Battery Thermal System for Vehicle

• US 20090280395A1
• Filed: 05/09/2008
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Ibri, Wissam, Nemesh, Mark D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,215,432 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/62
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00278 for the battery arrangement of batteries B60R16/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00307 Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/27 by heating
• 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 10/6562 with free flow by convection only
• 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 10/663 the system being an air-conditioner or an engine
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/006 of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04007 related to heat exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04074 Heat exchange unit structures specially adapted for fuel cell
• 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 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A battery thermal system for use in a vehicle having a power plant, an air conditioning system and a battery pack, and a method of operation, is disclosed. The battery thermal system may include a refrigerant-to-coolant heat exchanger that selectively receives a refrigerant from the vehicle air conditioning system; a battery radiator located adjacent to a cooling fan; a valve that receives a liquid coolant from the battery pack and selectively redirects the liquid coolant to the refrigerant-to-coolant heat exchanger and the battery radiator; and an electric pump for pumping the liquid coolant through the battery pack, the valve, the refrigerant-to-coolant heat exchanger and the battery radiator. The battery thermal system may also include a battery coolant heater for selectively heating the coolant that flows into the battery pack.

Claims

1. A battery thermal system for use in a vehicle having a power plant, an air conditioning system and a battery pack, the system comprising:

a refrigerant-to-coolant heat exchanger configured to selectively receive a refrigerant from the vehicle air conditioning system;

a battery radiator configured to be located adjacent to a cooling fan;

a valve configured to receive a liquid coolant from the battery pack and selectively redirect the liquid coolant to one of the refrigerant-to-coolant heat exchanger and the battery radiator; and

an electric pump for pumping the liquid coolant through the battery pack, the valve, the refrigerant-to-coolant heat exchanger and the battery radiator.

2. The system of claim 1 including a battery coolant heater located upstream of the battery pack and configured to receive a flow of the liquid coolant therethrough, whereby the battery coolant heater is activatable to heat the coolant flowing therethrough.

3. The system of claim 2 including an air separator configured to receive the flow of the liquid coolant therethrough and separate air bubbles from the liquid in the liquid coolant.

4. The system of claim 1 including an air separator configured to receive a flow of liquid coolant therethrough and separate air bubbles from the liquid in the liquid coolant.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the battery radiator is configured to be located adjacent to a power plant radiator.

6. A vehicle comprising:

a power plant;

a radiator configured to cool the power plant;

a cooling fan located adjacent to the radiator and configured to draw air through the radiator;

a battery pack; and

a battery thermal system including a battery radiator located adjacent to the radiator and in fluid communication with the battery pack;

a battery coolant heater located upstream of the battery pack and configured to receive a flow of a liquid coolant therethrough, whereby the battery coolant heater is activatable to heat the coolant flowing therethrough; and

an electric pump for pumping the liquid coolant through the battery pack, the battery radiator, and the battery coolant heater.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 including an air conditioning system;

and wherein the battery thermal system includes a refrigerant-to-coolant heat exchanger configured to selectively receive a refrigerant from the air conditioning system, and a valve configured to receive the liquid coolant from the battery pack and selectively redirect the liquid coolant to one of the refrigerant-to-coolant heat exchanger and the battery radiator.

8. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein the battery thermal system includes an air separator configured to receive a flow of liquid coolant therethrough and separate air bubbles from the liquid in the liquid coolant.

9. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein the power plant is an internal combustion engine.

10. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein the power plant is a fuel cell.

11. The vehicle of claim 6 including an electric motor drivingly engaging the cooling fan.

12. The vehicle of claim 6 including a plug-in charger operatively engaging the battery pack.

13. A method of thermally controlling a battery pack in a vehicle having an air conditioning system and a battery thermal system, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting if cooling of the battery pack is needed;

(b) activating a pump to pump a liquid coolant through the battery pack and the battery thermal system if the need for battery pack cooling is detected;

(c) actuating a valve to direct the liquid coolant through a battery radiator if the need for battery pack cooling is detected and the air conditioning system is not operating; and

(d) actuating the valve to direct the liquid coolant through a refrigerant-to-coolant heat exchanger if the need for battery pack cooling is detected and the air conditioning system is operating.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

(e) detecting if heating of the battery pack is needed;

(f) activating the pump to pump the liquid coolant through the battery pack and the battery thermal system if the need for battery pack heating is detected;

(g) actuating the valve to direct the liquid coolant through the refrigerant-to-coolant heat exchanger if the need for battery pack heating is detected; and

(h) activating a battery coolant heater located upstream of the battery pack to heat the liquid coolant before the liquid coolant flows into the battery pack.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of (e) separating air bubbles from the liquid in the liquid coolant as the liquid coolant flows through the battery thermal system.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein step (c) is further defined by activating a cooling fan adjacent to the battery radiator.