provided with a cooling fan for sending cooling air to a plurality of batteries which are connected to each other, comprising:

a temperature measuring device for measuring a temperature of each battery;

a temperature difference calculating device for calculating temperature differences among batteries;

a first setting device for setting and controlling a first current value sent to the cooling fan according to the temperature difference among batteries;

a second setting device for setting and controlling a second current value sent to the cooling fan according to the temperature difference among batteries;

a comparison controlling device which chooses larger current value between the first current value and the second current value so as to control the cooling fan.

3. A temperature controlling apparatus for batteries according to claim 2 wherein

an current measuring device for measuring current which is charged to or discharged from the batteries is provided, and

the first setting device sets the first current value according to the temperature of the batteries and the current which is measured by the controlling device.

4. A vehicle apparatus, having a motor for driving a vehicle or supporting an output from the vehicle engine and a plurality of batteries which are connected to each other for storing energy which is generated by the motor and energy which is regenerated by regenerating operation of the motor when the vehicle is decelerated and a cooling fan which sends cooling air to the batteries, comprising:

a temperature measuring device for measuring a temperature of each battery;

a temperature difference calculating device for calculating temperature differences among batteries;

a controlling device for setting and controlling current value sent to the cooling fan according to the temperature differences among batteries;

a speed measuring device for measuring driving speed of the vehicle; and

an current limiting device for limiting the current according to the driving speed of the vehicle.

5. A vehicle apparatus according to claim 4 provided with a limitation clearing device for canceling the limitation for the current made by the current limiting device under conditions that the temperature of the batteries rises higher than a predetermined limit for highest temperature.

6. A vehicle apparatus according to claim 4 which is provided with a limitation canceling device which cancels the limitation made by the current limiting device when information for the driving speed of the vehicle cannot be obtained from the speed measuring device for a predetermined period of time under condition that electricity is charged to or discharged from the batteries.

7. Controlling method for the temperature controlling apparatus for battery, which is provided with a cooling fan for sending cooling air to a plurality of batteries which are connected to each other, comprising steps of:

a temperature measuring step for measuring a temperature of each battery;

a temperature difference calculating step for calculating temperature differences among batteries;

a controlling step for setting and controlling current value sent to the cooling fan according to the temperature difference among batteries.

8. Controlling method for the temperature controlling apparatus for battery, which is provided with a cooling fan for sending cooling air to a plurality of batteries which are connected to each other, comprising steps of:

a temperature measuring step for measuring a temperature of each battery;

a temperature difference calculating step for calculating temperature differences among batteries;

a first setting step for setting and controlling a first current value sent to the cooling fan according to the temperature differences among batteries;

a second setting step for setting and controlling a second current value sent to the cooling fan according to the temperature differences among batteries;

a comparison controlling step which chooses the larger current value between the first current value and the second current value so as to control the cooling fan.

9. Controlling method for the temperature controlling apparatus for batteries according to claim 8 wherein

an current measuring step for measuring current which is charged to or discharged from the batteries is provided, and

the first setting step sets the first current value according to the temperature of the batteries and the current which is measured in the controlling step.

10. Controlling method for the vehicle apparatus, having a motor for driving a vehicle or supporting an output from the vehicle engine and a plurality of batteries which are connected to each other for storing energy which is generated by the motor and energy which is regenerated by regenerating operation of the motor when the vehicle is decelerated and a cooling fan which sends cooling air to the batteries, comprising steps of:

a temperature measuring step for measuring a temperature of each battery;

a temperature difference calculating step for calculating temperature differences among batteries;

a controlling step for setting and controlling current value sent to the cooling fan according to the temperature differences among batteries;

a speed measuring step for measuring driving speed of the vehicle; and

an current limiting step for limiting the current according to the driving speed of the vehicle.

11. Controlling method for the vehicle apparatus according to claim 10 having a limitation clearing step for canceling the limitation for the current made in the current limiting step under condition that the temperature of the batteries rises higher than a predetermined limitation for highest temperature.

12. Controlling method for the vehicle apparatus according to claim 10 having a limitation canceling step which cancels the limitation made by the current limiting device when information for the driving speed of the vehicle cannot be obtained from the speed measuring device for a predetermined period of time under conditions that current is charged to or discharged from the batteries.