System and Method for Cooling a Battery

• US 20080277101A1
• Filed: 05/07/2007
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Kumar, Ajith Kuttannair, Butine, John D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,006,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/104.28
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/615 Heating or keeping warm
• 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 10/6566 Means within the gas flow to guide the flow around one or more cells, e.g. manifolds, baffles or other barriers H01M10/6565 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/663 the system being an air-conditioner or an engine
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A system is provided for cooling an energy storage system of a hybrid electric vehicle. The energy storage system includes at least one energy storage device. The system includes an inlet positioned on the outer surface of the vehicle above the platform. More particularly, the system includes a cooling fluid duct in flow communication with the inlet and the at least one energy storage device. Additionally, the system includes a blower powered by a respective motor and positioned within the to draw cooling fluid into the inlet and through the cooling fluid duct to pass the cooling fluid over or through the at least one energy storage device and into a common vented area of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for cooling an energy storage system of a hybrid electric vehicle, said energy storage system comprising at least one energy storage device, said system comprising:

at least one inlet positioned on an outer surface of the vehicle above said platform;

an cooling fluid duct in flow communication with an inlet and at least one of said at least one energy storage device; and

a blower powered by a respective motor and positioned within said cooling fluid duct to draw cooling fluid into said inlet and through said cooling fluid duct to pass said cooling fluid over or through said at least one energy storage device and into a common vented area of said vehicle.

2. The system for cooling an energy storage system according to claim 1, wherein said hybrid electric vehicle comprises a hybrid off-highway vehicle, a hybrid marine vehicle, or a hybrid locomotive.

3. The system for cooling an energy storage system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one inlet comprises an air inlet, said cooling fluid duct comprises an air duct, said blower is positioned within said air duct to draw outside air into said air inlet.

4. The system for cooling an energy storage system according to claim 3, further comprising:

at least one filtering media positioned at a filtering location adjacent to said inlet within an inlet duct in flow communication to said air duct, said at least one filtering media configured to remove at least one contaminant from said outside air prior to entering said inlet duct.

5. The system for cooling an energy storage system according to claim 3, wherein said inlet is positioned on the outer surface of a roof portion of said locomotive to draw outside air through said inlet having a lesser amount of contaminants relative to outside air adjacent to the outer surface of said locomotive below said platform.

6. The system for cooling an energy storage system according to claim 3, wherein said inlet is positioned on the outer surface of a side portion of said locomotive to draw outside air through said inlet having a lesser amount of contaminants relative to outside air adjacent to the outer surface of said locomotive below said platform.

7. The system for cooling an energy storage system according to claim 3, wherein said common vented area comprises an engine compartment, wherein said at least one energy storage device includes a vent coupling to said engine compartment, and wherein said engine compartment includes at least one pre-existing vent external to said locomotive for passing said outside air.

8. The system for cooling an energy storage system according to claim 3, said system further comprises at least one power source for controllably operating said blower and motor to draw said outside air into said inlet and through said air duct, and to pass said outside air over or through said at least one energy storage device and into said common vented area of said vehicle.

9. The system for cooling an energy storage system according to claim 8, further comprising at least one damper control device positioned within said inlet duct for selectively shutting off the supply of outside air to said blower.

10. The system for cooling an energy storage system according to claim 8, further comprising at least one damper control device positioned within said air duct adjacent to said at least one energy storage device for selectively shutting off the supply of outside air to said at least one energy storage device.

11. The system for cooling an energy storage system according to claim 9, wherein said at least one power source is one of an auxiliary power source and a locomotive engine power source.

12. The system for cooling an energy storage system according to claim 11, wherein said blower is a continuous speed blower, a multiple speed blower of the speed of said power source, a continuously variable speed blower, a direct driven blower, or a switchable blower comprising a switch to turn the blower on and off.

13. The system for cooling an energy storage system according to claim 12, further comprising a locomotive controller for monitoring at least one thermometer coupled to said at least one energy storage device, wherein said locomotive controller selectively operates said one of a continuous speed blower, multiple speed blower of the speed of said power source, or a switchable blower, based upon comparing a monitored temperature from the thermometer of said at least one energy storage device with a respective predetermined temperature threshold of said at least one energy storage device.

14. The system for cooling an energy storage system according to claim 9, further comprising at least one secondary duct configured to couple the air duct to said at least one vent coupling, said at least one secondary duct configured to blend cooler outside air from the air duct with hotter outside air in said at least one vent coupling to reduce the outside air entering said engine compartment area.

15. A method for cooling an energy storage system of a hybrid electric vehicle, said energy storage system comprising at least one energy storage device, said method comprising:

positioning an inlet on the outer surface of the vehicle above said platform;

communicating a cooling fluid duct to said inlet and said at least one energy storage device; and

positioning a blower powered by a motor within said cooling fluid duct;

drawing cooling fluid into said inlet and through said cooling fluid duct; and

passing said cooling fluid over or through said at least one energy storage device and into a common vented area of said vehicle.

16. The method for cooling an energy storage system according to claim 15, wherein said hybrid electric vehicle comprises one of a hybrid off-highway vehicle, a hybrid marine vehicle, and a hybrid locomotive.

17. The method for cooling an energy storage system according to claim 15, wherein said at least one inlet comprises one air inlet, said cooling fluid duct comprises an air duct, said blower is positioned within said air duct to draw outside air into said air inlet.

18. The method for cooling an energy storage system according to claim 15, wherein said method further comprises:

providing at least one filtering media at a filtering location adjacent to said inlet within an inlet duct in flow communication to said air duct, and

removing at least one contaminant from said outside air before entering said inlet duct.

19. The method for cooling an energy storage system according to claim 16, wherein said common vented area comprises an engine compartment, wherein said at least one energy storage device includes a vent coupling to said engine compartment, and wherein said engine compartment includes at least one pre-existing vent external to said locomotive for passing said outside air.

20. The method for cooling an energy storage system according to claim 16, further comprising controllably operating said blower and motor with at least one power source to draw said outside air into said inlet and through said air duct, and to pass said outside air over or through said at least one energy storage device and into said common vented area of said vehicle.

21. The method for cooling an energy storage system according to claim 20, further comprising positioning at least one damper control device within said inlet duct for selectively shutting off the supply of outside air to said blower.

22. The method for cooling an energy storage system according to claim 20, further comprising positioning at least one damper control device within said air duct adjacent to said at least one energy storage device for selectively shutting off the supply of outside air to said at least one energy storage device.

23. The method for cooling an energy storage system according to claim 20, wherein said at least one power source is one of an auxiliary power source and a vehicle engine power source.

24. The method for cooling an energy storage system according to claim 23, further comprising monitoring at least one thermometer coupled to said at least one energy storage device, and selectively operating said one of a continuous speed blower, multiple speed blower of the speed of said power source, and a switchable blower, based upon comparing a monitored temperature from the thermometer of said at least one energy storage device with a respective predetermined temperature threshold of said at least one energy storage device.

25. Computer readable media containing program instructions for cooling an energy storage system of a hybrid electric vehicle, said energy storage system comprising at least one energy storage device, the computer readable media comprising:

a computer program code for drawing cooling fluid into an inlet positioned on the outer surface of the vehicle above said platform and through a cooling fluid duct in flow communication to said inlet and said at least one energy storage device; and

a computer program code for passing said cooling fluid over or through said at least one energy storage device and into a common vented area of said vehicle.