Battery Pack and HVAC Air Handling and Controls

• US 20080139102A1
• Filed: 12/12/2006
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Major, Gregory A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,988,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 454/139
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00278 for the battery arrangement of batteries B60R16/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/004 for vehicles having a combustion engine and electric drive means, e.g. hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/003 Component temperature regulation using an air flow
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• 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 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/525 Temperature of converter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/003 relating to inverters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/27 by heating
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A system and method for controlling air flow through a passenger cabin and battery pack of a vehicle having a battery module is disclosed. A HVAC controller communicates with a battery pack controller to assure that air flow from the passenger cabin through the battery pack, and either out to atmosphere or returned to the passenger cabin, is coordinated to obtain desirable passenger cabin heating/cooling and battery cooling.

Claims

1. A vehicle having a passenger cabin with an HVAC module and a battery module having a battery pack comprising:

a recirculation/fresh air door located in the HVAC module and operable to selectively allow variable proportions of fresh air from outside the vehicle and recirculated air from inside the passenger cabin to flow there-past;

a HVAC blower, located in the HVAC module, and operable to draw the air past the recirculation/fresh air door and direct the air into the passenger cabin;

a HVAC module controller operatively engaging and controlling a position of the recirculation/fresh air door and a speed of the HVAC blower;

a battery pack air inlet configured to direct the air from the passenger cabin into the battery pack;

a battery pack blower, located in the battery module, and operable to draw in the air through the battery pack air inlet; and

a battery pack controller, operative to control a speed of the battery pack blower, and in communication with the HVAC module controller.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 comprising:

a return air outlet configured to direct the air from the battery pack into the passenger cabin;

an exhaust air outlet configured to direction the air from the battery pack out of the vehicle; and

an exhaust/return air door located in the battery module and operable to selectively allow variable proportions of the air flowing from the battery pack to flow into the return air outlet and the exhaust air outlet.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the battery pack controller is operative to control a position of the exhaust/return air door.

4. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the passenger cabin includes a seat support structure and the return air outlet operatively engages the seat support structure.

5. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the battery pack controller is operable to move the exhaust/return air door into the position blocking the exhaust air outlet when the HVAC module controller communicates that the recirculation/fresh air door is in the position blocking the flow of the fresh air from outside the vehicle.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the passenger cabin includes a package shelf and the battery pack air inlet operatively engages the package shelf.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the passenger cabin includes a seat support structure and the battery pack air inlet operatively engages the seat support structure.

8. A method for controlling air flowing into and out of a passenger cabin of a vehicle and the air flowing through a battery pack of a battery module, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) controlling a position of a recirculation/fresh air door located in a HVAC module with a HVAC module controller;

(b) controlling a speed of a HVAC blower, located in the HVAC module, with the HVAC module controller;

(c) controlling a speed of a battery pack blower, located in the battery module, with a battery pack controller;

(d) drawing the air from the passenger cabin through the battery pack with the battery pack blower; and

(e) communicating from the HVAC module controller to the battery pack controller to selectively coordinate the speed of the battery pack blower with the speed of the HVAC blower.

9. The method of claim 8 comprising the steps of:

(f) controlling a position of an exhaust/return air door located in the battery module with the battery pack controller; and

(g) moving the exhaust/return air door to direct all of the air flow from the battery pack back into the passenger cabin when the position of the recirculation/fresh air door is such that all of the air drawn into the HVAC blower is from the passenger cabin.

10. The method of claim 8 comprising the steps of:

(f) operating the HVAC module in a heating mode;

(g) determining if a temperature in the battery pack is higher than a temperature in the passenger cabin; and

(h) moving the exhaust/return air door to direct all of the air flow from the battery pack back into the passenger cabin if determined that the temperature of the battery pack is higher than the temperature in the passenger cabin, thereby providing supplemental heat to the passenger cabin.

11. The method of claim 8 comprising the steps of:

(f) operating the HVAC module in an air conditioning mode;

(g) moving the recirculation/fresh air door to direct at least a portion of the air flowing into the HVAC blower from outside the vehicle;

(h) moving the exhaust/return air door to direct all of the air flow from the battery pack out of the vehicle; and

(i) operating the HVAC blower and the battery pack blower to direct the air from outside the vehicle, through the HVAC module, through the passenger cabin, through the battery pack and out of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 8 comprising the steps of:

(f) operating the HVAC blower at a first speed to provide a desired amount air flow to the passenger cabin from the HVAC module to provide of one of heating and cooling the passenger cabin;

(g) reducing the HVAC blower to a second speed that is less than the first speed; and

(h) increasing a speed of the battery pack blower at essentially the same time as step (g) in order to maintain the desired amount of air flow to the passenger cabin from the HVAC module.

13. A method for cooling a passenger cabin of a vehicle and a battery pack of a battery module while the vehicle is not operating, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) controlling a position of a recirculation/fresh air door located in an HVAC module with a HVAC module controller to allow fresh air to be drawn into the passenger cabin;

(b) controlling a speed of a battery pack blower, located in the battery module, with a battery pack controller;

(c) communicating from the battery pack controller to the HVAC module controller to coordinate the air flow through the passenger cabin;

(d) drawing the air from the passenger cabin through the battery pack with the battery pack blower; and

(e) exhausting the air from the battery pack blower through an exhaust air outlet to outside of the vehicle.