Cooling device and power supply

• US 20060172188A1
• Filed: 01/26/2006
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Company, Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Company, Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Aoyama, Akihiro, Okuda, Jun
• Granted Patent: US 7,923,141 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/120
• 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 10/613 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 10/6563 with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• 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 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A cooling device including an intake duct achieving fluid communication between a vehicle interior and an inner part of a battery case, a fan unit for supplying the air via the intake duct to the inner part of the battery case, and a control device is used. The fan unit includes a fan and a motor driven by a constant voltage system. The control device includes a current value detecting portion and a judging portion. The current value detecting portion detects a current value of an electric current supplied to the motor. The judging portion compares the detected current value and a preset reference current value and, when the detected current value is lower than the reference current value, judges that there is an anomaly in a volume of the air supplied to the battery case.

Claims

1. A cooling device for cooling a battery contained in a battery case and mounted on a vehicle, the cooling device comprising:

an air supply channel achieving fluid communication between a vehicle interior or an outside of the vehicle and an inner part of the battery case;

an air supply system for supplying air via the air supply channel to the inner part of the battery case; and

a control system;

wherein the air supply system comprises a fan and a motor for driving the fan, the motor being driven by a constant voltage system,

the control system comprises a current value detecting portion and a judging portion,

the current value detecting portion detects a current value of an electric current supplied to the motor, and

the judging portion compares the current value detected by the current value detecting portion and a preset reference current value and, when the detected current value is lower than the reference current value, judges that there is an anomaly in a volume of the air supplied to the battery case.

2. The cooling device according to claim 1, further comprising a filter member, the filter member being disposed so that only the air that has passed through the filter member is supplied to the inner part of the battery case,

wherein the reference current value is set based on the current value of the electric current supplied to the motor when the fan is driven while an unused filter member is provided.

3. A cooling device for cooling a battery contained in a battery case and mounted on a vehicle, the cooling device comprising:

an air supply channel achieving fluid communication between a vehicle interior or an outside of the vehicle and an inner part of the battery case;

an air supply system for supplying air via the air supply channel to the inner part of the battery case;

a control system; and

an air volume measuring system for measuring a volume of the air supplied to the inner part of the battery case;

wherein the air supply system comprises a fan and a motor for driving the fan,

the control system comprises a motor driving portion, a memory portion and a judging portion,

the motor driving portion switches a voltage applied to the motor between multiple stages according to an indication of the judging portion so as to adjust a fan speed of the fan in stages,

the memory portion stores a reference air volume obtained in advance by measuring actual volume of the air supplied to the inner part of the battery case when the fan is driven at each of the stages of the fan speed, and the judging portion calculates a difference between the reference air volume corresponding to the fan speed of the fan at constant time intervals or at all times and the air volume measured by the air volume measuring system at that time and, when the calculated difference is equal to or larger than a preset tolerance value, judges that there is an anomaly in the volume of the air supplied to the battery case.

4. The cooling device according to claim 3, further comprising a filter member, the filter member being disposed so that only the air that has passed through the filter member is supplied to the inner part of the battery case.

5. A cooling device for cooling a battery contained in a battery case and mounted on a vehicle, the cooling device comprising:

an air supply channel achieving fluid communication between a vehicle interior or an outside of the vehicle and an inner part of the battery case;

an air supply system for supplying air via the air supply channel to the inner part of the battery case;

a control system; and

an air volume measuring system for measuring a volume of the air supplied to the inner part of the battery case;

wherein the air supply system comprises a fan and a motor for driving the fan,

the control system comprises a motor driving portion, a memory portion and a judging portion,

the motor driving portion switches a voltage applied to the motor between multiple stages according to an indication of the judging portion so as to adjust a fan speed of the fan in stages,

the memory portion stores a reference air volume obtained in advance by measuring actual volume of the air supplied to the inner part of the battery case when the fan is driven at each of the stages of the fan speed, and

the judging portion determines an operation time of the fan, calculates a first accumulated air volume using the reference air volume and the operation time of the fan, calculates a second accumulated air volume using the air volume measured by the air volume measuring system and the operation time of the fan, calculates a difference between the first accumulated air volume and the second accumulated air volume and, when the calculated difference is equal to or larger than a preset range, judges that there is an anomaly in the volume of the air supplied to the battery case.

6. The cooling device according to claim 5, further comprising a filter member, the filter member being disposed so that only the air that has passed through the filter member is supplied to the inner part of the battery case.

7. The cooling device according to claim 5, wherein when the fan is driven at different fan speeds, the operation time of the fan is determined for each of the different fan speeds, and

the first accumulated air volume is calculated by the judging portion by calculating an accumulated air volume for each of the different fan speeds from the determined operation time of the fan for each of the different fan speeds and the reference air volume corresponding to this fan speed and adding together the calculated accumulated air volumes for the different fan speeds.

8. A cooling device for cooling a battery contained in a battery case and mounted on a vehicle, the cooling device comprising:

an air supply channel achieving fluid communication between a vehicle interior or an outside of the vehicle and an inner part of the battery case;

an air supply system for supplying air via the air supply channel to the inner part of the battery case;

a filter member; and

a control system;

wherein the filter member is disposed so that only the air that has passed through the filter member is supplied to the inner part of the battery case,

the air supply system comprises a fan and a motor for driving the fan,

the control system comprises a motor driving portion, a memory portion and a judging portion,

the motor driving portion switches a voltage applied to the motor between multiple stages according to an indication of the judging portion so as to adjust a fan speed of the fan in stages,

the memory portion stores a reference air volume obtained in advance by measuring actual volume of the air supplied to the inner part of the battery case when the fan is driven at each of the stages of the fan speed, and

the judging portion determines an operation time of the fan, calculates an accumulated air volume using the reference air volume and the operation time of the fan and, when the calculated accumulated air volume is equal to or larger than a preset reference accumulated air volume, judges that there is an anomaly in the volume of the air supplied to the battery case.

9. The cooling device according to claim 8, wherein when the fan is driven at different fan speeds,

the accumulated air volume is calculated by the judging portion by determining the operation time of the fan for each of the different fan speeds, calculating an accumulated air volume for each of the different fan speeds from the determined operation time of the fan for each of the different fan speeds and the reference air volume corresponding to this fan speed and adding together the calculated accumulated air volumes for the different fan speeds.

10. The cooling device according to claim 8, wherein the reference accumulated air volume is set to an accumulated air volume from a time when the filter member in an unused state is disposed and the fan starts to be driven at a constant fan speed until an actual measured value of the volume of the air supplied to the inner part of the battery case becomes 80% or smaller of the volume of the air at the time when the fan starts to be driven.

11. A power supply comprising:

a battery mounted on a vehicle; and

a cooling device for cooling the battery;

wherein the battery comprises a plurality of unit cells and a battery case containing the plurality of unit cells,

the cooling device comprises

an air supply channel achieving fluid communication between a vehicle interior or an outside of the vehicle and an inner part of the battery case,

an air supply system for supplying air via the air supply channel to the inner part of the battery case, and

a control system,

the air supply system comprises a fan and a motor for driving the fan, the motor being driven by a constant voltage system,

the control system comprises a current value detecting portion and a judging portion,

the current value detecting portion detects a current value of an electric current supplied to the motor, and

the judging portion compares the current value detected by the current value detecting portion and a preset reference current value and, when the detected current value is lower than the reference current value, judges that there is an anomaly in a volume of the air supplied to the battery case.

12. A power supply comprising:

a battery mounted on a vehicle; and

a cooling device for cooling the battery;

wherein the battery comprises a plurality of unit cells and a battery case containing the plurality of unit cells,

the cooling device comprises

an air supply channel achieving fluid communication between a vehicle interior or an outside of the vehicle and an inner part of the battery case,

an air supply system for supplying air via the air supply channel to the inner part of the battery case,

a control system, and

an air volume measuring system for measuring a volume of the air supplied to the inner part of the battery case,

the air supply system comprises a fan and a motor for driving the fan,

the control system comprises a motor driving portion, a memory portion and a judging portion,

the motor driving portion switches a voltage applied to the motor between multiple stages according to an indication of the judging portion so as to adjust a fan speed of the fan in stages,

the memory portion stores a reference air volume obtained in advance by measuring actual volume of the air supplied to the inner part of the battery case when the fan is driven at each of the stages of the fan speed, and

the judging portion calculates a difference between the reference air volume corresponding to the fan speed of the fan at constant time intervals or at all times and the air volume measured by the air volume measuring system at that time and, when the calculated difference is equal to or larger than a preset tolerance value, judges that there is an anomaly in the volume of the air supplied to the battery case.

13. A power supply comprising:

a battery mounted on a vehicle; and

a cooling device for cooling the battery;

wherein the battery comprises a plurality of unit cells and a battery case containing the plurality of unit cells,

the cooling device comprises

an air supply channel achieving fluid communication between a vehicle interior or an outside of the vehicle and an inner part of the battery case,

an air supply system for supplying air via the air supply channel to the inner part of the battery case,

a control system, and

an air volume measuring system for measuring a volume of the air supplied to the inner part of the battery case;

the air supply system comprises a fan and a motor for driving the fan,

the control system comprises a motor driving portion, a memory portion and a judging portion,

the motor driving portion switches a voltage applied to the motor between multiple stages according to an indication of the judging portion so as to adjust a fan speed of the fan in stages,

the memory portion stores a reference air volume obtained in advance by measuring actual volume of the air supplied to the inner part of the battery case when the fan is driven at each of the stages of the fan speed, and

the judging portion determines an operation time of the fan, calculates a first accumulated air volume using the reference air volume and the operation time of the fan, calculates a second accumulated air volume using the air volume measured by the air volume measuring system and the operation time of the fan, calculates a difference between the first accumulated air volume and the second accumulated air volume and, when the calculated difference is equal to or larger than a preset range, judges that there is an anomaly in the volume of the air supplied to the battery case.

14. A power supply comprising:

a battery mounted on a vehicle; and

a cooling device for cooling the battery;

wherein the battery comprises a plurality of unit cells and a battery case containing the plurality of unit cells,

the cooling device comprises

an air supply channel achieving fluid communication between a vehicle interior or an outside of the vehicle and an inner part of the battery case,

an air supply system for supplying air via the air supply channel to the inner part of the battery case,

a filter member, and

a control system;

the filter member is disposed so that only the air that has passed through the filter member is supplied to the inner part of the battery case,

the air supply system comprises a fan and a motor for driving the fan,

the control system comprises a motor driving portion, a memory portion and a judging portion,

the motor driving portion switches a voltage applied to the motor between multiple stages according to an indication of the judging portion so as to adjust a fan speed of the fan in stages,

the memory portion stores a reference air volume obtained in advance by measuring actual volume of the air supplied to the inner part of the battery case when the fan is driven at each of the stages of the fan speed, and

the judging portion determines an operation time of the fan, calculates an accumulated air volume using the reference air volume and the operation time of the fan and, when the calculated accumulated air volume is equal to or larger than a preset reference accumulated air volume, judges that there is an anomaly in the volume of the air supplied to the battery case.